Methods, apparatus, and systems to collect audience measurement data

• US 9,055,334 B2
• Filed: 12/30/2013
• Issued: 06/09/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/21/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Nielsen Company LLC (MOOD Media Corporation)
• Original Assignee: The Nielsen Company LLC (MOOD Media Corporation)
• Inventors: Fuhrer, Brian Shane
• Primary Examiner(s): HANCE, ROBERT J
• Application Number:
  US14/144,341
• Publication Number:
  US 20140115615A1
• Time in Patent Office: 526 Days
• Field of Search: 725 9- 11, 725/14
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/31 Arrangements for monitoring the use made of the broadcast services
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/45 for identifying users
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/46 for recognising users' preferences
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/66 for using the result on distributors' side
• 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 21/44204 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 21/44213 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 21/44226 on social networks
• 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

Abstract

Methods, apparatus, and systems to collect audience measurement data are disclosed. A disclosed example method includes collecting first media data and audience identification data, the audience identification data being collected by prompting audience members in the monitored household to self-identify using a meter while the audience members are exposed to first media provided by a first media system. Audience member behavior is developed data based on the first media data and the audience identification data. The meter is deactivated after the audience member behavior data has been developed. Second media data is collected after the audience member behavior data has been developed without collecting audience identification data, the collecting of the second program identification data occurring while the audience members are exposed to second media. The audience members associated with the second media data are identified based on the audience member behavior data.

Claims

1. A method of collecting audience measurement data in a monitored household, the method comprising:

collecting first media data and audience identification data, the audience identification data being collected by prompting audience members in the monitored household to self-identify using a meter while the audience members are exposed to first media provided by a first media system;

developing, with a first processor, audience member behavior data based on the first media data and the audience identification data;

deactivating the meter after the audience member behavior data has been developed;

collecting second media data after the audience member behavior data has been developed without collecting audience identification data, the collecting of the second media data occurring while the audience members are exposed to second media; and

identifying, with at least one of the first processor or a second processor, the audience members associated with the second media data based on the audience member behavior data.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the second media is presented via a second media system, the first media system is a television, and the second media system is at least one of a computer, a cell phone, a smartphone, a laptop, or a tablet.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the first media is a television program and the second media is website content.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein collecting the second media data without collecting the audience identification data comprises not prompting the audience members to self-identify.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein collecting the first media data occurs over a first time period, collecting the second media data occurs over a second time period, the first time period is more than one year, and the second time period is more than one year.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the audience member behavior data includes at least one of times of day, days of week, or media accessed by individual ones of the audience members.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the audience members associated with the second media data further comprises obtaining demographic data for the identified audience members and associating the demographic data with the second media data to generate audience composition data.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein collecting the second media data extends a panelist term for the monitored household by eliminating button pushing.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the first media data is collected via a base metering device while the audience identification data is collected by a people meter, and the second media data is collected via a mailable meter without the people meter being present in the household.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the first media data is collected via a base metering device and the second media data is collected by a service provider associated with the second media data.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the second media data is Internet usage data, and further comprising identifying the audience members associated with the Internet usage data based on the audience member behavior data.

12. An apparatus to collect audience measurement data comprising:

a people meter interface to collect audience identification data, the audience identification data being collected by prompting audience members in a monitored household to self-identify using a people meter communicatively coupled to the people meter interface while the audience members are exposed to first media;

a media measurement device to collect first media identification data and second media identification data, the second media identification data collected without collecting audience measurement data, the second media identification data collected at a second time period occurring after a first time period in which the first media identification data is collected; and

a behavior processor to;

develop audience member behavior data based on the first media identification data and the audience identification; and

identify the audience members associated with the second media identification data based on the audience member behavior data.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the people meter interface does not collect the audience identification data and does not prompt the audience members to self-identify during the second time period.

14. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the media measurement device further comprises a communication interface to collect Internet usage data without collecting audience identification data.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the behavior processor is to identify the audience members associated with the Internet usage data based on the audience member behavior data.

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

collect first media data and audience identification data, the audience identification data being collected by prompting audience members in a monitored household to self-identify using a meter while the audience members are exposed to first media provided by a first media system;

develop audience member behavior data based on the first media and the audience identification data;

deactivate the meter after the audience member behavior data has been developed;

collect second media data after the audience member behavior data has been developed without collecting audience identification data, the collecting of the second media data occurring while the audience members are exposed to second media; and

identify the audience members associated with the second media data based on the audience member behavior data.

17. The machine-readable storage device or storage disk of claim 16, wherein the second media is presented via a second media system, the first media system is a television, and the second media system is at least one of a computer, a cell phone, a smartphone, a laptop, or a tablet.

18. The machine-readable storage device or storage disk of claim 17, wherein the first media is a television program and the second media is website content.

19. The machine-readable storage device or storage disk as defined in claim 16, wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the machine to collect the second media data without collecting the audience identification data by not prompting the audience members to self-identify.

20. The machine-readable storage device or storage disk as defined in claim 16, wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the machine to identify the audience members associated with the second media data further by obtaining demographic data for the identified audience members and associating the demographic data with the second media data to generate audience composition data.

21. The machine-readable storage device or storage disk as defined in claim 16, wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the machine to extend a time for which the monitored household remains in a panel.

22. The machine-readable storage device or storage disk as defined in claim 16, wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the machine to extend a panelist term for the monitored household by eliminating button pushing.

23. The machine-readable storage device or storage disk as defined in claim 16, wherein the second media data is Internet usage data, and further comprising instructions which, when executed, cause the machine to identify the audience members associated with the Internet usage data based on the audience member behavior data.