Methods and apparatus to correlate a demographic segment with a fixed device

• US 10,587,706 B2
• Filed: 12/19/2014
• Issued: 03/10/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 10/20/2014
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: The Nielsen Company LLC (MOOD Media Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nielsen Company (US) LLC (RR Donnelley & Sons Company)
• Inventors: Abello, Jean-Pierre, Ramaswamy, Arun, Besehanic, Jan
• Primary Examiner(s): Doan, Tan
• Application Number:
  US14/577,870
• Publication Number:
  US 20160112522A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,908 Days
• Field of Search: 709224
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34

Abstract

Methods, apparatus, systems, and articles of manufacture to correlate a demographic segment with a fixed device are disclosed. An example method includes accessing a record indicating a public Internet Protocol (IP) address used by a fixed device. A monitoring data record received from a mobile device is accessed. A demographic segment of a user of the mobile device is determined. The mobile device is associated with the fixed device when an IP address of the mobile device from the monitoring data record matches the public IP address used by the fixed device. The demographic segment of the user of the mobile device is associated with the fixed device based on the association of the fixed device and the mobile device.

Claims

1. A method of identifying a demographic segment associated with a fixed device, the method comprising:

accessing a record indicating a public Internet Protocol (IP) address used by the fixed device;

accessing monitoring data records received from a mobile device;

determining, with a processor, a demographic segment of a user of the mobile device;

associating, with the processor, the mobile device with the fixed device when an IP address of the mobile device from at least one of the monitoring data records matches the public IP address used by the fixed device;

separating the monitoring data records into corresponding time blocks based on timestamps associated with respective ones of the monitoring data records;

identifying at least one of a first monitoring data record or a second monitoring data record within a selected time block of the corresponding time blocks;

determining a baseline probability that the user was present at the fixed device during the selected time block based on the demographic segment of the user of the mobile device;

in response to the first monitoring data record received from the mobile device within the selected time block having an IP address that does not match the public IP address of the fixed device, negatively biasing the baseline probability that the user of the mobile device was present at the fixed device during the selected time block;

in response to the second monitoring data record received from the mobile device within the selected time block having an IP address that matches the public IP address of the fixed device, positively biasing the baseline probability that the user of the mobile device was present at the fixed device during the selected time block; and

preparing a report based on the biased baseline probability, the report indicating the probability that the demographic segment will be present at the fixed device during the selected time block.

2. The method as defined in claim 1, further including comparing a first audio sample associated with the fixed device at approximately a first time to a second audio sample associated with the mobile device at approximately the first time, the first time within a first time block, and wherein the determination of the probability that the user was present at the fixed device during the first time block is further based on whether the first audio sample matches the second audio sample.

3. The method as defined in claim 1, further including analyzing a result of a scan of a local area network performed by the fixed device during a first time block, and wherein the determination of the probability that the user was present at the fixed device during the first time block is further based on whether the mobile device is detected within the result of the scan of the local area network.

4. The method as defined in claim 3, wherein the scan of the local area network is a port scan.

5. The method as described in claim 1, further including estimating the demographic segment by:

comparing the monitoring data records to media habits of users having a known demographic; and

selecting a demographic segment that exhibits media habits matching those of the monitoring data records.

6. The method as described in claim 1, further including associating the mobile device with the fixed device by determining whether the mobile device exhibits a threshold pattern of usage of the public IP address of the fixed device.

7. The method as described in claim 6, wherein the threshold pattern of usage is a frequency of at least once a week.

8. The method as described in claim 1, further including determining the demographic segment of the user of the mobile device by requesting the demographic segment of the user from a database proprietor.

