Detecting and measuring exposure to media content items

• US 8,358,966 B2
• Filed: 10/08/2009
• Issued: 01/22/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Nielsen Company LLC (MOOD Media Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Astro West LLC (MOOD Media Corporation)
• Inventors: Zito, Tom, Klein, Mark D., Alcorn, Allan E., Fletcher, Gary S. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Sobutka, Philip
• Application Number:
  US12/576,184
• Publication Number:
  US 20100257052A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,202 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 455/2.01
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0246 Traffic
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0261 based on user location

Abstract

User exposure to media items is detected and measured. A mobile client device carried by a user digitally samples the audio environment of the user on a regular basis. These samples are transformed into a stream of data signatures and compared with reference media items to detect user exposure to the reference items. Purchase behavior following exposure to selected media content items can be detected and tracked as well, so as to gauge effectiveness of media items such as advertisements.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for detecting user exposure to media items, comprising:

at an electronic device, receiving a plurality of reference media items from at least one media source;

at the electronic device, receiving a representation of at least one target media item from at least one electronic client device, wherein receiving a representation of at least one target media item from at least one client device is performed by at least one electronic data signature stream collection server;

at the electronic device, identifying one of the reference media items as corresponding to the target media item; and

at an output device, generating output signaling user exposure to the identified reference media item.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein each electronic client device comprises an electronic mobile client device.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein each electronic mobile client device is carried by a user.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein each electronic mobile client device comprises one selected from the group consisting of:

a mobile telephone;

a personal digital assistant;

a handheld computer;

a laptop computer;

a wristwatch;

a portable game player; and

a portable music player.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein each reference media item comprises audio content, and the target media item comprises audio content.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

at the electronic device, generating a signature representing each reference media item; and

at the electronic device, generating a signature representing each target media item;

and wherein identifying one of the reference media items as corresponding to the target media item comprises detecting, at the electronic device, a match between a reference media item signature and a target media item signature.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 6, wherein:

generating a signature representing each reference media item is performed at an electronic media receiver associated with a network operations center;

generating a signature representing each target media item is performed at an electronic component of the network operations center; and

identifying one of the reference media items is performed at an electronic component of the network operations center.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein each received representation of a target media item comprises a signature representing the target media item, the method further comprising:

at the electronic device, generating a signature representing each reference media item; and

wherein identifying one of the reference media items as corresponding to the target media item comprises detecting, at the electronic device, a match between a reference media item signature and a target media item signature.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, wherein:

each signature representing a target media item is generated at an electronic client device;

generating a signature representing each reference media item is performed at an electronic media receiver associated with a network operations center; and

identifying one of the reference media items as corresponding to the target media item is performed at an electronic component of a network operations center.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein each received representation of a target media item comprises a signature representing the target media item, and wherein each received representation of a reference media item comprises a signature representing the reference media item;

and

wherein identifying one of the reference media items as corresponding to the target media item comprises detecting, at the electronic device, a match between a reference media item signature and a target media item signature.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein each received representation of a reference media item comprises a signature representing the reference media item, the method further comprising:

at the electronic device, generating a signature representing each target media item; and

wherein identifying one of the reference media items as corresponding to the target media item comprises detecting, at the electronic device, a match between a reference media item signature and a target media item signature.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 11, wherein:

each signature representing a reference media item is generated at an electronic media receiver associated with a network operations center;

generating a signature representing each target media item is performed at an electronic client device; and

identifying one of the reference media items as corresponding to the target media item is performed at an electronic client device.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 12, further comprising:

transmitting, from the electronic client device to the network operations center, an indication of at least one match between a reference media item and a target media item.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein each reference media item comprises a sample of received reference media.

15. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein each target media item comprises a sample of received target media.

16. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein receiving a plurality of reference media items comprises:

at the electronic device, receiving a reference media stream and sampling the reference media stream.

17. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein receiving a plurality of reference media items comprises:

at the electronic device, receiving a reference media stream and dividing the reference media stream into a plurality of files.

18. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein receiving a representation of at least one target media item comprises:

at the electronic device, receiving a target media stream and sampling the target media stream.

19. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein receiving a representation of at least one target media item comprises:

at the electronic device, receiving a target media stream and dividing the target media stream into a plurality of files.

20. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the electronic client device comprises a microphone having a use other than recording target media items, and wherein the electronic client device receives the at least one target media item via the microphone.

21. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising detecting a location for the electronic client device, and wherein identifying one of the reference media items as corresponding to the target media item comprises:

at the electronic device, correlating the detected location with a location of at least one geographically identifiable sponsor of a reference media item.

