Personal measurement devices for media consumption studies

• US 10,178,426 B2
• Filed: 10/06/2017
• Issued: 01/08/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Gildfind, Andrew, Rowe, Simon Michael, Krieger, Ken, Stewart, James Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): Alcon, Fernando
• Application Number:
  US15/727,254
• Publication Number:
  US 20180035156A1
• Time in Patent Office: 459 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/33 Arrangements for monitoring the users' behaviour or opinions
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/45 for identifying users
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/422 Input-only peripherals , i.e. input devices connected to specially adapted client devices, e.g. global positioning system [GPS] input devices also receiving signals from specially adapted client devices H04N21/4104
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43637 involving a wireless protocol, e.g. Bluetooth, RF or wireless LAN [IEEE 802.11] arrangements for wireless networking or broadcasting of information in indoor or near-field type systems H04B10/114
• 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 21/632 using a connection between clients on a wide area network, e.g. setting up a peer-to-peer communication via Internet for retrieving video segments from the hard-disk of other client devices broadcast-related systems characterised by transmission among terminal devices H04H60/80; distributed application using peer-to-peer [P2P] networks H04L67/104

Abstract

A method for conducting a media consumption study, includes at a processor of a position marker placed in a study site in a vicinity of a fixed media device; receiving a signal broadcast from a personal measurement device; determining signal information of the received broadcast signal, the signal information including identification information of the personal measurement device, and one or mora signal characteristics; comparing the one or more signal characteristics to threshold values; and based on the comparison, determining the personal measurement device is in proximity to the fixed media device.

Claims

1. A mobile measurement device for conducting media consumption studies at study sites, comprising:

one or more processors;

a radio circuit associated with a unique identifier;

a memory having instructions stored thereon that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to periodically broadcast a first identification signal having the unique identifier, receipt of the first identification signal by a fixed position marker causing the fixed position marker to transmit a first signal strength measurement of the first identification signal to a remote device, receipt of the first signal strength measurement causing the remote device to;

identify the position marker as most proximate to the mobile measurement device based on the first signal strength measurement transmitted by the fixed position marker;

estimate a displacement between the mobile measurement device and a media device based on the first signal strength measurement and a second signal strength measurement of a second identification signal from a measurement device associated with the media device; and

determine that a panelist associated with the unique identifier is consuming media from the media device, responsive to the estimated displacement being less than a threshold.

2. The mobile measurement device of claim 1, wherein the instructions are further configured to cause the one or more processors to:

communicate with a measurement device associated with the media device;

determine that transmission from the measurement device associated with the media device has a highest power signal of a plurality of power signals received by the mobile measurement device;

associate, responsive to the determination that the transmission from the measurement device associated with the media device has the highest power signal, the mobile measurement device with the media device; and

transmit, to the remote device, an indication of association of the mobile measurement device with the media device, receipt of the indication causing the remote device to determine that the panelist associated with the unique identifier is consuming media from the media device.

3. The mobile measurement device of claim 1, wherein the instructions are configured to cause the one or more processors to periodically broadcast the first identification signal to the fixed position marker causing the fixed position marker to:

determine that the first signal strength measurement of the first identification signal is greater than a threshold value; and

transmit the first identification signal, responsive to the determination the first signal strength measurement of the first identification signal is greater than the threshold value.

4. The mobile measurement device of claim 1, wherein the instructions are configured to cause the one or more processors to periodically broadcast the first identification signal to the fixed position marker causing the fixed position marker to:

determine that the mobile measurement device is registered to the panelist; and

transmit the first signal strength measurement of the first identification signal, responsive to the determination that the mobile measurement device is registered to the panelist.

5. The mobile measurement device of claim 1, wherein the instructions are further configured to cause the one or more processors to:

broadcast the first identification signal having a first sequence number, receipt of the first identification signal by the fixed position marker causing the fixed position marker to transmit the first identification signal including the first sequence number; and

increment, subsequent to the broadcasting of the first identification signal, the first sequence number to a second sequence number for broadcasting of a second identification signal.

6. The mobile measurement device of claim 1, wherein the instructions are further configured to cause the one or more processors to receive a message from the remote device, responsive to a determination by the remote device that the mobile measurement device has not moved for at least a predetermined amount of time.

7. The mobile measurement device of claim 1, further comprising:

a housing enclosing the one or more processors and the radio circuit; and

an attachment device attached to the housing and structured to allow for wearing or carrying of the mobile measurement device.

8. A fixed measurement device for conducting media consumption studies at study sites, the fixed measurement device associated with a media device, the fixed measurement device comprising:

one or more processors;

a radio circuit associated with a unique identifier;

a memory having instructions stored thereon that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to periodically broadcast a first identification signal having the unique identifier, receipt of the first identification signal by a fixed position marker causing the fixed position marker to transmit a first signal strength measurement of the first identification signal to a remote device, receipt of the first signal strength measurement causing the remote device to;

identify the position marker as most proximate to the media device based on the first signal strength measurement transmitted by the fixed position marker;

estimate a displacement between the media device and a mobile measurement device based on the first signal strength measurement and a second signal strength measurement of a second identification signal from the mobile measurement device; and

determine that a panelist associated with the unique identifier is consuming media from the media device associated with the fixed measurement device, responsive to the estimated displacement being less than a threshold.

