Audio-based internet search methods and sub-combinations

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10449797-B2
Application number	US-62099907-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 8, 2007
Priority date	May 19, 1999
Publication date	Oct 22, 2019
Grant date	Oct 22, 2019

Abstract

A portable device uses a microphone to listen to ambient audio, ascertains a corresponding identifier, and uses the identifier to enable one or more further functions. One of these can be internet search. Such functionality can also be based on digital data—without requiring a microphone-equipped device.

First claim

I claim:

1. A method comprising:
capturing ambient audio with a microphone;
producing audio data from the ambient audio;
providing the audio data to a processor;
decoding first information from first watermark data steganographically-encoded in the ambient audio, wherein decoding the first information comprises:
decoding a unique identifier and a first part of the first information from a first portion of the ambient audio; and
decoding the unique identifier and a second part of the first information from a second, different portion of the ambient audio;

identifying a database record corresponding to the first information in a remote database;
decoding a location of where the ambient audio was captured from second watermark data steganographically-encoded in the ambient audio, wherein the ambient audio steganographically-encoded with the second watermark originates from a low level white-noise broadcast;
obtaining second, different, information corresponding to the audio data from the identified database record, wherein the second information is identified by reference to the first information; and
initiating a search using a general purpose internet search engine for information related to the audio using the second information, wherein the search is initiated with a general purpose internet search engine without entry of text keywords by a user and without selection of text keywords by the user, wherein the search comprises search terms sent to the general purpose internet search engine, and wherein the search terms comprise the second information.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising performing an algorithmic operation on the provided audio data, wherein the algorithmic operation produces the first information.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising presenting a textual listing of results.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
presenting a menu of options on a display of a portable wireless device, wherein at least one of the options relates to search;
receiving a selection of a search-related option; and
initiating a search in response to the received search-related option.

5. The method of claim 4 , further comprising:
locating, in a database, a data record corresponding to the first information; and
determining options to be presented on the menu by reference to information obtained from the data record.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second information identifies a song title.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second information identifies an artist.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first information comprises non-text data, and wherein the second information comprises text data.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the watermark data that specifies the location is steganographically-encoded in a white-noise signal of the ambient audio.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first information is specified by second watermark data steganographically-encoded in the ambient audio, and wherein the first information comprises a unique identifier corresponding to the ambient audio.

11. A method comprising:
decoding first information from first watermark data steganographically-encoded in the audio data, wherein decoding the first information comprises:
decoding a unique identifier and a first part of the first information from a first portion of the audio data; and
decoding the unique identifier and a second part of the first information from a second, different portion of the audio data;
identifying a database record corresponding to the first information in a remote database;
decoding a location of where the audio data was captured from second watermark data steganographically-encoded in the audio data, wherein the audio data steganographically-encoded with the second watermark originates from a low level white-noise broadcast;
obtaining second, different, information identifying a song title or artist information associated with the audio data from the identified database record, wherein the second information is identified by reference to the first information; and
initiating a search using a general purpose internet search engine for information related to the identified song title or artist information, wherein the search is initiated with a general purpose internet search engine without entry of text keywords by a user and without selection of text keywords by the user, wherein the search comprises search terms sent to the general purpose internet search engine, and wherein the search terms comprise the song title or artist information.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
obtaining a digital representation associated with an audio content object; and
deriving the first information from the digital representation.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the deriving comprises decoding steganographically-encoded digital watermark data from the digital representation.

14. The method of claim 11 , further comprising presenting a textual listing of results.

15. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
presenting a menu of options on a display of a portable wireless device, wherein at least one of the options relates to search;
receiving a selection of a search-related option; and
initiating a search in response to the received search-related option.

16. The method of claim 15 , further comprising:
locating, in a database, a data record corresponding to the first information; and
determining, by reference to information obtained from the data record, options to be presented on the menu.

17. An apparatus comprising:
a microphone configured to capture ambient audio; and
a processor configured to:
produce audio data from the ambient audio;

decode first information from first watermark data steganographically-encoded in the ambient data, wherein to decode the first information the processor is further configured to:
decode a unique identifier and a first part of the first information from a first portion of the ambient data; and
decode the unique identifier and a second part of the first information from a second, different portion of the ambient data;
identify a database record corresponding to the first information in a remote database;
decode a location of where the ambient audio was captured from second watermark data steganographically-encoded in the ambient audio, wherein the ambient audio steganographically-encoded with the second watermark originates from a low level white-noise broadcast;
obtain second, different, information corresponding to the audio data from the identified database record, wherein the second information is identified by reference to the first information; and
initiate a search using a general purpose internet search engine for information related to the audio using the second information, wherein the search is initiated with a general purpose internet search engine without entry of text keywords by a user and without selection of text keywords by the user, wherein the search comprises search terms sent to the general purpose internet search engine, and wherein the search terms comprise the second information.

18. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon, the instructions comprising:
instructions to capture ambient audio; and
instructions to produce audio data from the ambient audio;
instructions to decode first information from first watermark data steganographically-encoded in the ambient data, wherein instructions to decode the first information comprise:
instructions to de

Assignees

• Rhoads Geoffrey B
• Digimarc Corp

Inventors

• Rhoads Geoffrey B

Classifications

• H04N21/23892

  involving embedding information at multiplex stream level, e.g. embedding a watermark at packet level · CPC title

• H04N2201/3233

  of authentication information, e.g. digital signature, watermark · CPC title

• G10L15/26

  Speech to text systems (G10L15/08 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G07F17/26

  for printing, stamping, franking, typing or teleprinting apparatus (ticket printing or the like apparatus G07F17/42) · CPC title

• G06K2019/06253

  for a specific application · CPC title