Method for determining a point in time within an audio signal

A method of operating a server and a client, wherein a point in time within an audio signal is determined, said audio signal having been transmitted from a broadcast station to said client and to said server, the method comprising:

• deriving, at the server, first signature data from said audio signal, wherein said first signature data are descriptive of at least one part of said audio signal, and wherein a reference point in time is associated with the beginning or end of said at least one part of said audio signal;
• deriving, at the client, second signature data from said audio signal, wherein said second signature data are descriptive of at least one part of said audio signal and are derived in the same manner as said first signature data at the server;
• comparing said first and second signature data;
• determining said point in time to be equal to said reference point in time depending on a result of said comparing,
• wherein said first signature data comprise a plurality of sub-units, wherein each sub-unit is derived from a part of said audio signal, and wherein, in said comparing, a similarity measure is determined for each sub-unit, said similarity measure being descriptive of a degree of similarity of a sub-unit and said second signature data.

A non-transitory computer readable storage medium including computer readable program codes embodied in the computer readable storage medium that, when executed cause a computer to execute a method for determining a point in time within an audio signal, said audio signal having been transmitted from a broadcast station to a client and to a server, said method comprising:

• deriving, at the server, first signature data from said audio signal, wherein said first signature data are descriptive of at least one part of said audio signal, and wherein a reference point in time is associated with the beginning or end of said at least one part of said audio signal;
• deriving, at the client, second signature data from said audio signal, wherein said second signature data are descriptive of at least one part of said audio signal and are derived in the same manner as said first signature data at the server;
• comparing said first and second signature data;
• determining said point in time to be equal to said reference point in time depending on a result of said comparing,
• wherein said first signature data comprise a plurality of sub units, wherein each sub-unit is derived from a part of said audio signal, and wherein, in said comparing, a similarity measure is determined for each sub-unit, said similarity measure being descriptive of a degree of similarity of a sub-unit and said second signature data.

A recording device, comprising

• a receiving mechanism configured to receive an audio signal from a broadcast station and further configured to receive, from a server, first signature data and at least one reference point in time, said first signature data having been derived from said audio signal, wherein said first signature data are descriptive of at least one part of said audio signal, and wherein said reference point in time is associated with the beginning or end of said at least one part of said audio signal:
• a data processing mechanism configured to derive second signature data from said audio signal, wherein said second signature data are descriptive of at least one part of said audio signal and are derived in the same manner as said first signature data, said data processing mechanism being further configured to compare said first and second signature data and to determine a playback start and/or end time depending on the comparison result;
• a playback mechanism configured to playback said audio signal depending on said playback start and/or end time,
• wherein said second signature data comprise a plurality of sub-units, wherein each sub-unit is derived from a part of said audio signal, and wherein, in said comparing, a similarity measure is determined for each sub-unit, said similarity measure being descriptive of a degree of similarity of a sub-unit and said first signature data.

A method of operating a server and a client, wherein a point in time within a television signal is determined, said television signal having been transmitted from a broadcast station to said client and to said server, the method comprising:

• deriving, at the server, first signature data from said television signal, wherein said first signature data are descriptive of at least one part of said television signal, and wherein a reference point in time is associated with the beginning or end of said at least one part of said television signal, wherein said first signature data comprise a plurality of sub-units, wherein each sub-unit is derived from a part of said television signal, and wherein, in said comparing, a similarity measure is determined for each sub-unit, said similarity measure being descriptive of a degree of similarity of a sub-unit and said second signature data;
• deriving, at the client, second, signature data from said television signal, wherein said second signature data are descriptive of at least one part of said television signal and are derived in the same manner as said first signature data at the server;
• comparing said first and second signature data;
• determining said point in time to be equal to said reference point in time depending on a result of said comparing.

A method for determining a point in time within a television signal, comprising:

• deriving, at a server, first signature data from said television signal, wherein a reference point in time is associated with the beginning or end of said first signature data;
• deriving, at a client, second signature data from said television signal, wherein said second signature data are derived in the same manner as said first signature data at the server, wherein said second signature data comprise a plurality of sub-units, wherein each sub-unit is derived from a part of said television signal, and wherein, in said comparing, a similarity measure is determined for each sub-unit, said similarity measure being descriptive of a degree of similarity of a sub-unit and said first signature data;
• comparing said first and second signature data;
• determining said point in time to be equal to said reference point in time depending on a result of said comparing.

A non-transitory computer readable storage medium having computer readable program codes embodied in the computer readable storage medium that, when executed cause a computer to execute a method for determining a point in time within an audio signal, said audio signal having been transmitted from a broadcast station to a client and to a server, said method comprising:

• deriving, at the server, first signature data from said audio signal, wherein said first signature data are descriptive of at least one part of said audio signal, and wherein a reference point in time is associated with the beginning or end of said at least one part of said audio signal;
• deriving, at the client, second signature data from said audio signal, wherein said second signature data are descriptive of at least one part of said audio signal and are derived in the same manner as said first signature data at the server;
• comparing said first and second signature data;
• determining said point in time to be equal to said reference point in time depending on a result of said comparing,
• wherein said second signature data comprise a plurality of sub-units, wherein each sub-unit is derived from a part of said audio signal, and wherein, in said comparing, a similarity measure is determined for each sub-unit, said similarity measure being descriptive of a degree of similarity of a sub-unit and said first signature data.