Methods and apparatus to determine audience viewing of recorded programs

• US 20070050832A1
• Filed: 08/17/2006
• Published: 03/01/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/17/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Nielsen Company LLC (MOOD Media Corporation)
• Original Assignee: The Nielsen Company LLC (MOOD Media Corporation)
• Inventors: Lee, Morris, Wright, David, Ramaswamy, Arun, Conklin, Charles, Koutsopanagos, Vasiliki, Milavsky, Joseph, Feininger, William
• Granted Patent: US 8,065,697 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/115
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 2201/90 characterised by the use of signatures
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/27 Arrangements for recording or accumulating broadcast information or broadcast-related information
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/37 for identifying segments of broadcast information, e.g. scenes or extracting programme ID
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/40 for identifying broadcast time
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/43 for identifying broadcast channels
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/44 for identifying broadcast stations
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/56 Arrangements characterised by components specially adapted for monitoring, identification or recognition covered by groups H04H60/29-H04H60/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/58 of audio determination or detection of speech characteristics in general G10L25/00; speech recognition in general G10L15/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/59 of video recognising characters or patterns in general G06F18/00, G06V20/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42202 environmental sensors, e.g. for detecting temperature, luminosity, pressure, earthquakes
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42203 sound input device, e.g. microphone
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4325 by playing back content from the storage medium reproduction of recorded television signals H04N5/76; reproduction of recorded television signals H04N9/79
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44218 Detecting physical presence or behaviour of the user, e.g. using sensors to detect if the user is leaving the room or changes his face expression during a TV program methods or arrangements for recognising human body or animal bodies or body parts G06V40/10; methods or arrangements for acquiring or recognising human faces, facial parts, facial sketches, facial expressions G06V40/16; methods or arrangements for recognising movements or behaviour G06V40/20; arrangements for identifying users in broadcast systems H04H60/45
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44224 Monitoring of user activity on external systems, e.g. Internet browsing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4756 for rating content, e.g. scoring a recommended movie
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/84 Generation or processing of descriptive data, e.g. content descriptors systems specially adapted for using meta-information in broadcast systems H04H60/73
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

Methods and apparatus to determine audience viewing of recorded programs are disclosed. An example method disclosed herein comprises displaying a previously recorded program on a display, determining a possible original broadcast time corresponding to the previously recorded program, determining program identifying information corresponding to the previously recorded program, and processing the possible original broadcast time information and the program identifying information to compare the previously recorded program with a known broadcast program.

Claims

1. A method to determine audience ratings data from measurement data corresponding to presentation of time-shifted broadcast programs, the method comprising:

determining whether the measurement data comprises a final distributor code corresponding to a time-shifted broadcast program; and

when the measurement data does not comprise the final distributor code;

(a) determining whether the measurement data comprises timing information corresponding to at least one of broadcasting, recording or presenting the time-shifted broadcast program;

(b) processing the timing information to determine a set of possible original broadcast times corresponding to the time-shifted broadcast program; and

(c) identifying the time-shifted broadcast program based on a possible original broadcast time in the set of possible broadcast times and program identification data included in the measurement data.

2. A method as defined in claim 1 further comprising identifying the time-shifted broadcast program based on the final distributor code when the measurement data comprises the final distributor code.

3. A method as defined in claim 2 wherein the final distributor code comprises at least one of an original broadcast time or an original broadcast channel identifier corresponding to the time-shifted broadcast program.

4. A method as defined in claim 1 wherein the timing information comprises a first set of times associated with possible recording of the time-shifted broadcast program and a second set of time associated with presenting the time-shifted broadcast program.

5. A method as defined in claim 4 wherein the timing information further comprises a third set of times associated with current times indicating when the time-shifted broadcast program is presented.

6. A method as defined in claim 4 wherein the set of possible original broadcast times is based on a difference between the second set of times and the first set of times.

7. A method as defined in claim 6 wherein the timing information further comprises a set of current times, and the set of possible original broadcast times is further based on the set of current times.

8. A method as defined in claim 4 wherein the first set of times corresponds to a set of actual recording times of a time-shifting device.

9. A method as defined in claim 4 wherein the first set of times corresponds to a set of ON/OFF times of a time-shifting device.

10. A method as defined in claim 1 wherein the second set of times corresponds to a set of presentation times of a time-shifting device.

11. A method as defined in claim 10 wherein the set of presentation times corresponds to the time-shifting device being in at least one of a play state, a pause state, a rewind state or a fast-forward state.

16. A method as defined in claim 1 further comprising determining the ratings data based on content presentation data corresponding to the presentation of the time-shifted broadcast program when the measurement data comprises the content presentation data.

17. A method as defined in claim 16 wherein the content presentation data comprises indications associated with at least one of playing, pausing, rewinding or fast-forwarding the time-shifted broadcast program.

