Methods and apparatus for media source identification and time shifted media consumption measurements

• US 7,647,604 B2
• Filed: 05/22/2007
• Issued: 01/12/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/22/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Nielsen Company LLC (MOOD Media Corporation)
• Original Assignee: The Nielsen Company LLC (MOOD Media Corporation)
• Inventors: Ramaswamy, Arun
• Primary Examiner(s): Yenke; Brian P
• Application Number:
  US11/752,106
• Publication Number:
  US 20070271300A1
• Time in Patent Office: 966 Days
• Field of Search: 725/9, 725/14, 725/16, 725/19, 725/20, 725/21, 725/80, 725/85, 725/87, 725/133, 725/141, 725/153, 386/1, 386/45, 386/46, 386/125, 386/126
• US Class Current: 725/9
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 2201/90 characterised by the use of signatures
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/40 for identifying broadcast time
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/44 for identifying broadcast stations
• 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 21/266 Channel or content management, e.g. generation and management of keys and entitlement messages in a conditional access system, merging a VOD unicast channel into a multicast channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4325 by playing back content from the storage medium reproduction of recorded television signals H04N5/76; reproduction of recorded television signals H04N9/79
• 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
• 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 21/835 Generation of protective data, e.g. certificates protecting software against unauthorised usage in a vending or licensing environment G06F21/10

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for media source identification and time shifted media consumption measurements are disclosed. A disclosed method identifies a media source by generating first signature information based on media presented via a media delivery device and comparing the first signature information to second signature information. The second signature information is derived from a library of signature information local to the media delivery device. The disclosed method generates a collection of matching signature information based on the comparison of the first and second signature information, and identifies a source of the media presented via the media delivery device based on the collection of matching signature information.

Claims

1. A method of identifying a media source, comprising:

generating first signature information based on media presented via a media delivery device;

comparing the first signature information to second signature information, wherein the second signature information is derived from a library of signature information local to the media delivery device;

generating a collection of matching signature information based on the comparison of the first and second signature information;

identifying a source of the media presented via the media delivery device based on the collection of matching signature information; and

performing a time shift analysis on the collection of matching signature information by identifying records in the collection of matching signature information having substantially identical signature values and substantially different time stamp values, wherein the first signature information includes a first time stamp and a first signature value associated with a first media source communicatively coupled to the media delivery device, and wherein the second signature information includes a second time stamp, a second signature value and a source identifier associated with a second media source communicatively coupled to the media delivery device, wherein at least one of generating the first signature information, comparing the first signature information to second signature information, generating the collection of matching signature information, identifying the source of the media, or performing the time shift analysis are performed by a processor executing instructions stored on a computer readable medium.

2. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein comparing the first and second signature information includes comparing signature values and time stamps.

3. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the first and second media sources are the same media source.

4. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the first and second media sources include at least one of a personal video recorder, a digital versatile disk player, a digital video recorder, a video cassette recorder, a set-top box, or a game console.

5. A method as defined in claim 1, further comprising updating the library of signature information.

6. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the library of signature information is at least one of an XML file, a database file, or a file associated with a hash table of second signature information.

7. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the media presented via the media delivery device includes at least one of a broadcast television program, a broadcast radio program, a game, or a web page.

8. An apparatus as defined in claim 7, wherein the processor is programmed to update the library of signature information.

9. An apparatus as defined in claim 7, wherein the library of signature information is at least one of an XML file, a database file, or a file associated with a hash table of second signature information.

10. An apparatus as defined in claim 7, wherein the media presented via the media delivery device includes at least one of a broadcast television program, a broadcast radio program, a game, or a web page.

11. A method of identifying a media source, comprising:

generating first signature information based on media presented via a media delivery device;

comparing the first signature information to second signature information, wherein the second signature information is derived from a library of signature information local to the media delivery device;

generating a collection of matching signature information based on the comparison of the first and second signature information;

identifying a source of the media presented via the media delivery device based on the collection of matching signature information; and

performing a time shift analysis on the collection of matching signature information by identifying records in the collection of matching signature information having substantially identical signature values and substantially different time stamp values, wherein performing the time shift analysis further comprises identifying delayed presentation of the media via the media delivery device, wherein at least one of generating the first signature information, comparing the first signature information to the second signature information, generating the collection of matching signature information, identifying the source of the media, or performing the time shift analysis are performed by a processor executing instructions stored on a computer readable medium.

