Apparatus, system, and method for digital audio services

Abstract

A system and method for providing digital audio services is described. One embodiment is a method for proving digital audio services, comprising receiving, using a communications interface, an audio stream from a content provider; determining a timestamp for a first audio stream segment; determining a timestamp for a second audio stream segment; updating playlist with a representation of the audio stream; receiving query for content information; and sending offer information, in response to receiving the query for content information.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for proving digital audio services, comprising:
 receiving, using a communications interface, an audio stream from a content provider;   determining a timestamp for a first audio stream segment;   determining a timestamp for a second audio stream segment;   updating playlist with a representation of the audio stream;   receiving query for content information;   sending offer information, in response to receiving the query for content information.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first and second audio stream segments are advertisements. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the determining a timestamp for the first audio stream segment comprises sampling audio stream at regular intervals. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the regular interval is more than 5 seconds. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the regular interval is less than or equal to 30 seconds. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 sampling the audio stream at a first data rate;   querying a database for selectable sample segments; the selectable sample segments conforming to the first data rate and a second data rate.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the updating the playlist comprises:
 creating a fingerprint of one of the first and second audio stream segments; and   updating the playlist with the fingerprint.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the updating the playlist with the fingerprint is in response to a determination that the fingerprint representing the same audio stream segment is not in the playlist 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the creating the fingerprint comprises:
 creating spectrograph data from the audio stream;   filtering out, from the spectrograph data, data representing frequencies not within a predetermined minimum and predetermined maximum range; and   scaling the spectrograph data to a predetermined decibel range.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the sending offer information comprises:
 generating a chit, the chit including information selected from the group consisting of vendor information, unique receipt information, and offer information.   
     
     
         11 . A computer-readable storage medium containing a plurality of program instructions executable by a processor for providing digital audio services, comprising:
 an instruction segment for receiving, using a communications interface, an audio stream from a content provider;   an instruction segment for determining a timestamp for a first audio stream segment;   an instruction segment for determining a timestamp for a second audio stream segment;   an instruction segment for updating playlist with a representation of the audio stream;   an instruction segment for receiving query for content information;   an instruction segment for sending offer information, in response to receiving the query for content information.   
     
     
         12 . The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 11 , wherein the first and second audio stream segments are advertisements. 
     
     
         13 . The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 11 , wherein the instruction segment for determining a timestamp for the first audio stream segment comprises instructions for sampling audio stream at regular intervals. 
     
     
         14 . The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 13 , wherein the regular interval is more than 5 seconds. 
     
     
         15 . The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 13 , wherein the regular interval is less than or equal to 30 seconds. 
     
     
         16 . The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 11 , wherein the plurality of program instructions executable by a processor further comprise:
 an instruction segment for sampling the audio stream at a first data rate;   an instruction segment for querying a database for selectable sample segments; the selectable sample segments conforming to the first data rate and a second data rate.   
     
     
         17 . The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 11 , wherein the instruction segment for updating the playlist comprises:
 an instruction segment for creating a fingerprint of one of the first and second audio stream segments; and   an instruction segment for updating the playlist with the fingerprint.   
     
     
         18 . The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 17 , wherein the instruction instructions for updating the playlist with the fingerprint is in response to a determination that the fingerprint representing the same audio stream segment is not in the playlist 
     
     
         19 . The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 17 , wherein the instructions for creating the fingerprint comprises:
 instructions for creating spectrograph data from the audio stream;   instructions for filtering out, from the spectrograph data, data representing frequencies not within a predetermined minimum and predetermined maximum range; and   instructions for scaling the spectrograph data to a predetermined decibel range.   
     
     
         20 . The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 11 , wherein the instruction set for sending offer information comprises:
 instructions for generating a chit, the chit including information selected from the group consisting of vendor information, unique receipt information, and offer information.