Content information auditing service

Systems and methods are provided for auditing content information for a media work. In embodiments, content information for a plurality of media works that identifies entities associated with each media work may be maintained. In an embodiment, a request to identify a particular media work may be received. One or more words included in a segment of the particular media work may be identified where the segment is configured to be presented. In accordance with at least one embodiment, the one or more identified words may be filtered based on a set of rules to correct errors. An identity of the particular media work may be determined based at least in part on the filtered one or more words and the content information for the plurality of media works.

BACKGROUND

Online media content providers have provided access to a plurality of media works such as songs, videos, movies, TV-shows, and streaming media. Currently, users may utilize search engines or other services to seek information about a particular media work, such as identifying a particular actor in a TV-show. However, the amount of information for media works is expansive including hundreds of cast and crew for one media work. Maintaining such a large amount of data and accurately updating is a difficult task that is prone to errors. Further, such information may be derived from certain segments of the content itself providing more difficulty in acquiring the identifying information for a media work. Thus, there are difficulties with auditing and/or accurately identifying such information for media works.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Techniques described herein include systems and methods for providing a content information auditing service that verifies and generates accurate information for a media work by obtaining words included in the media work and leveraging content information for a plurality of media works that identifies cast and crew for each media work. In accordance with at least one embodiment, the content information auditing service may maintain content information that identifies cast, crew, soundtracks, trivia, or other suitable information that may be associated with a media work. In some examples, a “media work” includes any digital image, video, movie, film, TV-show, animated film or TV-show, video game, or other suitable visual media. In embodiments, the content information auditing service may receive a request to identify, verify, or provide missing content information for a particular media work from an entity such as a user or an entity associated with an online content media provider. The content information auditing service may utilize optical character recognition (OCR) techniques to identify one or more words in a portion or segment of a media work that is associated with the presentation of credit information for the media work. Credit information may include suitable information for identifying cast, story characters, actors, crew, music, staff, and other entities or information that identifies entities that comprise a media work. In accordance with at least one embodiment, audit service computers that implement the content information auditing service features described herein, may perform or utilize OCR software on each frame of a portion or segment of a media work to identify the one or more words that are configured to be presented in the segment or portion of the media work.

In accordance with at least one embodiment, the content information auditing service may perform filtering or correction of errors of the one or more words that are identified in the segment for the media work in question. The filtering or correction of errors may be based at least in part on a set or rules that are generated and maintained by the audit service computers. The set of rules may comprise rules for removing false positives or correcting an error of an identification of a particular term or word by utilizing a statistical operation associated with a count of a word to a new occurrence of a word. For example, a series of frames for a movie may identify that the word “Tom” has appeared in the frames an average of 12 times while a newly processed frame may indicate that the word “Tim” was identified in the frame. As “Tim” only has one occurrence in subsequent frames for a similar coordinate position in the frame, the auditing service computers may mark “Tim” as an outlier or false positive. In embodiments, a statistical operation associated with a count of a work may include an average, a median, a geometric mean, a mode, or a percentage. In some embodiments, the set of rules may comprise rules based on a physical location of a word in a series of frames using coordinates for the word generated by the OCR process, or based on how many words appear between a first occurrence of a particular word and a second occurrence of a particular word in the same frame. For example, a series of frames may indicate that the word “John” and “Key Grip” both appear in the same frame but there are other words which appear between the two word groups, then the audit service computers may not form an association between the two words. The amount of words between the two word groups may be compared to a threshold maintained by the audit service computers. In embodiments, once the identified words have been filtered, an identity of the media work may be determined based on a comparison of the filtered words to the content information maintained for a plurality of media works. For example, a particular movie may be identified (“Mission Impossible”) based on the one or more words including a particular actors name (“Tom Cruise”) and a particular story character's name (“Ethan Hunt”). In some examples, a request may be received by the audit service computers to determine whether a media work is the same as another media work. The filtered words can be compared to the content information for the other media work to determine if the two media works are the same or part of the same series (such as multiple episodes of a TV series or show). For example, the filtered words may identify several story characters of a first media work (“Ted,” “Lily,” and “Robin”) that are matches for several story characters of a second media work (“Ted,” “Lily,” and “Robin”), which can be utilized by the auditing service computers to determine a match and identify the identity of the first media work.

