METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR USING RADAR TO MONITOR AUDIENCES IN MEDIA ENVIRONMENTS

• US 20080270172A1
• Filed: 07/02/2008
• Published: 10/30/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: The Nielsen Company LLC (MOOD Media Corporation)
• Original Assignee: The Nielsen Company LLC (MOOD Media Corporation)
• Inventors: Luff, Robert A., Seagren, Stanley F., Buonasera, John W.
• Application Number:
  US12/166,955
• Publication Number:
  US 20080270172A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for using radar to monitor audiences in media environments are described. An example method of identifying media exposure acquires radar information associated with a person in a media environment, determines a location of the person in the media environment based on the radar information, and identifies media exposure based on the location of the person

Claims

1. A method of identifying media exposure, comprising:

acquiring radar information associated with a person in a media environment;

determining a location of the person in the media environment based on the radar information; and

identifying media exposure based on the location of the person.

7. A method as defined in claim 1, further comprising identifying the person and associating the identity of the person with the radar information associated with the person.

12. A method as defined in claim 7, wherein identifying the person comprises using a previous location of the person to identify the person.

16. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein acquiring the radar information associated with the person in the media environment comprises obtaining a first radar map of the media environment when the person occupies the media environment and comparing the first radar map to a second radar map representative of the media environment when unoccupied by the person.

20. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein identifying the media exposure based on the location of the person comprises determining if the location of the person is associated with a plurality of media cells and identifying the media exposure based on a selected one of the media cells.

21. A method as defined in claim 20, wherein the selected one of the media cells is selected based on at least one of a status of the selected one of the media cells or a proximity of the person to a media presentation device associated with the selected one of the media cells.

22. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein acquiring the radar information associated with the person comprises acquiring a plurality of radar images of the person in the media environment.

23. A method as defined in claim 22, further comprising:

determining a plurality of locations of the person in the media environment based on the radar images;

identifying a movement of the person in the media environment based on the locations; and

identifying the media exposure based on the movement of the person.

24. A method as defined in claim 23, wherein identifying the media exposure based on the movement of the person comprises determining a relationship between the movement of the person and a type of media.

2. (canceled)

3. A method as defined in claim 2, wherein identifying the media exposure based on the location of the person comprises identifying at least one of a media display or area associated with the location of the person.

4. A method as defined in claim 3, further comprising crediting exposure to the media display or area based on a pattern of movement of the person.

6. A method as defined in claim 3, further comprising determining an effectiveness of the media display or the area based on the identified media exposure.

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26. A method of identifying media exposure, comprising:

establishing a plurality of media cells within a media environment;

generating a plurality of radar images of the media environment;

tracking movement of a person among the media cells based on the radar images; and

identifying media exposure based on the movement of the person among the media cells.

27. A method as defined in claim 26, wherein establishing the media cells comprises establishing at least one of the media cells for each of a plurality of media presentation devices in the media environment.

28. A method as defined in claim 26, wherein tracking the movement of the person among the media cells based on the radar images comprises subtracting a static radar map from the radar images to generate difference images to track the movement of the person among the media cells.

29. A method as defined in claim 26, wherein identifying the media exposure based on the movement of the person among the media cells comprises identifying the media exposure for locations of the person corresponding to active ones of the media cells.

30. A method as defined in claim 26, wherein identifying the media exposure based on the movement of the person among the media cells comprises identifying the media exposure based on a pattern of movement of the person.

31. A system to identify media exposure, comprising:

a processing unit to be coupled to a radar device associated with a media environment, wherein the processing unit is to;

receive radar information from the radar device;

determine a location of the person in the media environment based on the radar information; and

identify media exposure based on the location of the person.

34. A system as defined in claim 31, wherein the processing unit is to identify the media exposure based on the location of the person by identifying at least one of a media display or area associated with the location of the person.

35. A system as defined in claim 34, wherein the processing unit is to credit exposure to the media display or area based on a pattern of movement of the person.

38. A system as defined in claim 31, further comprising a status monitor to determine the status of a media presentation device within the media environment and to send status information to the processing unit.

47. A system as defined in claim 31, wherein the processing unit is to use the radar information to determine the location of the person by obtaining a first radar map of the media environment when the person occupies the media environment and comparing the first radar map to a second radar map representative of the media environment when unoccupied by the person.

50. A system as defined in claim 31, wherein the processing unit is to identify the media exposure based on the location by determining if the location is associated with a plurality of media cells and identifying the media exposure based on a selected one of the media cells.

51. A system as defined in claim 50, wherein the selected one of the media cells is selected based on at least one of a status of the selected media cell or a proximity of the person to a media presentation device associated with the selected media cell.

52. A system as defined in claim 31, wherein the processing unit is to obtain a plurality of radar images of the person in the media environment based on the radar information.

53. A system as defined in claim 31, wherein the processing unit is to identify the media exposure based on the location of the person by determining a movement of the person and a relationship between the movement and a type of media.

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54. A system to identify media exposure, comprising:

a radar device interface to receive radar information associated with a media environment;

a map generator to generate a plurality of occupant maps of the media environment;

a tracker to compare the occupant maps to a static map of the media environment to track movement of a person within the media environment; and

a media associator to associate at least one media cell to the movement of the person to identify media exposure.

55. A system as defined in claim 54, further comprising an identifier to determine the identity of the person.

56. (canceled)

57. (canceled)

58. A system to identify media exposure, comprising:

a radar system to collect radar information associated with a media environment;

a biometric system to collect biometric information from at least one person associated with the media environment; and

a tracking and measurement system to identify media exposure associated with the media environment based on the radar information and the biometric information.

59. A system as defined in claim 58, wherein the radar system is to collect a plurality of occupant maps of the media environment.

61. A system as defined in claim 58, wherein the tracking and measurement system is to credit the media exposure by comparing the radar information to media cell status information.

60. (canceled)