Media monitoring using multiple types of signatures

• US 9,106,952 B2
• Filed: 06/09/2014
• Issued: 08/11/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/26/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Nielsen Company LLC (MOOD Media Corporation)
• Original Assignee: The Nielsen Company LLC (MOOD Media Corporation)
• Inventors: McMillan, Francis Gavin
• Primary Examiner(s): Tabatabai, Abolfazl
• Application Number:
  US14/299,794
• Publication Number:
  US 20140289755A1
• Time in Patent Office: 428 Days
• Field of Search: 382/119, 382/162, 382/313, 348/180, 348/184, 348/185, 348/465, 348/700, 348/722, 702/25, 702/73, 704/201, 704/216, 704/226, 704/231, 713/176, 713/177, 713/179, 713/180, 713/340, 725/9, 725/10, 725/14, 725/18, 725/19, 725/20, 725/33, 714/22, 714/45, 714/732, 714/809
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/152 using file content signatures, e.g. hash values
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/48 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/14 for monitoring programmes
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 2201/90 characterised by the use of signatures
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/56 Arrangements characterised by components specially adapted for monitoring, identification or recognition covered by groups H04H60/29-H04H60/54
• 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 21/84 Generation or processing of descriptive data, e.g. content descriptors systems specially adapted for using meta-information in broadcast systems H04H60/73

Abstract

Media monitoring using multiple types of signatures is disclosed. Example media monitoring methods disclosed herein include reporting media signatures of a first type to monitor media presented by a media device, the media signatures of the first type being generated by a device meter from a sensed signal. Disclosed example media monitoring methods also include, after receiving an indication that a first media signature of the first type is associated with first reference media, generating media signatures of a second type, different from the first type, from the sensed signal to continue monitoring the media presented by the media device. Disclosed example media monitoring methods further include, in response to detecting that a source of the media presented by the media device has changed, generating the media signatures of the first type to continue monitoring the media presented by the media device.

Claims

1. A media monitoring method comprising:

reporting, from a device meter to a data processor, media signatures of a first type to monitor media presented by a media device, the media signatures of the first type being generated by the device meter from a sensed signal;

after receiving, from the data processor, an indication that a first media signature of the first type is associated with first reference media, generating, at the device meter, media signatures of a second type, different from the first type, from the sensed signal to continue monitoring the media presented by the media device; and

in response to detecting, at the device meter, that a source of the media presented by the media device has changed, generating the media signatures of the first type to continue monitoring the media presented by the media device.

2. A media monitoring method as defined in claim 1, wherein the media signatures of the first type have a higher resolution than the media signatures of the second type.

3. A media monitoring method as defined in claim 1, further comprising, after receiving the indication that the first media signature of the first type is associated with the first reference media, comparing, at the device meter, the media signatures of the second type with reference signatures of the second type received from the data processor, the reference signatures of the second type being associated with the first reference media.

4. A media monitoring method as defined in claim 3, further comprising, in response to detecting that the source of the media presented by the media device has changed, reporting to the data processor that the reference signatures of the second type no longer match the media presented by the media device.

5. A media monitoring method as defined in claim 1, wherein detecting that the source of the media presented by the media device has changed includes at least one of:

(1) detecting that a first number of the media signatures of the second type has failed to match the corresponding reference signatures of the second type, or (2) detecting a channel change associated with the media device.

6. A media monitoring method as defined in claim 1, further comprising adjusting an interval between the media signatures of the second type based on a characteristic of the sensed signal.

7. A media monitoring method as defined in claim 6, wherein the characteristic includes at least one of a signal strength, a signal-to-noise ratio or a noise content measured in the sensed signal.

8. A tangible machine readable medium comprising machine readable instructions which, when executed, cause a machine to at least:

generate media signatures of a first type to monitor media presented by a media device, the media signatures of the first type being generated from a sensed signal;

generate media signatures of a second type, different from the first type, from the sensed signal to continue monitoring the media presented by the media device after receiving an indication that a first media signature of the first type is associated with first reference media; and

generate the media signatures of the first type to continue monitoring the media presented by the media device in response to detecting that a source of the media presented by the media device has changed.

9. A tangible machine readable medium as defined in claim 8, wherein the media signatures of the first type have a higher resolution than the media signatures of the second type.

10. A tangible machine readable medium as defined in claim 8, wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the machine to compare the media signatures of the second type with reference signatures of the second type received from a data processor, the reference signatures of the second type being associated with the first reference media.

11. A tangible machine readable medium as defined in claim 10, wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the machine to report to a data processor that the reference signatures of the second type no longer match the media presented by the media device in response to detecting that the source of the media presented by the media device has changed.

12. A tangible machine readable medium as defined in claim 8, wherein detecting that the source of the media presented by the media device has changed includes at least one of:

(1) detecting that a first number of the media signatures of the second type has failed to match the corresponding reference signatures of the second type, or (2) detecting a channel change associated with the media device.

13. A tangible machine readable medium as defined in claim 8, wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the machine to adjust an interval between the media signatures of the second type based on a characteristic of the sensed signal.

14. A tangible machine readable medium as defined in claim 13, wherein the characteristic includes at least one of a signal strength, a signal-to-noise ratio or a noise content measured in the sensed signal.

15. A device meter comprising:

a signature reporter to report, to a data processor, media signatures of a first type to monitor media presented by a media device, the media signatures of the first type being generated from a sensed signal; and

a signature generator to;

generate the media signatures of the first type;

generate media signatures of a second type, different from the first type, from the sensed signal to continue monitoring the media presented by the media device after receiving, from the data processor, an indication that a first media signature of the first type is associated with first reference media; and

revert to generating the media signatures of the first type to monitor the media presented by the media device in response to detecting that a source of the media presented by the media device has changed.

16. A device meter as defined in claim 15, wherein the media signatures of the first type have a higher resolution than the media signatures of the second type.

17. A device meter as defined in claim 15, further comprising a comparator to compare the media signatures of the second type with reference signatures of the second type, the reference signatures of the second type being associated with the first reference media.

18. A device meter as defined in claim 17, further comprising a data reporter to report to the data processor that the reference signatures of the second type no longer match the media presented by the media device in response to detecting that the source of the media presented by the media device has changed.

19. A device meter as defined in claim 15, wherein detecting that the source of the media presented by the media device has changed includes at least one of:

(1) detecting that a first number of the media signatures of the second type has failed to match the corresponding reference signatures of the second type, or (2) detecting a channel change associated with the media device.

20. A device meter as defined in claim 15, wherein the signature generator is further to adjust an interval between the media signatures of the second type based on a characteristic of the sensed signal.

21. A device meter as defined in claim 20, wherein the characteristic includes at least one of a signal strength, a signal-to-noise ratio or a noise content measured in the sensed signal.

22. An apparatus comprising:

means for reporting media signatures of a first type to monitor media presented by a media device, the media signatures of the first type being generated from a sensed signal;

means for generating media signatures of a second type, different from the first type, from the sensed signal to continue monitoring the media presented by the media device after receiving an indication that a first media signature of the first type is associated with first reference media; and

means for reverting to generating the media signatures of the first type to continue monitoring the media presented by the media device in response to detecting that a source of the media presented by the media device has changed.