Layered abstraction systems and methods for persistent content identity

Abstract

This disclosure generally relates to methods and systems for associating and identifying content, including both physical and electronic objects, with metadata through networks. The disclosure also generally relates to routing systems for handling requests including content identifiers. One combination includes a system comprising: an external interface including: i) a content interface for receiving a content signal and a request to provide metadata associated with the content signal, and ii) a metadata interface for providing metadata associated with the content signal, in which the metadata interface includes a variable metadata interface allowing variable types of metadata to be communicated to a requesting application through the metadata interface; and an internal interface including an identity provider interface for integrating an identity provider driver into the metadata client, the identity provider driver operable to compute a content identifier from the content signal and operable to provide the content identifier to the metadata client; means for invoking the identity provider driver through the internal interface to request the content identifier, in which metadata associated with the content signal is identified with the content identifier and provided through the metadata interface. Of course, other combinations are provided as well.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system comprising:
 an interface to receive a media content signal;   electronic memory for storing the media content signal;   means for computing a content identifier from the media content signal, in which the content identifier is computed from the media content signal using a persistent content identification technology obtained from a first technology provider;   means for forwarding the content identifier to the first technology provider;   means for receiving metadata from the first technology provider that enables an identity provider—which is different than the first technology provider—to provide metadata about the media content signal that is used to identify the media signal;   means for forming a layered content identifier, the layered content identifier including the content identifier, an identity provider identifier and a metadata claim;   means for issuing a resolution request to a routing service to obtain metadata associated with the layered content identifier, the routing service interpreting the layered content identifier by forwarding the metadata claim to an identity provider identified by the identity provider identifier; and   means for receiving the metadata associated with the layered content identifier, in which the metadata is received in response to the resolution request.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the metadata claim comprises a pointer to metadata. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the metadata claim includes an access control flag. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the metadata claim includes a ratings flag. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the content identifier is decoded from digital watermarking hidden in the media content signal. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the routing service is accessed over a wireless network. 
     
     
         7 . A system comprising:
 an interface to receive a layered content identifier, the layered content identifier including a content identifier, an identity provider identifier and a metadata claim, wherein the content identifier is computed from a media content signal;   memory for storing the layered content identifier;   means for parsing the layered content identifier to obtain the identity provider identifier;   means for issuing a request, including the metadata claim, to an identity provider associated with the identity provider identifier; and   means for receiving metadata associated with the content identifier from the identity provider in accordance with business rules, the business rules associated with the layered content identifier or with the identity provider; and   means for associating an identity provider identifier with the identity provider, in response to a request to enroll an identity provider.   
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 7  wherein the layered content identifier is received from a requesting metadata client, in which system further comprises means for providing the metadata to the requesting metadata client. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 7  wherein the content identifier is computed from perceptible attributes of the media signal. 
     
     
         10 . A system comprising:
 an external interface including: i) a content interface for receiving a content signal and a request to provide metadata associated with the content signal, and ii) a metadata interface for providing metadata associated with the content signal, in which the metadata interface includes a variable metadata interface allowing variable types of metadata to be communicated to a requesting application through the metadata interface; and   an internal interface including an identity provider interface for integrating an identity provider driver into the metadata client, the identity provider driver operable to compute a content identifier from the content signal and operable to provide the content identifier to the metadata client;   means for invoking the identity provider driver through the internal interface to request the content identifier, in which metadata associated with the content signal is identified with the content identifier and provided through the metadata interface.   
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 10  including a communication interface that provides a programmatic interface for communicating the content identifier to a content resolution service and receiving metadata in response, said system operable to provide the received response metadata to a requesting application through the metadata interface. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 10  wherein the variable metadata interface provides an XML representation of variable metadata. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 10  wherein the content interface comprises a file based interface for receiving the content signal in a file format. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 10  wherein the content interface comprises a streaming interface for receiving the content signal in a streaming format. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 10  wherein the identity provider interface enables an identity provider driver to be linked into the metadata client at run time. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 10  wherein the identity provider interface enables different identity provider drivers to be linked into the metadata client. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 16  wherein the different identity provider drivers include a digital watermark detector. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 16  wherein the different identity provider drivers include a content fingerprint calculator. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 16  wherein the different identity provider drivers include a digital watermark detector and a content fingerprint calculator.