In accordance with at least one embodiment, the content information auditing service features may complete or provide missing content information for a media work. For example, by comparing the words identified and filtered from the segment of the media work to the content information for a plurality of media works, missing or incomplete information may be generated for the media work in question. In embodiments, entities may be assigned to particular classifications based on the words identified by the audit service computers by leveraging the content information for the media work after the media work has been identified. For example, one of the identified words may be a cast members name but the content information for the particular media work may be missing the story character played by the cast member. This information can be identified by the auditing service computers utilizing a mapping of the known cast member to story character association information included in the content information to update the content information for the particular media work and therefore provide a more complete knowledge base for the media work.

In accordance with at least one embodiment, the content information auditing service features include providing, by the audit service computers, a user interface configured to be presented via a user computing device (user device) of a user or other requesting entity as described herein. The user interface provided by the audit service computers may be configured to present an identification of one or more words that are not included in the content information for the particular media work or in the maintained content information. A user may interact with the user interface to provide user input that can be interpreted and processed by the audit service computers to update the content information for the particular media work. For example, a user may interact with the user interface to assign a word, full name, or the like that is missing from the content information for the media work (such as “Tom Cruise”) to a story character for the media work (such as “Ethan Hunt”).

In a non-limiting example, the audit service computers may receive a request to audit information for a particular movie from an online media content provider. The audit service computers may maintain content information (list of cast and crew) for a plurality of movies. In embodiments, the audit service computer may identify a segment or portion of the movie to begin OCR processing of each frame of the particular movie based on metadata associated with the particular movie. For example, the metadata may identify a set of frames that include the credits (cast and crew information). The words identified by the OCR processing may be filtered by the audit service computer using a set of rules that corrects errors of words included in the segment of the particular movie. The particular movie may be identified as Movie A based on a comparison of the filtered words of the particular movie and the list of cast and screw maintained for Movie A. For example, Movie A's filtered words may have included multiple actors and story characters that are associated with the list of cast and crew for Movie A. In some examples, a user interface may be provided to a user associated with the online media content provider that is configured to present the identity of the particular movie as Movie A and any words that are not included in the maintained content information. The user may interact with the user interface to provide additional input that can be utilized by the audit service computers to update the content information for the plurality of movies and the content information for the particular movie. For example, the user may interact with the user interface to assign several crew members to the special effects team for Movie A.

FIG. 1illustrates an example workflow100for providing a content information auditing feature described herein, in accordance with at least one embodiment. The workflow100depicted inFIG. 1includes audit service computers102receiving an audit request104for content106via network108. In embodiments, the audit request104may include a request to determine the identity of the content106(i.e., determine a title or inclusion in a syndicated series), verify content information for the content (i.e., determine that cast and crew are properly credited with appropriate roles for the content), or provide missing content information for the content106(provide information for correct associations between cast, crew, and other entities for the content). In embodiments, the content106can include a media work such as a video game, movie, TV show, digital video of a live performance, or other suitable media works as described herein. In accordance with at least one embodiment, the audit service computers102may maintain content information for a plurality of media works in a content information database110.

In an embodiment, the content information may identify cast, crew, soundtracks or other audio related information for a plurality of media works provided by one or more online content providers. The audit service computers102may determine a segment or portion of the content106to perform optical character recognition on based at least in part on metadata associated with the content106. In some embodiments, a requesting entity may provide a time period or window that identifies the segment or portion that corresponds to credit information for the content106with the audit request104. In accordance with at least one embodiment, the audit service computers102may OCR frames112of the portion of the content106based at least in part on the determination of the time period114associated with the credit information for the content106. In embodiments, the audit service computers102may perform OCR processing of each frame112of the portion of the content106to identify one or more words included in the portion of the content106. The audit service computer102may subsequently filter the identified words116in the portion of the content106according to a set of rules that are generated and maintained by the audit service computers102. The set of rules may comprise one or more rules for removing false positives of identifications of particular terms in the OCR'd frames (OCR'd frames are frames that include text, the characters of which have been recognized by an OCR or similar technique) of content112or for correcting errors of the words included in the OCR'd frames of content112. For example, a rule may indicate utilizing a count of occurrences of a term to a new occurrence for that term to determine that the term was incorrectly identified by the OCR process. In some examples, the count of an occurrence of a term in a frame may be compared to a threshold for the content106to determine whether the term is an outlier or a new term all together. The audit service computers102may identify the identity of the content106based on a comparison of the filtered words116for the content106and the content information for the plurality of media works maintained in the content information database110.

