Content Interaction Methods and Systems Employing Portable Devices

Abstract

A portable device, such as a cell phone, is used to “forage” media content from a user's environment. For example, it may listen to a television viewed by a traveler in an airport lounge. By reference to digital watermark or fingerprint data extracted from the content, the device can identify the television program, and enable a variety of actions. For example, the device may instruct a DVR to record the remainder of the television program—or add the program to the traveler's viewing queue (e.g., at Netflix). The device may also identify content that preceded (or follows) the foraged content. Thus, a user who tunes-in just at the end of an exciting sporting event can capture one of the following commercials, identify the preceding program, and download same for later viewing. A great variety of other functions and arrangements are also detailed.

1 - 32 . (canceled) 
     
     
         33 . A method comprising:
 receiving, from a portable device, first data corresponding to a foraged excerpt of a soundtrack of a first item of entertainment content, said first item of entertainment content having been distributed by a first party, said foraged excerpt being less than 20 seconds in length;   initiating a query of a first database to determine content identification information corresponding to said received first data, the content identification information identifying a second item of entertainment content, the second item of entertainment content comprising audio-visual content having a length greater than 20 seconds;   sending, to said portable device, information about said second item of entertainment content; and   initiating a query of a second database to determine whether said second item of entertainment content is available for delivery from a video provider, said video provider being different than said first party.   
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 33  in which the first item of entertainment content comprises a promotion for the second item of entertainment content, the first item of entertainment content being different than the second item of entertainment content. 
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 33  in which the first item of entertainment content is audio only, and the second item of entertainment content comprises both audio and video. 
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 33  in which the first and second items of content comprise the same content. 
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 33  that further includes providing information to the portable device based on a result of said query of the second database. 
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 33  in which the first data received from the portable device comprises audio fingerprint data produced by said portable device from audio data corresponding to said foraged excerpt. 
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 33  in which the first data received from the portable device comprises payload data decoded by said portable device from a digital watermark earlier embedded in said first item of content. 
     
     
         40 . The method of  claim 33  that further includes transmitting information identifying said second item of entertainment content to said video provider for adding to a user-associated queue of content maintained by said video provider. 
     
     
         41 . A method comprising:
 providing, to a processor, audio data corresponding to a foraged excerpt of a soundtrack of first entertainment content, said first entertainment content having been distributed by a first party, said foraged excerpt being less than 20 seconds in length, said foraged excerpt having been captured by a microphone in a user's portable device;   obtaining, from said processor, first data derived from said audio data;   obtaining content identification information corresponding to said first data, the content identification information identifying a second item of entertainment content having a length greater than 20 seconds;   presenting, on a screen of the portable device, information about said second item of entertainment content; and   initiating a database query to determine whether said second item of entertainment content is available for delivery from a video provider, said video provider being different than said first party.   
     
     
         42 . The method of  claim 41  in which the first item of entertainment content comprises a promotion for the second item of entertainment content, the first item being different than the second item. 
     
     
         43 . The method of  claim 41  in which the first item of entertainment content is audio only, and the second item of entertainment content comprises both audio and video. 
     
     
         44 . The method of  claim 41  that further includes providing information to the portable device based on a result of said query of the second database. 
     
     
         45 . The method of  claim 41  in which the first data comprises audio fingerprint data produced by said p device from audio data corresponding to said foraged excerpt. 
     
     
         46 . The method of  claim 45  that additionally comprises deriving the audio fingerprint data from the audio data using said processor. 
     
     
         47 . The method of  claim 41  in which the first data comprises payload data decoded by said portable device from a digital watermark earlier embedded in said first item of content. 
     
     
         48 . The method of  claim 47  that additionally comprises decoding the payload data from the audio data using said processor. 
     
     
         49 . The method of  claim 41  that further includes transmitting information identifying said second item of entertainment content to said video provider for adding to a user-associated queue of content maintained by said video provider. 
     
     
         50 . The method of  claim 41  that further includes receiving said second item of entertainment content from said video provider. 
     
     
         51 . The method of  claim 50  that includes receiving said item of audio-visual content from said video provider on a physical disc. 
     
     
         52 . The method of  claim 41  that further includes transmitting the first data to a remote system, and obtaining said content identification information as a consequence of a database operation at said remote system. 
     
     
         53 . The method of  claim 41  in which said obtaining content identification information comprises receiving said content identification information from a remote system. 
     
     
         54 . A non-transitory computer readable medium having instructions stored therein that cause a computer device programmed by said instructions to perform a method that includes:
 providing, to a processor, audio data corresponding to a foraged excerpt of a soundtrack of first entertainment content, said first entertainment content having been distributed by a first party, said foraged excerpt being less than 20 seconds in length, said foraged excerpt having been captured by a microphone in said device;   obtaining, from said processor, first data derived from said audio data;   obtaining content identification information corresponding to said first data, the content identification information identifying a second item of entertainment content having a length greater than 20 seconds;   presenting, on a screen of said device, information about said second item of entertainment content; and   initiating a database query to determine whether said second item of entertainment content is available for delivery from a video provider, said video provider being different than said first party.   
     
     
         55 . A portable computer device including the computer readable medium of  claim 54 , a processor, and a screen, the instructions in said computer readable medium serving to configure said processor to perform said method.