Association via audio

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10853458-B2
Application number	US-201815955145-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 17, 2018
Priority date	Apr 16, 2018
Publication date	Dec 1, 2020
Grant date	Dec 1, 2020

Abstract

A source device being associated with an account uses playback of a media content item to cause a target device to become associated with the account. The target device enters an association mode and records a portion of the playing content. The target device provides the recording to a server that identifies the song (e.g., using a music fingerprint service) and uses the identification of the song to find the account that caused playback of the identified song. With the account identified, the server provides credentials of the account to target system. The target device accesses content or services using the account. As confirmation of receiving the credentials, the server causes playback of the content to transition to from the source device to the target device.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method, comprising:
receiving an association request from a target device, the association request having an ambient noise recording that includes at least a portion of a media content item;
identifying an identifier of the media content item based on the ambient noise recording;
selecting an account from an account data store based on the identifier of the media content item, wherein selecting the account from the account data store based on the identifier of the media content item includes:
determining that the account played the media content item corresponding to the identifier;
determining that there are more than a threshold number of candidate accounts that caused playback of the media content item corresponding to the identifier;
responsive to determining that there are more than a threshold number of candidate accounts that caused playback of the media content item, modifying delivery of the media content item associated with the candidate accounts; and

associating the target device with the account.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
prior to receiving the association request:
receiving, from a source device, a media content item playback request for the media content item, wherein the source device is associated with the account; and
causing playback of the media content item at the source device, thereby fulfilling the media content item playback request.

3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising:
responsive to associating the target device with the account, transferring the playback of the media content item from the source device to the target device,
wherein transferring the playback includes causing the source device to cease playback of the media content item and causing the target device to initiate playback of the media content item.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein associating the target device with the account includes providing credentials to the target device.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
obtaining one or more signals from the target device other than the ambient noise recording,
wherein selecting the account from the account data store is further based on the one or more signals.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the media content item includes music.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising estimating a playback start time of the media content item, wherein selecting the account from the account data store is further based on the playback start time.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein identifying the identifier is not based on audio steganography.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining that the account played the media content item corresponding to the identifier includes:
analyzing entries in a media playback log or database of a media server application.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein selecting the account from the account data store based on the identifier of the media content item includes:
comparing a location and elevation of the target device with the locations and elevations of devices that are candidates for having caused playback of the media content item associated with the ambient noise recording.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein modifying delivery of the media content item associated with the candidate accounts includes: inserting a watermark into the media content item, modifying one or more properties of the media content item, or inserting a token associated with an account of a source device.

12. A system comprising:
a source device having one or more source device processing devices coupled to a source device memory device storing source device instructions which when executed cause the one or more source device processing devices to:
play a media content item;

a target device having one or more target device processing devices coupled to a target device memory device storing target device instructions which when executed cause the one or more target device processing devices to:
record an ambient noise recording including at least a portion of the media content item; and
provide the ambient noise recording for identification of the media content item; and

a media-delivery system having one or more media-delivery system processing devices coupled to a media-delivery system memory device storing media-delivery system instructions which when executed cause the one or more media-delivery system processing devices to:
receive the ambient noise recording from the target device;
identify an identifier of the media content item based on the ambient noise recording;
determine that there are more than a threshold number of candidate accounts that caused playback of the media content item corresponding to the identifier;
responsive to determining that there are more than a threshold number of candidate accounts that caused playback of the media content item, modify the media content item associated with the candidate accounts;
receive a further ambient noise recording from the target device;
determine, based at least in part on the further ambient noise recording, an account that played the media content item; and
provide credentials associated with the account to the target device.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the media-delivery system instructions when executed further cause the one or more media-delivery system processing devices to:
transfer playback of the media content item from the source device to the target device.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein transferring playback of the media content item from the source device to the target device includes sending a fade-out message to cause playback of the media content item to fade out at the source device and sending a fade-in message to cause playback of the media content item to fade-in at the target device.

15. The system of claim 12 , wherein the source device instructions when executed further cause the one or more source device processing devices to:
request playback of the media content item from the media-delivery system; and
receive the media content item from the media-delivery system.

16. The system of claim 12 , wherein the source device instructions when executed further cause the one or more source device processing devices to:
responsive to playing the media content item, send a media playback receipt to the media-delivery system,
wherein playing media content item includes playing the media content item locally from the source device.

17. The system of claim 12 , wherein identifying the identifier of the media content item includes audio fingerprinting.

18. The system of claim 12 , wherein identifying the identifier is not based on audio steganography.

19. The system of claim 12 ,
wherein the media-delivery system instructions when executed further cause the one or more media-delivery system processing devices to:
responsive to providing the credentials associated with the account to the target device:
cause the source device to cease playback of the media content item; and
cause the target device to initiate playback of the media content item.

20. The system of claim 12 , wherein to modify the media content item associated with the candidate accounts includes to: insert a watermark, modify one or more properties, or insert a token associated with an account of the source device.

21. An apparatus comprising:
one or more processors; and
a non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon that, when executed

Assignees

• Spotify Ab

Inventors

• Mitic Richard
• Edling Göran

Classifications

• H04W12/04 Primary

  Key management, e.g. using generic bootstrapping architecture [GBA] · CPC title

• G06F21/31 Primary

  User authentication · CPC title