In accordance with at least one embodiment, the audit service computers may provide the OCR'd frame content118to a user device120for presentation to a user122via a content audit interface124. In an embodiment, the OCR'd frame content118may be utilized by the audit service computers102to generate a content audit interface124. In embodiments, the content audit interface124may include the identity126of the content106(“Movie A”), an identification of a classification of entities128(“Stunts”), several names including cast and crew130-134, and any missing or different terms136included in the OCR'd Frame Content118for the content106. The missing or different terms136may be tagged, highlighted, or otherwise marked as distinct from the other terms (126-134) in the content audit interface124for easier identification by the user122. In embodiments, the user122can provide input via the user device120and content audit interface124to provide the missing or incorrect information for the term136by utilizing input/output devices138such as a mouse or keyboard of the user device120. In accordance with at least one embodiment, the input provided by the user122for the missing or incorrect term136may be transmitted to the audit service computers102for updating the content information for the plurality of media works and/or for updating the content information for the content106. In embodiments, the content audit interface124may be presented to the user122via the user device120through a web browser140. In some embodiments, the content audit interface124may be presented to the user122via a native application of the user device120that is provided by the audit service computers102.

FIG. 2illustrates an example user interface for content information auditing features described herein, in accordance with at least one embodiment. The user interface200depicted inFIG. 2may be an example of content audit interface124fromFIG. 1and may be presented to a user via a web browser202. The content audit interface200may include an identity of a media work204(“Movie A”), and search functionality206for searching for a particular term or word included in the one or more words identified through the content information auditing features described herein. The content audit interface200may include text208describing a frame data for the media work204that can in some embodiments describe a particular frame or count of the frame currently being presented of a total number of frames that were processed with OCR by the audit service computers. In embodiments, the content audit interface200may present a user interface element210that displays one or more words212-220that were identified via the OCR and filtering process described herein. The content audit interface200may be configured to enable a user to interact with the one or more words212-220to associate a cast or crew with a story character or support role for the media work204.

In accordance with at least one embodiment, a user may utilize the search functionality206to search for particular terms in the presented frame210. In response to providing input for the search222, the content audit interface200may update the presented frame210to tag, highlight, or otherwise mark the words214(“Tom”) and218(“Ethan”) to reflect the presence of the words in the presented frame210for the media work204. Thus, the content audit interface200may be utilized by users to verify content information associated with a particular media work such as media work204by searching via search functionality206for the presence of particular terms (214and218) within the OCR data for the media work204. In embodiments, the user can search222for the terms214and218in each particular frame of the media work204. In still other embodiments, the content audit interface200may be configured to return results that include particular frame identifications that contain the searched for terms222.

In some embodiments, the OCR and filter processing performed by the audit service computers provides a position in X and Y coordinates of the term in each frame. In embodiments, a user may interact with the content audit interface200to view one or more of the frame data208and210of the media work204. Each frame displayed may include a tagging or marking of words that are potentially incorrect or missing from the maintained content information for the plurality of media works as described herein. In an embodiment, a user may utilize input/output devices such as a touch screen, digital pen, mouse, or keyboard to associate words (such as216) to classifications or roles (such as220) for the media work204. The input of user provided association may be transmitted to the audit service computers for updating the content information for the media work204and/or for the plurality of media works maintained by the audit service computers. In accordance with at least one embodiment, the content audit interface200may provide information regarding accuracy of the content information224for the media work204based on a comparison of the identified words, via the OCR and filter processing, to the maintained content information for the media work204determined by the audit service computers. For example, the accuracy of the content information224depicted for media work204indicates that 75 percent of the words identified and filtered by the content information auditing service features are included in the library of content information for media work204. This metric (224) provides useful information to users and administrators of the content information auditing service by identifying media works that require more attention to obtain user input to identify the missing or incorrect words for the media work204.

