Patent ID: 8997164
Filing Date: 2015-03-31
Classification: H04N

Abstract:
1. A method comprising: accessing multiple video streams, each video stream being distributed by a different content distribution system among multiple content distribution systems, each video stream including same video content provided by a single content source to the multiple content distribution systems and including different distributor-specific content that is unique to the corresponding content distribution system that distributes the video stream, the multiple video streams being available from the multiple content distribution systems to each of a plurality of client devices; for each of the multiple video streams: accessing a set of query fingerprints received from a client device among the plurality of client devices, the set of query fingerprints being calculated from at least a portion of the distributor-specific content playing at the client device; querying a reference database that includes the sets of reference fingerprints to identify a set of reference fingerprints that corresponds to the set of query fingerprints; identifying a content distribution system among the multiple content distribution systems and associated with the set of reference fingerprints that corresponds to the set of query fingerprints thereby to identify the content distribution system providing the video stream to the client device; otherwise, identifying a content distribution system among the multiple content distribution systems by determining a time delay between a first time associated with a transmission of a frame of video content from the single content source to the content distribution system and a second time associated with a presentation of the frame of video content by the content distribution system via the client device; and performing an action dependent upon the identifying of the content distribution system providing the video stream to the client device.