9. An apparatus comprising:

a monitoring data processor to access a record indicating a public Internet Protocol (IP) address used by a fixed device, the monitoring data processor to access a monitoring data records received from a mobile device, the monitoring data processor to associate the mobile device with the fixed device when an IP address of the mobile device from at least one of the monitoring data records matches the public IP address used by the fixed device;

a demographic segment estimator to estimate a demographic segment of a user of the mobile device, the demographic segment estimator to impute the demographic segment of the user of the mobile device to the fixed device based on the association of the mobile device and the fixed device;

a probability estimator to;

separate the monitoring data records into corresponding time blocks based on timestamps associated with respective ones of the monitoring data records;

identify at least one of a first monitoring data record or a second monitoring data record within a selected time block of the corresponding time blocks;

determine a baseline probability that the user was present at the fixed device during the selected time block based the demographic segment of the user of the mobile device;

in response to the first monitoring data record received from the mobile device within the selected time block having an IP address that does not match the public IP address of the fixed device, negatively bias the probability that the user was present at the fixed device during the selected time block; and

in response to the second monitoring data record received from the mobile device within the selected time block having an IP address that matches the public IP address of the fixed device, positively biasing the baseline probability that the user of the mobile device was present at the fixed device during the selected time block; and

a reporter to prepare a report based on the biased baseline probability, the report indicating the probability that the demographic segment will be present at the fixed device during the selected time block.

10. The apparatus as described in claim 9, wherein the fixed device is an Internet of Things device.

11. The apparatus as described in claim 9, wherein the fixed device is a connected television.

12. The apparatus as described in claim 9, further including a geographic region determiner to determine a geographic region of the fixed device by performing a lookup using the public IP address of the fixed device.

13. The apparatus as described in claim 9, wherein the monitoring data processor is further to associate the mobile device with the fixed device when the IP address of the mobile device exhibits a pattern of matching the public IP address used by the fixed device.

14. The apparatus as described in claim 9, wherein the demographic segment estimator is to estimate the demographic segment of the user of the mobile device by requesting demographic information of the user of the mobile device from a database proprietor.

15. A tangible computer readable storage medium comprising instructions which, when executed, cause a machine to at least:

access a record indicating a public Internet Protocol (IP) address used by a fixed device;

access monitoring data records received from a mobile device;

determine a demographic segment of a user of the mobile device;

associate the mobile device with the fixed device when an IP address of the mobile device from at least one of the monitoring data records matches the public IP address used by the fixed device;

separate the monitoring data records into corresponding time blocks based on timestamps associated with respective ones of the monitoring data records;

identify at least one of a first monitoring data record or a second monitoring data record within a selected time block of the corresponding time blocks;

determine a baseline probability that the user was present at the fixed device during the selected time block based on the demographic segment of the user of the mobile device;

in response to the first monitoring data record received from the mobile device within the selected time block having an IP address that does not match the public IP address of the fixed device, negatively bias the baseline probability that the user was present at the fixed device during the selected time block;

in response to the second monitoring data record received from the mobile device within the selected time block having an IP address that matches the public IP address of the fixed device, positively bias the baseline probability that the user of the mobile device was present at the fixed device during the selected time block; and

prepare a report based on the biased baseline probability, the report indicating the probability that the demographic segment will be present at the fixed device during the selected time block.

16. The tangible computer readable storage medium as described in claim 15, wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the machine to compare a first audio sample received from the fixed device in association with a first time to a second audio sample received from the fixed device in association with the first time, the first time within a first time block, and wherein the determination of whether the demographic segment was present at the fixed device during the first time block is further based on whether the first audio sample matches the second audio sample.

17. The tangible computer readable storage medium as described in claim 15, wherein the instructions cause the machine to analyze a result of a scan of a local area network performed by the fixed device during a first time block, and wherein the determination of the probability that the user was present at the fixed device during the first time block is further based on whether the mobile device is detected within the result of the scan of the local area network.

18. The tangible computer readable storage medium as described in claim 17, wherein the scan of the local area network is a port scan.

19. The tangible computer readable storage medium as described in claim 15, wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the machine to at least:

compare the monitoring data records to media habits of users having a known demographic; and

select a demographic segment that exhibits media habits matching those of the monitoring data records.

20. The tangible computer readable storage medium as described in claim 15, wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the machine to at least associate the mobile device with the fixed device by determining whether the mobile device exhibits a threshold pattern of usage of the public IP address of the fixed device.

21. The tangible computer readable storage medium as described in claim 20, wherein the threshold pattern of usage is a frequency of at least once a week.

22. The tangible computer readable storage medium as described in claim 15, wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the machine to determine the demographic segment of the user of the mobile device by requesting the demographic segment of the user from a database proprietor.