FIG. 3illustrates an example user interface for content information auditing features described herein, in accordance with at least one embodiment. The user interface300depicted inFIG. 3may be an example of content audit interface124fromFIG. 1and may be presented to a user via a native application such as content audit application302. The content audit interface300may include an identity of a media work304(“Attack of the Killer Drones”), and search functionality306that includes a field308for searching for a particular term or word included in the one or more words identified through the content information auditing features described herein. The content audit interface300may include frame data310and312for a first and second frame that was OCR'd by the audit service computers as described herein. Each frame data310may include interactable interface elements314and316that include one or more words320-328that were identified and filtered by the OCR process of the content information auditing service feature. The one or more words320-328may include terms for actors, cast, roles, and crew of media work304. For example interface element314of frame data310includes actors “Ted”320and “Robin”326as well as roles “Architect”322and “News Caster”328. Similar toFIG. 2, the frame data310may highlight, tag, or mark certain words (320and326) as words that are missing or incorrect according to the maintained content information for the plurality of media works. In embodiments, the certain words (320and326) may be highlighted, tagged, or marked by the audit service computers based on a violation of a particular rule included in the set of rules maintained by the audit service computers. For example, the word “Ted”320and “Robin”326may be tagged for further correction by a user based on their position in the frame data310in comparison to a classification or category such as “Cast”318.

In accordance with at least one embodiment, the content audit interface300may include a position element330that includes information about the coordinates of a particular term in the frame data310for a particular frame of the media work304. For example, the position element330includes X and Y coordinates for the word “Ted”320in frame data310. The position element330may update dynamically as a user interacts with each available frame for the media work304via the content audit interface300or as the user interacts with different words in the frame data310. In accordance with at least one embodiment, the content audit interface300may depict the transition of the one or more words320-328from one frame (frame data310) to another frame (frame data312) via the interface element316. As described herein, each frame of a media work may be OCR'd and filtered so that as words appear or are presented in the media work304their position and identity may be determined by the audit service computers. For example, the words318-328have moved to be associated or near a respective classification or role (320and324) for the media work304from frame data310. In embodiments, the content audit interface300may be configured to receive input from a user, such as via an input/output device332to assign or associate334particular terms and verify and/or correct336the content information for the media work304. For example, the user may wish to associate334the word “Robin”326with the story character role “News Caster”328for media work304. In response to forming an association334(such as by interacting with the content audit interface300), a confirmation of the verification336may be presented to the user. As a result of associating or assigning words to roles or removing words as errors in the identified and filtered words for the media work304, the content information for the media work304and for the plurality of media works may be updated by the audit service computers. A term that is associated or assigned334may be untagged, or have the highlighted removed to indicate that the term is no longer missing and/or incorrect.

FIGS. 4 and 5illustrate example flow diagrams for a content curation feature described herein, in accordance with at least one embodiment. These processes are illustrated as a logical flow diagram, each operation of which represents a sequence of operations that can be implemented in hardware, computer instructions, or a combination thereof. In the context of computer instructions, the operations represent computer-executable instructions stored on one or more computer-readable storage media that, when executed by one or more processors, perform the recited operations. Generally, computer executable instructions include routines, programs, objects, components, data structures, and the like that perform particular functions or implement particular data types. The order in which the operations are described is not intended to be construed as a limitation, and any suitable number of the described operations can be combined in any suitable order and/or in parallel to implement the processes.

In some examples, one or more audit service provider computers (e.g., utilizing at least one of a content audit module600, a content information module602, a metadata module604, an audit filter module606, and a user interface module608in communication with one or more data stores610) shown inFIG. 6may perform the processes400and500ofFIGS. 4 and 5. InFIG. 4, the process400may include maintaining content information for a plurality of videos at402. As described herein, the content information may identify at least one of the cast or crew that is associated with each video of the plurality of videos. In embodiments, the audit service computers may update the content information for the plurality of videos as more content is processed and input is provided by users. The process400may include receiving a request to identify particular content information associated with a particular video at404. In accordance with at least one embodiment, the request may be from a computing device of an online media content provider or a user device of a user. The request may include the particular video. In embodiments, the process400may include determining a time period within the particular video that is associated with presentation of credit information at406. The time period may be determined based at least in part on metadata that is associated with the particular video that identifies when credit information begins in the particular video. The time period may be associated with the presentation of the credit information for the particular video. In some embodiments, the time period may be provided by the requesting entity.

In accordance with at least one embodiment, the process400may include identifying a plurality of characters in the credit information using optical character recognition on the particular video based on the time period at408. In embodiments, optical character recognition may be performed on each frame of the particular video starting at the time period and ending at the complete run time for the particular video. The characters may be arranged by the audit service computers or OCR software to form a plurality of words. In an embodiment, the process400may include determining the particular content information associated with the particular video based on the identified plurality of characters in the credit information and the content information for the plurality of movies at410. As described herein, a comparison between the terms identified by the OCR of the credit information of the particular video and the words or terms for a plurality of videos may be utilized to determine the particular content information associated with the particular video. For example, the audit service computers may perform a mapping between the terms and compare the matched words to a threshold to determine that the words are correct or exist in an appropriate location within each frame when compared to a matching frame of at least one video of the plurality of videos. Further, an identity of the particular video may be determined based on the same comparison of terms between two videos and a threshold to identify a certain number of matching words between the two videos and an identification of the identity of the particular video in question. In embodiments, the process400may conclude at412by updating the content information for the plurality of videos based on the particular content information for the particular video. Further updates to the content information may occur based on user provided input utilizing the content audit interfaces described herein.

