Methods and apparatus to collect distributed user information for media impressions and search terms

• US 10,498,534 B2
• Filed: 12/17/2018
• Issued: 12/03/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Nielsen Company LLC (MOOD Media Corporation)
• Original Assignee: The Nielsen Company LLC (MOOD Media Corporation)
• Inventors: Bosworth, Alan N., Alla, Madhusudhan Reddy, Splaine, Steven J., Shivampet, Brahmanand Reddy, Gaynor, Kevin K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Eskandarnia, Arvin
• Application Number:
  US16/222,637
• Publication Number:
  US 20190140830A1
• Time in Patent Office: 351 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6254 by anonymising data, e.g. decorrelating personal data from the owner's identification
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0201 Market modelling; Market analysis; Collecting market data
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0203 Market surveys; Market polls
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0251 Targeted advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/50 Testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/04 for providing a confidential data exchange among entities communicating through data packet networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/062 for key distribution, e.g. centrally by trusted party cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key distribution involving a central third party H04L9/0819
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/00 Network arrangements, protocols or services for supporting real-time applications in data packet communication real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM] H04L51/04; selective video distribution H04N21/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/32 including means for verifying the identity or authority of a user of the system or for message authentication, e.g. authorization, entity authentication, data integrity or data verification, non-repudiation, key authentication or verification of credentials
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2351 involving encryption of additional data arrangements using cryptography for the use of broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/23
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25808 Management of client data terminal profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/303
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25866 Management of end-user data customer care in data networks H04L41/5077
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42684 Client identification by a unique number or address, e.g. serial number, MAC address, socket ID network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming H04L61/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44226 on social networks
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication

Abstract

An example method includes receiving a media identifier and a first impression identifier from a media device, the media identifier being indicative of media presented at the media device, receiving the first impression identifier in association with first user information from a first database proprietor as a result of the first database proprietor obtaining a first identifier encrypted with a first encryption key by the media device, and receiving a second impression identifier in association with second user information from a second database proprietor as a result of the second database proprietor obtaining a second identifier encrypted with a second encryption key. The example method further includes identifying the first user information as associated with a user based on the first impression identifier, identifying the second user information as not associated with the user based on the second impression identifier and discarding the second user information.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

obtaining a media identifier and a first impression identifier from a device, the media identifier indicative of media presented at the device;

obtaining a second impression identifier in association with first user information from a first database proprietor based on the first database proprietor obtaining the second impression identifier and a first identifier from the device, the first identifier identifying at least one of the device or a user of the device;

obtaining a third impression identifier in association with second user information from a second database proprietor based on the second database proprietor obtaining the third impression identifier and a second identifier from the device, the second identifier identifying at least one of the device or the user of the device, the second identifier different than the first identifier;

associating the first user information with the media identifier based on the second impression identifier matching the first impression identifier; and

discarding the second user information based on the third impression identifier not matching the first impression identifier.

2. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the first database proprietor is a social network service provider and the second database proprietor is a wireless service provider, the first identifier including a username of the user registered with the social network service provider, and the second identifier including a device identifier used by the wireless service provider to identify the device.

3. The method as defined in claim 2, wherein the first user information includes first demographic information of the user stored by the social network service provider.

4. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the first identifier is encrypted by the device using a first encryption key associated with the first database proprietor, and the second identifier is encrypted by the device using a second encryption key associated with the second database proprietor.

5. The method as defined in claim 1, further including providing a data collector for installation on the device, the data collector to collect the media identifier.

6. The method as defined in claim 5, further including providing the data collector to collect the media identifier based on the media presented by an application that does not employ cookies.

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

logging an impression in association with the media identifier, the impression indicating the media associated with the media identifier was presented at the device; and

associating the first user information with the impression.

8. An apparatus comprising:

a processor;

memory comprising computer readable instructions which, when executed, cause the processor to at least;

obtain a media identifier and a first impression identifier from a device, the media identifier indicative of media presented at the device;

obtain a second impression identifier in association with first user information from a first database proprietor based on the first database proprietor obtaining the second impression identifier and a first identifier from the device, the first identifier identifying at least one of the device or a user of the device;

obtain a third impression identifier in association with second user information from a second database proprietor based on the second database proprietor obtaining the third impression identifier and a second identifier from the device, the second identifier identifying at least one of the device or the user of the device, the second identifier different than the first identifier;

associate the first user information with the media identifier based on the second impression identifier matching the first impression identifier; and

discard the second user information based on the third impression identifier not matching the first impression identifier.

9. The apparatus as defined in claim 8, wherein the first database proprietor is a social network service provider and the second database proprietor is a wireless service provider, the first identifier including a username of the user registered with the social network service provider, and the second identifier including a device identifier used by the wireless service provider to identify the device.

10. The apparatus as defined in claim 9, wherein the first user information includes first demographic information of the user stored by the social network service provider.

11. The apparatus as defined in claim 8, wherein the first identifier is encrypted by the device using a first encryption key associated with the first database proprietor, and the second identifier is encrypted by the device using a second encryption key associated with the second database proprietor.

12. The apparatus as defined in claim 8, wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the processor to provide a data collector for installation on the device, the data collector to collect the media identifier.

13. The apparatus as defined in claim 12, further including providing the data collector to collect the media identifier based on the media presented by an application that does not employ cookies.

14. The apparatus as defined in claim 8, wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the processor to:

log an impression in association with the media identifier, the impression indicating the media associated with the media identifier was presented at the device; and

associate the first user information with the impression.

15. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising instructions which, when executed, cause a processor to at least:

obtain a media identifier and a first impression identifier from a device, the media identifier indicative of media presented at the device;

obtain a second impression identifier in association with first user information from a first database proprietor based on the first database proprietor obtaining the second impression identifier and a first identifier from the device, the first identifier identifying at least one of the device or a user of the device;

obtain a third impression identifier in association with second user information from a second database proprietor based on the second database proprietor obtaining the third impression identifier and a second identifier from the device, the second identifier identifying at least one of the device or the user of the device, the second identifier different than the first identifier;

associate the first user information with the media identifier based on the second impression identifier matching the first impression identifier; and

discard the second user information based on the third impression identifier not matching the first impression identifier.

16. The non-transitory computer readable medium as defined in claim 15, wherein the first database proprietor is a social network service provider and the second database proprietor is a wireless service provider, the first identifier including a username of the user registered with the social network service provider, and the second identifier including a device identifier used by the wireless service provider to identify the device.

17. The non-transitory computer readable medium as defined in claim 16, wherein the first user information includes first demographic information of the user stored by the social network service provider.

18. The non-transitory computer readable medium as defined in claim 15, wherein the first identifier is encrypted by the device using a first encryption key associated with the first database proprietor, and the second identifier is encrypted by the device using a second encryption key associated with the second database proprietor.

19. The non-transitory computer readable medium as defined in claim 15, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to provide a data collector for installation on the device, the data collector to collect the media identifier.

20. The non-transitory computer readable medium as defined in claim 19, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to provide the data collector to collect the media identifier based on the media presented by an application that does not employ cookies.