Methods, apparatus, and systems to collect audience measurement data

• US 9,521,456 B2
• Filed: 05/28/2015
• Issued: 12/13/2016
• 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:
  US14/724,401
• Publication Number:
  US 20150264430A1
• Time in Patent Office: 565 Days
• 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. Audience identification data is collected with a people meter. Audience member behavior is developed data based on the first media data and the audience identification data. Second media data is collected after the people meter has been removed, the removal of the people meter occurring after the audience member behavior data has been developed. 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;

collecting audience identification data with a people meter;

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

collecting second media data after the people meter has been removed, the removal of the people meter occurring after the audience member behavior data has been developed; and

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

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first media data is collected in association with a first media presentation of a first media system, and the second media data is collected in association with a second media presentation of a second media system different from the first media system.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein 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.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the first media presentation is television media and the second media presentation is Internet media.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the collecting of the second media data occurs without prompting the audience members to self-identify.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the developing of the audience member behavior data occurs over a first time period that is more than one year.

7. 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.

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

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

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 via a mailable meter without the people meter being present in the household.

11. An apparatus to collect audience measurement data comprising:

a people meter to collect audience identification data during a first time period;

a media measurement device to collect first media identification data during the first time period and second media identification data during a second time period after the first time period, the second media identification data collected without collecting audience measurement data from the people meter, the people meter removed during the second time period; 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.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the people meter does not collect the audience identification data and does not prompt audience members to self-identify during the second time period.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the media measurement device further includes a communication interface to collect Internet usage data without collecting audience identification data.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the behavior processor is to identify audience members associated with the Internet usage data based on the audience member behavior data.

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

develop audience member behavior data based on first media data and audience identification data collected with a people meter over a first time period;

collect second media data after the people meter has been removed, the removal of the people meter occurring after the audience member behavior data has been developed; and

identify audience members associated with the second media data based on the audience member behavior data and without collecting audience identification data.

16. The machine-readable storage device or storage disk as defined in claim 15, wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the machine to obtain demographic data for the audience members associated with the second media.

17. The machine-readable storage device or storage disk as defined in claim 15, wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the machine to identify the audience members associated with Internet usage based on the audience member behavior data.

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

collecting first media data via a base metering device;

collecting audience identification data with a people meter;

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

collecting second media data after the people meter has been removed, the second media data collected by a service provider associated with the second media data, the removal of the people meter occurring after the audience member behavior data has been developed; and

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