In accordance with at least one embodiment, the process500may include maintaining content information for a plurality of media works at502. The content information may identify entities and associated roles for each media work of the plurality of media works. In embodiments, the process500may include receiving a request to identify an identity of a particular media work at504. The identity of the particular media work may include using particular content information that is associated with the particular media work. The process500may include identifying one or more words included in a segment of the particular media work at506. In accordance with at least one embodiment, the segment of the particular media work may be configured to be presented in the particular media work. The segment may correspond to the credit section or credit information of the particular media work. In some embodiments, the one or more words may be identified utilizing optical character recognition on the segment of the particular media work. The process500may include filtering the one or more identified words based at least in part on a set of rules to correct errors at508. In embodiments, the set of rules may identify and remove false positives of words that were identified in a first pass OCR scenario. The set of rules may utilize a count of each term in the complete OCR data of the particular media work to determine an average of each term. The average count of each term may be compared to a new occurrence and location of a term to identify an outlier, false positive, or incorrect identification by the OCR process. The process500may conclude at510by determining the identity of the particular media work based on the filtered one or more words and the content information for the plurality of media works. The identity of the particular media work may be determined based on a comparison of filtered one or more words of the particular media work and a plurality of words included in the content information for the plurality of media works and a threshold. For example, a match of so many words between any two particular media works may need to exceed a particular threshold that is maintained by the audit service computers to determine the identity of the particular media work.

FIG. 6illustrates a schematic diagram depicting aspects of a content audit module as described herein, in accordance with at least one embodiment. In accordance with at least one embodiment, the content audit module600may include a content information module602, a metadata module604, an audit filter module606, and a user interface module608in communication with a content information data store610. The modules included within and including content audit module600may be software modules, hardware modules, or a suitable combination thereof. If the modules are software modules, the modules can be embodied on a non-transitory computer readable medium and processed by a processor in any of the computer systems described herein. It should be noted that the described processes and architectures described herein can be performed either in real-time or in an asynchronous mode prior to user interaction. The modules may be configured in the manner suggested inFIG. 6or may exist as separate modules.

In accordance with at least one embodiment, the content audit module600may be configured to perform the optical character recognition on frames of segment and/or portion of a media work that corresponds to credit information for the media work. In embodiments, the content audit module may be configured to identify and determine the coordinates of one or more words that are identified in each frame during the OCR process. The coordinates may be utilized by the audit filter module606to filter particular terms or words as described herein. In accordance with at least one embodiment, the content audit module600may be configured to maintain one or more thresholds for determining the identity of a particular media work or for filtering one or more words according to an average count of occurrences of the word in the frames for the media work as described herein.

In accordance with at least one embodiment, the content information module602may be configured to maintain and update the content information for a plurality of media works for the content information auditing service. In embodiments, the content information module602may update the content information for the plurality of media works by updating connections, recommendations, and related media works based on the input provided by a user or based on an identification of terms or a particular media work in response to a request from an entity. As described herein, the content information module602may update the particular content information for a particular media work in response to a request to verify the content information for the particular media work or a request to determine the identity of the particular media work.

In accordance with at least one embodiment, the metadata module604may be configured to identify or determine a time period in a media work that marks the beginning of credit information for the media work. In embodiments, the identification or determine of the time period may be based at least in part on the metadata module604processing metadata associated with a particular media work. In embodiments where a user provides the time period for identifying the credit information for a particular media work, the metadata module604may update the time period information for the particular media work.

In accordance with at least one embodiment, the audit filter module606may be configured to generate and maintain a set of rules for correcting errors or removing false positives that are identified during the identification of the one or more words in the OCR process by the content audit module600. In accordance with at least one embodiment, the audit filter module606may be configured to determine the verification or accuracy of the maintained content information for a particular media work based on a comparison of the terms identified for the particular media work and the terms associated with the media work in the maintained content information. The accuracy information may be presented to a user via a user interface and the user interface module608. The set of rules may comprise one or more rules for correcting errors such as coordinate position of a word to coordinate position of another word in a same frame or across multiple frames, or a count of words between two occurrences of words within the same frame, or other suitable rules for correcting errors or removing false positives described herein.

