# US 12,003,830 B2 · Media environment driven content distribution platform > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,003,830 B2 - Document ID: US12003830B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 18/055,643 - Filed: 2022-11-15 - Published: 2023-03-09 - Granted: 2024-06-04 - Earliest claimed: 2016-04-08 - Assignees: Source Digital, Inc. - Applicants: Source Digital, Inc. - Inventors: Henry Lawrence Frecon, III; Patrick Clay Greene; Michael Eric Phillips; Timothy J. Carroll - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12003830B2 ## CPC - H04N 21/43079: {of additional data with content streams on multiple devices} - H04N 21/845: Structuring of content, e.g. decomposing content into time segments - G06F 3/165: {Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path} - H03G 7/002: {in untuned or low-frequency amplifiers, e.g. audio amplifiers (H03G7/007, H03G7/001, H03G7/008, H03G7/02, H03G7/06 take precedence)} - H03G 7/007: {of digital or coded signals} - H04N 21/231: Content storage operation, e.g. caching movies for short term storage, replicating data over plural servers, prioritizing data for deletion - H04N 21/233: Processing of audio elementary streams {(monitoring, identification or recognition of audio in broadcast systems H04H60/58)} - H04N 21/234: Processing of video elementary streams, e.g. splicing of video streams or manipulating encoded video stream scene graphs - H04N 21/242: Synchronisation processes, e.g. processing of PCR [Programme Clock References] {(arrangements for synchronising broadcast or distribution via plural systems in broadcast distribution systems H04H20/18)} - H04N 21/42203: {sound input device, e.g. microphone} - H04N 21/43074: {of additional data with content streams on the same device, e.g. of EPG data or interactive icon with a TV programme} - H04N 21/433: Content storage operation, e.g. storage operation in response to a pause request, caching operations - H04N 21/4394: {involving operations for analysing the audio stream, e.g. detecting features or characteristics in audio streams (arrangements characterised by components specially adapted for monitoring, identification or recognition of audio in broadcast systems H04H60/58)} - H04N 21/44008: {involving operations for analysing video streams, e.g. detecting features or characteristics in the video stream (arrangements characterised by components specially adapted for monitoring, identification or recognition of video in broadcast systems H04H60/59)} - H04N 21/4722: for requesting additional data associated with the content - H04N 21/8586: {by using a URL (processing chained hypermedia data for information retrieval G06F16/94; information retrieval from the Internet by using URLs G06F16/955; URL in broadcast information H04H20/93; Web-based protocols H04L67/02)} - H04N 21/812: {involving advertisement data (advertising per se G06Q30/02)} - H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) - H03G: CONTROL OF AMPLIFICATION ## Abstract A method for a media environment driven content distribution platform includes obtaining synchronization data and ancillary data pegged to instants in the synchronization data, and communicating the synchronization data and the ancillary data pegged to the instants in the synchronization data such that subsequent alignment of the synchronization data to the content synchronizes the ancillary data pegged to the instants in the synchronization data derived from the content to the content. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A machine or group of machines for a media environment driven content distribution platform, comprising: a pre-synchronizer configured to obtain ancillary data and synchronization data and to correlate the ancillary data to times in the synchronization data such that subsequent synchronization of the synchronization data to the content synchronizes the ancillary data, correlated to the times in the synchronization data, to the content, wherein specific objects of the ancillary data are distributed based on event data relating to the media environment; and a transceiver configured to communicate the synchronization data derived from the content and the ancillary data correlated to the times in the synchronization data to a storage location; wherein the ancillary data includes a first ancillary data object and a second ancillary data object that are both correlated to a same time in the synchronization data, and the first ancillary data object and not the second ancillary data object is distributed based on the event data relating to the media environment. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The machine or group of machines of claim 1, wherein the presynchronizer is configured to receive ancillary data in the form of: data about music in the content, data about a script played out in the content, data about wardrobe wore by characters in the content, data describing the content, data including comments from performers, producers, or directors of the content, data including comments from viewers of the content, data including a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) to a resource that includes information about the content, advertisement data, or statistics of the content including at least content name or content identification. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The machine or group of machines of claim 1, wherein: the transceiver is configured to communicate the synchronization data and the ancillary data correlated to the times in the synchronization data to a database accessible by consumers of the content. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The machine or group of machines of claim 1, wherein: the transceiver is configured to communicate the synchronization data and the ancillary data correlated to the times in the synchronization data to a storage location accessible by consumers of the content; and the pre-synchronizer is configured to create a link to the storage location. