Media monitoring using multiple types of signatures

• US 9,674,574 B2
• Filed: 07/15/2015
• Issued: 06/06/2017
• 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:
  US14/800,317
• Publication Number:
  US 20150319489A1
• Time in Patent Office: 692 Days
• Field of Search: 382100, 382162, 382313, 348465, 348700, 348722, 702 25, 702 73, 704201, 704216, 704226, 704231, 713176177, 713179, 713180, 725 9, 725 10, 725 14, 725 18, 725 19, 725 20, 725 33
• 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 methods disclosed herein include sending a first indication to a device meter to indicate that media monitored by the meter corresponds to first reference media in response to determining that a media signature of a first type reported by the meter matched a first reference signature associated with the first reference media. Disclosed example methods also include, after sending the first indication, comparing media signatures of a second type reported by the meter with reference signatures of the second type associated with the first reference media. Disclosed example methods further include, in response to determining that the media signatures of the second type fail to match the reference signatures of the second type, sending a second indication to the meter to indicate that the media monitored by the meter no longer corresponds to the first reference media.

Claims

1. A media monitoring method comprising:

sending a first indication to a device meter to indicate that media monitored by the device meter corresponds to first reference media in response to determining, by executing an instruction with a processor, that a media signature of a first type reported by the device meter matched a first reference signature associated with the first reference media;

after sending the first indication, comparing, by executing an instruction with the processor, media signatures of a second type reported by the device meter with reference signatures of the second type associated with the first reference media; and

in response to determining, by executing an instruction with the processor, that the media signatures of the second type fail to match the reference signatures of the second type, sending a second indication to the device meter to indicate that the media monitored by the device meter no longer corresponds to the first reference media.

2. The method as defined in claim 1, further including determining that the media signatures of the second type fail to match the reference signatures of the second type when a group of the media signatures of the second type fail to match a corresponding group of the reference signatures of the second type.

3. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the media signature of the first type has higher resolution than the media signatures of the second type.

4. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the media signature of the first type includes more bits than the media signatures of the second type.

5. The method as defined in claim 1, further including receiving the media signatures of the second type after sending the first indication.

6. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the media signature of the first type is a first media signature of the first type, and further including, after sending the second indication, comparing a second media signature of the first type reported by the device meter to a second reference signature of the first type associated with second reference media different from the first reference media to determine whether the media monitored by the device meter corresponds to the second reference media.

7. A tangible computer readable medium comprising computer readable instructions which, when executed, cause a processor to at least:

send a first indication to a device meter to indicate that media monitored by the device meter corresponds to first reference media in response to determining that a media signature of a first type reported by the device meter matched a first reference signature associated with the first reference media;

after the first indication is sent, compare media signatures of a second type reported by the device meter with reference signatures of the second type associated with the first reference media; and

after the media signatures of the second type fail to match the reference signatures of the second type, send a second indication to the device meter to indicate that the media monitored by the device meter no longer corresponds to the first reference media.

8. The tangible computer readable medium as defined in claim 7, wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the processor to determine that the media signatures of the second type fail to match the reference signatures of the second type when a group of the media signatures of the second type fail to match a corresponding group of the reference signatures of the second type.

9. The tangible computer readable medium as defined in claim 7, wherein the media signature of the first type has higher resolution than the media signatures of the second type.

10. The tangible computer readable medium as defined in claim 7, wherein the media signature of the first type includes more bits than the media signatures of the second type.

11. The tangible computer readable medium as defined in claim 7, wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the processor to access the media signatures of the second type after the first indication is sent.

12. The tangible computer readable medium as defined in claim 7, wherein the media signature of the first type is a first media signature of the first type, and after the second indication is sent, the instructions, when executed, further cause the processor to compare a second media signature of the first type reported by the device meter to a second reference signature of the first type associated with second reference media different from the first reference media to determine whether the media monitored by the device meter corresponds to the second reference media.

13. A media monitoring apparatus comprising:

an indication processor to send a first indication to a device meter to indicate that media monitored by the device meter corresponds to first reference media in response to determining that a media signature of a first type reported by the device meter matched a first reference signature associated with the first reference media;

a comparator to compare, after the first indication is sent, media signatures of a second type reported by the device meter with reference signatures of the second type associated with the first reference media; and

the indication processor is further to send, after the media signatures of the second type fail to match the reference signatures of the second type, a second indication to the device meter to indicate that the media monitored by the device meter no longer corresponds to the first reference media.

14. The apparatus as defined in claim 13, wherein the comparator is further to determine that the media signatures of the second type fail to match the reference signatures of the second type when a group of the media signatures of the second type fail to match a corresponding group of the reference signatures of the second type.

15. The apparatus as defined in claim 13, wherein the media signature of the first type has higher resolution than the media signatures of the second type.

16. The apparatus as defined in claim 13, wherein the media signature of the first type includes more bits than the media signatures of the second type.

17. The apparatus as defined in claim 13, further including a signature receiver to receive the media signatures of the second type after the first indication is sent.

18. The apparatus as defined in claim 13, wherein the media signature of the first type is a first media signature of the first type, and after the second indication is sent, the comparator is further to compare a second media signature of the first type reported by the device meter to a second reference signature of the first type associated with second reference media different from the first reference media to determine whether the media monitored by the device meter corresponds to the second reference media.