Methods and apparatus to play and control playing of media in a web page

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9639531-B2
Application number	US-10026408-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 9, 2008
Priority date	Apr 9, 2008
Publication date	May 2, 2017
Grant date	May 2, 2017

Abstract

Methods and apparatus to play and control playing of media content in a web page are disclosed. In one example, a method of monitoring media content in a web page loads a web page containing a media player and media content, processes an image of the web page to determine a control associated with the media player, and monitors the media content based on the control.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of monitoring media in a web page, the method comprising:
loading, by executing an instruction with a processor, a web page to a user device;
generating, by executing the instruction with the processor, successive images of the web page as displayed on the user device;
detecting, by executing the instruction with the processor, based on the successive images, a media player contained in the web page, a media content area associated with the media player for displaying the media, and a media control associated with the media player;
comparing, by executing the instruction with the processor, the successive images to detect changes between the successive images indicative of motion in the media content area;
analyzing, by executing the instruction with the processor, the successive images to determine a state of the media player;
determining, by executing the instruction with the processor, whether the media player is playing the media based on the detected motion and the determined state of the media player;
commanding, by executing the instruction with the processor, without user intervention, the media player to play the media when the media player is not playing the media;
generating, by executing the instruction with the processor, based on first media information of the media displayed in the media content area, when the media is playing at a first time, a digital signature of the media;
determining, by executing the instruction with the processor, based on the successive images, whether the media is finished playing;
updating, by executing the instruction with the processor, based on second media information of the media displayed in the media content area, the generated digital signature when the media is not finished playing at a second time later than the first time; and
comparing, by executing the instruction with the processor, the generated digital signature with a database of digital signatures to specifically identify the media when the media is finished playing.

2. The method as defined in claim 1 , further including locating, based on the successive images, the media player in the web page.

3. The method as defined in claim 1 , wherein the state of the media player is paused media.

4. The method as defined in claim 1 , wherein the state of the media player is data buffering the media.

5. The method as defined in claim 1 , wherein the state of the media player is a media player error.

6. The method as defined in claim 1 , wherein determining, by executing the instruction with the processor, whether the media player is playing the media based on the detected motion and the determined state of the media player includes processing the successive images to
locate at least an area in the media player that includes a first symbol; and
determine whether the area previously included a second symbol.

7. A method of monitoring media in a web page, the method comprising:
loading, by executing an instruction with a processor, the web page to a user device;
generating, by executing the instruction with the processor, successive images of the web page as presented on the user device;
analyzing, by executing the instruction with the processor, the successive images using an image processing technique to:
detect a media player contained in the web page, a media content area associated with the media player for displaying the media, and a media control associated with the media player,
detect changes between the successive images indicative of motion in the media content area,
determine a state of the media player,
determine, based on the detected motion and the determined state of the media player, whether the media player is playing media,
command, without user intervention, the media player to play the media when the media player is not playing the media,
generate, based on first media information of the media displayed in the media content area, when the media is playing at a first time, a digital signature of the media;
determine whether the media is finished playing, and
update the generated digital signature, based on second media information of the media displayed in the media content area, when the media is not finished playing at a second time later than the first time; and

comparing, by executing the instruction with the processor, the generated digital signature with a database of reference digital signatures to specifically identify the media when the media is finished playing.

8. The method as defined in claim 7 , wherein the image processing technique includes edge detection.

9. The method as defined in claim 7 , wherein the media control includes one of a play button, a pause button, a stop button, a play/stop button, a play/pause button, a volume control, a progress bar, a media display size control, a fast forward button, a rewind button, a time elapsed indicator, a countdown indicator, or a time elapsed/total time indicator.

10. The method as defined in claim 1 , wherein the media includes at least one of audio or video.

11. The method as defined in claim 7 , wherein the state of the media player is pausing the media.

12. The method as defined in claim 1 , wherein the state of the media player is data buffering the media.

13. An apparatus to monitor media in a web page, comprising:
an image generator to generate successive images of a web page as presented on a user device;
an image analyzer to compare the successive images to:
detect a media player contained in the web page,
detect a media control associated with the media player,
detect a media content area associated with the media player for displaying the media,
detect changes between the successive images indicative of motion in the media content area,
determine a state of the media player,
determine whether the media player is playing the media based on the detected changes and the determined state,
command, without user intervention, the media player to play the media when the media player is not playing the media, and
determine whether the media is finished playing;

a signature generator to, when the media is not finished playing:
receive first media information of the media displayed in the media content area from the image analyzer;
generate a digital signature of the media, based on the received first media information, when the media is playing at a first time; and
update the generated digital signature, based on received second media information of the media displayed in the media content area, when the media is playing at a second time later than the first time; and

a media identifier to, when the media is finished playing to:
receive the generated digital signature from the signature generator,
compare the generated digital signature to a database of reference digital signatures corresponding to a library of reference media, and
identify the media, at least one of the image generator, the image analyzer, the signature generator, or the media identifier implemented using a processor.

14. The apparatus as defined in claim 13 , further including a web browser to load the web page.

15. The apparatus as defined in claim 13 , wherein the media control includes one of a play button, a pause button, a stop button, a play/stop button, a play/pause button, a volume control, a progress bar, a media display size control, a fast forward button, a rewind button, a time elapsed indicator, a countdown indicator, or a time elapsed/total time indicator.

16. The apparatus as defined in claim 13 , wherein the state of the media player include

Assignees

• Deliyannis Alexandros
• Nielsen Co Us Llc

Inventors

• Deliyannis Alexandros

Classifications

• G06F16/40

  of multimedia data, e.g. slideshows comprising image and additional audio data (retrieval of still image data G06F16/50; retrieval of audio data G06F16/60; retrieval of video data G06F16/70) · CPC title

• G06F16/44

  Browsing; Visualisation therefor · CPC title

• G06F16/434

  using image data, e.g. images, photos, pictures taken by a user · CPC title

• G06F16/951

  Indexing; Web crawling techniques · CPC title

• G06F16/783

  using metadata automatically derived from the content · CPC title