Methods and apparatus to monitor media exposure

• US 8,918,802 B2
• Filed: 02/28/2011
• Issued: 12/23/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Nielsen Company LLC (MOOD Media Corporation), Nielsen Media Research, Inc. (Nielsen Holdings plc)
• Original Assignee: The Nielsen Company LLC (MOOD Media Corporation)
• Inventors: Ramaswamy, Arun, Luff, Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): Lonsberry, Hunter B
• Application Number:
  US13/037,318
• Publication Number:
  US 20120219156A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,394 Days
• Field of Search: 725/9, 725 18- 19
• US Class Current: 725/18
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• 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 60/58 of audio determination or detection of speech characteristics in general G10L25/00; speech recognition in general G10L15/00
• 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

Abstract

Methods and apparatus to monitor media exposure are disclosed. An example implementation includes transmitting a start signal from a mailable meter to at least one mailable meter to at least one wearable meter; receiving a first audio at the mailable meter upon transmission of the start signal; receiving a second audio at the at least one wearable meter upon reception of the start signal; deriving a signature of the first received audio at the mailable meter; deriving a signature of the second received audio at the at least one wearable meter; transmitting the signature of the second received audio and an identification number from the at least one wearable meter to the mailable meter; and storing the signature of the first received audio and the identification number at the mailable meter as audience measurement data if the signature of the first received audio and the signature of the second received audio correlate.

Claims

1. A method of monitoring media exposure comprising:

receiving a first audio at a first meter;

deriving a first identifier associated with the first audio;

receiving an identification code and at least one of a second audio and a second identifier associated with the second audio from a second meter, wherein the identification code is uniquely associated with the second meter; and

storing the first identifier associated with the first audio and the identification code associated with the second meter if the first identifier and the second identifier substantially match.

2. The method as described in claim 1, wherein storing the first identifier associated with the first audio and the identification code associated with the second meter if the first identifier and the second identifier substantially match is performed at the first meter.

3. The method as described in claim 2, further comprising transmitting the first identifier associated with the first audio and the identification code associated with the second meter from the first meter to an audience measurement data center.

4. The method as described in claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting the first identifier associated with the first audio, the identification code, and the at least one of the second audio and the second identifier associated with the second audio from the first meter to an audience measurement data center; and

wherein storing the first identifier associated with the first audio and the identification code associated with the second meter if the first identifier and the second identifier substantially match is performed at the audience measurement data center.

5. The method defined in claim 1, wherein the first meter and second meter are communicatively coupled by a wireless connection.

6. The method defined in claim 1, wherein the second meter computes a gain level for the second audio.

7. The method defined in claim 6, wherein the gain level for the second audio is transmitted to the first meter and is used to determine if the first identifier and the second identifier sufficiently match.

8. The method defined in claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a movement signal indicative of movement of the second meter at the time of receiving the second audio at the first meter; and

wherein storing the first identifier associated with the first audio and the identification code associated with the second meter if the first identifier and the second identifier substantially match is performed when the movement signal indicates movement at the time of receiving the second audio at the first meter.

9. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein deriving a first identifier associated with the first audio and receiving an identification code and at least one of a second audio and a second identifier associated with the second audio from a second meter are performed at an audience measurement data center.

10. The method as defined in claim 9, wherein storing the first identifier associated with the first audio and the identification code associated with the second meter if the first identifier and the second identifier substantially match is performed at the audience measurement data center.

11. The method as described in claim 1, wherein the first meter is a mailable meter.

12. The method as described in claim 1, wherein the second meter is a wearable meter.

13. The method as described in claim 12, wherein the second meter is a bracelet.

14. The method as described in claim 1, further comprising transmitting a measurement signal from the first meter to the second meter instructing the second meter to receive the second audio.

15. The method as described in claim 14, wherein the measurement signal further instructs the second meter to derive the second identifier associated with the second audio.

16. A system to monitor media exposure comprising:

a first meter to receive first audio, compute a first identifier for the first audio, receive a second identifier from a second meter, and store the first and second identifiers; and

the second meter to receive a second audio, compute the second identifier for the second audio, and transmit the second identifier to the first meter, the second meter to transmit an identification code uniquely associated with the second meter to the first meter, the first meter to, if the first identifier and the second identifier substantially match, store (A) at least one of the first identifier and the second identifier, and (B) the identification code.

17. The system as described in claim 16, wherein the first meter is further to compare the first and second identifiers to determine if the same audio was received by both the first meter and the second meter, and store audience measurement data comprising a timestamp and the at least one of the first identifier and the second identifier.

18. The system as described in claim 16, further comprising an audience measurement data center to:

receive the first and second identifiers from the first meter;

compare the first and second identifiers to determine if the same audio was received by both the first meter and the second meter; and

store audience measurement data comprising a timestamp and at least one of the first and second identifiers.

19. The system as described in claim 18, wherein receiving the first and second identifiers from the first meter is performed by transporting the first meter to the audience measurement data center.

20. The system as described in claim 18, wherein receiving the first and second identifiers from the first meter is performed by electronically transmitting the first and second identifiers from the first meter to the audience measurement data center.

21. The system as described in claim 16, wherein the second meter is to transmit a movement signal indicative of movement of the second meter, the first meter to receive the movement signal and to store the indication of movement of the second meter.

22. The system as described in claim 16, wherein the first meter is a mailable meter.

23. The system as described in claim 16, wherein the second meter is a wearable meter.

24. The system as described in claim 17, further comprising an audience measurement data center to receive the audience measurement data.

25. The system as described in claim 24, wherein receiving the audience measurement data is performed by transporting the first meter to the audience measurement data center.

26. The system as described in claim 24, wherein receiving the audience measurement data is performed by electronically transmitting the audience measurement data from the first meter to the audience measurement data center.

27. The system as described in claim 16, wherein the transmission between the second meter and the first meter is implemented according to an Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers 802.15.4 standard.

28. An apparatus to monitor media exposure, the apparatus comprising:

an audio receiver to receive audio;

a data storer to store the received audio in a data store;

a communicator to transmit the audio stored in the data store to a metering device; and

a housing to include the audio receiver, the data storer, the data store, and the communicator, wherein the housing is a gel bracelet.

29. The apparatus as described in claim 28, wherein the metering device is a mailable meter.

30. The apparatus as described in claim 28, further comprising:

an identification generator to generate an identifier associated with the received audio,

wherein the data storer is to store the identifier in the data store and wherein the communicator is to transmit the identifier associated with the received audio to the metering device.

31. The apparatus as described in claim 28, wherein the communicator is a wireless communicator.

32. The apparatus as described in claim 30, wherein the identifier associated with the received audio comprises an audio signature.

33. The apparatus as described in claim 30, wherein the identifier associated with the received audio comprises an audio code.

34. The apparatus as described in claim 28, further comprising:

a motion sensor to generate an identifier associated with movement of the housing;

wherein the data storer additionally stores the identifier associated with the movement of the housing; and

wherein the communicator additionally transmits the identifier associated with the movement of the housing to the metering device.