Systems and methods for gathering data concerning usage of media data

• US 7,483,975 B2
• Filed: 03/26/2004
• Issued: 01/27/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/26/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Nielsen Company LLC (MOOD Media Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Arbitron Inc. (MOOD Media Corporation)
• Inventors: Wood, Courtney Lewis, Zhang, Jack K., Jensen, James M., Flanagan, Eugene L. III, Kolessar, Ronald S.
• Primary Examiner(s): WANG, LIANG CHE A
• Application Number:
  US10/811,174
• Publication Number:
  US 20050216509A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,768 Days
• Field of Search: 709/223, 709/224, 709/205, 709/213, 709/218, 709/225, 725/9, 725/10, 725/32, 725/34
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/31 Arrangements for monitoring the use made of the broadcast services
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/44 for identifying broadcast stations
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/45 for identifying users
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44204 Monitoring of content usage, e.g. the number of times a movie has been viewed, copied or the amount which has been watched monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; protecting generic digital content where the protection is independent of the precise nature of the content G06F21/10; arrangements for monitoring the use made of the broadcast services in broadcast systems H04H60/31

Abstract

The present invention concerns methods and systems for gathering data concerning usage of media data provided from a predetermined receiver to a user. First data concerning usage of the media data is gathered by means of a portable monitor carried on the person of the user. Second data concerning usage of media data by the predetermined receiver is gathered by a monitoring system separate from the portable monitor, the second data corresponding to at least a portion of the first data. Audience measurement data is produced based on the first and second data.

Claims

1. A method for gathering data concerning usage of media data provided from a predetermined receiver to a user, comprising:

gathering first data concerning usage of the media data by the predetermined receiver by means of a stationary monitoring system, wherein gathering the first data comprises receiving a first ancillary code encoded in the media data;

gathering second data concerning usage of the media data provided from the predetermined receiver by means of a portable monitor carried on the person of the user, wherein gathering the second data comprises receiving a second ancillary code encoded in the media data;

gathering first time data corresponding to at least one of (1) a time of reception of the media data in the predetermined receiver and (2) a time of recording of the media data in the predetermined receiver;

gathering second time data corresponding to a time of reproduction of the media data in the predetermined receiver;

comparing the first time data with the second time data to determine that one of (1) the time of reception and (2) the time of recording, occurred prior to the time of reproduction; and

producing audience measurement data concerning usage of the media data provided from the predetermined receiver from the first data and the second data.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the predetermined receiver comprises the stationary monitoring system.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the stationary monitoring system comprises software running on a processor of the predetermined receiver.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the predetermined receiver comprises at least one of a media data recording device, a media data playback device, a user- operated recording device, a user-operated playback device, a television, television broadcast reception equipment, a radio, radio broadcast reception equipment, a video cassette player, a digital video disk player, a digital video recorder, a gaming device, a personal video player, an audio cassette player, a compact disk player, a personal audio player, an electronic book, and a personal computer.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the media data comprises at least one of television data, radio data, video cassette data, digital video disk data, digital video recorder data, personal video player data, audio cassette data, compact disk data, personal audio player data, audio data, video data, digital audio data, digital video data, gaming data, streaming media, Internet-supplied data, and personal computer data.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the media data comprises data received by the predetermined receiver from a recording medium.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the media data comprises data recorded by the predetermined receiver after reception thereof by the predetermined receiver.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein producing audience measurement data comprises producing data reflecting both exposure of the user to media data reproduced upon reception thereof by the predetermined receiver and exposure of the user to media data recorded by the predetermined receiver prior to exposure of the user thereto.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein producing audience measurement data comprises producing data reflecting a proportion of media data recorded by the predetermined receiver to which the user was exposed.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein gathering the second data comprises gathering data corresponding to at least a portion of the first data.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein producing the audience measurement data comprises comparing the first data to the second data.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein gathering the first data comprises gathering first media data reception data comprising an indication of at least one of a station, a channel, and a program received by the predetermined receiver, wherein gathering the second data comprises gathering second media data reception data comprising an indication of at least one of a station, a channel, and a program to which the user was exposed, and wherein producing the audience measurement data comprises comparing the first media data reception data to the second media data reception data.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein gathering the first data comprises gathering a time code from the media data, further comprising comparing the time code with the time of detection data to produce data indicating whether the media data received by the predetermined receiver had been recorded prior to the time at which the first data was gathered.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising gathering time of detection data corresponding to a time at which the first data was gathered.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising determining an operational status of the predetermined receiver, based on the time of detection data.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising using the stationary monitoring system to determine the operational status of the predetermined receiver, and wherein the first data comprises data corresponding to the operational status of the predetermined receiver.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising communicating at least one of the first data and the time of detection data to a processor, and using the processor to determine the operational status of the predetermined receiver.

