Abstract:
Methods and apparatus are disclosed for identifying audiovisual content, such as a movie or television show, based on audio data of the show and then presenting options to a user for the identified content, including recording that content on the user&#39;s digital video recorder for later viewing.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
       [0001]    1. Technical Field 
         [0002]    The present disclosure relates to systems and methods to identify audiovisual content based on audio data recorded by a smartphone from a device presenting content, and then present options to a user for the identified content, including recording that content on the user&#39;s Digital Video Recorder (DVR). 
         [0003]    2. Description of the Related Art 
         [0004]    The ability to identify music based on audio data, such as an audio clip, is well known in the industry. There are multiple products and services that provide this ability, such as Shazam, Tunatic, Midomi and others. For example, a user can record audio data of music playing on a radio or television, music being performed live, or music being sung or hummed. These services will query databases and search for the best matches for known recordings for the recorded data. These matches are then returned to the user and include additional information such as song name, artist, and other related information. In some cases, this information can be posted directly to a user&#39;s Facebook page or Twitter account. These services are generally targeted to users who know bits and pieces of a song and want to identify the title, author and recording artist. 
       BRIEF SUMMARY 
       [0005]    The present disclosure proposes systems and methods to allow a user to identify audiovisual content based on a recorded audio data, such as an audio clip, and to be offered options for further steps based on that identified content. Examples of options include but are not limited to setting up a video recording timer to record the original source of the content, purchasing a full version that includes the content, receiving available background information on the content such as information contained in the IMDB database, receiving a coupon for the advertised product if the content is an advertisement, making reservations at the advertised restaurant, or sharing the content information on the user&#39;s Facebook or Twitter account. 
         [0006]    This concept provides for the use of audiovisual content to identify movies and television shows that are playing by recording audio data, having the movie or show identified, and then giving the user options for the content, such as recording the movie or show on a DVR. Frequently, a person may be away from home and see audiovisual content being presented that is of interest. For example, the person may be at a friend&#39;s house, at an airport, at a shopping mall, or at a gas station where a video monitor is running at the pump. Presentation displays at these locations may be showing a movie or a series, or an advertisement for a movie or show that the user would like to record. The user would record audio data of the displayed content, have that content identified, and user asked if the user would like to record that content on their DVR or set top box for future viewing. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0007]      FIG. 1  is a context diagram showing a user recording audio data and sending the data to the system to be identified and recorded. 
           [0008]      FIG. 2  is a diagram showing several embodiments of the sources of audio files and type of content from which audio data can be recorded. 
           [0009]      FIG. 3  is a diagram showing an embodiment of method steps for a mobile device application and a server application, where the mobile device captures audio data that is sent to the server which returns matched content and content options available for the user to the user&#39;s mobile device. 
           [0010]      FIG. 4  is a diagram showing one embodiment of the sample options that a user may perform with the matched content. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0011]      FIG. 1  shows diagram  400  which is one embodiment of a context diagram of the disclosed system and method. A user  4  is listening to and watching content presented on display device  2 . Display device  2  in some embodiments may be a television, a radio, video content being streamed on an internet-coupled device, and the like. Display device  2  might be located at the user&#39;s home, at a friend&#39;s home, in a hotel room, hotel lobby, an airport lounge, a shopping mall, a TV lounge in a dorm room, or other location. While the user  4  is listening to the presented content, the user may be interested in recording it for later viewing, or receiving more information related to the content. The user  4  would use smartphone  6  to record audio data of the content, which may be in the form of an audio clip. In some embodiments smartphone  6  may be a tablet, a music player, or any other device that can capture audio data and send it to another device. 
         [0012]    In some embodiments, an application running on smartphone  6  will capture audio data, process it and send it to server application 12  to be processed. In some embodiments, server application 12  may run on a central control system device  10 , which in some embodiments may be a headend of a program broadcast facility or other central location. In other embodiments server application 12  may run on a set top box  8 , or may be distributed into various modules and run among multiple devices. Server application  12  receives audio data from the user and examines the content database  14  for matches between audio data received from user  4  and the audio components of the content stored in the content database  14 . In some embodiments, content database  14  may be implemented across multiple databases running on multiple machines. Server application  12  will receive the matched content and then will query the content options database  16  to determine those options the identified user is allowed to perform with the matched content. For example, if the matched content is a movie and central control system  10  determines that the user&#39;s service subscription allows the user access to the movie, the server application  12  will provide the user the option to record the movie on the user&#39;s DVR which may be a part of the user&#39;s set top box  8 . 
         [0013]    In some embodiments, the content options database  16  may be a part of and reside on a central control system  10 , or it may be implemented across multiple databases running on multiple machines. In one or more embodiments, content options database  16  is updated by a content options server  18 . Content options server  18 , in some embodiments, may be updated by the central control system  10  with user-specific permissions for each piece of content, for example whether the user&#39;s video subscription service agreement allows pre-viewing or downloading of the content. 
