Patents

Awarded Patents

The company has been awarded numerous patents and has many patents under review by the US and various European patent offices. Patents are in the areas of digital fingerprint-based media detection technology; detection of content on media playing devices such as smart phones, televisions, video players, and other devices; identification of content as it flows across networks; and approaches to caching and indexing a reference database to improve the performance of the system.

A method and apparatus for identifying new media content

Patent #7,917,645 Awarded March 29, 2011
Inventors: James Schrempp and Vance Ikezoye

A system and method for identifying media content presented over a media playing device. The media content, such as audio and/or video, is either available digitally or digitally sampled. The media content is sampled to generate a media sample or analytical representation of the media content. The media sample is compared to a collection of sampled (or represented) media content to identify it and to ascertain information related to the sample. This media-content-related information is then presented to the user via a display on the media player. The media player then presents the user-specific and related actions that are based upon the information presented and allow users to directly execute their choice of actions.
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A method and apparatus for identifying new media content

Patent #7,877,438 B2 Awarded January 25, 2011
Inventors: James Schrempp, Vance Ikezoye, Erling Wold, Louis Kvitek

A new media identification system is disclosed. In one aspect, a system may comprise at least one analysis module for receiving and analyzing a received work and then generating a corresponding representation of it. In addition, it may comprise at least one identification (ID) server for receiving the representation from at least one analysis module and generating a list of unidentifiable received works. A method for identifying new media is also disclosed. In one aspect, this method may comprise receiving an unidentified segment, determining whether the unidentified segment is similar to previously received unidentified segments, and sequentially arranging similar unidentified segments into a single super segment.
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Copyright detection and protection system and method

Patent #7,797,249 B2 Awarded September 14, 2010
Inventors: Richard Schmelzer and Bryan Pellom

A method for detecting against unauthorized transmission of digital works comprises the steps of maintaining a registry of information permitting identification of digital copyrighted works, monitoring a network for transmission of at least one packet-based digital signal, extracting at least one feature from the at least one digital signal, comparing the extracted at least one feature with registry information and applying business rules based on the comparison result.
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Copyright detection and protection system and method

Patent #7,711,652 B2 Awarded May 4, 2010
Inventor: Richard Schmelzer

A method for detecting against unauthorized transmission of digital works comprises the steps of maintaining a registry of information permitting identification of digital copyrighted works, monitoring a network for transmission of at least one packet-based digital signal, extracting at least one feature from the at least one digital signal, comparing the extracted at least one feature with registry information and applying business rules based on the comparison result.
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Copyright detection and protection system and method

Patent #7,707,088 B2 Awarded April 27, 2010
Inventor: Richard Schmelzer

A method for detecting against unauthorized transmission of digital works comprises the steps of maintaining a registry of information permitting identification of digital copyrighted works, monitoring a network for transmission of at least one packet-based digital signal, extracting at least one feature from the at least one digital signal, comparing the extracted at least one feature with registry information and applying business rules based on the comparison result.
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Copyright detection and protection system and method

Patent #7,565,327 B2, Awarded July 21, 2009
Inventor: Richard Schmelzer

A method for detecting against unauthorized transmission of digital works comprises the steps of maintaining a registry of information permitting identification of digital copyrighted works, monitoring a network for transmission of at least one packet-based digital signal, extracting at least one feature from the at least one digital signal, comparing the extracted at least one feature with registry information and applying business rules based on the comparison result.
Read the full patent US 7,565,327 B2

Method and apparatus for creating a unique audio signature

Patent # 7,562,012 B1, Awarded July 14, 2009
Inventors: Erling Wold, Thomas Blum, Douglas Keisler, and James Wheaton

A method and apparatus for creating a signature of a sampled work in real-time is disclosed herein. Unique signatures of an unknown audio work are created by segmenting a file into segments having predetermined segment and hop sizes. The signature then may be compared against reference signatures. One aspect may be characterized in that the hop size of the sampled work signature is less than the hop size of reference signatures. A method for identifying an unknown audio work is also disclosed.
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Method and apparatus for cache promotion

Patent #EP 1 485 815 B1
Inventors: James Schrempp, Vance Ikezoye, Erling Wold, Louis Kvitek
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Method and apparatus for identifying an unknown work

Patent# 7,529,659 B2, Awarded May 5, 2009
Inventor: Erling Wold

A system for determining an identity of a received work. The system receives audio data for an unknown work. The audio data is divided into segments. The system generates a signature of the unknown work from each of the segments. Reduced dimension signatures are then generated at least a portion of the signatures. The reduced dimension signatures are then compared to reduced dimensions signatures of known works that are stored in a database. A list of candidates of known works is generated from the comparison. The signatures of the unknown works are then compared to the signatures of the known works in the list of candidates. The unknown work is then identified as the known work having signatures matching within a threshold.
Read the full patent US 7,529,659 B2

Method and apparatus for identifying media content presented on a media playing device

Patent# 7,500,007 B2, Awarded March 3, 2009
Iventors: Vance Ikezoye and Jim Schrempp

A system and method for identifying media content presented over a media playing device. The media content, such as audio and/or video, is either available digitally or digitally sampled. The media content is sampled to generate a media sample or analytical representation of the media content. The media sample is compared to a collection of sampled (or represented) media content to identify it and to ascertain information related to the sample. This media content-related information is then displayed by the media player. The media player then presents the user specific and related actions that are based upon the information presented and allows the user to directly execute their choice of actions.
Read the full patent US 7,500,007 B2

