Methods and apparatus to collect distributed user information for media impressions

• US 10,068,246 B2
• Filed: 08/29/2013
• Issued: 09/04/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/12/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Nielsen Company LLC (MOOD Media Corporation)
• Original Assignee: The Nielsen Company LLC (MOOD Media Corporation)
• Inventors: Alla, Madhusudhan Reddy, Burbank, John R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Alvarez, Raquel
• Application Number:
  US14/014,050
• Publication Number:
  US 20150019322A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,832 Days
• Field of Search: 705 141, 705 51, 705 1441, 705 1449, 705 1457, 705 1458, 705 1466, 705 1467, 705 1464
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0242 Determining effectiveness of advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0251 Targeted advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0259 based on store location
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0261 based on user location
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0267 Wireless devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0269 based on user profile or attribute
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0271 Personalized advertisement

Abstract

Methods and apparatus to collect distributed user information for media impressions is disclosed. An example method includes receiving an encrypted identifier and media impression information collected from a mobile device, sending the encrypted identifier to a database proprietor associated with collection of mobile device presence information at a merchant location, receiving user information associated with the encrypted identifier from the first database proprietor, and associating at least one of the merchant location or the user information with the media impression information.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving a first network communication at a first server of an audience measurement entity, the first network communication including an encrypted identifier corresponding to a mobile device and a media identifier, the encrypted identifier and the media identifier reported by the mobile device based on the mobile device accessing media corresponding to the media identifier, the encrypted identifier to hide a first identifier identifying the mobile device or a user of the mobile device, and the encrypted identifier decryptable by a database proprietor to determine a decrypted identifier, the database proprietor being separate from the audience measurement entity, and the database proprietor to associate the decrypted identifier with the mobile device or the user of the mobile device;

querying, by executing an instruction with a processor of the audience measurement entity, a database based on the media identifier to determine an advertised entity corresponding to the media identifier;

sending, by executing an instruction with the processor of the audience measurement entity, a second network communication including a request for mobile device presence information to a second server of the database proprietor, the second server of the database proprietor to store the decrypted identifier when the mobile device is present at a merchant location, the request including the encrypted identifier;

receiving a third network communication from the second server of the database proprietor in reply to the request, the third network communication indicating that the mobile device was present at the merchant location; and

based on the advertised entity corresponding to the merchant location, storing, by executing an instruction with the processor of the audience measurement entity, behavior information corresponding to the user of the mobile device with at least one of the encrypted identifier or the media identifier based on using the network communications to correlate information associated with the user and stored across different network-connected devices without revealing the identity of the user to the audience measurement entity.

2. The method as defined in claim 1, further including determining whether the database proprietor is associated with the advertised entity.

3. The method as defined in claim 2, further including associating the advertised entity with the behavior information.

4. The method as defined in claim 3, further including obtaining demographic information of the user of the mobile device from a second server of a second database proprietor and associating the demographic information with the behavior information.

5. The method as defined in claim 2, further including determining that an advertisement corresponding to the media identifier at least one of resulted in or is correlated with the user of the mobile device approaching the merchant location.

6. The method as defined in claim 1, further including associating the media identifier and the encrypted identifier with a second identifier, the second identifier corresponding to at least one of the mobile device or the user of the mobile device.

7. The method as defined in claim 6, wherein the second identifier is associated with a presence at a second merchant location.

8. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the media identifier identifies an item of media presented via the mobile device.

9. A system, comprising:

an audience measurement server to;

receive, via a first network communication, an encrypted identifier corresponding to a mobile device and a media identifier, the encrypted identifier and the media identifier reported by the mobile device based on the mobile device accessing media corresponding to the media identifier, the encrypted identifier to hide a first identifier identifying the mobile device or a user of the mobile device, and the encrypted identifier decryptable by a database proprietor to determine a decrypted identifier, the database proprietor being separate from the audience measurement entity, and the database proprietor to associate the decrypted identifier with the mobile device or the user of the mobile device;

send, via a second network communication, a request for mobile device presence information to a second server of the database proprietor that stores the decrypted identifier when the mobile device is present at a merchant location, the request including the encrypted identifier; and

receive, via a third network communication from the second server of the database proprietor, an indication that the mobile device was present at the merchant location; and

an impression matcher to;

query an advertisement database to identify an advertised entity corresponding to the media identifier; and

store behavior information corresponding to the user of the mobile device with at least one of the encrypted identifier or the media identifier based on using the network communications to correlate information associated with the user and stored across different network-connected devices without revealing the identity of the user to the audience measurement entity.

10. The system as defined in claim 9, wherein the impression matcher is to determine whether the database proprietor is associated with the advertised entity.

11. The system as defined in claim 10, wherein the impression matcher is to associate the advertised entity with the behavior information.

12. The system as defined in claim 10, wherein the impression matcher is to determine that an advertisement impression in the media corresponding to the media identifier at least one of resulted in or is correlated with the user of the mobile device visiting the merchant location.

13. The system as defined in claim 9, further including associating the media identifier and the encrypted identifier with a second identifier, the second identifier corresponding to at least one of the mobile device or the user of the mobile device.

14. The system as defined in claim 13, wherein the second identifier is associated with a presence at a second merchant location.

15. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium comprising computer readable instructions which, when executed, cause a logic circuit at an audience measurement entity to at least:

access an encrypted identifier and a media identifier received via a first network communication, the encrypted identifier corresponding to a mobile device, the encrypted identifier and the media identifier reported by the mobile device based on the mobile device accessing media corresponding to the media identifier, the encrypted identifier to hide a first identifier identifying the mobile device or a user of the mobile device, and the encrypted identifier decryptable by a database proprietor to determine a decrypted identifier, the database proprietor being separate from the audience measurement entity and the database proprietor to associate the decrypted identifier with the mobile device or the user of the mobile device;

query a database based on the media identifier to determine an advertised entity corresponding to the media identifier;

send a second network communication including a request for mobile device presence information to a second server of the database proprietor, the second server of the database proprietor to store the decrypted identifier when the mobile device is present at a merchant location, the request including the encrypted identifier;

access an indication received from the second server of the database proprietor via a third network communication in reply to the request, the indication indicating that the mobile device was present at the merchant location; and

based on the advertised entity corresponding to the merchant location, store behavior information corresponding to the user of the mobile device with at least one of the encrypted identifier or the media identifier based on using the network communications to correlate information associated with the user and stored across different network-connected devices without revealing the identity of the user to the audience measurement entity.

16. The storage medium as defined in claim 15, wherein the instructions are further to cause the logic circuit to determine whether the database proprietor is associated with the merchant location.

17. The storage medium as defined in claim 16, wherein the instructions are further to cause the logic circuit to associate the merchant location with the behavior information.

18. The storage medium as defined in claim 17, wherein the instructions are further to cause the logic circuit to:

request demographic information of the user of the mobile device from a third server of a second database proprietor; and

associate the demographic information with the behavior information.

19. The storage medium as defined in claim 16, wherein the instructions are further to cause the logic circuit to determine that an advertisement corresponding to the media identifier resulted in the user of the mobile device approaching the merchant location.

20. The storage medium as defined in claim 15, wherein the instructions are further to cause the logic circuit to associate the media identifier and the encrypted identifier with a second identifier, the second identifier corresponding to at least one of the mobile device or the user of the mobile device.

21. The storage medium as defined in claim 20, wherein the second identifier is associated with a presence at a second merchant location.