Using messaging associated with adaptive bitrate streaming to perform media monitoring for mobile platforms

• US 9,923,942 B2
• Filed: 08/29/2014
• Issued: 03/20/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Nielsen Company LLC (MOOD Media Corporation)
• Original Assignee: The Nielsen Company LLC (MOOD Media Corporation)
• Inventors: Besehanic, Jan
• Primary Examiner(s): Eskandarnia, Arvin
• Assistant Examiner(s): Guzman, Javier O
• Application Number:
  US14/473,592
• Publication Number:
  US 20160065635A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,299 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/612 for unicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/65 Network streaming protocols, e.g. real-time transport protocol [RTP] or real-time control protocol [RTCP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/762 at the source reformatting of additional data in video distribution servers H04N21/2355
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/80 Responding to QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2402 Monitoring of the downstream path of the transmission network, e.g. bandwidth available traffic monitoring in data switching networks H04L43/00; monitoring data switching networks utilization H04L43/0876
• 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 21/4667 Processing of monitored end-user data, e.g. trend analysis based on the log file of viewer selections
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8456 by decomposing the content in the time domain, e.g. in time segments

Abstract

Methods, apparatus, systems, storage media, etc., to perform media monitoring for mobile platforms using messaging associated with adaptive bitrate streaming are disclosed. Example methods disclosed hereinto monitor media on a mobile platform include accessing a first uniform resource locator (URL) included in a first message originated by the mobile platform to stream first media according to an adaptive bitrate streaming protocol. Such example methods also include requesting network log information corresponding to the first URL from a service provider providing network access for the mobile platform. Such example methods further include monitoring presentation of the first media on the mobile platform using the network log information.

Claims

1. A method to monitor media on a mobile platform, the method comprising:

accessing, by executing an instruction with a processor of a first server, a first adaptive bitrate streaming uniform resource locator (URL) collected, by a meter executing on the mobile platform, from a first message to be sent by the mobile platform to a second server to stream first media according to an adaptive bitrate streaming protocol, the first adaptive bitrate streaming URL being received by the first server in a report sent from the meter executing on the mobile platform, the first server being different from the second server to which the mobile platform is to send the first message including the first adaptive bitrate streaming URL to stream the first media;

requesting, by executing an instruction with the processor, network log information corresponding to the first adaptive bitrate streaming URL from a service provider providing network access for the mobile platform; and

monitoring, by executing an instruction with the processor, presentation of the first media on the mobile platform using the network log information.

2. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the network log information includes at least one of a timestamp corresponding to when the first message including the first adaptive bitrate streaming URL was logged by the service provider, or location information specifying a location of the mobile platform at a time when the first message including the first adaptive bitrate streaming URL was logged by the service provider.

3. The method as defined in claim 1, further including obtaining demographic information, in addition to the network log information, in response to providing the first adaptive bitrate streaming URL to the service provider.

4. The method as defined in claim 3, wherein the network log information and the demographic information omit personal information related to a subscriber associated with the mobile platform.

5. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the requesting of the network log information includes sending a request including the first adaptive bitrate streaming URL and a time range associated with when the first adaptive bitrate streaming URL was detected to the service provider.

6. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the monitoring of the presentation of the first media on the mobile platform includes combining the network log information with media identification information associated with the first adaptive bitrate streaming URL.

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

requesting, from the service provider, network log information corresponding to other adaptive bitrate streaming URLs included in subsequent messages originated by the mobile platform to stream the first media according to the adaptive bitrate streaming protocol; and

determining ratings data associated with the presentation of the first media on the mobile platform using the network log information corresponding to the first adaptive bitrate streaming URL and the network log information corresponding to the other adaptive bitrate streaming URLs, the ratings data having a time granularity corresponding to time intervals between media segments of the first media identified by the first message and the subsequent messages.

8. A tangible machine readable storage medium comprising machine readable instructions which, when executed, cause a first server to at least:

access a first adaptive bitrate streaming uniform resource locator (URL) collected by a meter executing on a mobile platform, from a first message to be sent by the mobile platform to a second server to stream first media according to an adaptive bitrate streaming protocol, the first adaptive bitrate streaming URL being received by the first server in a report sent from the meter executing on the mobile platform, the first server being different from the second server to which the mobile platform is to send the first message including the first adaptive bitrate streaming URL to stream the first media;

request network log information corresponding to the first adaptive bitrate streaming URL from a service provider providing network access for the mobile platform; and

monitor presentation of the first media on the mobile platform using the network log information.