In accordance with at least one embodiment, the user interface module608may be configured to generate a user interface that includes frame data and identified words such as the frame data and identified words included inFIGS. 1-3. In embodiments, the user interface module608is configured to process input provided by a user via the user interface, such as a content audit interface. The input may be utilized, by the user interface module608and content information module602to update content information for a particular media work that is being analyzed by the audit service computers in response to a request. The user interface module608may be configured to update associations or assignments of words, and therefore the content information for a particular media work, based on the input provided via the user interface. In accordance with at least one embodiment, the user interface module608may be configured to process and return results for users utilizing the search functionality to search for a word included in the frame data for a particular media work as described inFIG. 2. The user interface module608may be configured to highlight, tag, or mark particular words that were identified and filtered in the frame data for a particular media work. The highlighting, tagging, or marking may be updated by the user interface module608based on the input provided by a user utilizing the user interface and reflected in updated content information via the content information module602.

FIG. 7illustrates an example architecture for content information auditing features described herein that includes audit service computers and user devices connected via one or more networks as described herein, in accordance with at least one embodiment. In architecture700, one or more users702(e.g., users) may utilize user computing devices704(1)-(N) (collectively, user devices704) to access a browser application706(e.g., a network document browser) or a user interface (UI) accessible through the browser application706, via one or more networks708to provide input or select words for associating with information for a media work according to content information auditing features, as described herein. The “browser application”706can be any browser control or native application that can access and display a web page, user interface, or other information. In some aspects, the browser application706may display an interactive UI for interacting with identified words or characters for a media work, providing input about presented media works or identified words according to content information auditing features as described herein.

The architecture700may also include, one or more audit service computers710that may, in some examples, provide computing resources such as, but not limited to, client entities, low latency data storage, durable data storage, data access, management, virtualization, hosted computing environment or “cloud-based” solutions, electronic content performance management, etc. The one or more audit service provider computers710may also be operable to provide site hosting, computer application development, and/or implementation platforms, combinations of the foregoing, or the like to the one or more users702.

In one illustrative configuration, the user computing devices704may include at least one memory712and one or more processing units or processor(s)714. The processor(s)714may be implemented as appropriate in hardware, computer-executable instructions, firmware, or combinations thereof. Computer-executable instruction or firmware implementations of the processor(s)714may include computer-executable or machine-executable instructions written in any suitable programming language to perform the various functions described herein. The user devices704may also include geo-location devices (e.g., a global positioning system (GPS) device or the like) for providing and/or recording geographic location information associated with the user devices704. The memory712may store program instructions that are loadable and executable on the processor(s)714, as well as data generated during the execution of these programs. Depending on the configuration and type of user device704, the memory712may be volatile (such as random access memory (RAM)) and/or non-volatile (such as read-only memory (ROM), flash memory, etc.). The user device704may also include additional removable storage and/or non-removable storage including, but not limited to, magnetic storage, optical disks, and/or tape storage. The disk drives and their associated non-transitory computer-readable media may provide non-volatile storage of computer-readable instructions, data structures, program modules, and other data for the computing devices. In some implementations, the memory712may include multiple different types of memory, such as static random access memory (SRAM), dynamic random access memory (DRAM), or ROM.

Turning to the components of the memory712in more detail, the memory712may include an operating system and one or more application programs or services for implementing the features disclosed herein including interacting with presented information about media works including identified words associated with a portion of a media work that have been generated and provided by the audit service provider computers710to the user702via the browser application706, dedicated applications (e.g., smart phone applications, tablet applications, etc.), or through capabilities inherit to a device (e.g., user interfaces or touch input interfaces). Additionally, the memory712may store access credentials and/or other user information such as, but not limited to, user IDs, passwords, and/or other user information. In some examples, the user information may include information for authenticating an account such as, but not limited to, a device ID, a cookie, an IP address, a location, or the like. In addition, the user information may include a user702provided response to a security question or a geographic location obtained by the user device704.

