Systems and methods for measuring consumption of entertainment commodities

• US 20060122877A1
• Filed: 10/24/2005
• Published: 06/08/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/15/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: comScore, Inc.
• Original Assignee: comScore, Inc.
• Inventors: Yazdani, Amir, Harsh, Aaron J., Behnke, Chris R., Hetzel, Cathy S., Papagan, Ken M.
• Granted Patent: US 9,767,634 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/10
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 5/18 specially adapted for controlling several coin-freed apparatus from one place
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/002 Vending machines being part of a centrally controlled network of vending machines
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/14 Systems including one or more distant stations co-operating with a central processing unit data transmission in general H04L; telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station H04Q9/00

Abstract

Systems and methods for measuring consumption of entertainment commodities distributed through at least two distribution channels by at least one distribution network operator to one or more media receivers. The methods include collecting consumption data from at least one distribution network operator. The at least one distribution network operator distributes entertainment commodities through at least a first distribution channel and a second distribution channel. The collected consumption data relates to entertainment commodities distributed through at least the first distribution channel and the second distribution channel. The collected consumption data includes at least one inconsistency. The collected consumption data is loaded into a computerized database adapted to store, process, and report on consumption. Cleaned consumption data is produced by reconciling consumption data inconsistencies. A consumption data report is based at least in part on the cleaned consumption data. The consumption data report communicates consumption of at least one entertainment commodity.

Claims

1. A method of measuring consumption of entertainment commodities distributed by at least one distribution network operator to one or more media receivers, wherein the entertainment commodities are distributed through at least two distribution channels, the method comprising:

collecting consumption data from at least one distribution network operator, wherein the at least one distribution network operator distributes entertainment commodities through at least a first distribution channel and second distribution channel, wherein the collected consumption data relates to entertainment commodities distributed through at least the first distribution channel and the second distribution channel, and wherein the collected consumption data includes at least one inconsistency;

loading the collected first and second consumption data into a computerized database adapted to store, process, and report on consumption;

producing cleaned consumption data by reconciling consumption data inconsistencies; and

providing a consumption data report based at least in part on the cleaned consumption data, wherein the consumption data report communicates consumption of at least one entertainment commodity.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein one or more distribution network operator distributes entertainment commodities through more than one distribution channel.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the consumption data is collected from the same distribution network operator.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein consumption data inconsistencies are a result of collecting consumption data on entertainment commodities delivered through multiple distribution channels.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein consumption data inconsistencies are a result of collecting consumption data from more than one distribution network operator.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the entertainment commodities are produced by one or more entertainment companies;

and wherein consumption data inconsistencies are a result of collecting consumption data on entertainment commodities produced by multiple entertainment companies.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein producing cleaned consumption data includes assigning a common identifier to all distributions of an entertainment commodity.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein producing cleaned consumption data includes removing extraneous data from the collected consumption data.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the collected consumption data includes a distinguishing media receiver code specific to each media receiver through which an entertainment commodity was consumed;

and wherein the method further comprises producing a media receiver history for one or more of the media receivers through which an entertainment commodity was consumed.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the consumption data report is based at least in part on the media receiver history for one or more media receivers and a portion of the collected consumption data.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of validating the collected consumption data prior to producing cleaned consumption data.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein validating the collected consumption data confirms at least one of the data structure or data content of the consumption data.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of collecting environmental data on at least one audience environment factor, and wherein the consumption data report is based at least in part on the environmental data and the cleaned consumption data.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the at least one audience environment factor is selected from time of the day, day of the week, date of the month, month, period of the year, entertainment commodity release date, number of other entertainment commodities available, one or more characteristics of other entertainment commodities available, local school schedule, community event schedule, regional event schedule, national event schedule, weather, area demographics, holidays, and combinations thereof.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein producing cleaned consumption data includes aggregating the collected consumption data for at least one entertainment commodity distributed through at least two distribution channels.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the collected consumption data includes substantially real-time data of consumption of entertainment commodities distributed by one or more distribution network operator.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein at least a portion of the collected consumption data includes transaction-level data of consumption.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein one or more of the distribution network operators distributes the entertainment commodities to at least one distribution substation prior to distribution to the media receivers, wherein at least a portion of the collected consumption data is collected from one or more distribution substation, and wherein the collected consumption data is substantially census-level, substantially real-time, transaction data of entertainment commodities distributed through the distribution substation from which the consumption data is collected.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein the consumption data report compares consumption of one or more entertainment commodities distributed by one or more distribution network operators.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein the consumption data report includes projections of future consumption of one or more entertainment commodities.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising collecting historical consumption data from one or more archives and loading the historical consumption data into the computerized database;

wherein the projections of future consumption are based at least in part on the historical consumption data.

22. A method of measuring consumption of entertainment commodities distributed by at least one distribution network operator to one or more media receivers, wherein the entertainment commodities are distributed through at least two distribution channels, the method comprising:

collecting first consumption data from at least one distribution network operator, wherein the first consumption data relates to entertainment commodities distributed through a first distribution channel, and wherein first consumption data includes substantially real-time data of consumption of entertainment commodities distributed by one or more distribution network operator;

collecting second consumption data from at least one distribution network operator, wherein the second consumption data relates to entertainment commodities distributed through a second distribution channel, and wherein second consumption data includes substantially real-time data of consumption of entertainment commodities distributed by one or more distribution network operator;

loading the collected first and second consumption data into a computerized database adapted to store, process, and report on consumption;

producing cleaned consumption data by reconciling consumption data inconsistencies and aggregating the first and second consumption data for at least one entertainment commodity distributed through at least two distribution channels; and

providing a consumption data report based at least in part on the cleaned consumption data, wherein the consumption data report communicates consumption of at least one entertainment commodity.

23. A method of measuring consumption of entertainment commodities distributed by at least one distribution network operator to one or more media receivers, wherein the entertainment commodities are distributed through at least two distribution channels, the method comprising:

collecting first consumption data from at least one distribution network operator, wherein the first consumption data relates to entertainment commodities distributed through a first distribution channel;

collecting second consumption data from at least one distribution network operator, wherein the second consumption data relates to entertainment commodities distributed through a second distribution channel;

wherein at least one of the first and second consumption data includes a distinguishing media receiver code specific to each media receiver through which an entertainment commodity was consumed;

loading the collected first and second consumption data into a computerized database adapted to store, process, and report on consumption;

producing cleaned consumption data by reconciling consumption data inconsistencies and assigning a common identifier to all distributions of an entertainment commodity;

producing a media receiver history for one or more of the media receivers through which an entertainment commodity was consumed; and

providing a consumption data report based at least in part on the cleaned consumption data and the media receiver history for one or more media receivers, wherein the consumption data report communicates consumption of at least one entertainment commodity.

24. A computerized system for measuring consumption of entertainment commodities distributed through at least two distribution channels by one or more distribution network operators to one or more media receivers, the system comprising:

a plurality of point-of-consumption (POC) computers operated at a plurality of locations, wherein each POC computer is associated with one or more media receiver, and wherein each POC computer hosts an application for recording consumption data of real-time consumption of entertainment commodities;

one or more distribution network computer operatively coupled to one or more POC computer to collect the consumption data from the POC computer;

a central host computer system operatively coupled to one or more distribution network servers to collect consumption data from the distribution network computer;

wherein the central host computer system collects consumption data related to entertainment commodities distributed through at least two distribution channels; and

wherein the central host computer system hosts an application for reconciling consumption data inconsistencies to produce cleaned consumption data; and

a database adapted to store, process, and report on the consumption of entertainment commodities distributed through the at least two distribution channels.