Methods and systems for reducing spillover by measuring a crest factor

• US 9,264,748 B2
• Filed: 03/19/2015
• Issued: 02/16/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/01/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Nielsen Company LLC (MOOD Media Corporation)
• Original Assignee: The Nielsen Company LLC (MOOD Media Corporation)
• Inventors: Nielsen, Christen V.
• Primary Examiner(s): Harold, Jefferey
• Assistant Examiner(s): Monshi, Samira
• Application Number:
  US14/662,792
• Publication Number:
  US 20150195592A1
• Time in Patent Office: 334 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/00 Arrangements for broadcast applications with a direct linking to broadcast information or broadcast space-time; Broadcast-related systems
• 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: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/24 Monitoring of processes or resources, e.g. monitoring of server load, available bandwidth, upstream requests monitoring of server performance or load G06F11/34; arrangements for observation, testing or troubleshooting for broadcast or for distribution combined with broadcast H04H20/12
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2407 Monitoring of transmitted content, e.g. distribution time, number of downloads arrangements for monitoring programmes for broadcast or for distribution combined with broadcast H04H20/14
• 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 21/437 Interfacing the upstream path of the transmission network, e.g. for transmitting client requests to a VOD server flow control in data networks H04L47/10; streaming protocols, e.g. RTP or RTCP, H04L65/65; scheduling or organising the servicing of application requests in data packet switching networks H04L67/60
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4394 involving operations for analysing the audio stream, e.g. detecting features or characteristics in audio streams arrangements characterised by components specially adapted for monitoring, identification or recognition of audio in broadcast systems H04H60/58
• 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 21/44224 Monitoring of user activity on external systems, e.g. Internet browsing

Abstract

Methods, apparatus, and articles of manufacture for reducing spillover in a media monitoring system are disclosed. An example method includes comparing a first crest factor stored in association with a media identifier to a second crest factor calculated by a first meter, the second crest factor corresponding to a ratio of a peak amplitude of an audio signal and a root mean square value of the audio signal. The example method also includes determining that spillover did not occur if a difference between the first crest factor and the second crest factor satisfies a threshold, and when the spillover did not occur, crediting a media exposure to media associated with the audio signal.

Claims

1. A method to credit media, comprising:

comparing, with a processor, a first crest factor stored in a memory in association with a media identifier to a second crest factor corresponding to a ratio of a peak amplitude of an audio signal and a root mean square value of the audio signal;

determining, with the processor, that spillover did not occur if a difference between the first crest factor and the second crest factor satisfies a threshold; and

when the spillover did not occur, crediting, with the processor, a media exposure to media associated with the audio signal.

2. The method as defined in claim 1, further including associating, with a logic circuit, the credited media with a person present in a room in which the audio signal is detected.

3. The method as defined in claim 1, further including discarding media monitoring data associated with the media identifier when spillover did occur.

4. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the crediting of the media exposure to the media includes marking media monitoring data associated with the media identifier as credited.

5. The method as defined in 1, wherein the threshold is about six decibels.

6. A spillover manager apparatus to credit media, comprising:

a crest factor comparator to;

compare a first crest factor stored in a memory in association with a media identifier to a second crest factor corresponding to a ratio of a peak amplitude of an audio signal and a root mean square value of the audio signal, and

determine that spillover did not occur if a difference between the first crest factor and the second crest factor satisfies a threshold; and

a media creditor to credit a media exposure to media associated with the audio signal when the spillover did not occur, the media creditor implemented using a logic circuit.

7. The spillover manager as defined in claim 6, wherein the media creditor is to associate the credited media with a person present in a room in which the audio signal is detected.

8. The spillover manager as defined in claim 6, wherein the media creditor is to discard media monitoring data associated with the media identifier when spillover did occur.

9. The spillover manager as defined in claim 6, wherein the media creditor is to credit the media exposure to the media by marking media monitoring data associated with the media identifier as credited.

10. The spillover manager as defined in claim 6, wherein the threshold is about six decibels.

11. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium comprising instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause a computing device to at least:

compare a first crest factor stored in a memory in association with a media identifier to a second crest factor corresponding to a ratio of a peak amplitude of an audio signal and a root mean square value of the audio signal;

determine that spillover did not occur if a difference between the first crest factor and the second crest factor satisfies a threshold; and

credit a media exposure to media associated with the audio signal when the spillover did not occur.

12. The computer readable storage medium as defined in claim 11, wherein the instructions further cause the computing device to associate the credited media with a person present in a room in which the audio signal is detected.

13. The computer readable storage medium as defined in claim 11, wherein the instructions further cause the computing device to discard media monitoring data associated with the media identifier when spillover did occur.

14. The computer readable storage medium as defined in claim 11, wherein the instructions further cause the computing device to credit the media with the media exposure by marking media monitoring data associated with the media identifier as credited.

15. The computer readable storage medium as defined in claim 11, wherein the threshold is about six decibels.