Methods, systems and apparatus for multi-purpose metering

• US 8,752,081 B2
• Filed: 11/30/2012
• Issued: 06/10/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2006
• 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, Conklin, Charles C., Olmsted, Wayne A., Johnson, Karin Anne, Martensen, Fred, Nelson, Daniel, Topchy, Alexander, Mears, Paul M.
• Primary Examiner(s): CORBO, NICHOLAS T
• Application Number:
  US13/690,652
• Publication Number:
  US 20130174190A1
• Time in Patent Office: 557 Days
• US Class Current: 725/9
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/66 Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41265 having a remote control device for bidirectional communication between the remote control device and client device unidirectional remote control device H04N21/42204
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4394 involving operations for analysing the audio stream, e.g. detecting features or characteristics in audio streams arrangements characterised by components specially adapted for monitoring, identification or recognition of audio in broadcast systems H04H60/58
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44213 Monitoring of end-user related data arrangements for monitoring the users' behaviour or opinions in broadcast systems H04H60/33
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44218 Detecting physical presence or behaviour of the user, e.g. using sensors to detect if the user is leaving the room or changes his face expression during a TV program methods or arrangements for recognising human body or animal bodies or body parts G06V40/10; methods or arrangements for acquiring or recognising human faces, facial parts, facial sketches, facial expressions G06V40/16; methods or arrangements for recognising movements or behaviour G06V40/20; arrangements for identifying users in broadcast systems H04H60/45
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4432 Powering on the client, e.g. bootstrap loading using setup parameters being stored locally or received from the server resetting in general G06F1/14; program loading or initiating in general G06F9/445; bootstrapping in general G06F9/4401; secure boots of computer platforms G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4436 Power management, e.g. shutting down unused components of the receiver power management in computer systems G06F1/3203; hibernate or awake process in computer systems G06F9/4418
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4524 involving the geographical location of the client retrieval from the Internet by querying based on geographical locations G06F16/9537; systems specially adapted for using geographical information in broadcast systems H04H60/70; protocols in which the network application is adapted for the location of the user terminal in communication control or processing H04L67/52; services making use of the location of users or terminals in wireless networks H04W4/02; locating users or terminals in wireless networks H04W64/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for multi-purpose metering are disclosed. An example method includes acquiring a rate of data transfer to/from the monitored location and comparing the acquired rate of data transfer to a threshold. The example method also includes setting at least one media monitoring device in a first bandwidth mode when the acquired rate of data transfer exceeds the threshold, and setting the at least one media monitoring device in a second bandwidth mode when the acquired rate of data transfer is below the threshold.

Claims

1. A method to configure media monitoring devices in a monitored household location comprising:

acquiring a rate of data transfer in the monitored household location;

comparing the acquired rate of data transfer to a threshold;

setting a media monitoring device in a first bandwidth mode having an increased data sample rate when the acquired rate of data transfer exceeds the threshold; and

setting the media monitoring device in a second bandwidth mode having a decreased data sample rate when the acquired rate of data transfer is below the threshold.

2. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the first bandwidth mode is indicative of a household network connection having a cable modem or a digital subscriber line.

3. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the second bandwidth mode is indicative of a household network connection having a telephone modem.

4. A method as defined in claim 1, further comprising applying data compression when the media monitoring device is in the second bandwidth mode.

5. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the first data sample rate is greater than the second data sample rate.

6. A method as defined in claim 1, further comprising instructing the media monitoring device to operate in the first bandwidth mode without compression in response to exceeding the threshold, and instructing the media monitoring device to operate in the second bandwidth mode with compression in response to not exceeding the threshold.

7. An apparatus to configure a household media monitoring device sample rate, comprising:

a base unit comprising a remote transceiver to communicate audience behavior data to a central facility; and

a processor to;

identify a data transfer rate associated with the remote transceiver;

compare the data transfer rate to a bandwidth threshold; and

set an operation mode of a portable meter separate from the base unit based on the comparison, the operation mode having a high bandwidth mode with an increased data sample rate when the data transfer rate exceeds the bandwidth threshold, and the operation mode having a low bandwidth mode with a decreased data sample rate when the data transfer rate is below the threshold.

8. An apparatus as defined in claim 7, further comprising a local processing system to facilitate communication between the base unit and a central facility via a network.

9. An apparatus as defined in claim 8, wherein the local processing system comprises at least one of a telephone modem, a cable modem, or a digital subscriber line modem (DSL) to communicate with the central facility via the network.

10. An apparatus as defined in claim 7, wherein the base unit is to compress data received from the portable meter if the data transfer rate is below the threshold.

11. An apparatus as defined in claim 7, wherein the base unit is to prevent compression if the data transfer rate is above the threshold.

12. A machine readable storage device or storage disk comprising instructions which, when executed, cause a machine to, at least:

compare a rate of data transfer in a monitored household location to a threshold;

set a media monitoring device in a first bandwidth mode having an increased data sample rate when the acquired rate of data transfer exceeds the threshold; and

set the media monitoring device in a second bandwidth mode having a decreased data sample rate when the acquired rate of data transfer is below the threshold.

13. A machine readable storage device or storage disk as defined in claim 12, wherein the machine readable instructions further cause the machine to associate a household network connection with a cable modem or a digital subscriber line when the threshold is exceeded.

14. A machine readable storage device or storage disk as defined in claim 12, wherein the machine readable instructions further cause the machine to associate a household network connection with a telephone modem when the threshold is not exceeded.

15. A machine readable storage device or storage disk as defined in claim 12, wherein the machine readable instructions further cause the machine to apply data compression when the media monitoring device is in the second bandwidth mode.