Patent ID: 7587728
Filing Date: 2009-09-08
Classification: H04H,H04N

Abstract:
1. A method for identifying a broadcast program tuned by a monitored digital receiver at a first location, wherein the broadcast program is one of a plurality of broadcast programs, and wherein each of the plurality of broadcast programs is transmitted as a sequence of data packets based on a digital protocol, the method comprising: determining, at the first location, a monitored signature representative of a monitored program signal providing the broadcast program tuned by the monitored digital receiver; determining, at the first location, a reference signature from a set of data packets corresponding to a reference broadcast program tuned by a reference receiver from the plurality of broadcast programs, the reference signature representative of a reference program signal providing the reference broadcast program tuned by the reference receiver; comparing, at the first location, the monitored signature and the reference signature; and only when the monitored signature and the reference signature substantially match, detecting, at the first location, an identifying code accompanying the reference broadcast program without using either of the monitored signature or the reference signature, the identifying code capable of identifying the broadcast program tuned by the monitored digital receiver and tuned by the reference receiver.