PRESENCE AND AUTHENTICATION FOR MEDIA MEASUREMENT

• US 20180316966A1
• Filed: 11/05/2015
• Published: 11/01/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Krieger, Ken, Gildfind, Andrew Joseph Alexander, Arini, Nicholas Salvatore, Rowe, Simon Michael, Mirisola, Raimundo
• Granted Patent: US 11,064,250 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/252 Processing of multiple end-users' preferences to derive collaborative data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/254 Management at additional data server, e.g. shopping server, rights management server arrangements for maintenance or administration in data networks H04L41/00; network services using third party service providers H04L67/53
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/258 Client or end-user data management, e.g. managing client capabilities, user preferences or demographics, processing of multiple end-users preferences to derive collaborative data arrangements for services using the result on the distributing side of broadcast systems H04H60/66; profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/30
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/441 Acquiring end-user identification , e.g. using personal code sent by the remote control or by inserting a card
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44218 Detecting physical presence or behaviour of the user, e.g. using sensors to detect if the user is leaving the room or changes his face expression during a TV program methods or arrangements for recognising human body or animal bodies or body parts G06V40/10; methods or arrangements for acquiring or recognising human faces, facial parts, facial sketches, facial expressions G06V40/16; methods or arrangements for recognising movements or behaviour G06V40/20; arrangements for identifying users in broadcast systems H04H60/45
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44226 on social networks
• 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

A method, executed by a processor, is used to determine presence of a viewer at a media device. The method includes receiving viewer biometric data captured by a biometric capture device associated with the media device; determining a category of the viewer based on the captured viewer biometric data; comparing the captured viewer biometric data to a reference to determine a possible identity of the viewer, by: determining a presence probability for the viewer based on a match between the biometric data and the reference, and determining a confidence level for the probability; and when the probability and confidence level equal or exceed a threshold, determining the viewer is present at the media device.

Claims

1. A method for determining viewer presence at a media device, comprising:

receiving, by a location engine executed by a processor of a measurement device from a first device, a first identification of a presence of a viewer at a first location of a building including the first device;

receiving, by the location engine from a second device, a second identification of a presence of the viewer at a second location of the building including the second device, the second location different from and proximate to the first location;

determining, by a presence engine executed by the processor, a first probability of the first identification and a second probability of the second identification, the first probability indicating a first likelihood that the viewer is present at the first location, the second probability indicating a second likelihood that the viewer is present at the second location;

determining, by the presence engine, based on the first probability of the first identification exceeding the second probability of the second identification, that the viewer is viewing media on the first device at the first location and not the second device at the second location;

automatically authenticating, by an authentication engine executed by the processor, without active entry of authentication credential input by the viewer on either the first device or the second device, the viewer to the first device at the first location and not the second device at the second location responsive to determining that the viewer is viewing media on the first device at the first location; and

recording, by a measurement engine executed by the processor, a consumption metric for the viewer of media displayed on the first device responsive to automatically authenticating the viewer to the first device.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising reducing the second probability of the second identification, responsive to the first probability of the first identification exceeding the second probability of the second identification.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising reducing the second probability of the second identification, responsive to a negative historical association between the second location and the viewer.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the second identification of a presence of the viewer at the second location further comprises an identification of a presence of a plurality of viewers including the viewer at the second location;

and

wherein determining that the viewer is viewing media on the first device rather than the second device further comprises reducing the second probability of the second identification, responsive to the first probability of the first identification exceeding the second probability of the second identification.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the measurement device is not able to distinguish individuals of the plurality of viewers at the second location.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating a three-dimensional matrix of viewers, locations, and media devices, by a use matrix engine executed by the processor, indicating the presence of the viewer and first device in the first location, responsive to the determination.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising subsequently identifying that the first device is in a third location;

and updating the matrix to indicate the presence of the viewer and first device in the third location, responsive to the identification.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the matrix further indicates the probability of the first device being in the first location, and the probability of the second device being in the second location.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein authenticating the viewer to the first device at the first location further comprises automatically logging the viewer into a service provided on the first device at the first location based on determining that the viewer is viewing media on the first device at the first location.