22. The computer-implemented method of claim 21, wherein detecting a location for the client device comprises, at the electronic device, detecting the location via at least one selected from the group consisting of:

GPS tracking;

RFID tracking;

Bluetooth tracking.

23. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein receiving a plurality of reference media items comprises receiving, at the electronic device, at least one broadcast.

24. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein receiving a plurality of reference media items comprises receiving, at the electronic device, at least one media item read from a fixed medium.

25. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein receiving a plurality of reference media items comprises receiving, at the electronic device, at least one media item from a non-broadcast source.

26. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein receiving a plurality of reference media items comprises receiving, at the electronic device, at least one broadcast, and wherein the representation of at least one target media item indicates user exposure at a time other than the time of the broadcast.

27. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein generating output signaling user exposure to the identified reference media item comprises:

at the output device, generating a report.

28. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising receiving, at the electronic device, consumer purchasing information, and wherein generating output signaling user exposure to the identified reference media item comprises generating a report at the output device correlating user purchasing info with user exposure to the identified reference media item.

29. The computer-implemented method of claim 28, wherein receiving consumer purchasing information comprises receiving, at the electronic device, at least one indication of user use of a credit card.

30. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein receiving a plurality of reference media items is performed by at least one electronic media receiver.

31. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein receiving a representation of at least one target media item from at least one client device comprises:

at the electronic device, selecting, based on at least one of load and geographic proximity to the client device, one of a plurality of electronic data signature stream collection servers; and

receiving the representation of at least one target media item at the selected electronic data signature stream collection server.

32. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the target media item comprises an advertisement.

33. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein at least one electronic client device is positioned to detect audio from a media play device.

34. A computer-implemented method for detecting broadcast of a target media item, comprising:

at an electronic device, receiving a plurality of reference media items from at least one broadcast media source;

at the electronic device, receiving a representation of a target media item, wherein receiving the representation of at least one target media item is performed by at least one electronic data signature stream collection server;

at the electronic device, identifying one of the reference media items as corresponding to the target media item; and

at an output device, generating output signaling that the target media item has been broadcast.

35. A system for detecting user exposure to media items, comprising:

a server, for receiving a plurality of reference media items from at least one media receiver;

at least one stream collection server, for receiving a representation of at least one target media item from at least one client device;

a stream store, coupled to the server and to the at least one stream collection server, for storing a representation of at least a subset of the received reference media items and for storing a representation of the at least one target media item;

a correlator server, coupled to the stream store, for identifying one of the reference media items as corresponding to the target media item; and

an output device, coupled to the correlator server, for generating output signaling user exposure to the identified reference media item.

36. The system of claim 35, wherein each client device comprises a mobile client device.

37. The system of claim 35, wherein each mobile client device is carried by a user.

38. The system of claim 35, wherein each mobile client device comprises one selected from the group consisting of:

a mobile telephone;

a personal digital assistant;

a handheld computer;

a laptop computer;

a wristwatch;

a portable game player; and

a portable music player.

39. The system of claim 35, wherein each reference media item comprises audio content, and the target media item comprises audio content.

40. The system of claim 35, further comprising:

a transformation server, for generating a signature representing each reference media item and for generating a signature representing each target media item; and

wherein the correlator server identifies one of the reference media items as corresponding to the target media item by detecting a match between a reference media item signature and a target media item signature.

41. The system of claim 40, wherein the transformation server and the correlator server are located at a network operations center.

42. The system of claim 35, wherein each received representation of a target media item comprises a signature representing the target media item, the system further comprising:

a transformation server, for generating a signature representing each reference media item;

and wherein the correlator server identifies one of the reference media items as corresponding to the target media item by detecting a match between a reference media item signature and a target media item signature.

43. The system of claim 42, wherein:

each signature representing a target media item is generated at a client device; and

wherein the transformation server and the correlator server are located at a network operations center.

44. The system of claim 35, wherein each received representation of a target media item comprises a signature representing the target media item, and wherein each received representation of a reference media item comprises a signature representing the reference media item;

and

wherein the correlator server identifies one of the reference media items as corresponding to the target media item by detecting a match between a reference media item signature and a target media item signature.

45. The system of claim 35, wherein each received representation of a reference media item comprises a signature representing the reference media item, the system further comprising:

a transformation mechanism, for generating a signature representing each target media item; and

wherein the correlator server identifies one of the reference media items as corresponding to the target media item by detecting a match between a reference media item signature and a target media item signature.

