Interactive service device metering systems

• US 7,644,422 B2
• Filed: 10/31/2002
• Issued: 01/05/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/11/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nielsen Company (US) LLC (RR Donnelley & Sons Company)
• Original Assignee: The Nielsen Company LLC (MOOD Media Corporation)
• Inventors: Bhatia, Manish, Samson, Jerome, Feininger, William A., Harkness, David H., Lu, Daozheng
• Primary Examiner(s): Kelley; Christopher
• Assistant Examiner(s): BROWN, RUEBEN M
• Application Number:
  US10/284,409
• Publication Number:
  US 20030110485A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,623 Days
• Field of Search: 725 9- 22, 725/14, 705/5
• US Class Current: 725/9
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/82 using signals not modulated onto a carrier
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/31 Arrangements for monitoring the use made of the broadcast services
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/45 for identifying users
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/00 Arrangements for metering, time-control or time indication ; Metering, charging or billing arrangements for voice wireline or wireless communications, e.g. VoIP
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4722 for requesting additional data associated with the content
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02

Abstract

A metering system meters usage of on-line and off-line services by way of interactive service devices. Interactive service devices may include personal computers and non-personal-computers. Non-personal-computers may include network computers, gaming devices, Internet televisions, Internet telephones, and the like. The on-line service usage may include Internet usage such as which home pages, advertisements, and other Internet resources are accessed by a user. The off-line service usage may include application program usage such as which application programs are executed by a user.

Claims

1. An apparatus for use with an interactive service device, the apparatus comprising:

a passive communication listener to be coupled to the interactive service device for acquiring usage information from the interactive service device without intercepting communications of the interactive service device, wherein the passive communication listener is configured to

distinguish between on-line communications and off-line communications associated with the interactive service device,

identify which of the on-line communications or off-line communications is employed by the interactive service device,

designate a first usage information extraction technique based on identifying the on-line communications or a second usage information technique based on identifying the off-line communications,

and extract usage information using the designated first or second information extraction technique, wherein the usage information is associated with at least one of an on-line service or a software application.

2. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the on-line communications and off-line communications are associated with an operating system.

3. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the on-line communications are associated with a communication device driver and the off-line communications are associated with the software application.

4. An apparatus as defined in claim 3, wherein the communication device driver and the software application are resident within the interactive service device.

5. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the interactive service device is one of a computer, a television, a set-top box or a non-personal computer.

6. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the passive communication listener is configured to detect a communication event prior to identifying the type of communications.

7. An apparatus as defined in claim 6, wherein the communication event is associated with at least one of a local area network or a modem.

8. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the passive communication listener is configured to monitor use of the software application.

9. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the passive communication listener is configured to process at least one of biometric information or personal characteristic information.

10. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the passive communication listener is configured to monitor inputs to an operating system to detect personal characteristics of a user of the interactive service device.

11. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the passive communication listener includes a plurality of machine executable instructions stored on a memory.

12. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the passive communication listener is configured to monitor information conveyed between an operating system and one of a communication device driver or the software application.

13. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the passive communication listener is configured to copy transmitted data and delay processing the copied data so that the copied data is processed during periods of relatively low processing unit usage.

14. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the passive communication listener is responsive to a communication event to detect access of at least one of the on-line service or the software application.

15. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the passive communication listener is configured to detect the manner in which at least a portion of the usage information is viewed by a user of the interactive service device.

16. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the passive communication listener is configured to receive the usage information from a tapping device communicatively coupled to the interactive service device.

17. A method of extracting usage information associated with an interactive service device without intercepting communications of the interactive service device, the method comprising:

distinguishing between on-line communications and off-line communications associated with the interactive service device;

identifying which of the on-line communications or off-line communications is employed by the interactive service device;

designating a first usage information extraction technique based on identifying the on-line communications or a second usage information technique based on identifying the off-line communications; and

using a processor to extract the usage information using the designated first or second information extraction technique, wherein the usage information is associated with at least one of an on-line service or a software application.

18. A method as defined in claim 17, wherein at least one of the on-line communications or off-line communications is associated with an operating system.

19. A method as defined in claim 17, wherein the on-line communications are associated with a communication device driver and the off-line communications are associated with the software application.

20. A method as defined in claim 19, wherein the communication device driver and the software application are resident within the interactive service device.

21. A method as defined in claim 17, wherein the interactive service device is one of a computer, a television, a set-top box or a non-personal computer.

22. A method as defined in claim 17, further including detecting a communication event prior to identifying the at least one of the on-line communications or the off-line communications.

23. A method as defined in claim 22, wherein the communication event is associated with at least one of a local area network or a modem.

24. A method as defined in claim 17, further including monitoring usage of the software application.

25. A method as defined in claim 17, further including processing at least one of biometric information or personal characteristic information.

26. A method as defined in claim 17, further including monitoring inputs to an operating system to detect personal characteristics of a user of the interactive service device.

27. A method as defined in claim 17, further including monitoring information conveyed between an operating system and one of a communication device driver or the software application.

28. A method as defined in claim 17, further including copying transmitted data and delaying processing of the copied data so that the copied data is processed during periods of relatively low processing unit usage.

29. A method as defined in claim 17, further including responding to a communication event to detect access of at least one of the on-line service or the software application.

30. A method as defined in claim 17, further including detecting the manner in which at least a portion of the usage information is viewed by a user of the interactive service device.

31. A method as defined in claim 17, further including receiving the usage information from a tapping device communicatively coupled to the interactive service device.

32. A machine readable medium having instruction stored thereon that, when executed, cause a machine to:

acquire a signal associated with the interactive service device without intercepting communications of the interactive service device;

distinguish between on-line communications and off-line communications associated with an interactive service device;

identify which of the on-line communications or off-line communications is employed by the interactive service device;

designate a first usage information extraction technique based on identifying the on-line communications or a second usage information technique based on identifying the off-line communications; and

extract the usage information using the designated first or second information extraction technique, wherein the usage information is associated with at least one of an on-line service or a software application.

33. A machine readable medium as defined in claim 32, wherein the on-line communications are associated with a communication device driver and the off-line communications are associated with the software application.

34. A machine readable medium as defined in claim 32, having instructions stored thereon that, when executed, cause the machine to detect a communication event prior to identifying at least one of the on-line communications or the off-line communications.

35. A machine readable medium as defined in claim 34 having instructions stored thereon that, when executed, cause the machine to monitor usage of the software application.

36. A machine readable medium as defined in claim 32 having instructions stored thereon that, when executed, cause the machine to monitor information conveyed between an operating system and one of a communication device driver or the software application.

37. A machine readable medium as defined in claim 32 having instructions stored thereon that, when executed, cause the machine to respond to a communication event to detect access of at least one of the on-line service or the software application.

38. A machine readable medium as defined in claim 32 having instructions stored thereon that, when executed, cause the machine to detect the manner in which at least a portion of the usage information is viewed by a user of the interactive service device.