18. The method of claim 1, further comprising gathering time of detection data corresponding to a time at which the second data was gathered.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising determining an operational status of the predetermined receiver, based on the time of detection data.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein gathering the first data comprises gathering a time code from the media data, further comprising comparing the time code with the time of detection data to produce data indicating whether the reproduced media data had been recorded prior to receipt thereof by the portable monitor.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein the predetermined receiver comprises a media data recording device.

22. The method of claim 1, wherein gathering the first data comprises gathering a time code from the media data.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising determining an operational status of the predetermined receiver, based on the time code.

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising using the stationary monitoring system to determine the operational status of the predetermined receiver, and wherein the first data comprises data corresponding to the operational status of the predetermined receiver.

25. The method of claim 23, further comprising using the portable monitor to determine the operational status of the predetermined receiver, and wherein the second data comprises data corresponding to the operational status of the predetermined receiver.

26. The method of claim 23, further comprising communicating at least one of the first data and the second data to a processor, and using the processor to determine the operational status of the predetermined receiver.

27. The method of claim 1, wherein the first data is resolved within a first time interval, wherein the second data is resolved within a second time interval, and wherein the first time interval is shorter than the second time interval.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the first data and the second data comprise an indication of at least one of a station, a channel, a commercial, a segment and a program to which the user is exposed.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein gathering the first data comprises detecting the first ancillary code in audio media received by the predetermined receiver by means of the stationary monitoring system.

30. The method of claim 27, wherein gathering the second data comprises detecting the second ancillary code in audio media data received as acoustic energy by the portable monitor.

31. The method of claim 27, further comprising comparing the first data and the second data to detect correspondence there between and based on a detected correspondence thereof, producing third data representing the usage of media data as reflected by the second data and resolved within a third time interval shorter than the second time interval.

32. The method of claim 1, further comprising gathering user identification data associated with the user, wherein the user identification data uniquely identifies the user.

33. The method of claim 32, further comprising associating the audience measurement data with the user identification data, thereby producing user-specific audience measurement data.

34. The method of claim 1, wherein gathering the first data further comprises:

receiving an audio portion of the media data in the stationary monitoring system; and

detecting the first ancillary code in the audio portion.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein receiving the audio portion of the media data in the stationary monitoring system comprises receiving the audio portion though an audio input device coupling the stationary monitoring system to the predetermined receiver.

36. The method of claim 1, wherein gathering the second data further comprises:

receiving an audio portion of the media data in the portable monitor; and

detecting the second ancillary code in the audio portion.

37. The method of claim 36, wherein receiving the audio portion of the media data in the portable monitor comprises receiving the audio portion by means of a microphone or other transducer.

38. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second ancillary codes comprise the same code.

39. The method of claim 1, where in the first and second ancillary codes comprise different codes.

40. The method of claim 39, wherein gathering the first ancillary code comprises gathering the first ancillary code from one of a video portion of the media data and a data packet of digital media data, and wherein gathering the second ancillary code comprises gathering the second ancillary code from audio media data.

41. The method of claim 1, wherein gathering the first data comprises receiving a data packet broadcast within a digital broadcast channel, wherein the data packet comprises an indication of at least one of a station, a channel, and a program received by the predetermined receiver.

42. The method of claim 1, wherein gathering the second data comprises detecting an ancillary code encoded in an audio portion of the media data received in the portable monitor through a microphone or other transducer.

43. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

communicating the first data and the second data to a processor; and

producing data by means of the processor indicating that an audio portion of the media data received by the predetermined receiver has not been reproduced, based on the first data and the second data.

44. The method of claim 43, wherein the processor produces the data based on the absence in the second data of an indication of at least one of a station, a channel, and a program to which the user was exposed.

45. The method of claim 42, further comprising:

communicating the first data and the second data to a processor; and

producing data by means of the processor indicating that the user left a vicinity of the predetermined receiver, based on the first data and the second data.

46. The method of claim 45, wherein the second data comprises detection error data produced by the portable monitor.

47. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

communicating the first data from the stationary monitoring system to a processor;

communicating the second data from the portable monitor to the processor; and

using the processor to produce the audience measurement data concerning usage of the media data received by the predetermined receiver and reproduced for the user, based on the first data and the second data.

48. The method of claim 1, further comprising communicating the audience measurement data to a remote location.

49. The method of claim 1, further comprising communicating the first data and the second data to a remote location, and wherein producing audience measurement data comprises producing the audience measurement data at the remote location.

50. The method of claim 1, comprising communicating the first data and the second data to a processor, wherein the processor produces the audience measurement data from the first data and the second data.

