Fingerprints and machine-readable codes combined with user characteristics to obtain content or information

Abstract

The present invention relates generally to processing audio and video data. One claim recites a method of accessing content stored in a remote database. The method includes: receiving video or audio data; decoding an auxiliary machine-readable code from the video or audio data; deriving a fingerprint, which fingerprint is separate from the machine-readable code, from the video or audio data itself; providing user characteristics or an index to user characteristics; and by using the machine-readable code, fingerprint and user characteristics or information obtained with the index to user characteristics, accessing the content stored in the remote database. Of course, additional combinations and claims are provided as well.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method comprising:
 receiving an identifier that is associated with a content item;   identifying a content type or location based at least in part on the identifier;   obtaining user characteristics that are associated with a user to whom media content is to be delivered to; and   based on the user characteristics and the content type or location, determining from a plurality of content which content is best suited for the user.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising providing determined content to the user. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the identifier comprises a first part that that was decoded from an auxiliary machine-readable code in the content item and a second part that was derived from the content item itself. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the identifier is steganographically embedded in the content item. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the identifier is a digital watermark. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the identifier is derived from the content item itself. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein user characteristics include access rights. 
     
     
         8 . A system comprising:
 a processor programmed with instructions configured to read a steganographically embedded identifier associated with a content item and to identify a content type or location based at least in part on the steganographically embedded identifier; and   a memory having user characteristics or an index to user characteristics stored therein; and   wherein the processor is further programmed with instructions configured to obtain user characteristics associated with a user to whom media content is to be delivered to and determine from a plurality of content which content is best suited for the user based on the user characteristics and the content type or location.   
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the steganographically embedded identifier comprises a first part that that was decoded from an auxiliary machine-readable code in the content item and a second part that was derived from the content item itself. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the steganographically embedded identifier is a digital watermark. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the steganographically embedded identifier is derived from the content item itself. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein user characteristics include access rights. 
     
     
         13 . A tangible computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon, the instructions comprising:
 instructions to identify a content type or location based at least in part on an identifier associated with a content item;   instructions to obtain user characteristics that are associated with a user to whom media content is to be delivered to; and   instructions to determine from a plurality of content which content is best suited for the user based on the user characteristics and the content type or location.   
     
     
         14 . The tangible computer-readable medium of  claim 13 , further comprising instructions to provide determined content to the user. 
     
     
         15 . The tangible computer-readable medium of  claim 13 , wherein the identifier comprises a first part that that was decoded from an auxiliary machine-readable code in the content item and a second part that was derived from the content item itself. 
     
     
         16 . The tangible computer-readable medium of  claim 13 , wherein the identifier is steganographically embedded in the content item. 
     
     
         17 . The tangible computer-readable medium of  claim 16 , wherein the identifier is a digital watermark. 
     
     
         18 . The tangible computer-readable medium of  claim 13 , wherein the identifier is derived from the content item itself. 
     
     
         19 . The tangible computer-readable medium of  claim 13 , wherein user characteristics include access rights. 
     
     
         20 . The tangible computer-readable medium of  claim 13 , wherein user characteristics include user preferences.