Methods and apparatus to monitor media exposure

• US 9,113,205 B2
• Filed: 12/19/2014
• Issued: 08/18/2015
• 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: Neilsen Company LLC
• Inventors: Ramaswamy, Arun, Luff, Robert A.
• Primary Examiner(s): LONSBERRY, HUNTER B
• Application Number:
  US14/577,884
• Publication Number:
  US 20150106830A1
• Time in Patent Office: 242 Days
• Field of Search: 725/9, 725 18- 19
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 accessing a meter identifier and first audio received from a wearable bracelet meter, the meter identifier uniquely associated with the wearable bracelet meter. Whether the first audio substantially matches second audio received at a second meter is determined. In response to determining that the first audio and the second audio substantially match, the meter identifier associated with the wearable bracelet meter and at least one of the first audio or the second audio are stored.

Claims

1. A method of monitoring media exposure comprising:

accessing a meter identifier and first audio received from a wearable bracelet meter, the meter identifier uniquely associated with the wearable bracelet meter;

determining, with a processor, whether the first audio substantially matches second audio received at a second meter; and

in response to determining that the first audio and the second audio substantially match, storing the meter identifier associated with the wearable bracelet meter and at least one of the first audio or the second audio.

2. The method as defined in claim 1, further including, in response to determining that the first audio and the second audio substantially match, storing an event indicating that the wearable bracelet meter was within audio proximity of the second meter.

3. The method as defined in claim 1, further including transmitting an instruction from the second meter to the wearable bracelet meter to collect audio at the wearable bracelet meter.

4. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the storing of the meter identifier associated with the wearable bracelet meter and the at least one of the first audio or the second audio is performed at the second meter.

5. The method as defined in claim 4, further including transmitting the meter identifier associated with the wearable bracelet meter and the at least one of the first audio or the second audio from the second meter to an audience measurement data center.

6. The method as defined in claim 1, further including:

deriving a media identifier representative of the at least one of the first audio and the second audio; and

storing the media identifier if the first audio and the second audio substantially match.

7. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the wearable bracelet meter and second meter are communicatively coupled by a wireless connection.

8. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the wearable bracelet meter computes a gain level for the first audio.

9. The method defined in claim 8, further including receiving the gain level for the first audio, and wherein the gain level is used to determine if the first audio and the second audio sufficiently match.

10. The method as defined in claim 1, further including:

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

wherein storing the meter identifier associated with the wearable bracelet meter and the at least one of the first audio and the second audio is performed when the movement signal indicates movement at the time of receiving the first audio at the second meter.

11. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the second meter is a mailable meter.

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

an audio receiver to receive first audio;

a communicator to receive a meter identifier and second audio from a wearable bracelet meter, the meter identifier being uniquely associated with the wearable meter;

a correlator to determine whether the first audio and the second audio substantially match; and

a data storer to, in response to determining that the first audio and the second audio substantially match, store the meter identifier associated with the wearable meter and at least one of the first audio and the second audio.

13. The apparatus as defined in claim 12, wherein the communicator is further to receive a movement signal indicating movement of the wearable meter, and the data storer is to store the meter identifier associated with the wearable meter and the at least one of the first audio and the second audio if (1) the first audio and the second audio substantially match, and (2) movement of the wearable meter is detected.

14. The apparatus as defined in claim 12, further including a signature generator to derive a media identifier of the at least one of the first audio and the second audio.

15. The apparatus as defined in claim 14, wherein the signature generator is to derive a first signature of the first audio and derive a second signature of the second audio, the correlator to determine whether the first audio and the second audio substantially match by comparing the first signature to the second signature.

16. The apparatus as defined in claim 12, wherein the communicator is further to transmit the meter identifier associated with the wearable meter and the at least one of the first audio and the second audio to an audience measurement data center.

17. A tangible machine-readable storage medium comprising instructions which, when executed, cause a mailable meter to at least:

receive a meter identifier and a first audio from a wearable meter, the meter identifier uniquely associated with the wearable meter;

determine whether the first audio substantially matches second audio received at the mailable meter; and

in response to determining that the first audio and the second audio substantially match, store the meter identifier associated with the wearable meter and at least one of the first audio and the second audio.

18. The machine-readable storage medium as defined in claim 17, wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the mailable meter to, in response to determining that the first audio and the second audio substantially match, store an event indicating that the wearable meter was within audio proximity of the mailable meter.

19. The machine-readable storage medium as defined in claim 17, wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the mailable meter to transmit an instruction to the wearable meter to cause the wearable meter to collect audio.

20. The machine-readable storage medium as defined in claim 17, wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the mailable meter to transmit the meter identifier associated with the wearable meter and the at least one of the first audio and the second audio from the mailable meter to an audience measurement data center.

21. The machine-readable storage medium as defined in claim 17, wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the mailable meter to at least:

derive a media identifier representative of the at least one of first audio and the second audio; and

store the media identifier if the first audio and the second audio substantially match.

22. The machine-readable storage medium as defined in claim 17, wherein the mailable meter and wearable meter are communicatively coupled by a wireless connection.

23. The machine-readable storage medium as defined in claim 17, wherein the wearable meter computes a gain level for the first audio.

24. The machine-readable storage medium defined in claim 23, wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the mailable meter to receive the gain level for the first audio, and to determine if the first audio and the second audio sufficiently match based on the gain level.

25. The machine-readable storage medium as defined in claim 17, wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the mailable meter to store the meter identifier associated with the wearable meter and at least one of the first audio and the second audio by:

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

storing the meter identifier when the movement signal indicates movement at the time of receiving the first audio at the wearable meter.

26. The machine-readable storage medium as defined in claim 17, wherein the second audio is received via a microphone of the mailable meter.