In some examples, the networks708may include any one or a combination of many different types of networks, such as cable networks, the Internet, wireless networks, cellular networks and other private and/or public networks. While the illustrated example represents the users702communicating with the audit service provider computers710over the networks708, the described techniques may equally apply in instances where the users702interact with the one or more audit service provider computers710via the one or more user devices704over a landline phone, via a kiosk, or in any other manner. It is also noted that the described techniques may apply in other client/server arrangements (e.g., set-top boxes, etc.), as well as in non-client/server arrangements (e.g., locally stored applications, peer-to-peer arrangements, etc.).

The browser application706may be capable of handling requests from many users702and serving, in response, various user interfaces that can be rendered at the user devices704such as, but not limited to, a network site or web page. The browser application706can interact with any type of network site that supports user interaction, including social networking sites, electronic retailers, informational sites, blog sites, search engine sites, news and entertainment sites, electronic marketplaces, content providers, and so forth. The described techniques can similarly be implemented outside of the browser application706, such as with other applications running on the user device704.

The one or more audit service provider computers710may be any type of computing device such as, but not limited to, a mobile phone, a smart phone, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a laptop computer, a desktop computer, a server computer, a thin-client device, a tablet PC, etc. Additionally, it should be noted that in some embodiments, the one or more audit service provider computers710may be executed by one or more virtual machines implemented in a hosted computing environment. The hosted computing environment may include one or more rapidly provisioned and released computing resources, which computing resources may include computing, networking, and/or storage devices. A hosted computing environment may also be referred to as a cloud computing environment or distributed computing environment. In some examples, the one or more audit service provider computers710may be in communication with the user device704via the networks708, or via other network connections. The one or more audit service provider computers710may include one or more servers, perhaps arranged in a cluster or as individual servers not associated with one another.

In one illustrative configuration, the one or more audit service provider computers710may include at least one memory716and one or more processing units or processors(s)718. The processor(s)718may be implemented as appropriate in hardware, computer-executable instructions, firmware, or combinations thereof. Computer-executable instruction or firmware implementations of the processor(s)718may include computer-executable or machine-executable instructions written in any suitable programming language to perform the various functions described when executed by a hardware computing device, such as a processor. The memory716may store program instructions that are loadable and executable on the processor(s)718, as well as data generated during the execution of these programs. Depending on the configuration and type of the one or more audit service provider computers710, the memory716may be volatile (such as RAM) and/or non-volatile (such as ROM, flash memory, etc.). The one or more audit service provider computers710or servers may also include additional storage720, which may include removable storage and/or non-removable storage. The additional storage720may include, but is not limited to, magnetic storage, optical disks and/or tape storage. The disk drives and their associated computer-readable media may provide non-volatile storage of computer-readable instructions, data structures, program modules, and other data for the computing devices. In some implementations, the memory716may include multiple different types of memory, such as SRAM, DRAM, or ROM.

The memory716, the additional storage720, both removable and non-removable, are all examples of non-transitory computer-readable storage media. For example, computer-readable storage media may include volatile or non-volatile, removable or non-removable media implemented in any method or technology for storage of information such as computer-readable instructions, data structures, program modules, or other data. The memory716and the additional storage720are all examples of non-transitory computer storage media. Additional types of non-transitory computer storage media that may be present in the one or more audit service provider computers710may include, but are not limited to, PRAM, SRAM, DRAM, RAM, ROM, EEPROM, flash memory or other memory technology, CD-ROM, DVD or other optical storage, magnetic cassettes, magnetic tape, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, or any other medium which can be used to store the desired information and which can be accessed by the one or more audit service provider computers710. Combinations of any of the above should also be included within the scope of non-transitory computer-readable media.

The one or more audit service provider computers710may also contain communication connection interface(s)722that allow the one or more audit service provider computers710to communicate with a data store, another computing device or server, user terminals and/or other devices on the networks708. The one or more audit service provider computers710may also include I/O device(s)724, such as a keyboard, a mouse, a pen, a voice input device, a touch input device, a display, speakers, a printer, etc.

Turning to the contents of the memory716in more detail and as was described above in further detail inFIG. 6, the memory716may include an operating system726, one or more data stores728, and/or one or more application programs or services for implementing the features disclosed herein including a content audit module730(which may be an example of content audit module600). In accordance with at least one embodiment, the content audit module730may be configured to at least maintain content information identifying entities associated with a plurality of media works, receive and process requests to identify particular media works or information associated with the media work, perform optical character recognition on media works to identify characters or words associated with each frame of a portion of a media work, and update the content information for a particular media work and the plurality of media works based on filtering the identified characters or words according to a set of rules, as described herein.