# US 9,519,792 B1 · Copyright protection > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,519,792 B1 - Document ID: US9519792B1 - Status: Granted - Kind: B1 - Application number: 14/081,069 - Filed: 2013-11-15 - Granted: 2016-12-13 - Earliest claimed: 2013-11-15 - Assignees: Google Inc. - Applicants: Google Inc. - Inventors: Matthew J. Leske - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9519792B1 ## CPC - G06F 21/60: Protecting data - G06F 21/10: Protecting distributed programs or content, e.g. vending or licensing of copyrighted material (protection in video systems or pay television H04N7/16) {; Digital rights management [DRM]} - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) ## Abstract A method and computing system for receiving a plurality of discrete audio signals from a plurality of participants of a synchronous communication session. The plurality of discrete audio signals are combined to form a composite audio signal. At least a portion of the composite audio signal is divided into a plurality of sequential time slices. The plurality of sequential time slices are processed to identify one or more copyright-infringing time slices. The one or more copyright-infringing time slices are associated with a copyright infringing participant chosen from the plurality of participants of the synchronous communication session. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A computer-implemented method comprising: receiving discrete audio signals from a plurality of participants of a synchronous communication session, wherein each of the discrete audio signals is associated with one of the plurality of participants; identifying a signal level for each of the discrete audio signals; selecting a dynamic subset of the plurality of participants based on the signal level for each of the discrete audio signals, wherein the dynamic subset of the plurality of participants changes as at least one of the signal levels changes; combining the discrete audio signals to form a composite audio signal; dividing at least a portion of the composite audio signal into a number of a plurality of sequential time slices, wherein the number of the plurality of sequential time slices is based, at least in part, on a length of the composite audio signal, and wherein a length of each of the sequential time slices is based, at least in part, on a predefined level of granularity; processing the plurality of sequential time slices to identify one or more copyright-infringing time slices; associating the one or more copyright-infringing time slices with a copyright infringing participant chosen from the subset of the plurality of participants of the synchronous communication session, wherein the associating includes identifying a correlation between the one or more copyright-infringing time slices and the signal level for each of the discrete audio signals included within each of the copyright-infringing time slices; and performing one or more remedial actions, wherein the one or more remedial actions include at least one of: disconnecting the copyright infringing participant from the synchronous communication session and suspending the copyright infringing participant from a social network. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein the composite audio signal includes metadata that identifies the plurality of participants. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein the composite audio signal is broadcast to a plurality of broadcast recipients. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein the synchronous communication session is occurring within the social network. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein processing the plurality of sequential time slices to identify one or more copyright-infringing time slices includes: comparing identified copyrighted content to content included within the plurality of sequential time slices. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The computer-implemented method of claim 5 wherein the identified copyrighted content is defined within a copyrighted content database. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The computer-implemented method of claim 6 wherein the discrete audio signal of the copyright infringing participant includes identified copyrighted content defined within the copyrighted content database. ### Claim 8 A computing system including a processor and memory configured to perform operations comprising: receiving discrete audio signals from a plurality of participants of a synchronous communication session, wherein each of the discrete audio signals is associated with one of the plurality of participants; identifying a signal level for each of the discrete audio signals; selecting a dynamic subset of the plurality of participants based on the signal level for each of the discrete audio signals, wherein the dynamic subset of the plurality of participants changes as at least one of the signal levels changes; combining the discrete audio signals to form a composite audio signal; dividing at least a portion of the composite audio signal into a number of a plurality of sequential time slices, wherein the number of the plurality of sequential time slices is based, at least in part, on a length of the composite audio signal, and wherein a length of each of the sequential time slices is based, at least in part, on a predefined level of granularity; processing the plurality of sequential time slices to identify one or more copyright-infringing time slices; associating the one or more copyright-infringing time slices with a copyright infringing participant chosen from the plurality of participants of the participants of the synchronous communication session, wherein the associating includes identifying a correlation between the one or more copyright-infringing time slices and the signal level for each of the discrete audio signals included within each of the copyright-infringing time slices; and performing one or more remedial actions, wherein the one or more remedial actions include at least one of: disconnecting the copyright infringing participant from the synchronous communication session and suspending the copyright infringing participant from a social network. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The computing system of claim 8 wherein the composite audio signal includes metadata that identifies the plurality of participants. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The computing system of claim 8 wherein the composite audio signal is broadcast to a plurality of broadcast recipients. ### Claim 11 (depends on 8) The computing system of claim 8 wherein the synchronous communication session is occurring within the social network. ### Claim 12 (depends on 8) The computing system of claim 8 wherein processing the plurality of sequential time slices to identify one or more copyright-infringing time slices includes: comparing identified copyrighted content to content included within the plurality of sequential time slices. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The computing system of claim 12 wherein the identified copyrighted content is defined within a copyrighted content database. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The computing system of claim 13 wherein the discrete audio signal of the copyright infringing participant includes identified copyrighted content defined within the copyrighted content database.