Electronic data encoding and recognition system

Claim 3

The method defined in claim 1 where each said group comprises a rectangular array of 16 by 16 digital words.

Claim 4

The method defined in claim 2 wherein there are 64 of said groups of digital words called super pixels and the comparisons of one group with another group produce 32 bits which comprise the relative luminance and geometric features represented by the signature of the frame, and said resulting signature being tolerant of signal transmission and reception quality variations.

Claim 6

The method defined in claim 3 or 4 wherein said 64 groups of digital words are arranged in rows and columns with uniform spacing between them to provide maximum entropy.

Claim 10

The method defined in claim 7 wherein a first signature is compared with a second signature by the digital bits of one being compared with the digital bits of the other to determine the number of digital bits which do not match.

Claim 11

The method defined in claim 8 wherein each signature comprises 32 bits and the signatures are compared 8 bit segments at a time from each, each comparison of 8 bits producing a number of bits which are different and the comparison of all 8 bit segments of said signatures producing a total number of bits which are different, the two signatures matching when the total number of different bits is equal to or less than a predetermined number.

Claim 12

Apparatus for continuous pattern recognition of broadcast video segments comprising: first means for digitally parametizing all of the pixels in all of the frames of video segments to be recognized to form multi-­bit digital signatures therefrom related to the luminance of each pixel in a frame in accordance with a set of predetermined rules; memory means coupled to said first means for storing said signatures as a database, there being groups of stored signatures for each segment to be recognized; means for monitoring a braodcast video transmission; means for receiving said broadcast video transmission and digitally parametizing all of the pixels in all of the frames of said video transmission to form a multi-bit digital test signature from each frame of said broadcast signal in accordance with said set of predetermined rules; and means for coupling said test signatures to said database and comparing each of said test signatures separately with every signature in all of the groups of signatures in said database whereby a match of a test signature and a stored signature occurs if the number of digital bits matched is equal to or greater than a predetermined number.

Claim 13

Apparatus for continuous pattern recognition of broadcast video segments comprising: first means for digitally parametizing all of the pixels in all of the frames of video segments to be recognized to form multi-­bit digital signatures therefrom related to the luminance of each pixel in a frame in accordance with a set of predetermined rules; memory means coupled to said first means for storing said signatures as a database, there being groups of stored signatures for each segment to be recognized; means for monitoring a braodcast video transmission; means for receiving said broadcast video transmission and digitally parametizing all of the pixels in all of the frames of said video transmission to form a multi-bit digital test signature from each frame of said broadcast signal in accordance with said set of predetermined rules; and means for coupling said test signatures to said database and comparing each of said test signatures separately with every signature in all of the groups of signatures in said database whereby a match of a test signature and a stored signature occurs if the number of digital bits matched is equal to or greater than a predetermined number.

Claim 14

The apparatus defined in claim 10 wherein a match of a broadcast segment with a stored segment occurs when the number of signatures in a group in the database which are matched by test signatures from a broadcast signal is equal to or greater than a predetermined number.

Claim 15

The apparatus defined in claim 10 or 11 wherein said means for comparing comprises a first storage means for holding a stored signature and a second storage means for holding a test signature; an Exclusive-OR gate means coupled to said first and second storage means for detecting the number of digital bits of said signatures which do not match; and means coupled to said OR gate means for recognizing whether said number of bits is equal to or less than a predetermined number to represent a match between said signatures.

Claim 16

The apparatus defined in claim 12 wherein said last named means includes adding means for adding the number of digital bits which do not match and providing an output signal to indicate a match of signatures.

Claim 17

The apparatus defined in claim 13 wherein said output signal is coupled to scorecard means for keeping track of stored signatures which are matched and steering the test procedure through said database from signature to signature.

Claim 20

The method defined in claim 15 wherein the pairs of groups which are compared are relatively remote from each other and having different characteristic values.

Claim 21

The method defined in claim 15 or 16 and including the step of providing an average value for each group of digital words before said comparisons are made.

