Methods and apparatus for metering portable media players

• US 8,914,819 B2
• Filed: 04/18/2008
• Issued: 12/16/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/21/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nielsen Company (US), LLC
• Original Assignee: The Nielsen Company LLC (MOOD Media Corporation)
• Inventors: Mears, Paul M., Luff, Robert A., Stokes, Robert Joel, Ramaswamy, Arun, Conklin, Charles Clinton, Mello, Brian Scott, Pelletier, Seth Alan, Fisch, Perry Joseph
• Primary Examiner(s): Smith, Chenea
• Application Number:
  US12/106,040
• Publication Number:
  US 20080263579A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,433 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 725/12
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/41 Indexing; Data structures therefor; Storage structures
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/322 used signal is digitally coded
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/36 Monitoring, i.e. supervising the progress of recording or reproducing for digital recording G11B20/00 and s.gr.; for monitoring, testing or measuring of TV recorders of the type covered by H04N5/76 and subgroups, see H04N17/06
• 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 60/37 for identifying segments of broadcast information, e.g. scenes or extracting programme ID
• 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: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/235 Processing of additional data, e.g. scrambling of additional data or processing content descriptors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2541 Rights Management protecting software against unauthorised usage in a vending or licensing environment G06F21/10; security in data switching network management H04L41/28; security management or policies for network security H04L63/20; access security in wireless networks H04W12/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25883 being end-user demographical data, e.g. age, family status or address arrangements for identifying locations of users in broadcast systems H04H60/52
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25891 being end-user preferences retrieval of video data in a video database based on user preferences G06F16/739; arrangements for recognizing users' preferences H04H60/46; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41407 embedded in a portable device, e.g. video client on a mobile phone, PDA, laptop constructional details of equipment or arrangements specially adapted for portable computer application G06F1/1626; arrangements specially adapted for mobile receivers in broadcast systems H04H20/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4223 Cameras H04N23/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/435 Processing of additional data, e.g. decrypting of additional data, reconstructing software from modules extracted from the transport stream
• 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 21/44008 involving operations for analysing video streams, e.g. detecting features or characteristics in the video stream arrangements characterised by components specially adapted for monitoring, identification or recognition of video in broadcast systems H04H60/59
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44204 Monitoring of content usage, e.g. the number of times a movie has been viewed, copied or the amount which has been watched monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; protecting generic digital content where the protection is independent of the precise nature of the content G06F21/10; arrangements for monitoring the use made of the broadcast services in broadcast systems H04H60/31
• 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 21/44224 : Monitoring of user activity on external systems, e.g. Internet browsing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4532 : involving end-user characteristics, e.g. viewer profile, preferences monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4627 : Rights management associated to the content security in data switching network management H04L41/28; security management or policies for network security H04L63/20; access security in wireless networks H04W12/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6125 : involving transmission via Internet transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82
• 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 21/6587 : Control parameters, e.g. trick play commands, viewpoint selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8193 : dedicated tools, e.g. video decoder software or IPMP tool
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8358 : involving watermark protecting executable software by watermarking G06F21/16; image watermarking in general G06T1/0021; watermarks inserted in still images for transmission purposes H04N1/32144; inserting watermarks during video coding H04N19/467
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2420/05 : Detection of connection of loudspeakers or headphones to amplifiers
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2420/09 : Applications of special connectors, e.g. USB, XLR, in loudspeakers, microphones or headphones
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 3/00 : Circuits for transducers , loudspeakers or microphones

Abstract

Example methods, apparatus, and articles of manufacture to collect metering information associated with media presented by portable and computer media presentation devices are disclosed. A disclosed example apparatus includes a headset configured to be communicatively coupled to a media presentation device and a speaker coupled to the headset and configured to emit audio based on audio information received from the media presentation device. The example apparatus also includes a metering information generator coupled to the headset and configured to be communicatively coupled to the media presentation device to receive the audio information and generate metering information associated with the received audio information.

