Methods and apparatus for audience research in a content-based network

• US 20100131969A1
• Filed: 09/04/2008
• Published: 05/27/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Time Warner Cable Enterprises LLC (Charter Communications Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Time Warner Cable Enterprises LLC (Charter Communications Incorporated)
• Inventors: Santangelo, Bryan, Murphy, Forrest, Tidwell, Justin, Riedl, Steven
• Granted Patent: US 9,094,140 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/14
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/31 Arrangements for monitoring the use made of the broadcast services
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25808 Management of client data terminal profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/303
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4334 Recording operations recording of a television signal H04N5/76; arrangements for recording or accumulating broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/27
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44224 Monitoring of user activity on external systems, e.g. Internet browsing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4667 Processing of monitored end-user data, e.g. trend analysis based on the log file of viewer selections
• 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

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for accurate, secure and uniform exchange of audience research data. In one embodiment, viewership data is provided in real-time and offers the ability to monitor audience activities regarding, among others, broadcast, VOD or DVR content. A standardized message configuration is optionally used also to permit maximum uniformity and accessibility of the data. Accuracy of data exchange is enforced by implementing a method of detecting system failures, and the transmission of incomplete messages. Subscriber privacy and anonymity is also maintained via e.g., hashing or encrypting data relating to the CPE and/or subscriber, thus ensuring that stored data is not traceable to a specific user account. The methods and apparatus may also be utilized in conjunction with systems enabling the insertion and/or recommendation of content or advertising based on data collected regarding user actions or events. Business methods are also disclosed.

Claims

1. An audience measurement system adapted to enable collection and analysis of audience research data in a content-based network, said audience measurement system comprising:

at least one source entity, said at least one source entity adapted to collect audience research data and send said data as a plurality of event messages; and

at least one destination entity, said at least one destination entity adapted to receive and analyze said plurality of event messages;

wherein said at least one source entity and said at least one destination entity are in data communication with one another via said cable network.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said plurality of event messages comprise self-describing data records.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein said audience research data collected by said source entity comprises data regarding events occurring at least one CPE of said network with which said source entity is in data communication, said plurality of event messages comprising messages describing individual audience viewership events occurring at said at least one CPE.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein said destination entity comprises a plurality of user profiles, said plurality of user profiles individually relating to one or more CPE of a household in said network;

and

correlate individual ones of said plurality of event messages to at least one of said plurality of user profiles.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein said at least one destination entity is further adapted to collect data and send said data as messages regarding audience viewership to another destination entity.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein said source entity comprises at least one of:

(i) a switched digital server;

or

(ii) a VOD server, said plurality of event messages comprising VOD-related audience research data.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of a plurality of CPE associated with said content-based network comprises a home network having one or more media devices in communication therewith, said plurality of audience research data being collected by said at least one home network, and said audience research data comprises data regarding viewership events occurring on said one or more media devices.

8. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

at least one network gateway in data communication with said content-based network; and

at least one wireless service provider network in data communication with said gateway;

wherein at least one of a plurality of CPE are in data communication with said source entity via said wireless service provider network and said gateway.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein said at least one source entity and said at least one destination entity are adapted to communicate unambiguously by:

transmission of a map of network identification numbers from said destination entity to said source entity; and

verification that said map of network identification numbers is identical to an internal reference.

10. A data collection entity for use in a content-based network, said data collection entity adapted to communicate with at least one of a plurality of CPE in said network, said data collection entity comprising:

apparatus adapted to collect a plurality of audience viewership event data from at least one of said plurality of CPE, said data associated with one or more events occurring on said at least one CPE;

a digital processor, said digital processor adapted to run at least one computer application thereon, said at least one computer application adapted to generate an event message for individual ones of said plurality of audience viewership event data collected; and

an interface, said interface adapted to send said event message to a destination.

11. The data collection entity of claim 10, wherein said event message comprises a self-describing event message, and said act of generating an event message for individual ones of said plurality of audience viewership event data comprises:

selecting an event descriptor to describe said at least one triggering event, said event descriptor used to form an event record;

enriching said event record; and

preserving anonymity of said at least one CPE on which said events occurred in said event record.

12. The data collection entity of claim 10, wherein said destination comprises at least one of:

another data collection entity;

or

a storage entity.

13. Apparatus for collection and analysis of audience research data in a content-based network, said apparatus comprising:

a receiver adapted to receive a plurality of data;

a storage apparatus, said storage apparatus adapted to store said plurality of received data;

a digital processor, said digital processor adapted to run at least one computer program thereon, said computer program adapted to generate one or more user profiles associated with at least one user of said network.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein:

said plurality of data comprises self-describing event messages regarding audience viewership, said messages associated with one or more events occurring on at least one of a plurality of CPE associated with said network; and

said apparatus for receiving said plurality of data comprises an interface adapted to collect said self-describing event messages regarding audience viewership via communication with at least one of a plurality of data collection entities in said network.

15. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein said act of generating one or more user profiles comprises correlating individual ones of said plurality of data received to a data set associated with individual ones of a plurality of CPE associated with said network.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein said data set associated with individual ones of said plurality of CPE maintains user anonymity by running at least one hash function on an identification element associated with said at least one CPE to which individual ones of said plurality of data relate.

17. The apparatus of claim 13, further adapted to communicate with a destination entity, said communication comprising sending at least one of said plurality of data or said one or more user profile to said destination entity.