51. The method of claim 50, wherein the processor compares the first data and the second data to produce the audience measurement data.

52. The method of claim 51, wherein the processor produces match data by comparing the first data to the second data and produces the audience measurement data based on the match data.

53. The method of claim 51, wherein the first data and the second data are based on ancillary codes associated with the media data.

54. The method of claim 51, wherein the first data and the second data comprise signatures extracted from the media data.

55. The method of claim 50, wherein the second data comprises user identification data and the processor associates the user identification data with the audience measurement data.

56. The method of claim 55, wherein the user identification data uniquely identifies the portable monitor.

57. The method of claim 50, wherein the monitoring system comprises the processor.

58. The method of claim 50, wherein the portable monitor comprises the processor.

59. The method of claim 1, wherein the second data comprises user identification data.

60. The method of claim 59, wherein the first data and the second data comprise time data and/or time code data.

61. The method of claim 59, wherein the user identification data uniquely identifies the user.

62. A system for gathering data concerning usage of media data provided from a predetermined receiver to a user, comprising:

a stationary monitoring system coupled with the predetermined receiver for gathering first data concerning usage of the media data by the predetermined receiver, wherein the media data comprises a first ancillary code and a second ancillary code encoded in the media data;

a portable monitor carried on the person of the user having an input to receive the media data provided from the predetermined receiver, for gathering second data concerning usage of the media data provided from the predetermined receiver; and

a processor having at least one input to receive the first data from the stationary monitoring system and the second data from the portable monitor, for producing audience measurement data concerning usage of the media data provided from the predetermined receiver from the first data and the second data,

wherein the stationary monitoring system is operative to gather first time data corresponding to at least one of (1) a time of reception of the media data by the predetermined receiver and (2) a time of recording in the predetermined receiver, wherein the portable monitor is operative to gather second time data corresponding to a time of reproduction of the media data recorded by the predetermined receiver, and wherein the processor is operative to compare the first time data and the second time data to produce data indicating that the media data was recorded at a time prior to reproduction of the media data.

63. The system of claim 62, wherein the predetermined receiver comprises the stationary monitoring system.

64. The system of claim 63, wherein the stationary monitoring system comprises software running on a processor of the predetermined receiver.

65. The system of claim 62, wherein the predetermined receiver comprises at least one of a media data recording device, a media data playback device, a user- operated recording device, a user-operated playback device, a television, television broadcast reception equipment, a radio, radio broadcast reception equipment, a video cassette player, a digital video disk player, a digital video recorder, a gaming device, a personal video player, an audio cassette player, a compact disk player, a personal audio player, an electronic book, and a personal computer.

66. The system of claim 62, wherein the media data comprises at least one of television data, radio data, video cassette data, digital video disk data, digital video recorder data, personal video player data, audio cassette data, compact disk data, personal audio player data, audio data, video data, digital audio data, digital video data, gaming data, streaming media, Internet-supplied data, and personal computer data.

67. The system of claim 62, wherein the media data comprises data received by the predetermined receiver from a recording medium.

68. The method of claim 62, wherein the media data comprises data recorded by the predetermined receiver after reception thereof by the predetermined receiver.

69. The system of claim 62, wherein the audience measurement data comprises data reflecting both exposure of the user to media data reproduced upon reception thereof by the predetermined receiver and exposure of the user to media data recorded by the predetermined receiver prior to exposure of the user thereto.

70. The system of claim 62, wherein the audience measurement data comprises data reflecting a proportion of media data recorded by the predetermined receiver to which the user was exposed.

71. The system of claim 62, wherein the second data corresponds to at least a portion of the first data.

72. The system of claim 71, wherein the processor is operative to compare the first data to the second data.

73. The system of claim 72, wherein the stationary monitoring system is operative to determine an operational status of the predetermined receiver based on the time code, and wherein the first data comprises data corresponding to the operational status of the predetermined receiver.

74. The system of claim 62, wherein the first data comprises first media data reception data comprising an indication of at least one of a station, a channel, and a program received by the predetermined receiver, wherein the second data comprises second media data reception data comprising an indication of at least one of a station, a channel, and a program to which the user was exposed, and wherein the processor is operative to compare the first media data reception data to the second media data reception data.

75. The system of claim 62, further comprising a clock coupled to the stationary monitoring system for gathering time of detection data corresponding to a time at which the first data was gathered.

76. The system of claim 75, wherein the processor is operative to determine an operational status of the predetermined receiver, based on the time of detection data.

77. The system of claim 75, wherein the stationary monitoring system is operative to determine an operational status of the predetermined receiver, based on the time of detection data.

78. The system of claim 75, wherein the first data comprises a time code, and wherein the processor is operative to compare the time code with the time of detection data to produce data indicating whether the reproduced media data had been recorded prior to the time at which the first data was gathered.