         [0014]    Other embodiments of a content options server  18  include a paid subscription agreement for content owners such as HBO, Showtime, ABC, NBC, CBS, AMC, concert promoters, or advertisers that enter into a paid arrangements to allow a user to perform additional options with the owner&#39;s content. If the content is an advertisement for a movie or series, the user may request that movie or series episode to be recorded on a set top box, to be purchased off-line in a DVD box set, or to have information about the content sent to the user&#39;s smartphone  6 . If the content is an advertisement for a product or service, the user might request that a coupon for the product or service be sent to the user&#39;s smartphone  6 . If the content is an advertisement for a restaurant, the user might request that a menu be downloaded to the user&#39;s smartphone  6  or request reservations for the restaurant. If the content is an advertisement for a theater performance, the user might request to purchase tickets for the performance. 
         [0015]      FIG. 2  shows diagram  410  depicting several embodiments of the sources of audio files and type of content from which audio data could be recorded by user  4  using smartphone device  6 . A presentation device may be a standard TV that is displaying a broadcast TV show or series episode  22  that is a standard public broadcast picked up on an antenna  23 . The user may be offered to record the TV show or series in its entirety, record specific episodes, episodes not yet viewed, or shows related to the TV show or series within the user&#39;s subscription plan that the user may be interested in recording. 
         [0016]    The presentation device may be coupled to a set top box  8  and be showing a concert or an advertisement for a concert  24 . The user may be offered to record the concert, record a future concert by the same artist, or may have the option to purchase tickets for a future concert by the same artist or similar genre that is held within the user&#39;s geographic area. 
         [0017]    The presentation device may be showing an advertisement for a consumer product  26  on an internet-coupled computer  17 . The user may be offered a coupon to purchase the product at a store within the user&#39;s local area, or may be offered to record future concerts or events sponsored by the advertiser. 
         [0018]    The presentation device may be a large screen movie theater showing a movie in progress  28 . The user may have taken their smartphone to the movie theater and while watching the movie held up the phone to record a particular song or scene. The user may be offered the option to begin recording the movie immediately or to schedule a recording of the movie the next time it is played. The user may also be offered the opportunity to purchase the movie in a download form or DVD box set. 
         [0019]    The presentation device may be showing an advertisement for a non-commodity item, for example clothing  30 . Or the user may be listening to audio content over a radio  25 . Here the user may be offered a discount or coupon for the clothing item, or information on store locations and pricing within the user&#39;s geographic area. 
         [0020]      FIG. 3  shows diagram  420  showing one embodiment of method steps for a mobile device application  40  and a server application  41 . The mobile device application  40  runs on a smartphone device  6  of user  4 . In one embodiment the application will first record audio data from a display device  42  by the user holding the smart phone device next to the speaker of the video display device. The next step is to send the audio data to the server application  44  that processes audio data and identifies relevant content. 
         [0021]    The next step on the server application  41  is to receive the audio data from the user  52 . Once the audio data has been received, the next step to compare the audio data to the content database to find a content match  54  is performed. At this step the server interacts with content database  14  to identify matched content by analyzing the audio portions of content. At the next step, the server will retrieve the available options for the user to perform with the matched content  56 . At this step, the server interacts with the content options database  16 , which has been updated with the content options process  18 , to determine what the user may do with the content based on user subscriptions, content owner subscriptions, and other information. In the next step, the server application will send the options to the user  58  to the user&#39;s smartphone  6 . 
         [0022]    The next step, on the mobile device application  40 , is to receive the matched content information and available content options  46  on the user&#39;s smartphone device  6 . The mobile device application will then prompt the user for options to perform  48  regarding the matched content. Once the user has selected the options the application will send the options to the server  50 . 
         [0023]    The server application  41  will then receive the selected options from the user  60  and then execute the selected options  62 , for example by setting a DVR timer to record the content, or to send associated coupons to the user&#39;s smartphone device  6 . 
         [0024]      FIG. 4  shows diagram  430  showing one embodiment of the sample options a user may perform with matched content  66 . These examples include setting up video recording timer to record the matched content at a set top box; to purchase the matched content either via download or off-line, for example as a DVD boxed set; receive a coupon or other discount for the advertised content; purchase tickets if the content is advertising an event; make reservations if the content is advertising a restaurant; receive background information available for the content, such as artist information, movie location information, venue information, and the like; or share the content information on the user&#39;s Facebook or Twitter account. 
         [0025]    The various embodiments described above can be combined to provide further embodiments. Aspects of the embodiments can be modified, if necessary to employ concepts of the various patents, applications and publications to provide yet further embodiments. 
         [0026]    These and other changes can be made to the embodiments in light of the above-detailed description. In general, in the following claims, the terms used should not be construed to limit the claims to the specific embodiments disclosed in the specification and the claims, but should be construed to include all possible embodiments along with the full scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled. Accordingly, the claims are not limited by the disclosure.