Methods and apparatus to maintain audience privacy while determining viewing of video-on-demand programs

• US 8,381,241 B2
• Filed: 04/28/2010
• Issued: 02/19/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/23/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nielsen Company (US) LLC (RR Donnelley & Sons Company)
• Original Assignee: The Nielsen Company LLC (MOOD Media Corporation)
• Inventors: Ramaswamy, Arun, Luff, Robert A.
• Primary Examiner(s): TAYLOR, JOSHUA D
• Application Number:
  US12/769,163
• Publication Number:
  US 20100211967A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,028 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 725/14
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/14 for monitoring programmes
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 2201/90 characterised by the use of signatures
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/372 Programme
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/40 for identifying broadcast time
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/43 for identifying broadcast channels
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/45 for identifying users
• 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: H04H 60/59 of video recognising characters or patterns in general G06F18/00, G06V20/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/64 for providing detail information
• 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 21/25866 Management of end-user data customer care in data networks H04L41/5077
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/442 Monitoring of processes or resources, e.g. detecting the failure of a recording device, monitoring the downstream bandwidth, the number of times a movie has been viewed, the storage space available from the internal hard disk arrangements for monitoring broadcast services or broadcast-related services H04H60/29; arrangements for identifying or recognising characteristics with a direct linkage to broadcast information H04H60/35; monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; monitoring in wireless networks H04W24/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44222 Analytics of user selections, e.g. selection of programs or purchase activity monitoring of user selections in data processing systems G06F11/34; arrangements for monitoring the user's behaviour or opinions in broadcast systems H04H60/33
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• 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 21/8352 involving content or source identification data, e.g. Unique Material Identifier [UMID]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/173 with two-way working, e.g. subscriber sending a programme selection signal

Abstract

Methods and apparatus to maintain audience privacy while determining viewing of video-on-demand (VOD) programs are disclosed. An example method disclosed herein comprises obtaining subscriber metering data from a site metering device monitoring presentation of VOD content at a first subscriber site, obtaining server metering data from a VOD server, the server metering data including identification information for a plurality of subscriber sites to identify particular VOD content provided uniquely to each of the subscriber sites, the identification information manipulated to preserve anonymity of the plurality of subscriber sites, manipulating at least a portion of the subscriber metering data to determine a first manipulated identifier to identify the first subscriber site, and using the first manipulated identifier to cross-reference the manipulated identification information included in the server metering data to merge the subscriber metering data and the portion of the server metering data uniquely associated with the first subscriber site.

Claims

1. A method to monitor presentation of video-on-demand (VOD) content comprising:

obtaining subscriber metering data from a site metering device monitoring presentation of VOD content at a first subscriber site;

obtaining server metering data from a VOD server, the server metering data representative of a plurality of VOD content provided by the VOD server to a plurality of subscriber sites, the server metering data including identification information for the plurality of subscriber sites to identify particular VOD content provided to each of the plurality of subscriber sites, the identification information manipulated to preserve anonymity of the plurality of subscriber sites;

using a metering device identifier included in the subscriber metering data to obtain a first identifier and a second identifier associated with the first subscriber site, the first identifier and the second identifier being different from the metering device identifier and being obtained from data separate from the subscriber metering data and the server metering data, the metering device identifier identifying the site metering device, the first identifier comprising a media device identifier identifying a media device, the media device being different from the site metering device, the media device being used to present the VOD content at the first subscriber site, and the second identifier comprising subscriber identification information other than the media device identifier and the metering device identifier;

combining and manipulating at least the first identifier and the second identifier to determine a first manipulated identifier to identify the first subscriber site, the first manipulated identifier capable of matching a second manipulated identifier for the first subscriber site included in the manipulated identification information of the server metering data to identify a portion of the server metering data that is uniquely associated with the first subscriber site; and

using the first manipulated identifier to cross-reference the manipulated identification information included in the server metering data to merge the subscriber metering data and the portion of the server metering data uniquely associated with the first subscriber site.

