Use of steganographically-encoded data as basis to disambiguate fingerprint-based channel-multi-match

Abstract

The disclosure provides for use of steganographically-encoded data as a basis to disambiguated a fingerprint-based channel-multimatch. A fingerprint-matching server or other entity could detect a channel-multi-match scenario by determining that query fingerprints representing media content being rendered by a content presentation device match reference fingerprints respectively representing multiple channels. In view of that detected channel-multi-match scenario, the content presentation device could then provide channel-identification information that the content presentation device extracts from a watermark that is steganographically encoded in the media content of the channel that the content presentation device is rendering, for use of the extracted channel-identification information to determine which channel the content presentation device is rendering. Identifying the channel being rendered could then facilitate channel-specific action, such as then detecting a content-modification opportunity on the identified channel and preparing and enabling the content presentation device to carry out an associated content modification.