Methods and apparatus to determine media impressions using distributed demographic information

• US 8,954,536 B2
• Filed: 12/19/2011
• Issued: 02/10/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Nielsen Company LLC (MOOD Media Corporation)
• Original Assignee: The Nielsen Company LLC (MOOD Media Corporation)
• Inventors: Kalus, Mark, Paparo, Ari, Geraghty, Kevin
• Primary Examiner(s): Maung, Zarni
• Application Number:
  US13/995,864
• Publication Number:
  US 20140095702A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,149 Days
• Field of Search: 790217-219, 790223-229, 790/250
• US Class Current: 709/217
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/955 using information identifiers, e.g. uniform resource locators [URL]
• 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: G06Q 30/0251 Targeted advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0255 based on user history
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/04 Processing captured monitoring data, e.g. for logfile generation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/146 Markers for unambiguous identification of a particular session, e.g. session cookie or URL-encoding
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34

Abstract

Examples to determine media impressions using distributed demographic information are disclosed. Some disclosed example methods involve sending a request to an impression monitor system in response to detecting a login event at a client device. The login event is associated with an Internet-based service of a first Internet domain different from a second internet domain of the impression monitor system. Such disclosed example methods also involve sending a login reporting message to a database proprietor that provides the Internet-based service. The login reporting message including first and second cookie identifiers. The first cookie identifier is associated with the first Internet domain of the Internet-based service, and the second cookie identifier is associated with the second Internet domain of the impression monitor system.

Claims

1. A method to determine media impressions using distributed demographic information, the method comprising:

associating first cookies of a first domain with respective second cookies of a second domain, the second cookies mapped in association with respective media identifiers in a data structure received from the second domain; and

for each of the second cookies associated with a respective one of the first cookies, associating user demographic information with the second cookie, the user demographic information maintained at the first domain for a user corresponding to the respective first cookie.

2. A method as defined in claim 1, further comprising, for each of the second cookies associated with a respective one of the first cookies, associating the respective first cookie with one of the media identifiers corresponding to the second cookie.

3. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the media identifiers are encrypted at the second domain before being received at the first domain.

4. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein each first cookie and its associated second cookie identify the same client computer.

5. A method as defined in claim 1, further comprising generating an impression report based on the second cookies, the user demographic information, and the media identifiers, the impression report indicative of demographic populations that were exposed to media content identified by the media identifiers.

6. A method as defined in claim 5, further comprising sending the impression report to the second domain without revealing the first cookie identifiers in the impression report.

7. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the media identifiers identify at least one of advertisements, television programs, websites, or movies.

8. An apparatus to determine media impressions using distributed demographic information, the apparatus comprising:

a cookie matcher to associate first cookies of a first domain with respective second cookies of a second domain, the second cookies mapped in association with respective media identifiers in a data structure received from the second domain; and

a demographics associator to, for each of the second cookies associated with a respective one of the first cookies, associate user demographic information with the second cookie, the user demographic information maintained at the first domain for a user corresponding to the respective first cookie.

9. An apparatus as defined in claim 8, further comprising, for each of the second cookies associated with a respective one of the first cookies, associating the respective first cookie with one of the media identifiers corresponding to the second cookie.

10. An apparatus as defined in claim 8, wherein the media identifiers are encrypted at the second domain before being received at the first domain.

11. An apparatus as defined in claim 8, wherein each first cookie and its associated second cookie identify the same client computer.

12. An apparatus as defined in claim 8, further comprising a report generator to generate an impression report based on the second cookies, the user demographic information, and the media identifiers, the impression report indicative of demographic populations that were exposed to media content identified by the media identifiers.

13. An apparatus as defined in claim 12, wherein the report generator is further to send the impression report to the second domain without revealing the first cookie identifiers in the impression report.

14. An apparatus as defined in claim 8, wherein the media identifiers identify at least one of advertisements, television programs, websites, or movies.

15. A non-transitory computer readable medium having instructions stored thereon that, when executed, cause a machine to at least:

associate first cookies of a first domain with respective second cookies of a second domain, the second cookies mapped in association with respective media identifiers in a data structure received from the second domain; and

for each of the second cookies associated with a respective one of the first cookies, associate user demographic information with the second cookie, the user demographic information maintained at the first domain for a user corresponding to the respective first cookie.

16. A computer readable medium as defined in claim 15, wherein the instructions further cause the machine to, for each of the second cookies associated with a respective one of the first cookies, associate the respective first cookie with one of the media identifiers corresponding to the second cookie.

17. A computer readable medium as defined in claim 15, wherein the media identifiers are encrypted at the second domain before being received at the first domain.

18. A computer readable medium as defined in claim 15, wherein each first cookie and its associated second cookie identify the same client computer.

19. A computer readable medium as defined in claim 15, wherein the instructions cause the machine to generate an impression report based on the second cookies, the user demographic information, and the media identifiers, the impression report indicative of demographic populations that were exposed to media content identified by the media identifiers.

20. A computer readable medium as defined in claim 19, wherein the instructions cause the machine to send the impression report to the second domain without revealing the first cookie identifiers in the impression report.

21. A computer readable medium as defined in claim 15, wherein the media identifiers identify at least one of advertisements, television programs, websites, or movies.