Apparatus and method for segmentation of audio data into meta patterns

A computer-readable storage medium encoded with computer program instructions which when executed by a computer causes the computer to implement a method for segmenting audio data comprising:

• dividing audio data into audio clips of a predetermined length;
• discriminating the audio clips into predetermined audio classes, the audio classes identifying a kind of audio data included in the respective audio clip;
• and
• segmenting the audio data into audio meta patterns based on a sequence of audio classes of consecutive audio clips, each meta pattern being allocated to a predetermined type of contents of the audio data,
• wherein the segmenting the audio data into audio meta patterns further comprises the use of a program database comprising program data units to identify a certain kind of program,
• wherein the segmenting the audio data into audio meta patterns further comprises the use of an audio class probability database comprising probability values for each audio class with respect to a certain number of preceding audio classes for a sequence of consecutive audio clips,
• wherein the segmenting the audio data into audio meta patterns further comprises the use of an audio meta pattern probability database comprising probability values for each audio meta pattern with respect to a certain number of preceding audio meta patterns for a sequence of audio classes, and
• wherein a plurality of respective audio meta patterns is allocated to each program data unit and the segmenting is performed on the basis of the program data units.

An audio data segmentation apparatus for segmenting audio data comprising:

• an audio data input device configured to supply audio data;
• an audio data clipping device configured to supply the audio data supplied by the audio data input device into audio clips of a predetermined length;
• a class discrimination device configured to discriminate the audio clips supplied by the audio data clipping device into predetermined audio classes, the audio classes identifying a kind of audio data included in the respective audio clip;
• and
• a segmenting device configured to segment the audio data into audio meta patterns based on a sequence of audio classes of consecutive audio clips, each meta pattern being allocated to a predetermined type of contents of the audio data,
• wherein the audio data segmentation apparatus further comprises:
• a program database comprising program data units configured to identify a certain kind of program, a plurality of respective audio meta patterns being allocated to each program data unit;
• an audio class probability database comprising probability values for each audio class with respect to a certain number of preceding audio classes for a sequence of consecutive audio clips;
• and
• an audio meta pattern probability database comprising probability values for each audio meta pattern with respect to a certain number of preceding audio meta patterns for a sequence of audio classes,
• wherein the segmenting device segments the audio data into corresponding audio meta patterns on the basis of the program data units of the program database, using the audio class probability database and the audio meta pattern probability database.