12. A method a defined in claim I wherein the program identification data comprises at least one of an original broadcast channel identifier, a broadcast program name, a program content code or a program signature.

13. A method as defined in claim 12 wherein the original broadcast channel identifier comprises at least one of a broadcast channel number or a broadcast channel name.

14. A method as defined in claim 12 wherein the program content code comprises at least one of an audio code or a video code.

15. A method as defined in claim 12 wherein the program signature comprises at least one of an audio signature or a video signature.

18. A method to determine audience ratings data by prioritizing measurement data corresponding to the presentation of a time-shifted broadcast program, the method comprising:

identifying the time-shifted broadcast program based on an original broadcast time when the measurement data comprises the original broadcast time.

identifying the time-shifted broadcast program based on a set of possible original broadcast times when the measurement data does not comprise the original broadcast time and comprises the set of possible original broadcast times;

identifying the time-shifted broadcast program based on an original broadcast channel identifier when the measurement data comprises the original broadcast channel identifier; and

identifying the time-shifted broadcast program based on program identification data when the measurement data does not comprise the original broadcast channel identifier and comprises the program identification data.

19. A method as defined in claim 18 wherein the original broadcast time is based on a final distributor code.

20. A method as defined in claim 18 wherein the set of possible original broadcast times is based on a first set of times associated with possible recording of the time-shifted broadcast program and a second set of time associated with presenting the time-shifted broadcast program.

21. A method as defined in claim 20 wherein the set of possible original broadcast times is further based on a third set of times associated with current times indicating when the time-shifted broadcast program is presented.

22. A method as defined in claim 20 wherein the set of possible original broadcast times is based on a difference between the second set of times and the first set of times.

23. A method as defined in claim 22 wherein the set of possible original broadcast times is further based on a set of current times.

24. A method as defined in claim 18 wherein the original broadcast channel identifier is based on a final distributor code.

25. A method as defined in claim 24 wherein the original broadcast channel identifier comprises at least one of a broadcast channel number or a broadcast channel name.

26. A method a defined in claim 18 wherein the program identification data comprises at least one of an original broadcast channel identifier, a broadcast program name, and program content code or a program signature.

27. An article of manufacture storing machine readable instructions that, when executed, cause a machine to:

identify a time-shifted broadcast program based on an original broadcast time when the measurement data corresponding to the presentation of a time-shifted broadcast program comprises an original broadcast time.

identify the time-shifted broadcast program based on a set of possible original broadcast times when the measurement data does not comprise the original broadcast time and comprises a set of possible original broadcast times;

identify the time-shifted broadcast program based on an original broadcast channel identifier when the measurement data comprises the original broadcast channel identifier; and

identify the time-shifted broadcast program based on program identification data when the measurement data does not comprise the original broadcast channel identifier and comprises the program identification data.

28. A time-shifting device monitor comprising:

an input; and

a processor configured to;

determine a set of possible original broadcast times corresponding to a time-shifted broadcast program, wherein the set of possible original broadcast times is based on;

a first set of times associated with possible recording of the time-shifted broadcast program; and

a second set of times associated with presenting the time-shifted broadcast program; and

determine a set of program identification data corresponding to the time-shifted broadcast program.

29. A time-shifting device monitor as defined in claim 28 wherein the input is configured to interface with a bus of a time-shifting device.

30. A time-shifting device monitor as defined in claim 28 wherein the input is configured to interface with a sensor.

31. A time-shifting device monitor as defined in claim 30 wherein the sensor is configured to monitor an indicator of a time-shifting device.

32. A time-shifting device monitor as defined in claim 31 wherein the sensor is configured to monitor at least one of a record light or a power light of the time-shifting device.

33. A time-shifting device monitor as defined in claim 30 wherein the sensor is configured to monitor at least one of an output or an indicator of a presentation device.

34. A time-shifting device monitor as defined in claim 33 wherein the sensor is configured to monitor a power light of the presentation device.

35. A time-shifting device monitor as defined in claim 33 wherein the sensor is configured to monitor at least one of a speaker or a display of the presentation device.

36. A time-shifting device monitor as defined in claim 28 wherein the input is configured to interface with at least one of an audio output or a video output of at least one of a time-shifting device or a presentation device.

37. A time-shifting device monitor as defined in claim 28 wherein the processor is further configured to implement a time-shifting device state tracker.

38. A time-shifting device monitor as defined in claim 37 wherein the time-shifting device state tracker is configured to detect an operating state of a time-shifting device.

39. A time-shifting device monitor as defined in claim 37 wherein the time-shifting device state tracker is configured to detect data stored in a time-shifting device.

40. A time-shifting device monitor as defined in claim 28 wherein the time-shifting- device monitor is adapted to execute one or more software programs wherein at least one of the software programs is a multi-threaded program and wherein at least one of the threads of the multi-threaded program is adapted to calculate a time elapsed between a time of recording and a time of presenting.