Research data gathering with a portable monitor and a stationary device

• US 8,738,763 B2
• Filed: 11/06/2007
• Issued: 05/27/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/26/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Nielsen Company LLC (MOOD Media Corporation)
• Original Assignee: The Nielsen Company LLC (MOOD Media Corporation)
• Inventors: Crystal, Jack C., Jensen, James M., Krug, William K., Lynch, Wendell D., Neuhauser, Alan R., Flanagan, Eugene L. III
• Primary Examiner(s): Beharry, Noel
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ali, Farhad
• Application Number:
  US11/935,788
• Publication Number:
  US 20090037575A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,394 Days
• Field of Search: 709/201
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0201 Market modelling; Market analysis; Collecting market data
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 2201/90 characterised by the use of signatures
• 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: H04H 60/52 of users

Abstract

Methods of gathering data concerning a location of an audience member proximate to a content presentation are provided. A stationary device is proximate to the content presentation. A portable monitor is carried by or with the person of an audience member. Location data is obtained by communicating data from the portable monitor to the stationary device, or from the stationary device to the portable monitor, or by comparing data gathered by both the stationary device and the portable monitor.

Claims

1. A method for gathering data concerning exposure to media-data, comprising:

gathering, via a stationary monitoring system, first data concerning exposure to the media output by a media receiver wherein gathering the first data comprises collecting a first ancillary code encoded in the media;

gathering second data concerning exposure to the media output by the media receiver with a portable monitor carried on the person of a user, wherein the second data comprises a second ancillary code encoded in the media;

gathering location data encoded in the media by the stationary monitoring system, the location data providing information on a physical location of the portable monitor relative to the stationary monitoring system; and

producing audience measurement data concerning exposure to the media output by the receiver from the first data, the second data, and the location data.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the media 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 media receiver.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the media receiver comprises at least one of a media recording device, a media 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 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 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 media receiver, wherein gathering the second data comprises gathering second media reception data comprising an indication of at least one of a station, a channel, and a program to which the user was exposed.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising gathering at least one of portable monitor identification data, audience member identification data and audience member demographic data, and producing audience measurement data concerning exposure to the media output by at least one of portable monitor identification data, audience member identification data and audience member demographic data.

8. A system for gathering data concerning exposure to media, comprising:

a stationary monitoring system for gathering first data concerning exposure to the media from a media receiver, wherein gathering the first data comprises gathering a first ancillary code encoded in the media;

a portable monitor for gathering second data concerning exposure to the media output by the media receiver, wherein gathering the second data comprises gathering a second ancillary code encoded in the media;

wherein the portable monitor gathers location data encoded in the media by the stationary monitoring system, the location data providing information on a physical location of the portable monitor relative to the stationary monitoring system; and

a processor comprising at least one input for receiving the first data, second, data, and location data and producing audience measurement data concerning exposure to the media output by the media receiver based on the first data, the second data, and the location data.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the media receiver comprises the stationary monitoring system.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the stationary monitoring system comprises software running on a processor of the media receiver.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the media receiver comprises at least one of a media recording device, a media 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.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the media 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.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the first data comprises first media reception data comprising an indication of at least one of a station, a channel, and a program received by the media receiver, the second data comprises second media reception data comprising an indication of at least one of a station, a channel, and a program to which a user was exposed.

14. The system of claim 8, further comprising gathering at least one of portable monitor identification data, audience member identification data and audience member demographic data, and producing audience measurement data concerning usage of the media output by at least one of portable monitor identification data, audience member identification data and audience member demographic data.

15. A method for gathering data concerning exposure to media related to a content presentation, comprising:

gathering, via a stationary monitoring system, first data concerning exposure to the media output by a media receiver, wherein gathering the first data comprises the stationary monitoring system detecting a first ancillary code encoded in the media;

gathering, via a portable monitor carried on the person of a user, second data concerning exposure to the media output by the media receiver, wherein gathering the second data comprises the portable monitor detecting a second ancillary code encoded in the media;

gathering, via the portable monitor, location data encoded in the media by the stationary monitoring system;

comparing the first and second data to produce presence data indicating a presence of an audience member at the media receiver; and

producing audience measurement data concerning exposure to the media output by the media receiver from the first data, the second data, the location data, and the presence data.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the media receiver comprises the stationary monitoring system.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the media receiver comprises at least one of a media recording device, a media 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.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the media 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.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein gathering the first data comprises gathering first media reception data comprising an indication of at least one of a station, a channel, and a program received by the media receiver, wherein gathering the second data comprises gathering second media reception data comprising an indication of at least one of a station, a channel, and a program to which the user was exposed.

20. The method of claim 15, further comprising gathering at least one of portable monitor identification data, audience member identification data and audience member demographic data, and producing audience measurement data concerning exposure to the media output by at least one of portable monitor identification data, audience member identification data and audience member demographic data.

21. A method for gathering data concerning exposure to media, comprising:

gathering, via a stationary monitoring system, first data concerning exposure to the media output by a media receiver, wherein gathering the first data comprises at least one of (i) gathering a detected first ancillary code encoded in the media, and (ii) gathering a signature extracted from the media;

gathering, via a portable monitor carried on the person of the user, second data concerning exposure to the media output by the media receiver, wherein the second data comprises encoded location data encoded in the media by the stationary monitoring system and at least one of (i) a detected first ancillary code encoded in the media, and (ii) a signature extracted from the media;

comparing the first gathered data to the second gathered data; and

producing audience measurement data associated with the media based on the location data and the comparison of the first gathered data to the second gathered data, the location data encoded in the media by the stationary monitoring system and gathered by the portable monitor, wherein the location data provides information on a physical location of the portable monitor relative to the stationary monitoring system.