2. A method as defined in claim 1 wherein the subscriber metering data comprises a viewing record.

3. A method as defined in claim 2 wherein the viewing record comprises at least one of a VOD indicator, a home unit identifier, a set-top box identifier, channel tuning data or VOD selection data.

4. A method as defined in claim 2 wherein the viewing record comprises a set of entries corresponding to media content presented at predetermined time intervals.

5. A method as defined in claim 1 wherein the subscriber metering data comprises at least one of content identification codes, content signatures, or audience demographics.

6. A method as defined in claim 1 wherein the first identifier comprises a set-top box identifier.

7. A method as defined in claim 1 wherein the server metering data comprises VOD content information.

8. A method as defined in claim 7 wherein the VOD content information comprises a VOD content title.

9. A method as defined in claim 1 wherein the identification information comprises at least one of a set-top box identifier, a subscriber name or a subscriber address for each of the plurality of subscriber sites.

10. A method as defined in claim 1 wherein combining and manipulating the first identifier and the second identifier comprises encrypting a combination of the first identifier and the second identifier.

11. A method as defined in claim 10 wherein encrypting the combination of the first identifier and the second identifier comprises processing the combination of the first identifier and the second identifier with a hash function.

12. A method as defined in claim 1 further comprising replacing original subscriber identification information included in the server metering data with a respective hash identifier for each subscriber site represented in the server metering data to determine the manipulated identification information included in the server metering data.

13. A method as defined in claim 1 wherein using the first manipulated identifier to cross-reference the manipulated identification information included in the server metering data to merge the subscriber metering data and the portion of the server metering data comprises adding the portion of the server metering data uniquely associated with the first subscriber site to the subscriber metering data.

14. A method as defined in claim 1 wherein using the first manipulated identifier to cross-reference the manipulated identification information included in the server metering data to merge the subscriber metering data and the portion of the server metering data comprises using the first manipulated identifier to identify the portion of the server metering data uniquely associated with the first subscriber site while preserving the anonymity of the first subscriber.

15. A method as defined in claim 1 wherein using the first manipulated identifier to cross-reference the manipulated identification information included in the server metering data to merge the subscriber metering data and the portion of the server metering data comprises augmenting the subscriber metering data with the portion of the server metering data uniquely associated with the first subscriber site.

16. A method as defined in claim 15 wherein augmenting the subscriber metering data with the portion of the server metering data uniquely associated with the first subscriber site comprises replacing a VOD indicator in the subscriber metering data with the portion of the server metering data uniquely associated with the first subscriber site.

17. A method as defined in claim 16 wherein replacing the VOD indicator with the portion of the server metering data uniquely associated with the first subscriber site comprises comparing a first timestamp corresponding with the VOD indicator with a second timestamp associated with the portion of the server metering data uniquely associated with the first subscriber site.

18. A tangible machine readable memory device or storage disc storing machine readable instructions that, when executed, cause a machine to at least:

obtain subscriber metering data determined by monitoring a presentation of media content at a first subscriber site, the subscriber metering data comprising a video-on-demand (VOD) indicator to indicate that VOD content was included in the monitored media content presentation;

obtain server metering data from a VOD server that provided the VOD content to the first subscriber site, the server metering data including identification information for each of a plurality of subscriber sites to identify a respective portion of the server metering data associated uniquely with each of the plurality of subscriber sites, the identification information included in the server metering data being manipulated to preserve anonymity of each subscriber site represented in the server metering data;

use a metering device identifier included in the subscriber metering data to obtain a first identifier and a second identifier associated with the first subscriber site, the first identifier and the second identifier being different from the metering device identifier and being obtained from data separate from the subscriber metering data and the server metering data, the metering device identifier identifying a site metering device used to determine the subscriber metering data, the first identifier comprising a media device identifier identifying a media device, the media device being different from the site metering device, the media device being used to present the VOD content at the first subscriber site, and the second identifier comprising subscriber identification information other than the media device identifier and the metering device identifier;

