Media Source Identification via Analog Signal Fingerprinting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current systems lack an efficient method to identify media sources without direct access to the media stream, making it difficult for devices to determine the source of media being played, especially in scenarios where the media stream is not being received simultaneously by the device.
Innovation Solution
A system where a server generates and stores representations (fingerprints, watermarks, or hash values) of media streams, and a device receives an analog signal from another device playing the stream, generates a matching representation, and compares it with the server's database to determine the media source, allowing identification even if the device is not receiving the stream directly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a device directly accesses the media stream to identify the media source, then the identification accuracy is improved, but the device complexity and resource usage increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the media source identification function from the media playback device and relocates it to a dedicated server. The server receives analog signals from playback devices, generates representations of these signals, compares them against stored media stream representations, and identifies media sources. This extraction resolves the contradiction by maintaining high identification accuracy through centralized processing while reducing the complexity burden on individual playback devices.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a server as an intermediary between the media stream source and the playback device. The server acts as a mediator that receives analog signals from playback devices, performs the complex representation generation and comparison operations, and returns identification results. This intermediary approach maintains identification accuracy while shielding playback devices from complex processing requirements.
2Reliability
If a device receives multiple media streams simultaneously to compare and identify sources, then the identification reliability is improved, but the use of energy and processing resources increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the multi-stream reception and comparison functionality from the playback device and consolidates it on the server. The server receives analog signals from one or more playback devices, generates representations from these signals, and performs comparisons against stored media stream representations. This extraction maintains identification reliability through comprehensive analysis while eliminating the need for playback devices to consume additional energy receiving and processing multiple media streams.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the media stream reception, representation generation, and comparison functions into a single centralized server. Instead of multiple devices independently receiving and processing media streams, the server consolidates these operations, receiving analog signals from playback devices and performing all necessary comparisons against stored representations. This merging maintains identification reliability while significantly reducing total energy consumption by eliminating redundant processing across multiple devices.
Data Source
AI summary
A server machine and a first device (e.g., a television) are configured to access a stream of media (e.g., a broadcast channel) from a media source (e.g., a broadcaster). The server machine generates a representation (e.g., a fingerprint) of the stream of media and stores the representation. The first device plays the stream of media (e.g., for a user) and generates an analog signal based on the stream of media. A second device (e.g., a mobile device of the user) is configured to receive the analog signal and generate a representation of the analog signal. The second device provides the representation of the analog signal to the server machine, which may compare the representation of the stream of media to the representation of the analog signal. Based on the comparison, the server machine may provide an identifier of the media source to the second device.