Broadcast positioning systems supporting location services through over-the-air broadcast television (TV) signals are disclosed. The broadcast positioning system supports a broadcast TV signal format that includes a transmission time of the broadcast TV. The transmission time of the broadcast TV signal is used by a TV signal receiver to determine the propagation delay of the broadcast TV signal between the TV signal transmitter and the TV signal receiver. The TV signal receiver is also configured to receive multiple broadcast TV signals from multiple TV broadcasters, wherein the same delay of arrival for those broadcast TV signals can be determined. In this manner, the TV signal receiver can use the determined multiple delays of arrival from the multiple received broadcast TV signals as time-of-arrival (TOA) and the known locations of the antenna radiating these multiple broadcast TV signals to perform a trilateration or multilateration calculation to determine its position.

Methods, apparatus, and systems are disclosed for synchronizing streaming media content. An example apparatus includes a storage device, and a processor to execute instructions to identify a first source streaming broadcast media to a first computing device based on an audio fingerprint of audio associated with the broadcast media, identify sources broadcasting the broadcast media streaming to the first computing device, the sources available to a second computing device including the processor, select a second source of the identified sources for streaming the broadcast media to the second computing device, the second source different than the first source, detect termination of the streaming of the broadcast media on the first computing device, the termination corresponding to a termination time of the broadcast media, and automatically start, by using the selected second source, streaming of the broadcast media to the second computing device at the termination time.

Methods, apparatus, and systems are disclosed for synchronizing streaming media content. An example apparatus includes a storage device, and a processor to execute instructions to identify a first source streaming broadcast media to a first computing device based on an audio fingerprint of audio associated with the broadcast media, identify sources broadcasting the broadcast media streaming to the first computing device, the sources available to a second computing device including the processor, select a second source of the identified sources for streaming the broadcast media to the second computing device, the second source different than the first source, detect termination of the streaming of the broadcast media on the first computing device, the termination corresponding to a termination time of the broadcast media, and automatically start, by using the selected second source, streaming of the broadcast media to the second computing device at the termination time.

An example apparatus includes a first query processor to obtain a first hash key, first qualifier data and first value data associated with the first hash key, the first value data including a second hash key and a third hash key; a candidate qualifier to use the first value data to prequalify the first hash key as a candidate for subsequent signature processing associated with a first site signature, the candidate qualifier to: determine prequalification of the first hash key is successful in response to a determination that the second hash key matches a second site signature preceding the first site signature in time and that the third hash key matches a third site signature following the first site signature in time; and determine the prequalification of the first hash key is unsuccessful in response to a determination that at least one of the second hash key fails to match the second site signature or the third hash key fails to match the third site signature.

Methods, apparatus, systems and articles of manufacture are disclosed selectively generating and storing hashed reference signatures. An example method disclosed herein determining whether watermark coverage of a first media segment satisfies a dropout constraint, the first media segment corresponding to a first monitoring time interval of a media source feed and, when the watermark coverage of the first media segment does not satisfy the dropout constraint hashing first media signatures associated with the first media segment to generate corresponding first hashed signatures and generating first reference data for the first media segment, the first reference data including the first hashed signatures and the first media signatures. The example method further includes, when the watermark coverage of the first media segment satisfies the dropout constraint, generating second reference data for the first media segment, the second reference data including the first media signatures.

Methods, apparatus, systems and articles of manufacture are disclosed selectively generating and storing hashed reference signatures. An example method disclosed herein determining whether watermark coverage of a first media segment satisfies a dropout constraint, the first media segment corresponding to a first monitoring time interval of a media source feed and, when the watermark coverage of the first media segment does not satisfy the dropout constraint hashing first media signatures associated with the first media segment to generate corresponding first hashed signatures and generating first reference data for the first media segment, the first reference data including the first hashed signatures and the first media signatures. The example method further includes, when the watermark coverage of the first media segment satisfies the dropout constraint, generating second reference data for the first media segment, the second reference data including the first media signatures.

Broadcast positioning systems supporting location services through over-the-air broadcast television (TV) signals are disclosed. The broadcast positioning system supports a broadcast TV signal format that includes a transmission time of the broadcast TV. The transmission time of the broadcast TV signal is used by a TV signal receiver to determine the propagation delay of the broadcast TV signal between the TV signal transmitter and the TV signal receiver. The TV signal receiver is also configured to receive multiple broadcast TV signals from multiple TV broadcasters, wherein the same delay of arrival for those broadcast TV signals can be determined. In this manner, the TV signal receiver can use the determined multiple delays of arrival from the multiple received broadcast TV signals as time-of-arrival (TOA) and the known locations of the antenna radiating these multiple broadcast TV signals to perform a trilateration or multilateration calculation to determine its position.

Methods, apparatus, and systems are disclosed for synchronizing streaming media content. An example apparatus includes a storage device, and a processor to execute instructions to identify a first source streaming broadcast media to a first computing device based on an audio fingerprint of audio associated with the broadcast media, identify sources broadcasting the broadcast media streaming to the first computing device, the sources available to a second computing device including the processor, select a second source of the identified sources for streaming the broadcast media to the second computing device, the second source different than the first source, detect termination of the streaming of the broadcast media on the first computing device, the termination corresponding to a termination time of the broadcast media, and automatically start, by using the selected second source, streaming of the broadcast media to the second computing device at the termination time.

Methods, apparatus, and systems are disclosed for synchronizing streaming media content. An example apparatus includes a storage device, and a processor to execute instructions to identify a first source streaming broadcast media to a first computing device based on an audio fingerprint of audio associated with the broadcast media, identify sources broadcasting the broadcast media streaming to the first computing device, the sources available to a second computing device including the processor, select a second source of the identified sources for streaming the broadcast media to the second computing device, the second source different than the first source, detect termination of the streaming of the broadcast media on the first computing device, the termination corresponding to a termination time of the broadcast media, and automatically start, by using the selected second source, streaming of the broadcast media to the second computing device at the termination time.

The present disclosure provides a data transmission method of a system in an IP based broadcasting network, the data transmission method comprising the steps of: generating an MPEG media transport protocol (MMTP) packet using a media processing unit (MPU) for a service; generating an IP packet using the MMTP packet; generating a layer 2 (L2) packet using the IP packet and generating a layer 1 (L1) packet stream using the L2 packet; and transmitting the L1 packet stream, wherein absolute time information of the system is included in one of a transmission frame of the L1 packet stream and the L2 packet.