METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR USING LOCATION INFORMATION TO MANAGE SPILLOVER IN AN AUDIENCE MONITORING SYSTEM

• US 20070266395A1
• Filed: 03/27/2007
• Published: 11/15/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Nielsen Company LLC (MOOD Media Corporation)
• Original Assignee: The Nielsen Company LLC (MOOD Media Corporation)
• Inventors: Lee, Morris, Nelson, Daniel, Headley, Weston
• Granted Patent: US 7,739,705 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/11
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/91 Remote control based on location and proximity
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 2201/90 characterised by the use of signatures
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/31 Arrangements for monitoring the use made of the broadcast services
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/52 of users
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25866 Management of end-user data customer care in data networks H04L41/5077
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4126 The peripheral being portable, e.g. PDAs or mobile phones
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4131 home appliance, e.g. lighting, air conditioning system, metering devices home automation data switching networks exchanging configuration information on appliance services H04L12/2807
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43615 Interfacing a Home Network, e.g. for connecting the client to a plurality of peripherals home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] data switching networks H04L12/2805
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44213 Monitoring of end-user related data arrangements for monitoring the users' behaviour or opinions in broadcast systems H04H60/33
• 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 21/6582 Data stored in the client, e.g. viewing habits, hardware capabilities, credit card number arrangements where receivers interact with the broadcast H04H20/38
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8352 involving content or source identification data, e.g. Unique Material Identifier [UMID]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/16 Analogue secrecy systems; Analogue subscription systems

Abstract

Methods, apparatus, and articles of manufacture for using location information to manage spillover in an audience monitoring system are disclosed. In particular, the example methods, apparatus, and articles of manufacture detect spillover to generate media monitoring information. Initially, a first sensor located in a first location and a second sensor located in a second location receive a portable metering device signal. First location information is associated with receiving the portable metering device signal via the first sensor and second location information is associated with receiving the portable metering device signal via the second sensor. Media monitoring information is generated based on one of the first location information or the second location information.

Claims

1. A method to determine the location of an audience member to generate media monitoring information, comprising:

receiving a portable metering device signal via a first sensor located in a first location and a second sensor located in a second location;

associating first location information with receiving the portable metering device signal via the first sensor and second location information with receiving the portable metering device signal via the second sensor; and

generating media monitoring information based on one of the first location information or the second location information.

2. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein generating the media monitoring information includes generating media identification information.

3. A method as defined in claim 2, wherein the media identification information identifies at least one of a video presentation or an audio presentation.

4. A method as defined in claim 3, wherein the media identification information includes at least one of an ancillary code embedded in the video presentation or the audio presentation or a signature corresponding to the video presentation or the audio presentation.

5. A method as defined in claim 1, further comprising determining a first signal characteristic associated with receiving the portable metering device signal via the first sensor and a second signal characteristic associated with receiving the portable metering device signal via the second sensor.

6. A method as defined in claim 5, wherein generating the media monitoring information based on one of the first location information or the second location information comprises comparing the first signal characteristic to the second signal characteristic and selecting one of the first location information or the second location information based on the comparison.

7. A method as defined in claim 6, wherein the first and second signal characteristics are signal power values.

8. A method as defined in claim 1, further comprising obtaining portable metering device identification information from the portable metering device signal and generating the media monitoring information based on the portable metering device identification information.

9. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the portable metering device signal is an ultrasound signal.

10. A method as defined in claim 1, further comprising when generating the media monitoring information based on the first location information and a media delivery device is not located in a location corresponding to the first location information, identifying the media monitoring information as being associated with a spillover signal.

11. A method as defined in claim 10, wherein the media delivery device is a television or a radio.

12. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the first location is a first room and the second location is a second room.

13. A method as defined in claim 1, further comprising receiving the portable metering device signal via the first and second sensors substantially simultaneously.

14. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the media monitoring information is indicative of a person'"'"'s exposure to a media presentation

15. A system to determine the location of an audience member to generate media monitoring information, comprising

a first sensor in a first location to receive a portable device signal;

a second sensor in a second location to receive the portable device signal;

a data collector coupled to the first and second sensors and configured to receive first location information associated with receiving the portable device signal via the first sensor and second location information associated with receiving the portable device signal via the second sensor and to select one of the first location information or the second location information; and

a processor to generate media monitoring information based on the selected location information.

16. A system as defined in claim 15, wherein the processor is configured to receive media identification information from a portable device and generate the media monitoring information based on the media identification information.

17. A system as defined in claim 16, wherein the media identification information identifies at least one of a video presentation or an audio presentation.

18. A system as defined in claim 17, wherein the media identification information includes at least one of an ancillary code embedded in the video presentation or the audio presentation or a signature corresponding to the video presentation or the audio presentation.

19. A system as defined in claim 15, wherein the first sensor is configured to determine a first signal characteristic associated with receiving the portable device signal and the second sensor is configured to determine a second signal characteristic associated with receiving the portable device signal.

20. A system as defined in claim 19, wherein the data collector is configured to compare the first signal characteristic with the second signal characteristic and select one of the first location information or the second location information based on the comparison.

21. A system as defined in claim 20, wherein the first and second signal characteristics are signal power values.

22. A system as defined in claim 15, wherein the first and second sensors are configured to obtain first portable device identification information from the portable device signal, and wherein the processor is configured to associate the selected location information with media identification information received from a portable device based on the first portable device identification information and second portable device identification information associated with the location information and generate the media monitoring information based on the associated location information and media identification information.

23. A system as defined in claim 15, wherein the processor is configured to identify the media monitoring information as spillover when a media delivery device is not located in a location corresponding to the selected location information.

24. A system as defined in claim 23, wherein the media delivery device is a television or a radio.

25. A system as defined in claim 15, wherein the portable device signal is an ultrasound signal.

26. A system as defined in claim 15, wherein the first location is a first room and the second location is a second room.

27. A system as defined in claim 15, wherein the first and second sensors receive the portable device signal substantially simultaneously.

28. A system as defined in claim 15, wherein the media monitoring information is indicative of a person'"'"'s exposure to a media presentation.

29. A machine accessible medium having instructions stored thereon that, when executed, cause a machine to:

receive first location information associated with receiving a portable device signal via a first sensor in a first location and second location information associated with receiving the portable device signal via a second sensor in a second location;

select one of the first location information or the second location information; and

generate media monitoring information based on the selected location information.

30-40. -40. (canceled)