18. An audience measurement system adapted to collect and analyze a plurality of viewership events occurring on a plurality of client devices in a content-based network, said audience measurement system comprising:

a data warehouse, said data warehouse adapted to store a plurality of audience research data; and

at least one headend entity, said headend entity in data communication with said data warehouse;

wherein said plurality of audience research data is collected from individual ones of said plurality of client devices on Which said viewership events occurred, and is transmitted via said at least one headend entity to said data warehouse.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein said system further comprises at least one hub entity, said hub entity in data communication with said at least one headend entity and at least one of said plurality of client devices, and adapted to collect said plurality of audience research data from at least one of said plurality of client devices, and send said audience research data to said at least one headend entity.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein said at least one headend entity comprises a VOD server, and said plurality of data comprises VOD-related audience measurement data.

21. The system of claim 18, wherein said data warehouse is further adapted to store said plurality of data into one or more profiles corresponding to individual ones of said client devices.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein said one or more profiles are maintained anonymous by at least one hash function run on unique identifying information associated with at least one said client device to which individual ones of said plurality of event messages relate.

23. The system of claim 18, wherein at least one of said plurality of client devices comprises a home network having a plurality of media devices in communication therewith, and said plurality of data is collected by said home network, said data comprising audience measurement data of one or more of said plurality of media devices.

24. The system of claim 18, further comprising:

at least one gateway in data communication with said content-based network; and

at least one wireless service provider network in data communication with said gateway network;

wherein at least one of said plurality of client devices comprises a mobile client device, said mobile client device capable of data communication with said headend entity of said content-based network via said wireless service provider network and said gateway network.

25. The system of claim 18, wherein said data warehouse is further adapted to utilize said plurality of audience research data in one or more applications adapted to compare said data to metadata associated with content, for targeted insertion of said content.

26. The system of claim 18, wherein said data warehouse is further adapted to:

receive and acknowledge receipt of one or more heartbeat messages; and

wherein failure to send or failure to acknowledge receipt of one or more heartbeat messages results in failure notification to an administrator.

27. A method of measuring audience viewership in a content-based network, said method comprising:

collecting a plurality of audience research data occurring on at least one of a plurality of client devices associated with said network;

generating a plurality of event messages from said plurality of collected audience research data;

sending said plurality of event messages to an analysis entity; and

analyzing said plurality of event messages.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein said act of collecting audience research data is accomplished via a data collection entity in data communication with said at least one of said plurality of client devices.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein said data collection entity comprises a switched digital broadcast server disposed at a hub of said network.

30. The method of claim 28, wherein said data collection entity comprises a VOD server, and said plurality of event messages comprise VOD-related event messages.

31. The method of claim 27, wherein:

said data collection entity comprises a home network client device having at least one media device in communication therewith; and

said plurality of data is collected by said at least one client device, said data comprising audience measurement data of said at least one home network media device.

32. The method of claim 28, wherein said act of generating a plurality of event messages comprises:

selecting an event descriptor to describe said at least one triggering event, said event descriptor used to form an event record; and

enriching said event record.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein said act of enriching comprises associating with said record a plurality of data, said plurality of data comprising data related to a MAC address of said client device on which said triggering event occurred.

34. The method of claim 32, further comprising:

pseudonymizing said event record; and

enhancing said pseudonymized event record.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein said act of pseudonymizing comprises:

running a hash of a first identification element of said client device on which said triggering event occurred;

running a hash of a second identification element of said client device on which said triggering event occurred;

joining said hashes of said first and second identification elements with an event record header to generate a hashed header.

36. The method of claim 35, wherein said hashes comprise salted hashes, and said method further comprises:

placing said header ahead of said event record; and

encrypting said event record by utilizing public/private key pair encryption.

37. The method of claim 34, wherein said act of enhancing said pseudonymized event record comprises associating to said record data which does not require knowledge of a MAC address of said client device on which said event occurred.

38. The method of claim 32, further comprising utilizing said enriched record for comparison in one or more systems which are adapted to generate targeted content.

39. The method of claim 27, wherein said act of analyzing comprises generating statistics based at least in part on audience viewership as determined by said plurality of audience research data.

40. The method of claim 27, wherein said act of analyzing comprises creating one or more user profiles, said act of creating one or more user profiles comprising:

correlating individual ones of a plurality of event messages with respective ones of said plurality of client devices;

determining whether said respective ones of said plurality of client devices are associated with a preexisting user profile;

adding said individual ones of said plurality of event messages to a profile,

pseudonymizing said profile; and

storing said profile.

41. The method of claim 40, wherein said act of adding individual ones of said plurality of event messages to a profile comprises creating a new profile by utilizing enrichment information embedded in said individual ones of said plurality of event messages, and adding said event messages thereto.

42. The method of claim 41, wherein said enrichment information comprises information obtained from a billing system extract, and from which an individual is not personally identifiable.

43. The method of claim 40, wherein said act of adding said individual ones of said plurality of event messages to a profile comprises updating a previously created profile, said act of updating comprising:

utilizing enrichment information embedded in said individual ones of said plurality of event messages for comparison to information in said profile;

revising said information in said profile where necessary; and

adding data from at least a portion of said individual ones of said plurality of event messages to said profile.

44. The method of claim 40, wherein said method further comprises making a copy of said profile prior to said act of pseudonymization for use in systems adapted to compare said profile to available content for identification of content targeted thereto.