METHODS AND APPARATUS TO DETECT A TIME-SHIFT EVENT ASSOCIATED WITH THE PRESENTATION OF MEDIA CONTENT

• US 20090290852A1
• Filed: 06/03/2005
• Published: 11/26/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/03/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Nielsen Company LLC (MOOD Media Corporation)
• Original Assignee: The Nielsen Company LLC (MOOD Media Corporation)
• Inventors: Wright, David Howell
• Granted Patent: US 8,238,727 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 386/241
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/31 Arrangements for monitoring the use made of the broadcast services
• 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 60/66 for using the result on distributors' side
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/73 using meta-information
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25891 being end-user preferences retrieval of video data in a video database based on user preferences G06F16/739; arrangements for recognizing users' preferences H04H60/46; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44008 involving operations for analysing video streams, e.g. detecting features or characteristics in the video stream arrangements characterised by components specially adapted for monitoring, identification or recognition of video in broadcast systems H04H60/59
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44222 Analytics of user selections, e.g. selection of programs or purchase activity monitoring of user selections in data processing systems G06F11/34; arrangements for monitoring the user's behaviour or opinions in broadcast systems H04H60/33
• 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 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02

Abstract

Methods and apparatus to detect a time-shift event associated with the presentation of media content are disclosed. A disclosed system generates a first metering event representative of a first time period in which a program was continuously presented and a second metering event representative of a second time period in which a program was continuously presented. A time-shift detector receives the first and second metering events and calculates a presentation gap value and a broadcast time jump value. The time-shift detector compares the presentation gap value and the broadcast time jump value to determine whether a pause event, a fast forward event or a rewind event occurred.

Claims

1. A method of detecting a time shift event comprising:

receiving a first metering event representative of a first time period in which a program was continuously presented on an information presenting device;

receiving a second metering event representative of a second time period in which a program was continuously presented on an information presenting device, the first and second time periods being sequential;

calculating a presentation gap value corresponding to a difference between a start presentation time of the second metering event and an end presentation time of the first metering event;

calculating a broadcast jump value corresponding to a difference between a start broadcast time of the second metering event and an end broadcast time of the first metering event;

comparing the broadcast jump value to a first threshold, comparing the presentation gap value to a second threshold, and comparing the broadcast jump value to the presentation gap value to determine whether a pause event, a fast forward event or a rewind event occurred.

2. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the first and second metering events are both program content metering events or both final distributor metering events.

3. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the first and second metering events comprise a program identifier, a presentation start time, a duration, and a broadcast start time.

4. A method as defined in claim 3, wherein at least one of the end broadcast time and the end presentation time associated with at least one of the first metering event and the second metering is computed by summing the presentation start time associated with the metering event and the duration associated with the metering event.

5. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein at least one of the first and second thresholds comprises at least one of a minimum reasonable code jump, a minimum pause time, a maximum pause time, a maximum fast forward duration, and a maximum rewind duration.

6. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the time-shift event was generated by at least one of a digital video recorder, a personal video recorder, a set top box, a digital versatile disc recorder, a video cassette recorder, an internet streaming service, and a video on demand service.

7. An apparatus to detect a time-shift event associated with the presentation of media content comprising:

an end time module to receive a first metering event representative of a first time period in which a program was continuously presented on an information presenting device and a second metering event representative of a second time period in which a program was continuously presented on an information presenting device and to calculate the times when the respective presentations were complete;

a time jump module to calculate a presentation gap value corresponding to a difference between a start presentation time of a second metering event and an end presentation time of the first metering event and a broadcast jump value corresponding to a difference between a start broadcast time of the second metering event and an end broadcast time of the first metering event; and

a comparator to compare the broadcast jump value to a first threshold, the presentation gap value to a second threshold, and the broadcast jump value to the presentation gap value to determine whether a pause event, a fast forward event, or a rewind event occurred.

8. An apparatus as defined in claim 7, wherein the first and second metering events are both program content metering events or both final distributor metering events.

9. An apparatus as defined in claim 7, wherein the first and second metering events comprise a program identifier, a presentation start time, a duration, and a broadcast start time.

