METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR AUDIENCE MEASUREMENT

• US 20130312019A1
• Filed: 05/16/2012
• Published: 11/21/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/16/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Nielsen Company LLC (MOOD Media Corporation)
• Original Assignee: The Nielsen Company LLC (MOOD Media Corporation)
• Inventors: McMillan, Francis Gavin
• Granted Patent: US 9,219,559 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/14
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 2201/90 characterised by the use of signatures
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/31 Arrangements for monitoring the use made of the broadcast services
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/58 of audio determination or detection of speech characteristics in general G10L25/00; speech recognition in general G10L15/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42203 sound input device, e.g. microphone
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44213 Monitoring of end-user related data arrangements for monitoring the users' 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

Abstract

Methods and systems are disclosed for audience measurement. An example method includes identifying at least one of a media device, an operation command, or a person in response to a voice command. The voice command is spoken by a user to control the media device. The example method includes collecting audience measurement data related to at least one of the media device, the person, or the user. The example method includes associating the at least one of the media device, the operation command, or the person with the audience measurement data.

Claims

1. A method of audience measurement, the method comprising:

identifying at least one of a media device, an operation command, or a person in response to a voice command, the voice command having been spoken by a user to control the media device;

collecting audience measurement data related to at least one of the media device, the person, or the user; and

associating the at least one of the media device, the operation command, or the person with the audience measurement data.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

applying a first timestamp to the audience measurement data;

applying a second timestamp to information identifying the at least one of the media device, the operation command, or the person; and

associating the at least one of the media device, the operation command, or the person with the audience measurement data based on the first and second timestamps.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the audience measurement data is representative of at least one of an operating state of the media device, a source of media presented by the media device, a volume of the media presented by the media device, or a number of audience members.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein collecting the audience measurement data includes extracting a code from an audio signal to identify at least one of media presented by the media device or a source of the media presented by the media device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein collecting the audience measurement data includes generating a signature based on an audio signal to identify at least one of media presented by the media device or a source of the media presented by the media device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one of the media device, the operation command, or the person are identified using a reference table, the reference table comprising at least one of reference media device identifiers, reference commands, or reference person identifiers.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein associating the at least one of the media device, the operation command, or the person with the audience measurement data comprises:

detecting a change in state of the media device based on the audience measurement data;

determining if the operation command was received within a time period during which the change in the state of the media device occurred; and

confirming a crediting of the audience measurement data if the operation command was received within the time period of the change in state.

8. An audience measurement system, the system comprising:

a voice command recognizer to identify at least one of a media device, an operation command, or a person based on a voice command, the voice command having been spoken by a user to control the media device;

a data collector to collect audience measurement data related to at least one of the media device or the person; and

an association analyzer to associate the at least one of the media device, the operation command, or the person with the audience measurement data.

9. The system of claim 8, further comprising a timestamper to:

timestamp the audience measurement data; and

timestamp information identifying the at least one of the media device, the operation command, or the person, the association analyzer to associate the at least one of the media device, the operation command, or the person with the audience measurement data based on the timestamps.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the audience measurement data is representative of at least one of an operating state of the media device, a source of media presented by the media device, a volume of the media presented by the media device, or a number of audience members.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the data collector collects the audience measurement data by extracting a code from an audio signal to identify at least one of media presented by the media device or a source of the media presented by the media device.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the data collector collects the audience measurement data by generating a signature based on an audio signal to identify at least one of media presented by the media device or a source of the media presented by the media device.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the at least one of the media device, the operation command, or the person are identified using a reference table, the reference table comprising at least one of reference media device identifiers, reference commands, or reference person identifiers.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein the association analyzer is to:

detect a change in state of the media device based on the audience measurement data;

determine if the operation command was received within a time period during which the change in the state of the media device occurred; and

confirm a crediting of the audience measurement data if the operation command was received within the time period of the change in state.

15. A tangible computer readable storage medium comprising instructions that, when executed, cause a computing device to at least:

identify at least one of a media device, an operation command, or a person in response to a voice command, the voice command having been spoken by a user to control the media device;

collect audience measurement data related to at least one of the media device, the person, or the user; and

associate the at least one of the media device, the operation command, or the person with the audience measurement data.

16. The computer readable storage medium of claim 15, further comprising instructions that, when executed, cause the computing device to:

apply a first timestamp to the audience measurement data;

apply a second timestamp to information identifying the at least one of the media device, the operation command, or the person;

and associate the at least one of the media device, the operation command, or the person with the audience measurement data based on the first and second timestamps.

17. The computer readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the audience measurement data is representative of at least one of an operating state of the media device, a source of media presented by the media device, a volume of the media presented by the media device, or a number of audience members.

18. The computer readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein collecting the audience measurement data includes extracting a code from an audio signal to identify at least one of media presented by the media device or a source of the media presented by the media device.

19. The computer readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein collecting the audience measurement data includes generating a signature based on an audio signal to identify at least one of media presented by the media device or a source of the media presented by the media device.

20. The computer readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the at least one of the media device, the operation command, or the person are identified using a reference table, the reference table comprising at least one of reference media device identifiers, reference commands, or reference person identifiers.

21. The computer readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein associating the at least one of the media device, the operation command, or the person with the audience measurement data comprises:

detecting a change in state of the media device based on the audience measurement data;

determining if the operation command was received within a time period during which the change in the state of the media device occurred; and

confirming a crediting of the audience measurement data if the operation command was received within the time period of the change in state.