Apparatus, systems, articles of manufacture, and methods to identify and credit media using ratios of media characteristics are disclosed herein. Example apparatus to identify media include at least one memory, instructions, and at least one processor to execute the instructions to: determine a first ratio based on a first time interval and a second time interval of a monitored media signal; determine a second ratio based on the second time interval and a third time interval of the monitored media signal; generate a first ratio signature based on the first and second ratios; and initiate transmission of the first ratio signature to a recipient that is to compare the first signature with a second ratio signature to identify the media.

Apparatus, systems, articles of manufacture, and methods to identify and credit media using ratios of media characteristics are disclosed herein. Example apparatus to identify media include at least one memory, instructions, and at least one processor to execute the instructions to: determine a first ratio based on a first time interval and a second time interval of a monitored media signal; determine a second ratio based on the second time interval and a third time interval of the monitored media signal; generate a first ratio signature based on the first and second ratios; and initiate transmission of the first ratio signature to a recipient that is to compare the first signature with a second ratio signature to identify the media.

Apparatus, systems, articles of manufacture, and methods to identify and credit media using ratios of media characteristics are disclosed herein. Example apparatus to identify media include at least one memory, instructions, and at least one processor to execute the instructions to: determine a first ratio based on a first time interval and a second time interval of a monitored media signal; determine a second ratio based on the second time interval and a third time interval of the monitored media signal; generate a first ratio signature based on the first and second ratios; and initiate transmission of the first ratio signature to a recipient that is to compare the first signature with a second ratio signature to identify the media.

Apparatus, systems, articles of manufacture, and methods to identify and credit media using ratios of media characteristics are disclosed herein. Example apparatus to identify media include at least one memory, instructions, and at least one processor to execute the instructions to: determine a first ratio based on a first time interval and a second time interval of a monitored media signal; determine a second ratio based on the second time interval and a third time interval of the monitored media signal; generate a first ratio signature based on the first and second ratios; and initiate transmission of the first ratio signature to a recipient that is to compare the first signature with a second ratio signature to identify the media.

There is provided a method for searching a plurality of information sources using a multimedia element, the method may include receiving at least one multimedia element; generating, by a signature generator, for the at least one multimedia element at least one signature that is unidirectional, and yields compression; generating at least one textual search query using the at least one signature; wherein the generating of the textual search query comprises: (a) searching for at least one matching stored signature that matches one or more of the at least one signature; and (b) using a mapping between stored signatures and textual search queries, selecting at least one textual search query mapped to at least one matching stored signature; searching the plurality of information sources using the at least one textual search query; and causing a display of search results retrieved from the plurality of information sources.

There is provided a method for searching a plurality of information sources using a multimedia element, the method may include receiving at least one multimedia element; generating, by a signature generator, for the at least one multimedia element at least one signature that is unidirectional, and yields compression; generating at least one textual search query using the at least one signature; wherein the generating of the textual search query comprises: (a) searching for at least one matching stored signature that matches one or more of the at least one signature; and (b) using a mapping between stored signatures and textual search queries, selecting at least one textual search query mapped to at least one matching stored signature; searching the plurality of information sources using the at least one textual search query; and causing a display of search results retrieved from the plurality of information sources.

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.

A computing system compares various reference fingerprints each representing a reference media stream broadcast on a different respective known channel, and the computing system determines that a plurality of the reference fingerprints match each other, thus defining a multi-match group of the matching reference fingerprints. In response, the computing system identifies a fingerprint feature that could define a distinction between the reference fingerprints, and the computing system resolves the multi-match based on the identified feature, thereby determining the channel carrying the media stream being rendered by the media presentation device. And the computing system could then take channel-specific action based on the determined channel.

Example local devices disclosed herein include memory including a set of reference fingerprints corresponding to media, the set of reference fingerprints from a remote device different from the local device and one or more processor circuits to execute machine readable instructions to generate a monitored fingerprint of the media presented at a location and compare the monitored fingerprint to at least some of the set of reference fingerprints from the remote device. Additionally, the one or more processor circuits are to determine an amount of time that has passed since the media started and after a match between the monitored fingerprint and one or more reference fingerprints of the set of reference fingerprints, cause transmission of audience measurement information to identify the media, the audience measurement information including data indicative of the amount of time that has passed since the media started.

Example local devices disclosed herein include memory including a set of reference fingerprints corresponding to media, the set of reference fingerprints from a remote device different from the local device and one or more processor circuits to execute machine readable instructions to generate a monitored fingerprint of the media presented at a location and compare the monitored fingerprint to at least some of the set of reference fingerprints from the remote device. Additionally, the one or more processor circuits are to determine an amount of time that has passed since the media started and after a match between the monitored fingerprint and one or more reference fingerprints of the set of reference fingerprints, cause transmission of audience measurement information to identify the media, the audience measurement information including data indicative of the amount of time that has passed since the media started.