Copyright Detection and Protection System and Method

Patent #US 7,363,278 B2, Awarded Apr. 22, 2008
Inventors: Richard Schmelzer and Bryan Pellom

Abstract: A method for detecting against unauthorized transmission of digital works comprises the steps of maintaining a registry of information permitting identification of digital copyrighted works, monitoring a network for transmission of at least one packet-based digital signal, extracting at least one feature from the at least one digital signal, comparing the extracted at least one feature with registry information and applying business rules based on the comparison result.
Read the full patent US 7,363,278 B2

Method and Apparatus for Creating a Unique Audio Signature

Patent #EP 1 354 276 B1, Awarded Dec. 12, 2007
Inventors: Erling Wold, Thomas Blum, Douglas Keislar, James Wheaton

Abstract: A method and apparatus for determining an identity of a media work. A sample of an unknown media work is divided into segments having predetermined segment and hop sizes. A signature is then created based upon these segments. The signature then may be compared against reference signatures to determine an identity for the unknown media work. One aspect may be characterized that the hop size of the sampled work signature is less than the hop size of reference signatures.
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Method and Apparatus for Identifying an Unknown Work

Patent #US 6,968,337 B2, Awarded Nov. 22, 2005
Inventor: Erling Wold

Abstract: A system for determining an identity of a received work. The system receives audio data for an unknown work. The audio data is divided into segments. The system generates a signature of unknown work from each of the segments. Reduced dimension signatures are then generated for at least a portion of the signatures. The reduced dimension signatures are then compared to reduced dimensions signatures of known works that are stored in a database. A list of candidates of know works is generated from the comparison. The signatures of the unknown works are then compared to the signatures of the known works in the list of candidates. The unknown work is then identified as the known work having signature matching within a threshold.
Read the full patent US 6,968,337 B2

Method and Apparatus for Identifying Media Content Presented on a Media Playing Device

Patent #US 6,834,308 B1, Awarded Dec. 21, 2004
Inventors: Vance Ikezoye and James Schrempp

Abstract: A system and method for identifying media content presented over a media playing device. The media content, such as audio and/or video, is either available digitally or digitally sampled. The media content is sampled to generate a media sample or analytical representation of the media content. The media sample is compared to a collection of sampled (or represented) media content to identify it and to ascertain information related to the sample. This media content-related information is then presented to the user via a display means on the media player. The media play then presents the user specific and related actions that are based upon the information presented and allows the user to directly execute their choice of actions.
Read the full patent US 6,834,308 B1

Method and Article of Manufacture for Content-based Analysis, Storage Retrieval, and Segmentation of Audio Information

Patent #US 5,918,223, Awarded Jun. 29, 1999
Inventors: Thomas Blum, Douglas Keislar, James Wheaton, Erling Wold

Abstract: A system that performs analysis and comparison of audio data files based upon the content of the data files is presented. The analysis of the audio data produces a set of numeric values (a feature vector) that can be used to classify and rank the similarity between individual audio files typically stored in a multimedia database or on the World Wide Web. The analysis also facilitates the description of user-defined classes of audio files, based on an analysis of a set of audio files that are members of a user-defined class. The system can find sounds within a longer sound, allowing an audio recording to be automatically segmented into a series of shorter audio segments.
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Licensed Patents

Data Processing System Using Substantially Unique Identifiers to Identify Data Items, Whereby Identical Data Items Have the Same Identifiers

Patent #US 5,978,791
In a data processing system, a mechanism identifies data items by substantially unique identifiers which depend on all of the data in the data items and only on the data in the data items. The system also determines whether a particular data item is present in the database by examining the identifiers of the plurality of data items.
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Identifying and Requesting Data in Network Using Identifiers Which Are Based on Contents of Data

Patent #US 6,415,280
In a system in which a set of data items are distributed across a network of servers, at least some of the data items being cached versions of data items from a source server, a content delivery method includes determining a data identifier for a particular data item, the data identifier being determined using a given function of the data comprising the particular data item; and responsive to a request for the particular data item, the request including at least the data identifier of the particular data item, providing the particular data item from a given one of the servers of the network of servers. The request for the particular data item may be resolved based on a measure of availability of at least one of the servers, where the measure of availability may be a measurement of bandwidth to the server; a measurement of a cost of a connection to the server, and/or a measurement of a reliability of a connection to the server. The function used to determine the identifier may be a message digest function or a hash function.
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Enforcement and Policing of Licensed Content Using Content-Based Identifiers

Patent #US 6,928,442
Data files are distributed across a plurality of computers. The computers may form a network such as a content delivery network (CDN) or a peer-to-peer network. The network may operate as a TCP/IP network such as the Internet. Data files may represent may represent digital messages, images, videos or audio signals. For content--data items or files in the system--a name is obtained (or determined), where the name is based, at least in part, on a given function of the data in a data item or file. The given function may be a message digest or hash function, and it may be MD4, MD5, and SHA. A copy of a requested file is only provided to licensed (or authorized) parties. The system may check one or more computers for unauthorized or unlicensed content. Content is served based on a measure of availability of servers.
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