46. The system of claim 35, wherein each reference media item comprises a sample of received reference media.

47. The system of claim 35, wherein each target media item comprises a sample of received target media.

48. The system of claim 35, wherein the server receives a reference media stream and samples the reference media stream.

49. The system of claim 35, wherein the server receives a reference media stream and divides the reference media stream into a plurality of files.

50. The system of claim 35, wherein the stream collection server receives a target media stream and samples the target media stream.

51. The system of claim 35, wherein the stream collection server receives a target media stream and divides the target media stream into a plurality of files.

52. The system of claim 35, wherein each client device comprises a microphone having a use other than recording target media items, and wherein the client device receives the at least one target media item via the microphone.

53. The system of claim 35, wherein the plurality of reference media items comprises at least one broadcast.

54. The system of claim 35, wherein the plurality of reference media items comprises at least one media item read from a fixed medium.

55. The system of claim 35, wherein the plurality of reference media items comprises at least one media item from a non-broadcast source.

56. The system of claim 35, wherein the output device generates a report signaling user exposure to the identified reference media item.

57. The system of claim 35, wherein the target media item comprises an advertisement.

58. The system of claim 35, wherein at least one client device is positioned to detect audio from a media play device.

59. A system for detecting broadcast of a target media item, comprising:

a server, for receiving a plurality of reference media items from at least one broadcast media source;

at least one stream collection server, for receiving a representation of a target media item;

a correlator server, for identifying one of the reference media items as corresponding to the target media item; and

an output device, coupled to the correlator server, for generating output signaling that the target media item has been broadcast.

60. A system for detecting user exposure to media items, comprising:

a server, for receiving a plurality of reference media items from at least one media receiver;

a transformation server, for generating a signature for each received reference media item, the transformation server being located at a network operations center;

a client device interface, for transmitting at least a subset of the generated signatures to at least one client device and for receiving from a client device an indication as to whether any target media items match any generated signature; and

an output device, coupled to the client device interface, for generating output signaling user exposure to the identified reference media item.

61. A computer-implemented method for detecting user exposure to media items, comprising:

at an electronic device, receiving a plurality of reference media items from at least one media source;

at the electronic device, receiving, from at least one electronic client device;

a representation of at least one target media item; and

an indication as to whether the electronic client device is in the physical possession of a person at a time of exposure to the target media item; and

responsive to an indication that the electronic client device is in the physical possession of a person at the time of exposure to the target media item;

at the electronic device, identifying one of the reference media items as corresponding to the target media item; and

at an output device, generating output signaling user exposure to the identified reference media item.

62. The computer-implemented method of claim 61, further comprising:

responsive to an indication that the client device is not in the physical possession of a person at the time of exposure to the target media item, ignoring the representation of the at least one target media item from the client device.

63. The computer-implemented method of claim 61, further comprising:

responsive to an indication that the client device is not in the physical possession of a person at the time of exposure to the target media item;

at an electronic device, identifying one of the reference media items as corresponding to the target media item; and

at the output device, generating output signaling user exposure to the identified reference media item, wherein the output is flagged as having reduced reliability.

64. The computer-implemented method of claim 61, wherein the indication as to whether the client device is in the physical possession of a person is provided based on output of at least one sensor associated with the client device.

65. The computer-implemented method of claim 64, wherein the at least one sensor detects at least one selected from the group consisting of:

vibration of the client device;

key presses on the client device;

temperature of the client device; and

movement of the client device.

66. A client device for detecting user exposure to media items, comprising:

an audio input device, for detecting a media item by receiving auditory input from a media source;

a sensor, for detecting whether the client device is in the physical possession of a person at the time of detection of the media item; and

a transmitter, for, responsive to the sensor indicating that the transmitter client device is in the physical possession of a person at the time of detection of the media item, transmitting a representation of the detected media item.

67. The client device of claim 66, wherein the sensor comprises at least one selected from the group consisting of:

a vibration sensor, for detecting vibration of the client device;

at least one button, for detecting key presses on the client device;

a thermometer, for detecting temperature of the client device; and

a movement sensor, for detecting movement of the client device.

68. A client device for detecting user exposure to media items, comprising:

an audio input device, for detecting a media item by receiving auditory input from a media source;

a sensor, for detecting whether the client device is in the physical possession of a person at the time of detection of the media item; and

a transmitter, for transmitting a representation of the detected media item, and for transmitting an indication as to whether the client device is in the physical possession of a person at the time of detection of the media item.

69. The client device of claim 68, wherein the sensor comprises at least one selected from the group consisting of:

a vibration sensor, for detecting vibration of the client device;

at least one button, for detecting key presses on the client device;

a thermometer, for detecting temperature of the client device; and

a movement sensor, for detecting movement of the client device.