9. The fixed measurement device of claim 8, wherein the instructions are configured to cause the one or more processors to periodically broadcast the first identification signal causing the fixed position marker to transmit the first signal strength measurement of the first signal identification to the remote device, receipt of the first signal strength measurement causing the remote device to establish a mapping of a first location of the media device associated with the fixed measurement device and a second location of the fixed position marker.

10. The fixed measurement device of claim 8, wherein the instructions are configured to cause the one or more processors to periodically broadcast the first identification signal to the fixed position marker causing the fixed position marker to:

determine that the first signal strength measurement of the first identification signal is greater than a threshold value; and

transmit the first identification signal, responsive to the determination the first signal strength measurement of the first identification signal is greater than the threshold value.

11. The fixed measurement device of claim 8, wherein the instructions are further configured to cause the one or more processors to:

broadcast the first identification signal having a first sequence number, receipt of the first identification signal by the fixed position marker causing the fixed position marker to transmit the first identification signal including the first sequence number; and

increment, subsequent to the broadcasting of the first identification signal, the first sequence number to a second sequence number for broadcasting of a second identification signal.

12. The fixed measurement device of claim 8, wherein the instructions are further configured to cause the one or more processors to communicate with the mobile measurement device, causing the mobile measurement device to:

determine that transmission from the fixed measurement device associated with the media device has the highest power signal;

associate, responsive to the determination that the transmission from the fixed measurement device associated with the media device has the highest power signal, the mobile measurement device with the media device; and

transmit, to the remote device, an indication of association of the mobile measurement device with the media device, receipt of the indication causing the remote device to determine that the panelist associated with the unique identifier is consuming media from the media device.

13. The fixed measurement device of claim 8, wherein the first identification signal comprises at least one of a radiofrequency signal and an acoustic signal.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

communicating, using the one or more processors, with the second measurement device;

determining, using the one or more processors, that transmission from the second measurement device has the highest power signal;

associating, using the one or more processors, responsive to the determination that the transmission from the second measurement device has the highest power signal, the first measurement device with the second measurement device; and

transmitting, using the one or more processors, to the remote device, an indication of association of the first measurement device with the second measurement device, receipt of the indication causing the remote device to determine that the panelist associated with the unique identifier is consuming media from the media device associated with the second measurement device.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein periodically broadcasting the first identification signal further comprises broadcasting the first identification signal to cause the fixed position marker to:

determine that the first signal strength measurement of the first identification signal is greater than a threshold value; and

transmit the first identification signal, responsive to the determination the first signal strength measurement of the first identification signal is greater than the threshold value.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein periodically broadcasting the first identification signal further comprises periodically broadcasting the first identification signal causing the fixed position marker to transmit the first signal strength measurement of the first signal identification to the remote device, receipt of the first signal strength measurement causing the remote device to establish a mapping of a first location of the media device associated with the fixed measurement device and a second location of the fixed position marker.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein periodically broadcasting the first identification signal further comprises broadcasting the first identification signal to cause the fixed position marker to:

determine that the first measurement device is registered to the panelist; and

transmit the first signal strength measurement of the first identification signal, responsive to the determination that the first measurement device is registered to the panelist.

19. The method of claim 13, wherein periodically broadcasting the first identification signal further comprises broadcasting the first identification signal having a first sequence number, receipt of the first identification signal by the fixed position marker causing the fixed position marker to transmit the first identification signal including the first sequence number;

and further comprising;

incrementing, subsequent to the broadcasting of the first identification signal, by the control module, the first sequence number to a second sequence number for broadcasting of a second identification signal.

20. The method of claim 13, wherein periodically broadcasting the first identification signal further comprises periodically broadcasting the first identification signal including comprises at least one of a radiofrequency signal and an acoustic signal.

14. A method of conducting media consumption studies at study sites, comprising:

periodically broadcasting, using one or more processors of a measurement device, a first identification signal having a unique identifier, the unique identifier associated with a radio circuit of the measurement device, receipt of the first identification signal by a fixed position marker causing the fixed position marker to transmit a first signal strength measurement of the first identification signal to a remote device, receipt of the first signal strength measurement causing the remote device to;

identify the position marker as most proximate to the measurement device based on the first signal strength measurement transmitted by the fixed position marker;

estimate a displacement between the measurement device and a second measurement device based on the first signal strength measurement and a second signal strength measurement of a second identification signal from the second measurement device; and

determine that a panelist associated with the unique identifier is consuming media from a media device, responsive to the estimated displacement being less than a threshold.