METHODS AND APPARATUS TO MONITOR MEDIA EXPOSURE IN VEHICLES

• US 20110103595A1
• Filed: 11/03/2009
• Published: 05/05/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/03/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nielsen Company (US) LLC (RR Donnelley & Sons Company)
• Original Assignee: Nielsen Company (US) LLC (RR Donnelley & Sons Company)
• Inventors: Martensen, Fred, Luff, Robert A., Shirilla, Kendall, Ramaswamy, Arun
• Granted Patent: US 8,549,552 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 381/56
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2499/13 Acoustic transducers and sound field adaptation in vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 29/00 Monitoring arrangements; Testing arrangements for hearing aids H04R25/30; detection of loudspeaker connection H04R5/04; sound-field adaptation dependent on speaker detection H04S7/308

Abstract

Methods and apparatus to monitor media exposure in vehicles are disclosed. An example implementation includes collecting audience measurement data with a media monitoring device fixed in a vehicle and transmitting the audience measurement data from the media monitoring device to a shuttle located within the vehicle, the shuttle being incapable of collecting audience measurement data independent of the media monitoring device.

Claims

1. A method of monitoring media exposure in a vehicle, the method comprising:

collecting audience measurement data with a media monitoring device fixed in a vehicle; and

transmitting the audience measurement data from the media monitoring device to a shuttle located within the vehicle, the shuttle being incapable of collecting audience measurement data independent of the media monitoring device.

2. The method as described in claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting the audience measurement data from the shuttle to an audience measurement data aggregator; and

transmitting the audience measurement data from the audience measurement data aggregator to an audience measurement data collection server.

3. The method as described in claim 1, wherein the media monitoring device collects audio via at least one of a microphone or a line input connection.

4. The method as described in claim 3, wherein the media monitoring device provides audio to an audio system of the vehicle.

5. The method as described in claim 4, wherein the media monitoring device provides the audio to the audio system of the vehicle via at least one of a radio frequency transmission or a line input connector.

6. The method as described in claim 1, wherein the media monitoring device is communicatively coupled with a computer system of the vehicle.

7. The method as described in claim 1, wherein the audience measurement data includes local computer data from the computer system of the vehicle.

8. The method as described in claim 7, wherein the local computer data comprises at least one of:

global positioning data, radio tuning data, or vehicle data.

9. The method as described in claim 1, wherein the shuttle includes a wireless transmitter and a memory.

10. The method as described in claim 9, wherein the wireless transmitter is implemented according to the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers 802.15.4 wireless standard.

11. A system to monitor media exposure in a vehicle, the system comprising:

a media monitoring device fixed in a vehicle to collect and transmit audience measurement data; and

an audience measurement data shuttle to receive and transmit the audience measurement data, the shuttle being incapable of collecting audience measurement data independent of the media monitoring device.

12. The system as described in claim 11, further comprising:

an audience measurement data aggregator to receive the audience measurement data transmitted by the shuttle;

store the audience measurement data in a tangible memory; and

transmit the audience measurement data to a media monitoring collection server.

13. The system as described in claim 11, wherein the media monitoring device receives power from a power system of the vehicle.

14. The system as described in claim 11, wherein the media monitoring device receives audio via at least one of a microphone or a line input connector.

15. The system as described in claim 14, wherein the media monitoring device transmits audio to an audio system of the vehicle.

16. The system as described in claim 15, wherein the media monitoring device transmits the audio to the audio system of the vehicle via at least one of a radio frequency transmission or a line input.

17. The system as described in claim 11, wherein the media monitoring device is communicatively coupled with a computer system of the vehicle.

18. The system as described in claim 11, wherein the media monitoring device adds first data to the audience measurement data, the first data being derived from the computer system of the vehicle.

19. The system as described in claim 11, wherein the media monitor adds first data to the audience measurement data, the first data being derived from a physical selector switch located on the media monitor.

20. The system as described in claim 11, wherein the shuttle is a key fob.

21. The system as described in claim 11, wherein the transmission between the media monitor and the shuttle is implemented according to the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers 802.15.4 standard.

22. The system as described in claim 12, wherein the transmission between the shuttle and the aggregator is implemented according to the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers 802.15.4 standard.

23. The system as described in claim 12, wherein the aggregator is to receive the audience measurement data from multiple shuttles.

24. A tangible computer readable medium storing instructions which when executed cause a machine to:

collect audience measurement data with a media monitoring device fixed in a vehicle; and

transmit the audience measurement data from the media monitoring device to an audience measurement data shuttle located within the vehicle, the shuttle being incapable of collecting audience measurement data independent of the media monitoring device.

25. The tangible computer readable medium as described in claim 24, further comprising:

transmitting the audience measurement data from the shuttle to an audience measurement data aggregator; and

transmitting the audience measurement data from the aggregator to an audience measurement data collection server.

26. The tangible computer readable medium as described in claim 24, wherein the media monitoring device collects audio via at least one of a microphone or a line input connection.

27. The tangible computer readable medium as described in claim 26, wherein the media monitoring device provides audio to an audio system of the vehicle.

28. The tangible computer readable medium as described in claim 27, wherein the media monitoring device provides the audio to the audio system of the vehicle via at least one of a radio frequency transmission or a line input connector.

29. The tangible computer readable medium as described in claim 24, wherein the media monitoring device is communicatively coupled with a computer system of the vehicle.

30. The tangible computer readable medium as described in claim 29, wherein the audience measurement data includes local computer data from the computer system of the vehicle.

31. The tangible computer readable medium as described in claim 30, wherein the local computer data comprises at least one of:

global positioning data, radio tuning data, or vehicle data.

32. The tangible computer readable medium as described in claim 24, wherein the shuttle includes a wireless transmitter and a memory.

33. The tangible computer readable medium as described in claim 32, wherein the wireless transmitter is implemented according to the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers 802.15.4 wireless standard.

34. An apparatus for monitoring media exposure in a vehicle, the apparatus comprising:

a housing dimensioned to engage within a 12 volt power outlet of the vehicle;

at least one of a microphone or a line input within the housing;

a processor within the housing, the processor to collect audience measurement data;

a memory within the housing; and

a wireless transmitter within the housing.

35. An apparatus as described in claim 34, further comprising a physical selector switch within the housing.

36. An apparatus as described in claim 34, further comprising a power indicator within the housing.

37. An apparatus as described in claim 34, further comprising a radio transmitter within the housing.

38. An apparatus as described in claim 34, further comprising a printed circuit board within the housing.