Method and System for Identification of Distributed Broadcast Content

Abstract

A method and system of performing high-throughput identifications of broadcast content is provided. A device can send a content identification query, which includes a sample of content being broadcast, to a server to request an identity of the content. The server will perform a computational identification of the content, return the result to the device, and store the result. For all subsequently received content identification queries requesting an identity of content being broadcast from the same source and in a time during which the content is still being broadcast from the source, the server will send the stored content identification in response to the subsequent queries. If a subsequent content identification query does not request the identity of content being broadcast from the same source or is not received during the time that the content is still being broadcast, the server will perform a computational identification of a content sample.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for identifying content in a data stream, comprising:
 receiving a continuous data stream from a broadcast source at a client device;   the client device, querying a request server to receive content identifications of content within the data stream; and   receiving, at the client device, updated metadata including information with respect to the content identifications of content within the data stream for a time during which the client device is tuned to the broadcast source.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein receiving the continuous data stream from the broadcast source at the client device comprises recording the continuous data stream at the client device using a microphone. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein querying the request server to receive content identifications of content within the data stream comprises:
 the client device sending a sample of the continuous data stream to the request server.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein querying the request server to receive content identifications of content within the data stream comprises:
 the client device creating fingerprints of the content; and   sending the fingerprints of the content to the request server.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein querying the request server to receive content identifications of content within the data stream comprises:
 the client device sending a sample of the continuous data stream, broadcast source information, and a location of the client device to the request server.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein querying the request server to receive content identifications of content within the data stream comprises:
 the client device sending a timestamp along with the query.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein receiving the updated metadata comprises:
 receiving a song title, an artist name, and a time remaining for the song.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising receiving, at the client device, the updated metadata as long as the client device continues to indicate that the client device is tuned to the broadcast source. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising receiving subsequent updated metadata without the client device sending subsequent queries to the request server. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 using a location of the client device to validate an identity of the broadcast source.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 displaying on the client device the updated metadata.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 the client device continually receiving new metadata with new information pertaining to a current song being broadcast from the broadcast source.   
     
     
         13 . A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored therein instructions, that when executed by a computing device, cause the computing device to perform functions comprising:
 receiving a continuous data stream from a broadcast source at the computing device;   querying a request server to receive content identifications of content within the data stream; and   receiving updated metadata including information with respect to the content identifications of content within the data stream for a time during which the client device is tuned to the broadcast source.   
     
     
         14 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 13 , further comprising receiving the updated metadata as long as the client device continues to indicate that the computing device is tuned to the broadcast source. 
     
     
         15 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 13 , further comprising receiving subsequent updated metadata without the computing device sending subsequent queries to the request server. 
     
     
         16 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 13 , further comprising:
 continually receiving new metadata with new information pertaining to a current song being broadcast from the broadcast source.   
     
     
         17 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 13 , wherein querying the request server to receive content identifications of content within the data stream comprises:
 creating fingerprints of the content; and   sending the fingerprints of the content to the request server.   
     
     
         18 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 13 , wherein receiving the updated metadata comprises:
 receiving a song title, an artist name, and a time remaining for the song.   
     
     
         19 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 13 , further comprising:
 using a location of the client device to validate an identity of the broadcast source.   
     
     
         20 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 13 , further comprising:
 displaying on the computing device the updated metadata.