METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR COLLECTING MEDIA SITE DATA

• US 20080170755A1
• Filed: 01/17/2008
• Published: 07/17/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/17/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: The Nielsen Company LLC (MOOD Media Corporation)
• Original Assignee: The Nielsen Company LLC (MOOD Media Corporation)
• Inventors: Nasser, Kamal, Hicks, Michael Alan
• Application Number:
  US12/016,080
• Publication Number:
  US 20080170755A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/106
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/235 based on user input or interaction

Abstract

Example methods and apparatus for collecting media site data for use with media exposure measurement systems are disclosed. A disclosed example method involves displaying a first image of a scene and receiving a user-provided selection of a location in the first image. An object of interest in the scene is then identified based on the user-provided selection in the first image. The example method also involves obtaining a distance value representative of an approximate distance between an image capturing device and the object of interest in the scene. A zoom level of the image capturing device is then set based on the distance value to capture at least a portion of the object of interest in the scene. A second image of the object of interest is captured using the image capturing device.

Claims

1. A method to collect media site data:

displaying a first image of a scene;

receiving a user-provided selection of a location in the first image;

identifying an object of interest in the scene based on the user-provided selection in the first image;

obtaining a distance value representative of an approximate distance between an image capturing device and the object of interest in the scene;

setting a zoom level of the image capturing device based on the distance value to capture at least a portion of the object of interest in the scene; and

capturing a second image of the object of interest using the image capturing device.

2. A method as defined in claim 1, further comprising capturing the first image using a video camera, and wherein the image capturing device is a digital still picture camera configured to capture at least one of relatively higher quality images or relatively higher resolution images than the video camera.

3. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein displaying the first image of the scene comprises displaying a real-time video feed from the image capturing device.

4. A method as defined in claim 1, further comprising setting at least one of a pan rotation or a tilt angle associated with the image capturing device to move a field of view of the image capturing device to capture the at least the portion of the object of interest.

5. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein obtaining the distance value comprises obtaining the distance value using a rangefinder device.

6. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the object of interest is one of an indoor advertisement or an outdoor advertisement.

7. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the object of interest is one of a billboard, a poster, a banner, a wall, or a commercial establishment.

8. A method as defined in claim 1, further comprising capturing the first and second images while the image capturing device is mounted to a vehicle.

9. A method as defined in claim 1, further comprising storing the second image in a data record corresponding to the object of interest.

10. A method as defined in claim 9, further comprising storing in the data record at least one of location information, direction information, a tilt angle of the image capturing device, a pan position of the image capturing device, the zoom level, or a timestamp indicative of a time at which the second image was captured.

11. A method as defined in claim 10, wherein the location information includes geographic coordinates of the image capturing device at a time at which the second image was captured.

12. A method as defined in claim 10, wherein the direction information is indicative of a direction of travel of a vehicle carrying the image capturing device.

13. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the object of interest is an advertisement, and further comprising storing in a data record at least one of an advertisement type of the advertisement, an owner of the advertisement, an illumination type of the advertisement, a size of the advertisement, a facing direction of the advertisement, or a geographic location of the advertisement.

14. A method as defined in claim 1, further comprising determining a geographic location of the object of interest based on a geographic location of the image capturing device during a time at which the image capturing device was used to capture the second image, a direction of travel of a vehicle carrying the image capturing device, a tilt angle of the image capturing device, and a pan position of the image capturing device.

15. An apparatus to collect media site data:

a display to display a first image of a scene;

a user input interface to receive a user-provided selection of a location in the first image;

an image object recognizer to recognize an object of interest in the scene based on the user-provided selection;

a rangefinder to obtain a distance value representative of an approximate distance between an image capturing device and the object of interest in the scene;

a camera controller to set a zoom level of the image capturing device based on the distance value to capture at least a portion of the object of interest in the scene; and

a camera communicatively coupled to the camera controller to capture a second image of the object of interest.

16. An apparatus as defined in claim 15, further comprising a video camera to capture the first image, and wherein the camera is a digital still picture camera configured to capture at least one of relatively higher quality images or relatively higher resolution images than the video camera.

17. An apparatus as defined in claim 15, further comprising a camera positioner interface to set at least one of a pan rotation or a tilt angle associated with the camera to move a field of view of the camera to capture the at least the portion of the object of interest.

18. An apparatus as defined in claim 15, wherein the object of interest is one of an indoor advertisement or an outdoor advertisement.

19. An apparatus as defined in claim 15, wherein the object of interest is one of a billboard, a poster, a banner, a wall, or a commercial establishment.

20. An apparatus as defined in claim 15, wherein the camera is to capture the second image while the camera is mounted to a vehicle.

21. An apparatus as defined in claim 15, further comprising a data interface to store the second image in a data record corresponding to the object of interest.

22. An apparatus as defined in claim 21, wherein the data interface is to store in the data record at least one of location information, direction information, a tilt angle of the image capturing device, a pan position of the image capturing device, the zoom level, or a timestamp indicative of a time at which the second image was captured.

23. An apparatus as defined in claim 22, wherein the location information includes geographic coordinates of the image capturing device at a time at which the second image was captured.

24. An apparatus as defined in claim 22, wherein the direction information is indicative of a direction of travel of a vehicle carrying the image capturing device.

25. An apparatus as defined in claim 15, wherein the object of interest is an advertisement, and further comprising a data interface to store in a data record at least one of an advertisement type of the advertisement, an owner of the advertisement, an illumination type of the advertisement, a size of the advertisement, a facing direction of the advertisement, or a geographic location of the advertisement.

26. An apparatus as defined in claim 15, further comprising a location information generator to determine a geographic location of the object of interest based on a geographic location of the image capturing device during a time at which the image capturing device was used to capture the second image, a direction of travel of a vehicle carrying the image capturing device, a tilt angle of the image capturing device, and a pan position of the image capturing device.

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

display a first image of a scene;

receive a user-provided selection of a location in the first image;

identify an object of interest in the scene based on the user-provided selection in the first image;

obtain a distance value representative of an approximate distance between an image capturing device and the object of interest in the scene;

set a zoom level of the image capturing device based on the distance value to capture at least a portion of the object of interest in the scene; and

capture a second image of the object of interest using the image capturing device.

28-83. -83. (canceled)