Claim 22

Apparatus for recognition and identification of segments of TV transmissions comprising: first means for receiving a plurality of segments of TV trans­missions and forming multi-bit digital signatures from each frame of each segment thereof and selecting a group of signatures for each said segment; a memory in which all of said groups of signatures are stored as a database; second means for receiving real time TV transmissions which may contain one or more of said segments and forming multi-bit digital test signatures from each frame thereof; an address generator coupled to said memory database for addressing each group of signatures therein sequentially and for addressing each signature in each group sequentially; third means known as a bit difference counter including: a first holding register having an input and an output, its input being coupled to said database and adapted to receive stored signatures therefrom one at a time; a second holding register having an input and an output, its input being coupled to said source of test signatures, to receive test signatures therefrom; the outputs of said first and second holding registers being coupled to fourth means for comparing a database signature with a test signature to determine the number of digital bits in each which match and thereby to determine database and test signatures which match; and fifth means coupled to the output of said third means for registering the number of test signatures which match signatures in a group of database signatures, the match of a predeter­mined number of test signatures with signatures in a group in said database signifying the mach of a stored TV transmission with a real time TV transmission.

Claim 23

Apparatus for recognition and identification of segments of TV transmissions comprising: first means for receiving a plurality of segments of TV trans­missions and forming multi-bit digital signatures from each frame of each segment thereof and selecting a group of signatures for each said segment; a memory in which all of said groups of signatures are stored as a database; second means for receiving real time TV transmissions which may contain one or more of said segments and forming multi-bit digital test signatures from each frame thereof; an address generator coupled to said memory database for addressing each group of signatures therein sequentially and for addressing each signature in each group sequentially; third means known as a bit difference counter including: a first holding register having an input and an output, its input being coupled to said database and adapted to receive stored signatures therefrom one at a time; a second holding register having an input and an output, its input being coupled to said source of test signatures, to receive test signatures therefrom; the outputs of said first and second holding registers being coupled to fourth means for comparing a database signature with a test signature to determine the number of digital bits in each which match and thereby to determine database and test signatures which match; and fifth means coupled to the output of said third means for registering the number of test signatures which match signatures in a group of database signatures, the match of a predeter­mined number of test signatures with signatures in a group in said database signifying the mach of a stored TV transmission with a real time TV transmission.

Claim 24

The apparatus defined in claim 18 wherein said address generator is adapted to address sequentially first the first signature in each group of signatures and then the second signature in each group of signatures and then the third signature in each group of signatures and so on until all of the signatures in the database have been compared with a test signature.

Claim 25

The apparatus defined in claim 18 or 19 wherein said address generator includes a first counter coupled to said address generator for selecting a group of commercials to be compared with a test signature and second counter coupled to said database for selecting a particular signature in a group of signatures, and sequencing means, called a scorecard circuit, coupled to said address generator for cycling the comparing of a test signature with each of the signatures in said database and each of the groups of commercials.

Claim 26

The apparatus defined in claim 20 wherein said sequencing means cycles said address generator through said groups of signatures sequentially and sequentially through the signatures in each group.

Claim 28

The apparatus defined in claim 22 wherein said first and second storage means receive equal portions of said storage and test signatures at a time and the number of bits are added to provide a total number as said portions are processed.

Claim 29

The circuit defined in any of claims 18 to 23 wherein said scorecard circuit includes a first memory having a portion for each group of signatures in said database memory; a second memory including means for keeping track of signature matches; and a control circuit for receiving a match signal from said bit difference accumulator and coupled to said second memory; said first and second memory being coupled to said address generator to take part in causing the cycling through said signatures in said database memory.

Claim 30

The apparatus defined in claim 24 wherein said second memory includes means for providing an output signal when a test segment matches a group of signatures in said database memory.

Claim 31

The apparatus defined in claim 25 and including a host computer which receives said output signals and provides identification of the matched group of signatures.