Logging individuals for TV measurement compliance

• US 9,781,456 B2
• Filed: 12/03/2015
• Issued: 10/03/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/18/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Rowe, Simon Michael, Arini, Nicholas Salvatore, Charlebois, Owen
• Primary Examiner(s): Parra, Omar S
• Application Number:
  US14/958,643
• Publication Number:
  US 20160088325A1
• Time in Patent Office: 670 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/31 Arrangements for monitoring the use made of the broadcast services
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/37 for identifying segments of broadcast information, e.g. scenes or extracting programme ID
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/45 for identifying users
• 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: H04H 60/82 the transmission system being the Internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/94 Telephonic networks for accessing the Internet H04H60/84
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/252 Processing of multiple end-users' preferences to derive collaborative data
• 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 21/41265 having a remote control device for bidirectional communication between the remote control device and client device unidirectional remote control device H04N21/42204
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42201 biosensors, e.g. heat sensor for presence detection, EEG sensors or any limb activity sensors worn by the user input arrangements for interaction with the human body based on nervous system activity detection G06F3/015
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42218 for mapping a matrix of displayed objects on the screen to the numerical key-matrix of the remote control
• 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 21/441 Acquiring end-user identification , e.g. using personal code sent by the remote control or by inserting a card
• 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 21/44218 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 21/4532 involving end-user characteristics, e.g. viewer profile, preferences monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; 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 21/4758 for providing answers, e.g. voting
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4882 for displaying messages, e.g. warnings, reminders arrangements for providing short real-time information to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1895
• 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

A TV audience survey system for determining the TV viewing activities of a plurality of individuals in a household includes a master device and multiple tags, each tag assigned to an individual. After an individual logs into the system and starts watching the TV, the master device communicates with the corresponding tag repeatedly to accumulate data representing the individual'"'"'s TV viewing activities. Such data can be used to determine when the individual stops watching the TV for an extended period of time without logging out of the system and when the household member remains watching the TV after logging or being logged out of the system. The master device then reports the accumulated data to a remote server, which uses the data to determine whether the individual complies with the logging protocol defined by the TV audience survey system and update the TV viewership data associated with this household.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for determining TV viewership data of individuals in a household equipped with a TV audience survey system, comprising:

at a computer server having memory and one or more processors;

receiving a plurality of TV audience records from the TV audience survey system, the TV audience survey system comprising a master device and one or more tags each associated with a respective individual, wherein a respective TV audience record includes an individual'"'"'s TV viewing activities including generated status update entries based on locations of the one or more tags relative to the master device, the locations determined by signals sent by the one or more tags to the master device;

receiving a plurality of TV broadcast records from the TV audience survey system, wherein a respective TV broadcast record includes an audio fingerprint derived from a TV program being broadcast at the household and an associated timestamp;

receiving a plurality of TV viewership metering records from the TV audience survey system, wherein a respective TV viewership metering record includes information identifying a TV program and one or more individuals in the household that registered to watch the TV program;

for a respective TV viewership metering record, identifying a TV audience record associated with the same TV program as the respective TV viewership metering record;

correlating the plurality of TV broadcast records with the plurality of TV audience records to generate TV viewership data for the individuals in the household based on timestamps and broadcast strength of the tags, wherein the TV viewership data includes a plurality of records, each record identifying a TV program broadcast at the household and one or more individuals that have watched the TV program by comparing the respective TV broadcast record with a plurality of TV broadcast reference records to identify one TV broadcast reference record that has the same audio fingerprint as the respective TV broadcast record;

updating the registered individual'"'"'s information in the TV viewership metering record using the identified TV audience measurement record to add individuals that actually watched but did not register for watching the TV program and delete individuals that registered for watching but did not actually watch the TV program; and

sending an alert message to the TV audience survey system if the update to the registered individuals information satisfies a predefined condition.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the TV audience survey system is configured to send the plurality of TV viewership metering records to the computer server via a wired communication network.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the respective TV audience record includes a plurality of audience status update entries that keep track of the location of a tag carried by an individual relative to the master device.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the TV audience survey system is configured to send the plurality of TV audience records and the plurality of TV broadcast records to the computer server via a wireless communication network.