12. An apparatus for identifying a media source, comprising:

a memory; and

a processor coupled to the memory and programmed to;

generate first signature information based on media presented via a media delivery device;

compare the first signature information to second signature information, wherein the second signature information is derived from a library of signature information local to the media delivery device;

generate a collection of matching signature information based on the comparison of the first and second signature information;

identify a source of the media presented via the media delivery device based on the collection of matching signature information; and

perform a time shift analysis on the collection of matching signature information by identifying records in the collection of matching signature information having substantially identical signature values and substantially different time stamp values, wherein the first signature information includes a first time stamp and a first signature value associated with a first media source communicatively coupled to the media delivery device, and wherein the second signature information includes a second time stamp, a second signature value and a source identifier associated with a second media source communicatively coupled to the media delivery device.

13. An apparatus as defined in claim 12, wherein the processor is programmed to compare the first and second signature information by comparing signature values and time stamps.

14. An apparatus as defined in claim 12, wherein the first and second media sources are the same media source.

15. An apparatus as defined in claim 12, wherein the first and second media sources include at least one of a personal video recorder, a digital versatile disk player, a digital video recorder, a video cassette recorder, a set-top box, or a game console.

16. An apparatus as defined in claim 12, wherein the processor is programmed to perform the time shift analysis by further identifying delayed presentation of the media via the media delivery device.

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

generate first signature information based on media presented via a media delivery device;

compare the first signature information to second signature information, wherein the second signature information is derived from a library of signature information local to the media delivery device;

generate a collection of matching signature information based on the comparison of the first and second signature information;

identify a source of the media presented via the media delivery device based on the collection of matching signature information; and

perform a time shift analysis on the collection of matching signature information by identifying records in the collection of matching signature information having substantially identical signature values and substantially different time stamp values, wherein the first signature information includes a first time stamp and a first signature value associated with a first media source communicatively coupled to the media delivery device, and wherein the second signature information includes a second time stamp, a second signature value and a source identifier associated with a second media source communicatively coupled to the media delivery device.

18. A machine readable medium as defined in claim 17 having instructions stored thereon that, when executed, cause the machine to compare the first and second signature information by comparing signature values and time stamps.

19. A machine readable medium as defined in claim 17, wherein the first and second media sources are the same media source.

20. A machine readable medium as defined in claim 17, wherein the first and second media sources include at least one of a personal video recorder, a digital versatile disk player, a digital video recorder, a video cassette recorder, a set-top box, or a game console.

21. A machine readable medium as defined in claim 17 having instructions stored thereon that, when executed, cause the machine to perform the time shift analysis by further identifying delayed presentation of the media via the media delivery device.

22. A machine readable medium as defined in claim 17 having instructions stored thereon that, when executed, cause the machine to update the library of signature information.

23. A machine readable medium as defined in claim 17, wherein the library of signature information is at least one of an XML file, a database file, or a file associated with a hash table of second signature information.

24. A machine readable medium as defined in claim 17, wherein the media presented via the media delivery device includes at least one of a broadcast television program, a broadcast radio program, a game, or a web page.

25. A method of identifying a media source, comprising:

generating first signature information based on media presented via a media delivery device at a media consumption location;

comparing the first signature information to second signature information, wherein the second signature information is derived from a library of signature information stored at the media consumption location;

generating a collection of matching signature information based on the comparison of the first and second signature information;

identifying a source of the media presented via the media delivery device based on the collection of matching signature information; and

performing a time shift analysis on the collection of matching signature information by identifying records in the collection of matching signature information having substantially identical signature values and substantially different time stamp values, wherein the first signature information includes a first time stamp and a first signature value associated with a first media source communicatively coupled to the media delivery device, and wherein the second signature information includes a second time stamp, a second signature value and a source identifier associated with a second media source communicatively coupled to the media delivery device, and wherein at least one of generating the first signature information, comparing the first signature information to second signature information, generating the collection of matching signature information, identifying the source of the media, or performing the time shift analysis are performed by a processor executing instructions stored on a computer readable medium.

26. A method as defined in claim 25, wherein comparing the first and second signature information includes comparing signature values and time stamps.

27. A method as defined in claim 25 wherein the first and second media sources are the same media source.

28. A method as defined in claim 25, wherein the first and second media sources include at least one of a personal video recorder, a digital versatile disk player, a digital video recorder, a video cassette recorder, a set-top box, or a game console.

29. A method as defined in claim 25, wherein performing the time shift analysis further comprises identifying delayed presentation of the media via the media delivery device.

30. A method as defined in claim 25, wherein the library of signature information is generated at the media consumption location.