10. An apparatus as defined in claim 9, wherein at least one of the end broadcast time and the end presentation time associated with at least one of the first metering event and the second metering is computed by summing the presentation start time associated with the metering event and the duration associated with the metering event.

11. An apparatus as defined in claim 7, wherein at least one of the first and second thresholds comprises at least one of a minimum reasonable code jump, a minimum pause time, a maximum pause time, a maximum fast forward duration, and a maximum rewind duration.

12. An apparatus as defined in claim 7, wherein the time-shift event was generated by at least one of a digital video recorder, a personal video recorder, a set top box, a digital versatile disc recorder, a video cassette recorder, an internet streaming service, and a video on demand service.

13. A machine readable medium storing instructions structured to cause a machine to:

receive a first metering event representative of a first time period in which a program was continuously presented on an information presenting device;

receive a second metering event representative of a second time period in which a program was continuously presented on an information presenting device, the first and second time periods being sequential;

calculate a presentation gap value corresponding to a difference between a start presentation time of the second metering event and an end presentation time of the first metering event;

calculate a broadcast jump value corresponding to a difference between a start broadcast time of the second metering event and an end broadcast time of the first metering event;

compare the broadcast jump value to a first threshold, compare the presentation gap value to a second threshold and compare the broadcast jump value to the presentation gap value to determine whether a pause event, a fast forward event or a rewind event occurred.

14. A machine readable medium as defined in claim 13, wherein the first and second metering events are both program content metering events or both final distributor metering events.

15. A machine readable medium as defined in claim 13, wherein the first and second metering events comprise a program identifier, a presentation start time, a duration, and a broadcast start time.

16. A machine readable medium as defined in claim 15, wherein at least one of the end broadcast time and the end presentation time associated with at least one of the first metering event and the second metering is computed by summing the presentation start time associated with the metering event and the duration associated with the metering event.

17. A machine readable medium as defined in claim 13, wherein the at least one of the first and second thresholds comprises at least one of a minimum reasonable code jump, a minimum pause time, a maximum pause time, a maximum fast forward duration, and a maximum rewind duration.

18. A machine readable medium as defined in claim 13, wherein the time-shift event was generated by at least one of a digital video recorder, a personal video recorder, a set top box, a digital versatile disc recorder, a video cassette recorder, an internet streaming service, and a video on demand service.

19. (canceled)

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22. (canceled)

23. (canceled)

24. (canceled)

25. (canceled)

26. (canceled)

27. (canceled)

28. A method of monitoring the presentation of a media content program on an information presenting device comprising:

creating a plurality of metering event data structures, each of the data structures being representative of a time period in which a program was continuously presented on a monitored information presenting device; and

analyzing the metering event data structures to identify time-shift events.

29. A method as defined in claim 28, further comprising:

extracting encoded program identification data;

generating local program identification data; and

writing the extracted encoded program identification data and the locally generated program identification data into fields of a metering event data structure.

30. A method as defined in claim 29, further comprising analyzing the extracted encoded program identification data and the locally generated program identification data to determine if a time-shift event has occurred.

31. A method as defined in claim 28, wherein the information presenting device comprises at least one of a radio, a television, a personal computer, and a display monitor.

32. (canceled)

37. A machine readable medium as defined in claim 32, further comprising:

extract encoded program identification data;

generate local program identification data; and

write the extracted encoded program identification data and the locally generated program identification data into fields of a metering event data structure.

39. A machine readable medium as defined in claim 32, wherein the information presenting device comprises at least one of a radio, a television, a personal computer, and a display monitor.

33. (canceled)

38. A machine readable medium as defined in claim 33, further structured to analyze the extracted encoded program identification data and the locally generated program identification data to determine if a time-shift event has occurred.

34. (canceled)

35. (canceled)

36. A machine readable medium storing instructions structured to cause a machine to:

create a plurality of metering event data structures, each of the data structures being representative of a time period in which a program was continuously presented on a monitored information presenting device; and

analyze the metering event data structures to identify time-shift events.