5. A computer system for determining TV viewership data of individuals in a household equipped with a TV audience survey system, comprising:

one or more processors; and

memory storing one or more programs to be executed by the one or more processors, the one or more programs comprising instructions for;

receiving a plurality of TV audience records from the TV audience survey system, the TV audience survey system comprising a master device and one or more tags each associated with a respective individual, wherein a respective TV audience record includes an individual'"'"'s TV viewing activities including generated status update entries based on locations of the one or more tags relative to the master device, the locations determined by signals sent by the one or more tags to the master device;

receiving a plurality of TV broadcast records from the TV audience survey system, wherein a respective TV broadcast record includes an audio fingerprint derived from a TV program being broadcast at the household and an associated timestamp;

receiving a plurality of TV viewership metering records from the TV audience survey system, wherein a respective TV viewership metering record includes information identifying a TV program and one or more individuals in the household that registered to watch the TV program;

for a respective TV viewership metering record, identifying a TV audience record associated with the same TV program as the respective TV viewership metering record;

correlating the plurality of TV broadcast records with the plurality of TV audience records to generate TV viewership data for the individuals in the household based on timestamps and broadcast strength of the tags, wherein the TV viewership data includes a plurality of records, each record identifying a TV program broadcast at the household and one or more individuals that have watched the TV program by comparing the respective TV broadcast record with a plurality of TV broadcast reference records to identify one TV broadcast reference record that has the same audio fingerprint as the respective TV broadcast record;

updating the registered individual'"'"'s information in the TV viewership metering record using the identified TV audience measurement record to add individuals that actually watched but did not register for watching the TV program and delete individuals that registered for watching but did not actually watch the TV program; and

sending an alert message to the TV audience survey system if the update to the registered individuals information satisfies a predefined condition.

6. The computer system of claim 5, wherein the TV audience survey system is configured to send the plurality of TV viewership metering records to the computer server via a wired communication network.

7. The computer system of claim 5, wherein the respective TV audience record includes a plurality of audience status update entries that keep track of the location of a tag carried by an individual relative to the master device.

8. The computer system of claim 5, wherein the TV audience survey system is configured to send the plurality of TV audience records and the plurality of TV broadcast records to the computer server via a wireless communication network.

9. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing one or more programs to be executed by a one or more processors, the one or more programs comprising instructions for:

receiving a plurality of TV audience records from the TV audience survey system, the TV audience survey system comprising a master device and one or more tags each associated with a respective individual, wherein a respective TV audience record includes an individual'"'"'s TV viewing activities including generated status update entries based on locations of the one or more tags relative to the master device, the locations determined by signals sent by the one or more tags to the master device;

receiving a plurality of TV broadcast records from the TV audience survey system, wherein a respective TV broadcast record includes an audio fingerprint derived from a TV program being broadcast at the household and an associated timestamp;

receiving a plurality of TV viewership metering records from the TV audience survey system, wherein a respective TV viewership metering record includes information identifying a TV program and one or more individuals in the household that registered to watch the TV program;

for a respective TV viewership metering record, identifying a TV audience record associated with the same TV program as the respective TV viewership metering record;

correlating the plurality of TV broadcast records with the plurality of TV audience records to generate TV viewership data for the individuals in the household based on timestamps and broadcast strength of the tags, wherein the TV viewership data includes a plurality of records, each record identifying a TV program broadcast at the household and one or more individuals that have watched the TV program by comparing the respective TV broadcast record with a plurality of TV broadcast reference records to identify one TV broadcast reference record that has the same audio fingerprint as the respective TV broadcast record;

updating the registered individual'"'"'s information in the TV viewership metering record using the identified TV audience measurement record to add individuals that actually watched but did not register for watching the TV program and delete individuals that registered for watching but did not actually watch the TV program; and

sending an alert message to the TV audience survey system if the update to the registered individuals information satisfies a predefined condition.

10. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 9, wherein the TV audience survey system is configured to send the plurality of TV viewership metering records to the computer server via a wired communication network.

11. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 9, wherein the respective TV audience record includes a plurality of audience status update entries that keep track of the location of a tag carried by an individual relative to the master device.

12. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 9, wherein the TV audience survey system is configured to send the plurality of TV audience records and the plurality of TV broadcast records to the computer server via a wireless communication network.