22. The method of claim 1, wherein determining that the viewer is viewing media on the first device at the first location further comprises determining that the viewer is viewing media on the first device at the first location subsequent to viewing the media on the second device at the second location;

and

wherein authenticating the viewer to the first device further comprises switching authentication of the viewer from the second device at the second location to the first device at the first location, responsive to determining that the viewer is viewing media on the first device at the first location subsequent to viewing the media on the second device at the second location.

2. (canceled)

3. (canceled)

11. A system for determining viewer presence at a media device, comprising:

a measurement device comprising a processor executing a location engine, a presence engine, an authentication engine, and a measurement engine;

wherein the location engine is configured to;

receive, from a first device, a first identification of a presence of a viewer at a first location of a building including the first device, and

receive, from a second device, a second identification of a presence of the viewer at a second location of the building including the second device, the second location different from and proximate to the first location;

wherein the presence engine is configured to;

determine a first probability of the first identification and a second probability of the second identification, the first probability indicating a first likelihood that the viewer is present at the first location, the second probability indicating a second likelihood that the viewer is present at the second location;

determine that the viewer is viewing media on the first device at the first location and not the second device at the second location, based on the first probability of the first identification exceeding second probability of the second identification; and

wherein the authentication engine is configured to automatically authenticate, without active entry of authentication credential input by the viewer on either the first device or the second device, the viewer to the first device at the first location and not the second device at the second location responsive to determining that the viewer is viewing media on the first device at the first location;

wherein the measurement engine is configured to record a consumption metric for the viewer of media displayed on the first device responsive to authenticating the viewer to the first device.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the presence engine is further configured to reduce the second probability of the second identification, responsive to the first probability of the first identification exceeding the second probability of the second identification.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the presence engine is further configured to reduce the second probability of the second identification, responsive to a negative historical association between the second location and the viewer.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the second identification of a presence of the viewer at the second location further comprises an identification of a presence of a plurality of viewers including the viewer at the second location;

and

wherein the presence engine is further configured to reduce the second probability of the second identification, responsive to the first probability of the first identification exceeding the second probability of the second identification.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the measurement device is not able to distinguish individuals of the plurality of viewers at the second location.

18. The system of claim 11, wherein the measurement device further comprises a use matrix engine configured to generate a three-dimensional matrix of viewers, locations, and media devices, indicating the presence of the viewer and first device in the first location, responsive to the determination.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the matrix further indicates the probability of the first device being in the first location, and the probability of the second device being in the second location.

23. The system of claim 11, wherein the authentication engine is further configured to automatically login the viewer into a service provided on the first device at the first location based on determining that the viewer is viewing media on the first device at the first location.

12. (canceled)

13. (canceled)

20. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that, when executed by one or more data processors, cause the one or more data processors to perform operations comprising:

receiving, from a first device, a first identification of a presence of a viewer at a first location of a building including the first device;

receiving, from a second device, a second identification of a presence of the viewer at a second location of the building including the second device, the second location different from and proximate to the first location;

determining a first probability of the first identification and a second probability of the second identification, the first probability indicating a first likelihood that the viewer is present at the first location, the second probability indicating a second likelihood that the viewer is present at the second location;

determining, based on the first probability of the first identification exceeding the second probability of the second identification, that the viewer is viewing media on the first device at the first location and not the second device at the second location;

automatically authenticating, without active entry of authentication credential input by the viewer on either the first device or the second device, the viewer to the first device at the first location and not the second device at the second location responsive to determining that the viewer is viewing media on the first device at the first location; and

recording a consumption metric for the viewer of media displayed on the first device responsive to authenticating the viewer to the first device.

24. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 20, wherein the operations further comprise automatically logging the viewer into a service provided on the first device at the first location based on determining that the viewer is viewing media on the first device at the first location.