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The machine or group of machines of claim 1, comprising: a processor configured to create the synchronization data, wherein: the transceiver is configured to communicate the synchronization data and the ancillary data correlated to the times in the synchronization data to a storage location accessible by consumers of the content; the pre-synchronizer is configured to create a link to the storage location; and the processor is configured to insert the link to the storage location into metadata of the content. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The machine or group of machines of claim 1, wherein: the pre-synchronizer is configured to collect the ancillary data during a previous playout or performance of the content and to correlate the ancillary data to times in the synchronization data corresponding to times in the content. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The machine or group of machines of claim 1, comprising: a processor configured to create the synchronization data and transmit the synchronization data to the pre-synchronizer. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The machine or group of machines of claim 1, comprising: an audio processor configured to create the synchronization data by creating an audio waveform signature of the content's audio. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The machine or group of machines of claim 1, comprising: authoring tools configured to collect the ancillary data during a playout or performance of the content for correlating the ancillary data to the times in the synchronization data. ### Claim 10 A machine or group of machines for a media environment driven content distribution platform, comprising: a transceiver configured to obtain the content, synchronization data, and ancillary data correlated to times in the synchronization data; and a post-synchronizer configured to synchronize the synchronization data to the content thereby synchronizing the ancillary data correlated to the times in the synchronization data from the to the content; wherein specific objects of the ancillary data are distributed based on the media environment, the ancillary data includes a first ancillary data object and a second ancillary data object that are both correlated to a same time in the synchronization data, and the event data dictates that the first ancillary data object and not the second ancillary data object is to be distributed based on the media environment. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The machine or group of machines of claim 10, wherein the transceiver is configured to receive the ancillary data in the form of: data about music in the content, data about a script played out in the content, data about wardrobe wore by characters in the content, data describing the content, data including comments from performers, producers, or directors of the content, data including comments from viewers of the content, data including a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) to a resource that includes information about the content, advertisement data, or statistics of the content including at least content name or content identification. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The machine or group of machines of claim 10, comprising: interaction tools configured to collect the ancillary data during a playout or performance of the content for correlating the ancillary data to the times in the synchronization data. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) The machine or group of machines of claim 10, comprising: a processor configured to receive the content from the transceiver and extract from metadata of the content a link to storage location in which the synchronization data and the ancillary data correlated to the times in the synchronization data are stored and accessible by consumers of the content; and the transceiver is configured to obtain the synchronization data and the ancillary data correlated to the times in the synchronization data from the storage location. ### Claim 14 (depends on 10) The machine or group of machines of claim 10, comprising: a processor configured to compare the content to the synchronization data to identify the content. ### Claim 15 (depends on 10) The machine or group of machines of claim 10, comprising: interaction tools configured to display the ancillary data in synchronicity with presentation of the content relying on the synchronizing of the synchronization data to the content. ### Claim 16 A machine or group of machines for a media environment driven content distribution platform, comprising: a database configured to store synchronization data and ancillary data correlated to times in the synchronization data such that subsequent synchronization of the synchronization data to the content synchronizes the ancillary data correlated to the times in the synchronization data to the content; and a transceiver configured to communicate the synchronization data and the ancillary data correlated to the times in the synchronization data; wherein specific objects of the ancillary data are distributed based on the media environment; and the ancillary data includes a first ancillary data object and a second ancillary data object that are both correlated to a same time in the synchronization data, and the event data dictates that the first ancillary data object and not the second ancillary data object is to be distributed based on the media environment. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The machine or group of machines of claim 16, wherein the database is configured to continue to receive and store the ancillary data during subsequent playout or performance of the content, wherein the ancillary data is correlated to the times in the synchronization data derived from the corresponding to times in the content during the subsequent playout or performance.