79. The system of claim 62, further comprising a clock coupled to the portable monitor for gathering time of detection data corresponding to a time at which the second data was gathered.

80. The system of claim 79, wherein at least one of the portable monitor and the processor is operative to determine an operational status of the predetermined receiver, based on the time of detection data.

81. The system of claim 79, wherein the first data comprises a time code, and wherein at least one of the portable monitor and the processor is operative to compare the time code with the time of detection data to produce data indicating whether the reproduced media data had been recorded prior to receipt thereof by the portable monitor.

82. The system of claim 62, wherein the predetermined receiver comprises a media data recording device.

83. The system of claim 62, wherein the first data comprises a time code gathered from the media data.

84. The system of claim 83, wherein the processor is operative to determine an operational status of the predetermined receiver, based on the time code.

85. The system of claim 62, wherein the portable monitor is operative to detect a time code in the media data, and wherein one of the portable monitor and the processor is operative to determine an operational status of the predetermined receiver.

86. The system of claim 62, wherein the stationary monitoring system is operative to resolve the first data within a first time interval, wherein the portable monitor is operative to resolve the second data within a second time interval, and wherein the first time interval is shorter than the second time interval.

87. The system of claim 86, further comprising an ancillary code encoded in audio media data, wherein the portable monitor is operative to receive the audio media data as acoustic energy, and gather the second data based on the ancillary code.

88. The system of claim 87, further comprising an ancillary code encoded in audio media data received by the predetermined receiver, wherein the stationary monitoring system is operative to receive the audio media data, and gather the first data based on the ancillary code.

89. The system of claim 86, wherein at least one of the stationary monitoring system and the processor is operative to compare the first data and the second data to detect correspondence there between, and based on a detected correspondence thereof, produce third data representing the usage of media data as reflected by the second data and resolved within a third time interval shorter than the second time interval.

90. The system of claim 86, wherein the first data and the second data comprise an indication of at least one of a station, a channel, and a program to which the user is exposed.

91. The system of claim 62, wherein the processor is operative to gather user identification data uniquely identifying the user.

92. The system of claim 91, wherein the processor is operative to associate the audience measurement data with the user identification data, thereby producing user-specific audience measurement data.

93. The system of claim 62, wherein the stationary monitoring system is operative to detect the first ancillary code and the portable monitoring device is operative to detect the second ancillary code.

94. The system of claim 93, wherein the stationary monitoring system comprises:

an audio receiver for receiving an audio portion of the media data; and

a detector coupled to the audio receiver for detecting the first ancillary code in the audio portion of the media data.

95. The system of claim 94, wherein the audio receiver is physically coupled to the predetermined receiver.

96. The system of claim 93, wherein the portable monitor comprises:

an audio receiver for receiving an audio portion of the media data; and

a detector coupled to the audio receiver for detecting the second ancillary code in the audio portion of the media data.

97. The system of claim 96, wherein the audio receiver comprises a microphone or other transducer.

98. The system of claim 93, wherein the first and second ancillary codes comprise the same code.

99. The system of claim 93, wherein the first and second ancillary codes comprise different codes.

100. The system of claim 99, wherein the first ancillary code is encoded in one of a video portion of the media data and a data packet of digital media data, and the second ancillary code is encoded in audio media data.

101. The system of claim 62, wherein the stationary monitoring system is operative to gather the first data from a data packet broadcast in a digital broadcast channel received by the predetermined receiver, wherein the first data comprises an indication of at least one of a station, a channel, and a program received by the predetermined receiver.

102. The system of claim 62, wherein the media data comprises an ancillary code encoded in an audio portion of the media data, and the portable monitor comprises a microphone or other transducer for receiving the audio portion.

103. The system of claim 102, wherein the processor is operative to produce an indication that the audio portion of the media data received by the predetermined receiver has not been reproduced, based on the first data and the second data.

104. The system of claim 103, wherein the processor is operative to produce the indication based on the absence in the second data of an indication of at least one of a station, a channel, and a program to which the user was exposed.

105. The system of claim 102, wherein the processor is operative to produce an indication that the user left a vicinity of the predetermined receiver, based on the first data and the second data.

106. The system of claim 105, wherein the second data comprises detection error data produced by the portable monitor.

107. The system of claim 62, wherein the processor is operative to communicate the audience measurement data to a remote location.

108. The system of claim 62, wherein the processor is located remotely from the stationary monitoring system and the portable monitoring device.

109. The system of claim 62, wherein the monitoring system comprises the processor.

110. The system of claim 62, wherein the portable monitoring comprises the processor.

111. The system of claim 62, wherein the monitoring system comprises a stationary monitoring system.