Media Content Matching and Indexing

Abstract

A method, system, or device determine when media content is to be displayed. The method can include receiving media content on a broadcast channel from a content feed. The method can also include receiving an identifier for upcoming media content from an automatic content recognition (ACR) system in response to a trigger event. The method can include receiving overlay content from an overlay content server. The method can include storing the overlay content at a memory device. The method can include determining a time that the media content is to be displayed using the identifier.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An automatic content recognition (ACR) method comprising:
 while an electronic device is presenting a sequence of media content determined by an ACR server to be a first channel of content, receiving by an ACR client of the electronic device, from the ACR server, reference fingerprints representing upcoming content of the first channel of content;   generating, by the ACR client, query fingerprints representing the sequence of media content that the electronic device is presenting;   determining, by the ACR client, that the received reference fingerprints no longer match the generated query fingerprints; and   responsive to the determining (i) sending by the ACR client to the ACR server new query fingerprints representing the media content that the electronic device is presenting, and (ii) receiving from the ACR server, in response to the sending, new reference fingerprints representing upcoming content of a second channel that the ACR determines, based on fingerprint matching using the new query fingerprints.   
     
     
         2 . The ACR method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 using, by the ACR client, the received new reference fingerprints as a basis to trigger a content-related action.   
     
     
         3 . The ACR method of  claim 2 , wherein using by the ACR client the received new reference fingerprints as a basis to trigger a content-related action comprises:
 using, by the ACR client, the received new reference fingerprints to determine upcoming media content that the electronic device is to display; and   responsive to determining the upcoming media content that the electronic device is to display, obtaining by the ACR client overlay content, and causing the superimposed overlay content to be superimposed on the media content being presented by the electronic device.   
     
     
         4 . The ACR method of  claim 3 , wherein the overlay content comprises interactive content defining a call to action. 
     
     
         5 . The ACR method of  claim 3 , further comprising buffering by the ACR client the obtained overlay content in memory hardware. 
     
     
         6 . The ACR method of  claim 2 , wherein using by the ACR client the received new reference fingerprints as a basis to trigger a content-related action comprises:
 using, by the ACR client, the received new reference fingerprints to determine upcoming media content that the electronic device is to display; and   responsive to determining the upcoming media content that the electronic device is to display, obtaining by the ACR client replacement content for the electronic device to present in place of a portion of the media content.   
     
     
         7 . The ACR method of  claim 2 , wherein using by the ACR client the received new reference fingerprints as a basis to trigger a content-related action comprises:
 using, by the ACR client, the received new reference fingerprints to determine upcoming media content that the electronic device is to display;   responsive to determining the upcoming media content that the electronic device is to display, causing a paired mobile device to present associated content.   
     
     
         8 . The ACR method of  claim 7 , wherein the associated content comprises a commercial. 
     
     
         9 . The ACR method of  claim 7 , wherein the determined upcoming media content is a commercial, and wherein the associated content is the same commercial. 
     
     
         10 . The ACR method of  claim 7 , wherein causing the mobile device to present the associated content comprises causing the mobile device to display the associated content on a user's social media feed. 
     
     
         11 . An automatic content recognition (ACR) system comprising:
 data processing hardware; and   memory hardware in communication with the data processing hardware, the memory hardware storing instructions that when executed on the data processing hardware cause the data processing hardware to perform operations including:
 while an electronic device is presenting a sequence of media content determined by an ACR server to be a first channel of content, receiving, from the ACR server, reference fingerprints representing upcoming content of the first channel of content, 
 generating query fingerprints representing the sequence of media content that the electronic device is presenting, 
 determining that the received reference fingerprints no longer match the generated query fingerprints, and 
 responsive to the determining (i) sending to the ACR server new query fingerprints representing the media content that the electronic device is presenting, and (ii) receiving from the ACR server, in response to the sending, new reference fingerprints representing upcoming content of a second channel that the ACR determines, based on fingerprint matching using the new query fingerprints. 
   
     
     
         12 . The ACR system of  claim 11 , wherein the operations additionally include:
 using the received new reference fingerprints as a basis to trigger a content-related action.   
     
     
         13 . The ACR system of  claim 12 , wherein using the received new reference fingerprints as a basis to trigger a content-related action comprises:
 using the received new reference fingerprints to determine upcoming media content that the electronic device is to display; and   responsive to determining the upcoming media content that the electronic device is to display, obtaining overlay content, and causing the superimposed overlay content to be superimposed on the media content being presented by the electronic device.   
     
     
         14 . The ACR system of  claim 13 , wherein the overlay content comprises interactive content defining a call to action. 
     
     
         15 . The ACR system of  claim 12 , wherein using the received new reference fingerprints as a basis to trigger a content-related action comprises:
 using the received new reference fingerprints to determine upcoming media content that the electronic device is to display; and   responsive to determining the upcoming media content that the electronic device is to display, obtaining replacement content for the electronic device to present in place of a portion of the media content.   
     
     
         16 . The ACR system of  claim 12 , wherein using the received new reference fingerprints as a basis to trigger a content-related action comprises:
 using the received new reference fingerprints to determine upcoming media content that the electronic device is to display;   responsive to determining the upcoming media content that the electronic device is to display, causing a paired mobile device to present associated content.   
     
     
         17 . The ACR system of  claim 16 , wherein the associated content comprises a commercial. 
     
     
         18 . The ACR system of  claim 16 , wherein the determined upcoming media content is a commercial, and wherein the associated content is the same commercial. 
     
     
         19 . The ACR system of  claim 16 , wherein causing the mobile device to present the associated content comprises causing the mobile device to display the associated content on a user's social media feed. 
     
     
         20 . A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having encoded thereon instructions executable by a computer to carry out operations including:
 while an electronic device is presenting a sequence of media content determined by an ACR server to be a first channel of content, receiving, from the ACR server, reference fingerprints representing upcoming content of the first channel of content;   generating query fingerprints representing the sequence of media content that the electronic device is presenting;   determining that the received reference fingerprints no longer match the generated query fingerprints; and   responsive to the determining (i) sending to the ACR server new query fingerprints representing the media content that the electronic device is presenting, and (ii) receiving from the ACR server, in response to the sending, new reference fingerprints representing upcoming content of a second channel that the ACR determines, based on fingerprint matching using the new query fingerprints.