Method, apparatus and system for recognizing broadcast segments

A method of continous pattern recognition of broadacst segments, each of said segments having at least one of an audio portion and a video portion, said method comprising:

• constructing a digital signature from a known sample of a segment to be recognized by digitally parametizing said segment to form a string of digital words, each of said words representing one frame of said segment, identifying a word representing a designated frame in said segment, the association with said segment of the word representing said designated frame being nonexclusive, selecting a plurality of additional frames from among random frame locations throughout said segment in accordance with a set of predefined rules, and storing in a library of signatures the digital words representing said designated frame and said additional frames along with information representing the offsets of said additional frames relative to said designated frame;
• monitoring a broadcast signal;
• digitally parametizing said monitored signal into a string of digital words;
• and
• for each monitored digital word of said parametized monitored signal, searching said library for any signature for which said word represents said designated frame, and comparing the additional words of any such signature with the words of said parametized monitored signal at said offsets relative to said monitored digital word.

Apparatus for continuous pattern recognition of broadcast segments, each of said segments having at least one of an audio portion and a video portion, said apparatus comprising:

• means for constructing a digital signature from a known sample of a segment to be recognized by digitally parametizing said segments, selecting frames from among random frame locations throughout said parametized segment in accordance with a set of predefined rules to form said signature, and associating with said signature the locations of said selected frames relative to a reference location;
• means for storing a library of signatures and associated frame locations, each signature in said library being identified with a particular segment to be recognized;
• means for monitoring a broadcast signal;
• means for digitally parametizing said monitored signal;
• and
• means for searching said libary for signatures potentially associated with each frame of said parametized monitored signal and, using the frame location information associated with said potentially associated stored signatures, for comparing each of said potentially associated stored signatures to the appropriate frames of said parametized monitored signal.

Apparatus for continuous pattern recognition of broadcast segments, each of said segments haing at least one of an audio portion and a video portion, said apparatus comprising:

• means for constructing a digital signature from a known sample of a segment to be identified by digitally parametizing said segment to form a string of digital words, each of said words representing one frame of said segment, identifying a word representing a designated frame in said segment, the association with said segment of the word representing said designated frame being nonexclusive, selecting a plurality of additional frames from among random frame locations throughout said segment in accordance with a set of predefined rules, and storing in a library of signatures the digital words representing said designated frame and said additional frames along with the offsets of said additional frames relative to said designated frame;
• means for monitoring a broadcast signal;
• means for digitally parametizing said monitored signal;
• and
• means for searching said library for any signature for which any monitored digital word represents said designated frame and comparing the additional words of any such signature with the words of said parametized monitored signal at said offsets relative to said monitored digital word.

A system for continuous pattern recognition of broadcast segments, each of said segments having at least one of an audio portion and a video portion, said system comprising:

• means for constructing a digital signature from a known sample of a segment to be recognized by digitally parametizing said segments, selecting frames from among random frame locations throughout said parametized segment in accordance with a set of predefined rules to form said signature, and associating with said signature the locations of said selected frames relative to a reference location;
• means for storing a library of signatures and associated frame locations, each signature in said library being identified with a particular segment to be recognized;
• means for monitoring a broadcast signal;
• means for digitally parametizing said monitored signal;
• means for searching said library for signatures potentially associated with each frame of said parametized monitored signal and, using the frame location information associated with said potentially associated stored signatures, for comparing each of said potentially associated stored signatures to the appropriate frames of said parametized monitored signal;
• means for detecting, in said monitored signal, the occurrence of artifacts characteristic of potential unknown segments to be recognized;
• and
• means for classifying and identifying said potential unknown segments.

For use in a system for continuous pattern recognition of broadcast segments, each of said segments having at least one of an audio portion and a video portion, said system including:

• a plurality of local sites, each of said sites located in a different geographic region for monitioring broadcast signals in said region;
• a central site;
• and
• a communications network linking said central site and said plurality of local sites;
• each of said local sites maintaining a local library of segment signatures applicable to broadcast signals in its geographic region and having at least means for monitoring a broadcast signal, means for searching said local library for any signature potentially associated with each frame of said parametized monitored signal and for comparing said signatures to said parametized monitored signal, and means for detecting, in said monitored signal, the occurrence of artifacts characteristic of potential unknown segments to be recognized;
• and
• said central site maintaining a global library containing all of the information stored in all of said local libraries;
• the method of classifying and identifying said potental unknown segments, said method comprising:
• parametizing at one of said local sites said potential unknown segment;
• constructing at said local site a temporary digital signature for said potential unknown segment;
• generating at said local site compressed digitized audio and video information for said potential unknown segment;
• transmitting said parametized unknown segment and said temporary digital signature, and, as determined by said central site at least one of said compressed audio and video information from said local site to said central site;
• comparing the signatures in said global library to said parametized unknown segment to determine if said unknown segment was previously received by another of said local sites and if so replacing said temporary signature at said local site with an appropriate global signature;
• grouping together like unknown segments received from several local sites;
• allowing an operator to play back said at least one of said compressed audio and video information to identify said unknown segments;
• constructing a new global signature for said identified segment;
• transmitting said new global signature to those of said local sites for which it is appropriate.

A method for continuous patern recognition of broadcast segments, each of said sgements having at least one of an audio portion and a video portion and further having a first portion that is the same each time the segment is broadcast and a second portion that may differ each time the segment is broadcast, said method comprising:

• constructing a signature from a known sample of the first portion of such a segment to be recognized;
• recording additional data from known samples of said second portion;
• storing said signature and said additional data;
• associating with said stored signature an indication of the existence of said second portion;
• monitoring a broadcast signal;
• identifying the first portion of a broadcast segment in said monitored broadcast signal with said signature;
• and
• using said additional data to identify the second portion of said broadcast segment.

Apparatus for continuous pattern recognition of broadcast segments, each of said segments having at least one of an audio portion and a video portion, and having a first portion that is the same each time the segment is broadcast and a second portion that may differ each time the segment is broadcast, said apparatus comprising:

• means for construction a signature from a known sample of the first portion of such a segment to be recognized;
• means for recording additional data from known samples of said second portion;
• means for storing said signature and said additional data;
• means for associating with said stored signature an indication of the existence of said second portion;
• means for monitoring a broadcst signal;
• means for identifying the first portion of a broadcast segment in said monitored broadcast signal with said signature;
• and
• means for using said additional data to identify the second portion of said broadcast segment.