Network-based methods and systems for initiating a research panel of persons operating under a group agreement

• US 8,799,054 B2
• Filed: 08/30/2013
• Issued: 08/05/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Nielsen Company LLC (MOOD Media Corporation)
• Original Assignee: The Nielsen Company LLC (MOOD Media Corporation)
• Inventors: Neuhauser, Alan R., Gopalakrishnan, Vijoy K., Crystal, Jack C., Zhang, Jack K., Flanagan, Eugene L. III
• Primary Examiner(s): Sterrett, Jonathan G
• Application Number:
  US14/015,328
• Publication Number:
  US 20130346149A1
• Time in Patent Office: 340 Days
• Field of Search: 705/7.29
• US Class Current: 705/7.29
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/00 Administration; Management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0201 Market modelling; Market analysis; Collecting market data
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0203 Market surveys; Market polls
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0208 Trade or exchange of goods or services in exchange for incentives or rewards
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3833 Hand-held transceivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/385 Transceivers carried on the body, e.g. in helmets
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• 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 systems for initiating participation of a user of a portable device (PUA) in a research operation using a respective one of a plurality of PUA'"'"'s providing communication services pursuant to a single agreement with a communication service provider. Data identifying the PUA user is associated with data identifying a group of persons receiving communication services pursuant to the single agreement, and demographic data of the PUA user is associated with the data identifying the PUA user.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of maintaining participation in a research operation for a respective one of a plurality of personal user appliances (PUA'"'"'s) used by a plurality of PUA users, the PUA'"'"'s configured to provide communication services pursuant to a single agreement with a communication service provider, comprising:

associating data identifying at least one of the PUA users with data identifying a group of persons receiving communication services pursuant to the single agreement;

associating demographic data of the at least one of the PUA users with the data identifying the at least one of the PUA users; and

gathering media exposure data for the at least one of the PUA users pursuant to the research operation, the media exposure data comprising information regarding exposure to media in a plurality of different mediums.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the data identifying the at least one of the PUA users comprises a screen name adopted by the PUA user.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the associating of the data identifying the at least one of the PUA users with the data identifying the group indicates which particular user in the plurality of PUA'"'"'s is using a particular PUA.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 3, wherein the associating of the demographic data of the at least one of the PUA users with the data identifying the at least one of the PUA users indicates the demographic data of the particular user.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 4, wherein the demographic data of the particular user is communicated to a processing facility.

6. A computer-implemented method of maintaining participation of a plurality of personal user appliance (PUA) users in a research operation, each of the PUA users using a respective one of a plurality of PUA'"'"'s providing communication services pursuant to a single agreement with a communication service provider, comprising:

associating data identifying a first one of the PUA users with data identifying a group of persons receiving communication services pursuant to the single agreement;

receiving demographic data of the first PUA user;

associating the demographic data of the first PUA user in the computer system with the data identifying the first PUA user; and

gathering media exposure data for the first PUA user pursuant to the research operation, the media exposure data comprising information regarding exposure to media in a plurality of different mediums.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 6, wherein the data identifying the first PUA user comprises a screen name adopted by the first PUA user.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 6, comprising communicating a message to the respective one of the plurality of PUA'"'"'s requesting the demographic data of the first PUA user and receiving a message comprising the demographic data of the first PUA user from the respective one of the plurality of PUA'"'"'s.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, comprising communicating the message to the respective one of the plurality of PUA'"'"'s in response to receipt of a message from the first PUA user indicating interest in participating in the research operation.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 6, wherein the associating of the data identifying the first PUA user with the data identifying the group indicates which particular user in the plurality of PUA'"'"'s is using a particular PUA.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 10, wherein the associating of the demographic data of the first PUA user with the data identifying the first PUA user indicates the demographic data of the particular user.

12. A system for maintaining participation of a plurality of PUA users in a research operation using respective ones of a plurality of PUA'"'"'s providing communication services pursuant to a single agreement with a communication service provider, comprising:

a processor configured to associate data identifying a first one of the PUA users with data identifying a group of persons receiving communication services pursuant to the single agreement, the processor to associate demographic data of the first PUA user with the data identifying the first PUA user; and

communications for gathering media exposure data for the first PUA user pursuant to the research operation, the media exposure data comprising information regarding exposure to media in a plurality of different mediums.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the data identifying the first PUA user comprises a screen name adopted by the first PUA user.

14. The system of claim 12, comprising communications coupled with a first of the respective ones of the plurality of PUA'"'"'s to communicate a message to the first respective one of the plurality of PUA'"'"'s requesting the demographic data of the first PUA user and to receive a message comprising the demographic data of the first PUA user from the first respective one of the plurality of PUA'"'"'s.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the communications is operative to communicate the message to the first respective one of the plurality of PUA'"'"'s in response to receipt of a message from the first PUA user indicating interest in participating in the research operation.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the associating of the data identifying the first PUA user with the data identifying the group indicates which particular user in the plurality of PUA'"'"'s is using a particular PUA.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the associating of the demographic data of the first PUA user with the data identifying the PUA user indicates the demographic data of the particular user.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the demographic data of the particular user is communicated to a processing facility.

19. The system of claim 17, further comprising storage coupled with the processor, the processor to store the data identifying the first PUA user in association with the data identifying the group of persons in the storage, and to store the demographic data of the first PUA user in association with the data identifying the PUA user in the storage.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the processor is to store the data identifying the first PUA user in association with the data identifying the group of persons in a first table of a relational database, and to store the demographic data of the first PUA user in association with the data identifying the first PUA user in a second table of the relational database.