METHODS AND APPARATUS TO MEASURE MEDIA EXPOSURE

• US 20120151079A1
• Filed: 12/13/2010
• Published: 06/14/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/13/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: The Nielsen Company LLC (MOOD Media Corporation)
• Original Assignee: The Nielsen Company LLC (MOOD Media Corporation)
• Inventors: Besehanic, Jan, Fisch, Perry Joseph
• Application Number:
  US12/966,736
• Publication Number:
  US 20120151079A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/231
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/31 Arrangements for monitoring the use made of the broadcast services
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/372 Programme
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/39 for identifying broadcast space-time use of Electronic Programme Guides H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/45 for identifying users
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/47 for recognising genres
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/51 of receiving stations
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/64 for providing detail information
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/66 for using the result on distributors' side
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/74 using programme related information, e.g. title, composer or interpreter
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/252 Processing of multiple end-users' preferences to derive collaborative data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25883 being end-user demographical data, e.g. age, family status or address arrangements for identifying locations of users in broadcast systems H04H60/52
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4108 characterised by an identification number or address, e.g. local network address protecting specific internal or external computer components using identification number G06F21/73; network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming H04L61/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44224 Monitoring of user activity on external systems, e.g. Internet browsing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4756 for rating content, e.g. scoring a recommended movie
• 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 21/84 Generation or processing of descriptive data, e.g. content descriptors systems specially adapted for using meta-information in broadcast systems H04H60/73

Abstract

Methods, apparatus, and articles of manufacture to measure media exposure are disclosed. An example method involves extracting and timestamping metadata from streaming media transmissions received at a media device. The metadata identifies at least one of a genre or an artist. In addition, the example method involves identifying demographic information associated with a user of the media device based on an internet protocol (IP) address associated with the media device. The example method also involves generating media exposure information indicating exposure of a demographic segment to at least one of the genre or the artist based on the demographic information and the metadata.

Claims

1. A method to monitor streaming media transmissions received at a media device, comprising:

extracting and timestamping metadata from streaming media transmissions received at a media device, the metadata identifying at least one of a genre or an artist;

identifying demographic information associated with a user of the media device based on an internet protocol (IP) address associated with the media device; and

generating media exposure information indicating exposure of a demographic segment to at least one of the genre or the artist based on the demographic information and the metadata.

2. A method as defined in claim 1, further comprising detecting and timestamping content change events in association with corresponding ones of the extracted metadata, and generating the media exposure information based on the timestamped content change events.

3. A method as defined in claim 2, wherein the timestamped content change events are tuning change events caused by the user tuning to different Internet streaming radio stations.

4. A method as defined in claim 1, further comprising associating the media exposure information with a device type of the media device.

5. A method as defined in claim 4, wherein the device type is selectable from a list including a portable media device and a stationary media device.

6. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the IP address is a public IP address assigned by an Internet service provider to a gateway through which the media device accesses the Internet to receive the streaming media transmissions.

7. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the streaming media transmissions include at least one of audio content or video content.

8. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein generating the media exposure information includes generating a media popularity metric indicative of a popularity of the at least one of the genre or the artist among at least one of an age group, a demographic segment, or a gender.

9. An apparatus to monitor streaming media transmissions received at a media device, comprising:

a meter to extract and timestamp metadata from streaming media transmissions received at a media device, the metadata identifying at least one of a genre or an artist;

a demographics determiner to identify demographic information associated with a user of the media device based on an internet protocol (IP) address associated with the media device; and

an exposure metric determiner to generate media exposure information indicating exposure of a demographic segment to at least one of the genre or the artist based on the demographic information and the metadata.

10. An apparatus as defined in claim 9, wherein the meter is to detect and timestamp content change events in association with corresponding ones of the extracted metadata, the exposure metric determiner further to generate the media exposure information based on the timestamped content change events.

11. An apparatus as defined in claim 10, wherein the timestamped content change events are tuning change events caused by the user tuning to different Internet streaming radio stations.

12. An apparatus as defined in claim 9, wherein the exposure metric determiner is to associate the media exposure information with a device type of the media device.

13. An apparatus as defined in claim 12, wherein the device type is selectable from a list including a portable media device and a stationary media device.

14. An apparatus as defined in claim 9, wherein the IP address is a public IP address assigned by an Internet service provider to a gateway through which the media device accesses the Internet to receive the streaming media transmissions.

15. An apparatus as defined in claim 9, wherein the streaming media transmissions include at least one of audio content or video content.

16. An apparatus as defined in claim 9, wherein the exposure metric determiner is to generate a media popularity metric indicative of a popularity of the at least one of the genre or the artist among at least one of an age group, a demographic segment, or a gender.

17-24. -24. (canceled)

25. A method to monitor media exposure for streaming media transmissions received at media devices, comprising:

receiving first media exposure information associated with first streaming media received at a first device of a first device type, the first media exposure information generated based on first metadata extracted from the first streaming media at the first device;

receiving second media exposure information associated with second streaming media received at a second device of a second device type, the second media exposure information generated based on second metadata extracted from the second streaming media at the second device, the first and second streaming media corresponding to a same program content; and

determining an audience share metric indicating a percentage of audience of the second device type accessing the same program content as audience of the first device type based on the first and second media exposure information.

26. A method as defined in claim 25, further comprising:

retrieving first demographic information associated with a first user of the first device based on a first internet protocol (IP) address associated with the first device;

retrieving second demographic information associated with a second user of the second device based on a second IP address associated with the second device; and

associating the first demographic information with the first media exposure information and the second demographic information with the second media exposure information.

27. A method as defined in claim 26, wherein the first IP address is a public IP address assigned by an Internet service provider to a gateway through which the first device accesses the Internet to receive the first streaming media.

28. A method as defined in claim 25, wherein the same program content is defined by at least one of an artist name, a genre, a song title, or a television program title.

29-45. -45. (canceled)