9. The storage medium as defined in claim 8, wherein the network log information includes at least one of a timestamp corresponding to when the first message including the first adaptive bitrate streaming URL was logged by the service provider, or location information specifying a location of the mobile platform at a time when the first message including the first adaptive bitrate streaming URL was logged by the service provider.

10. The storage medium as defined in claim 8, wherein the machine readable instructions, when executed, further cause the first server to obtain demographic information, in addition to the network log information, in response to providing the first adaptive bitrate streaming URL to the service provider.

11. The storage medium as defined in claim 10, wherein the network log information and the demographic information omit personal information related to a subscriber associated with the mobile platform.

12. The storage medium as defined in claim 8, wherein to request the network log information, the instructions, when executed, further cause the first server to send a request including the first adaptive bitrate streaming URL and a time range associated with when the first adaptive bitrate streaming URL was detected to the service provider.

13. The storage medium as defined in claim 8, wherein to monitor the presentation of the first media on the mobile platform, the instructions, when executed, further cause the first server to combine the network log information with media identification information associated with the first adaptive bitrate streaming URL.

14. The storage medium as defined in claim 8, wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the first server to:

request, from the service provider, network log information corresponding to other adaptive bitrate streaming URLs included in subsequent messages originated by the mobile platform to stream the first media according to the adaptive bitrate streaming protocol; and

determine ratings data associated with the presentation of the first media on the mobile platform using the network log information corresponding to the first adaptive bitrate streaming URL and the network log information corresponding to the other adaptive bitrate streaming URLs, the ratings data having a time granularity corresponding to time intervals between media segments of the first media identified by the first message and the subsequent messages.

15. An apparatus to monitor media on a mobile platform, the apparatus comprising:

a uniform resource locator (URL) collector to access, at a first server, a first adaptive bitrate streaming URL collected, by a meter executing on the mobile platform, from a first message to be sent by the mobile platform to a second server to stream first media according to an adaptive bitrate streaming protocol, the first adaptive bitrate streaming URL received at the first server in a report sent from the meter executing on the mobile platform, the first server being different from the second server to which the mobile platform is to send the first message including the first adaptive bitrate streaming URL to stream the first media;

a provider data requestor to request network log information corresponding to the first adaptive bitrate streaming URL from a service provider providing network access for the mobile platform; and

a ratings monitor to monitor presentation of the first media on the mobile platform using the network log information, at least one of the URL collector, the provider data requestor or the ratings monitor being implemented with at least one of a computer processor or a logic circuit.

16. The apparatus as defined in claim 15, wherein the network log information includes at least one of a timestamp corresponding to when the first message including the first adaptive bitrate streaming URL was logged by the service provider, or location information specifying a location of the mobile platform at a time when the first message including the first adaptive bitrate streaming URL was logged by the service provider.

17. The apparatus as defined in claim 15, wherein the provider data requestor is further to obtain demographic information, in addition to the network log information, in response to providing the first adaptive bitrate streaming URL to the service provider.

18. The apparatus as defined in claim 17, wherein the network log information and the demographic information omit personal information related to a subscriber associated with the mobile platform.

19. The apparatus as defined in claim 15, wherein to request the network log information, the provider data requestor is further to send a request including the first adaptive bitrate streaming URL and a time range associated with when the first adaptive bitrate streaming URL was detected to the service provider.

20. The apparatus as defined in claim 15, wherein to monitor the presentation of the first media on the mobile platform, the ratings monitor is further to combine the network log information with media identification information associated with the first adaptive bitrate streaming URL.

21. The apparatus as defined in claim 15, wherein:

the provider data requestor is further to request, from the service provider, network log information corresponding to other adaptive bitrate streaming URLs included in subsequent messages originated by the mobile platform to stream the first media according to the adaptive bitrate streaming protocol; and

the ratings monitor is further to determine ratings data associated with the presentation of the first media on the mobile platform using the network log information corresponding to the first adaptive bitrate streaming URL and the network log information corresponding to the other adaptive bitrate streaming URLs, the ratings data having a time granularity corresponding to time intervals between media segments of the first media identified by the first message and the subsequent messages.