Program identification using a portable communication device

Abstract

According to one aspect, a portable communication device records a program being presented by a media presenting apparatus as media data, generates a query regarding a media channel and a program on that channel, which query includes said media data and sends said query to a system for determining a program on a media channel operated by a program determination service provider. The system receives the query, compares the query media data with data of a number of sets of reference media data related to at least one reception environment, where each set corresponds to a broadcast media channel, identifies the media channel, identifies a program in the media channel through using an electronic program guide, and sends data identifying the channel and the program to the portable communication device.

1 - 36 . (canceled) 
     
     
         37 . A device comprising:
 a processor to:
 receive a query from a portable communication device, the query including:
 media data obtained by the portable communication device, and 
 information identifying a time that the media data was obtained by the portable communication device; 
 
 identify, based on the media data, a particular media channel from which the media data was obtained by the portable communication device; 
 identify, based on the time that the media data was obtained by the portable communication device, a particular program broadcast via the particular media channel; and 
 send information identifying the particular media channel and information identifying the particular program to the portable communication device. 
   
     
     
         38 . The device of  claim 37 , where the processor is further to:
 generate a set of reference media data for the particular media channel; and   where, when identifying the particular media channel, the device is to:
 compare the media data included in the query to reference media data included in the set of reference media data, 
 determine that the media data included in the query matches one of the reference media data included in the set of reference media data, and 
 identify the particular media channel based on the media data included in the query matching the one of the media data included in the reference set of media data. 
   
     
     
         39 . The device of  claim 38 , where, when generating the set of reference media data, the processor is to:
 receive the particular media channel,   demodulate the particular media channel, and   generate the set of reference media data based on demodulating the particular media channel.   
     
     
         40 . The device of  claim 37 , where the media data includes video data; and
 where, when identifying the particular media channel, the processor is to:
 compare the video data to a reference set of media data. 
   
     
     
         41 . The device of  claim 37 , where the processor is further to:
 receive information identifying a favorite program of a user associated with the portable communication device;   determine that the particular program corresponds to the favorite program; and   send, to the portable communication device, information identifying a future broadcast of the particular program based on the particular program corresponding to the favorite program.   
     
     
         42 . The device of  claim 37 , where the processor is further to:
 receive recorded media data from the portable communication device,
 the recorded media data including audio data broadcast via a plurality of different media channels; and 
   determine, based on the audio data, a set of reference media channels included in a reception environment associated with a user of the portable communication device; and   where, when identifying the particular media channel, the processor is to:
 identify the particular media channel based on reference media data associated with the set of reference media channels. 
   
     
     
         43 . The device of  claim 42 , where, when determining the set of reference media channels, the processor is to:
 determine a location of the portable communication device, and   determine the set of reference media channels further based on the location of the portable communication device.   
     
     
         44 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions, the instructions comprising:
 one or more instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to:
 receive a query from a wireless communication device, the query including:
 media data recorded by the wireless communication device, and 
 information identifying a time that the media data was recorded by the wireless communication device; 
 
 identify, based on the media data, a particular media channel from which the media data was recorded by the wireless communication device; 
 identify, based on the time that the media data was recorded by the wireless communication device, a particular program broadcast via the particular media channel; and 
 send information identifying the particular media channel and information identifying the particular program to the wireless communication device. 
   
     
     
         45 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 44 , where the instructions further comprise:
 one or more instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:
 generate a set of reference media data for the particular media channel; and 
   where the one or more instructions to identify the particular media channel further cause the processor to:
 compare the media data included in the query to reference media data included in the set of reference media data, 
 determine that the media data included in the query matches one of the reference media data included in the set of reference media data, and 
 identify the particular media channel based on the media data included in the query matching the one of the media data included in the reference set of media data. 
   
     
     
         46 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 45 , where the one or more instructions to generate the set of reference media data further cause the processor to:
 receive the particular media channel,   demodulate the particular media channel, and   generate the set of reference media data based on demodulating the particular media channel.   
     
     
         47 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 44 , where the media data includes video data; and
 where the one or more instructions to identify the particular media channel further cause the processor to:
 compare the video data to a reference set of video data. 
   
     
     
         48 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 44 , where the instructions further comprise:
 one or more instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:
 receive information identifying a favorite program of a user associated with the wireless communication device;
 determine that the particular program corresponds to the favorite program; and 
 send, to the wireless communication device, information identifying a future broadcast of the particular program based on the particular program corresponding to the favorite program. 
 
   
     
     
         49 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 44 , where the instructions further comprise:
 one or more instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:
 receive recorded media data from the wireless communication device,
 the recorded media data including audio data broadcast via 
 
 a plurality of different media channels; and 
 determine, based on the audio data, a set of reference media channels included in a reception environment associated with a user of the wireless communication device; and 
   where the one or more instructions to identify the particular media channel further cause the processor to:
 identify the particular media channel based on reference media data associated with the set of reference media channels. 
   
     
     
         50 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 49 , where the one or more instructions to determine the set of reference media channels further cause the processor to:
 determine a location of the wireless communication device, and   determine the set of reference media channels further based on the location of the wireless communication device.   
     
     
         51 . A method comprising:
 receiving, by a device, a query from a portable communication device, the query including:
 media data obtained by the portable communication device, and 
 information identifying a time that the media data was obtained by the portable communication device; 
   identifying, by the device and based on the media data, a particular media channel from which the media data was obtained by the portable communication device;   identifying, by the device and based on the time that the media data was obtained by the portable communication device, a particular program broadcast via the particular media channel; and   sending, by the device, information identifying the particular media channel and information identifying the particular program to the portable communication device.   
     
     
         52 . The method of  claim 51 , further comprising:
 generating a set of reference media data for the particular media channel; and   where identifying the particular media channel includes:
 comparing the media data included in the query to reference media data included in the set of reference media data, 
 determining that the media data included in the query matches one of the reference media data included in the set of reference media data, and 
 identifying the particular media channel based on the media data included in the query matching the one of the media data included in the reference set of media data. 
   
     
     
         53 . The method of  claim 51 , where the media data includes video data;
 where identifying the particular media channel includes:
 comparing the video data to a reference set of media data. 
   
     
     
         54 . The method of  claim 51 , further comprising:
 receiving information identifying a favorite program of a user associated with the portable communication device;   determining that the particular program corresponds to the favorite program; and   sending, to the portable communication device, information identifying a future broadcast of the particular program based on the particular program corresponding to the favorite program.   
     
     
         55 . The method of  claim 51 , further comprising:
 receiving recorded media data from the portable communication device,
 the recorded media data including audio data broadcast via a plurality of different media channels; and 
   determining, based on the audio data, a set of reference media channels included in a reception environment associated with a user of the portable communication device; and   where identifying the particular media channel includes:
 identifying the particular media channel based on reference media data associated with the set of reference media channels. 
   
     
     
         56 . The method of  claim 55 , where determining the set of reference media channels includes:
 determining a location of the portable communication device, and   determining the set of reference media channels further based on the location of the portable communication device.