combine at least the first identifier and a second identifier associated with the first subscriber site to determine a combined identifier, the first identifier and the second identifier being formatted to have a same length;

manipulate the combined identifier to determine a first manipulated identifier to identify the first subscriber site, the first manipulated identifier for comparison with the manipulated identification information included in the server metering data to identify a portion of the server metering data that is uniquely associated with the first subscriber site; and

compare the first manipulated identifier determined from the portion of the subscriber metering data and the manipulated identification information included in the server metering data to select the portion of the server metering data that is uniquely associated with the first subscriber site to merge with the subscriber metering data based on the VOD indicator.

19. A tangible machine readable memory device or storage disc as defined in claim 18 wherein the machine readable instructions, when executed, further cause the machine to manipulate the combined identifier to determine a first encrypted subscriber identifier, the first encrypted subscriber identifier to be the first manipulated identifier for comparison with the manipulated identification information included in the server metering data, the manipulated identification information included in the server metering data comprising a plurality of encrypted identifiers associated respectively with the plurality of subscriber sites represented in the server metering data.

20. A tangible machine readable memory device or storage disc as defined in claim 19 wherein to combine the first identifier and the second identifier in parallel to determine the combined identifier, and to manipulate the combined identifier to determine the first encrypted subscriber identifier, the machine readable instructions, when executed, cause the machine to:

exclusive-or the first identifier and the second identifier to combine the first identifier and the second identifier in parallel; and

process the combined identifier with a hash function to determine the first encrypted subscriber identifier.

21. A system to monitor presentation of video-on-demand (VOD) content at a monitored subscriber site associated with a media subscriber, the system comprising:

a metering record hashing unit to encrypt a first set of original subscriber identification information included in a first set of metering data received from a VOD content source to generate a first set of encrypted subscriber identification information to replace the first set of original identification information included in the first set of metering data, the first set of encrypted identification information to allow portions of the first set of metering data to be uniquely associated with respective subscriber sites while preserving anonymity of the subscriber sites, the first set of metering data, except for the first set of encrypted identification information, being stored in cleartext that is unprotected from access by a third party; and

a hashed metering database processor to;

receive a second set of metering data collected at the monitored subscriber site;

obtain a first identifier and a second identifier associated with the monitored subscriber site using a metering device identifier included in the second set of metering data, the first identifier and the second identifier being different from the metering device identifier and obtained from data separate from the first and second sets of metering data, the metering device identifier identifying a site metering device used to collect the second set of metering data, the first identifier comprising a media device identifier identifying a media device, the media device being different from the site metering device, the media device being used to present the VOD content at the monitored subscriber site, and the second identifier comprising subscriber identification information other than the media device identifier and the metering device identifier;

encrypt a combination including the first identifier and the second identifier to determine second encrypted identification information; and

merge the second set of metering data and a portion of the first set of metering data uniquely associated with the monitored subscriber site based on comparing the first set of encrypted identification information and the second encrypted subscriber information to identify the portion of the first set of metering data uniquely associated with the monitored subscriber site while preserving the anonymity of all other subscriber sites represented in the first set of metering data.

22. A system as defined in claim 21 wherein the metering record hashing unit comprises a hash generator to encrypt the first set of original subscriber identification information using a hash function.

23. A system as defined in claim 22 wherein the first set of original subscriber identification information comprises at least one of a media content destination identifier, a subscriber name or a subscriber address for each subscriber site represented in the first set of metering data.

24. A system as defined in claim 23 wherein the media content destination identifier corresponds to a medium access control address.

25. A system as defined in claim 23 wherein the metering record hashing unit comprises a concatenator to concatenate the at least one of the media content destination identifier, the subscriber name or the subscriber address with at least another one of the at least one of the media content destination identifier, the subscriber name or the subscriber address for input to the hash generator.