Methods and apparatus to correlate census measurement data with panel data

• US 10,148,987 B2
• Filed: 03/14/2017
• Issued: 12/04/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 04/24/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Nielsen Company LLC (MOOD Media Corporation)
• Original Assignee: The Nielsen Company LLC (MOOD Media Corporation)
• Inventors: McMillan, F. Gavin
• Primary Examiner(s): Bruckart, Benjamin R
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tesfaye, Aklil M
• Application Number:
  US15/458,399
• Publication Number:
  US 20170188068A1
• Time in Patent Office: 630 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25841 involving the geographical location of the client retrieval from the Internet by querying based on geographical locations G06F16/9537; arrangements for identifying locations of receiving stations in broadcast systems H04H60/51; location of the user terminal in data switching networks H04L67/52; services making use of the location of users or terminals in wireless networks H04W4/02; locating users or terminals in wireless networks H04W64/00
• 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 21/6175 involving transmission via Internet broadcast-related systems characterised by the transmission system being the Internet H04H60/82

Abstract

Methods, apparatus, and systems are disclosed to correlate census measurement data with panel data. An example method includes accessing a message sent from a requesting device in response to accessing media that includes a tag causing the requesting device to send the message to a monitoring entity with an identification of a geographic location of the requesting device and media identifying information. The example method also includes determining locations of a plurality of panelist homes and comparing the geographic location of the requesting device with the locations of the panelist homes. When the geographic location of the requesting device is within a threshold distance of a first one of the panelist homes, identifying a user of the requesting device as a panelist residing at the first panelist home, and associating the media identifying information with panelist data associated with the first one of the panelist homes.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

accessing a message with a computing device of a monitoring entity, the message sent from a requesting device in response to accessing media that includes a tag causing the requesting device accessing the media to send the message to the monitoring entity with an identification of a geographic location of the requesting device and media identifying information;

determining, with the computing device of the monitoring entity, locations of a plurality of panelist homes;

comparing, with the computing device of the monitoring entity, the geographic location of the requesting device with the locations of the plurality of panelist homes; and

when the geographic location of the requesting device is within a threshold distance of a first location of a first one of the plurality of panelist homes;

identifying, with the computing device of the monitoring entity, a user of the requesting device as a panelist residing at the first one of the panelist homes; and

associating, with the computing device of the monitoring entity, the media identifying information with panelist data associated with the first one of the panelist homes.

2. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the media identifying information corresponds to media accessed by the requesting device at the geographic location.

3. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the tag is a reference to an executable monitoring instruction hosted external to the media.

4. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the message is a Hypertext Transfer Protocol message.

5. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the geographic location is determined via a global positioning system.

6. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the geographic location is determined via cellular data.

7. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the geographic location is determined via Wi-Fi data.

8. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein a portion of the message is encrypted.

9. A system comprising:

a beacon handler to access a message sent from a requesting device in response to accessing media that includes a tag causing the requesting device accessing the media to send the message to the beacon handler with an identification of a geographic location of the requesting device and media identifying information;

a location handler to identify locations of a plurality of panelist homes;

the location handler to compare the geographic location of the requesting device with the locations of the plurality of panelist homes;

a comparator to determine whether the geographic location of the requesting device is within a threshold distance of a first location of a first one of the plurality of panelist homes; and

a panelist associator to identifying a user of the requesting device as a panelist residing at the first one of the panelist homes and associate the media identifying information to panelist data associated with the first one of the panelist homes when an output of the comparator indicates the geographic location of the requesting device is within the threshold distance of the first location of the first one of the plurality of panelist homes.

10. The system as defined in claim 9, wherein the media identifying information corresponds to media accessed by the requesting device at the geographic location.

11. The system as defined in claim 9, further including a beacon parser to extract the geographic location of the requesting device from the message.

12. The system as defined in claim 9, further including a decrypter to decrypt the message.

13. The system as defined in claim 9, wherein the message is a Hypertext Transfer Protocol message.

14. A tangible computer readable storage medium comprising instructions that, when executed, cause a processor to at least:

access a message sent from a requesting device in response to accessing media that includes a tag causing the requesting device accessing the media to send the message to a monitoring entity with an identification of a geographic location of the requesting device and media identifying information;

identify locations of a plurality of panelist homes;

compare the geographic location of the requesting device with the locations of the plurality of panelist homes;

determine whether the geographic location of the requesting device is within a threshold distance of a first location of a first one of the plurality of panelist homes; and

identifying a user of the requesting device as a panelist residing at the first one of the panelist homes and associate the media identifying information to panelist data associated with the first one of the panelist homes when the geographic location of the requesting device is within the threshold distance of the first location of the first one of the plurality of panelist homes.

15. The tangible computer readable storage medium as defined in claim 14, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to extract the geographic location of the requesting device from the message.

16. The tangible computer readable storage medium as defined in claim 14, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to:

determine a portion of the message is encrypted; and

decrypt the message.

17. The tangible computer readable storage medium as defined in claim 14, wherein the message is a Hypertext Transfer Protocol message.

18. The tangible computer readable storage medium as defined in claim 14, wherein the geographic location of the requesting device is determined via a global positioning system.

19. The tangible computer readable storage medium as defined in claim 14, wherein the geographic location of the requesting device is determined via cellular data.

20. The tangible computer readable storage medium as defined in claim 14, wherein the geographic location of the requesting device is determined via Wi-Fi data.