Claims

1. An apparatus to monitor a portable media presentation device, comprising:

a portable meter separate from a portable media presentation device, the portable meter to be connected between the portable media presentation device and a headset, the portable meter comprising;

a metering information generator to receive media, the media provided by the portable media presentation device for receipt by the headset;

an audio interface to direct the media to the metering information generator from an audio output interface of the portable media presentation device; and

a first communication interface to communicatively couple to a second communication interface of the portable media presentation device, the metering information generator to;

monitor media access commands exchanged between the first communication interface of the portable meter and the second communication interface of the portable media presentation device, and

collect metering information associated with the media and with the media access commands.

2. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the metering information generator is to generate the metering information by at least one of generating an audio signature based on the media or extracting a code from the media.

3. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the portable media device is an MP3 portable media player.

4. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the portable meter further comprises a transceiver to transmit the metering information to a personal computer.

5. An apparatus as defined in claim 4, wherein the transceiver is to transmit the metering information to the personal computer via wireless communications.

6. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the metering information generator is mounted in an earpiece of the headset.

16. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the metering information generator is removably attachable to the headset.

17. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the media access commands include at least one of a play command, a stop command, a pause command, a previous command, or a next command.

20. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the first communication interface and the audio interface are accessible along an external surface of a housing of the portable meter, and the first communication interface is to join into communication with the second communication interface of the portable media presentation device simultaneously when the audio interface is joined into communication with the audio output interface of the portable media presentation device.

7. A method of monitoring a portable media presentation device, comprising:

receiving media at an audio interface of a portable meter, the portable meter comprising a metering information generator, the media having been sent to a headset from a portable media presentation device, the portable meter being separate from the portable media presentation device, the portable meter to be connected between the portable media presentation device and the headset;

monitoring media access commands received at a first communication interface of the portable meter from a second communication interface of the portable media presentation device; and

generating metering information associated with the media and the media access commands using the metering information generator.

8. A method as defined in claim 7, further comprising emitting audio via a speaker of the headset based on the media received from the portable media presentation device.

9. A method as defined in claim 7, further comprising generating the metering information by at least one of generating an audio signature based on the media or extracting a code from the media.

10. A method as defined in claim 7, further comprising transmitting the metering information to a personal computer via a wireless or wired communication medium.

11. A method as defined in claim 7, wherein the metering information generator is mounted in an earpiece of the headset.

18. A method as defined in claim 7, wherein the media access commands include at least one of a play command, a stop command, a pause command, a previous command, or a next command.

21. A method as defined in claim 7, wherein the first communication interface and the audio interface are accessible along an external surface of the portable meter, and the audio interface is to enter into communication with the portable media presentation device simultaneously when the first communication interface enters into communication with the second communication interface.

23. A method as defined in claim 7, further comprising:

storing, in a data structure, a plurality of frame code values associated with the media.

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

generate metering information based on (1) media sent to a headset and (2) media access commands received from a first communication interface of a portable meter at a second communication interface of a portable media presentation device, the portable meter comprising a metering information generator separate from the portable media presentation device, the portable meter to be communicatively coupled between the portable media presentation device and the headset, and the media received at an audio interface of the portable meter.

13. A machine readable storage device or storage disk as defined in claim 12, wherein the portable meter is located in the headset and the instructions cause the machine to cause a speaker of the headset to emit audio based on the media received from the portable media presentation device.

14. A machine readable storage device or storage disk as defined in claim 12 having instructions stored thereon that, when executed, cause the machine to generate the metering information by at least one of generating an audio signature based on the media or extracting a code from the media.

15. A machine readable storage device or storage disk as defined in claim 12 having instructions stored thereon that, when executed, cause the machine to transmit the metering information to a personal computer via a wireless or wired communication medium.

19. A machine readable storage device or storage disk as defined in claim 12, wherein the media access commands include at least one of a play command, a stop command, a pause command, a previous command, or a next command.

22. A machine readable storage device or storage disk as defined in claim 12 having instructions stored thereon that, when executed, cause the machine to receive the media access commands when the media access commands are passed through the portable meter to the portable media presentation device from the headset.