METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR MONITORING THE INSERTION OF LOCAL MEDIA CONTENT INTO A PROGRAM STREAM

• US 20070162927A1
• Filed: 12/29/2006
• Published: 07/12/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/23/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Nielsen Company LLC (MOOD Media Corporation)
• Original Assignee: The Nielsen Company LLC (MOOD Media Corporation)
• Inventors: Ramaswamy, Arun, Kempter, Paul
• Granted Patent: US 8,924,995 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/36
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/28 by using information signals recorded by the same method as the main recording G11B27/22 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/3018 used signal is a pilot signal outside the frequency band of the recorded main information signal
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/322 used signal is digitally coded
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/103 Transmitter-side switching
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/106 Receiver-side switching
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/14 for monitoring programmes
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/37 for identifying segments of broadcast information, e.g. scenes or extracting programme ID
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/54 where broadcast information is generated
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23424 involving splicing one content stream with another content stream, e.g. for inserting or substituting an advertisement
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/235 Processing of additional data, e.g. scrambling of additional data or processing content descriptors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2407 Monitoring of transmitted content, e.g. distribution time, number of downloads arrangements for monitoring programmes for broadcast or for distribution combined with broadcast H04H20/14
• 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 21/25891 being end-user preferences retrieval of video data in a video database based on user preferences G06F16/739; arrangements for recognizing users' preferences H04H60/46; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44008 involving operations for analysing video streams, e.g. detecting features or characteristics in the video stream arrangements characterised by components specially adapted for monitoring, identification or recognition of video in broadcast systems H04H60/59
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44016 involving splicing one content stream with another content stream, e.g. for substituting a video clip
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44222 Analytics of user selections, e.g. selection of programs or purchase activity monitoring of user selections in data processing systems G06F11/34; arrangements for monitoring the user's behaviour or opinions in broadcast systems H04H60/33
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4532 involving end-user characteristics, e.g. viewer profile, preferences monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8352 involving content or source identification data, e.g. Unique Material Identifier [UMID]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8455 involving pointers to the content, e.g. pointers to the I-frames of the video stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/163 by receiver means only

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for monitoring locally inserted media content are disclosed. A disclosed method includes obtaining identification data and inserting the identification data in the media content after the media content has been received at a media consumption location. Another disclosed method includes receiving media content before the media content is output by a consumer receiving device and monitoring the received media content. Monitoring the received media content may include extracting signatures from the received media content and transmitting the extracted signatures to another location.

Claims

1. A method for identifying locally inserted media content, the method comprising:

detecting insertion of local media content into a received media content signal after the media content signal has been received at a consumer location; and

inserting identification data identifying the local media content into the received media content signal.

2. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the identification data comprises a source identifier that is received from a source identifier module.

3. A method as defined in claim 1 wherein the identification data comprises at least one of a time stamp, a date, an International Standard Audiovisual Number, a Versioned International Standard Audiovisual Number, a Movie Picture Experts Group Packet Identifier, an Industry Standard Coding Identification, an Advertising Digital Identification, a house number, or an industry identifier.

4. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the identification data comprises a serial number.

5. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the identification data is encrypted before insertion in the media content.

6. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein inserting the identification data is performed at least one of an entry to the consumer location, an entry to a set-top box associated with the consumer location, an output of a decoder in the set-top box, an output of the set-top box, an entry to a storage unit in the set-top box, or an output of a storage unit in the set-top box.

7. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein inserting the identification data is performed at an output of a conditional access unit in the set-top box.

8. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the identification data is inserted in a frequency range shared with a frequency range of the media content.

9. A method of identifying locally inserted media content, comprising:

determining whether or not a portion of a media content signal is locally inserted media content; and

indicating that the portion of the media content signal is locally inserted media content based on the determination.

10. A method as defined in claim 9, wherein indicating that the portion of the media content signal is locally inserted media content comprises at least one of inserting a tag in the media content signal indicating that the portion of the media content signal is locally inserted media content or storing an indication that the portion of the media content signal is locally inserted media content in an audience measurement record.

11. A method as defined in claim 9, wherein determining whether or not the portion of the media content signal is locally inserted media content comprises detecting a format change associated with the media content signal.

12. A method as defined in claim 9, wherein determining whether or not the portion of the media content signal is locally inserted media content comprises:

detecting a first attribute associated with the media content signal at a first time;

detecting a second attribute associated with the media content signal at a second time after the first time;

detecting the first attribute associated with the media content at a third time after the second time;

determining a transition time associated with the length of time between the first time and the third time; and

comparing the transition time to a threshold value to determine whether or not the portion of the media content signal is locally inserted media content.

13. A method as defined in claim 9, wherein determining whether or not the portion of the media content signal is locally inserted media content comprises identifying a change in at least one of a program map or a program association table.

14. A method as defined in claim 9, wherein determining whether or not the portion of the media content signal is locally inserted media content is performed at least one of an output of an editing station, an output of a post production transmitter, an output of a major distribution point receiver, an output of a major distribution point transmitter, an entry to a consumer location, an output of an end user distribution network, or an output of a decoder of a consumer receiving device.

15. A method as defined in claim 9, wherein determining whether or not the portion of the media content signal is locally inserted media content is performed at an output of a conditional access unit of a consumer receiving device.

16. A method as defined in claim 9, wherein determining whether or not the portion of the media content signal is locally inserted media content comprises identifying a transition present in the media content signal.

17. A method as defined in claim 16, wherein identifying the transition present in the media content signal comprises identifying a difference between a frequency of errors associated with the portion of the media content signal and a frequency of errors associated with a different portion of the media content signal.

18. A method as defined in claim 16, wherein identifying transitions present in the media content signal comprises at least one of identifying a change in identification data inserted in the media content signal, identifying a presence or absence of a media packet identifier in the media content signal, identifying a change in the repetition rate of the media packet identifier in the media content signal, identifying a change in a mapping of components in the media content signal, identifying a change in metadata associated with the media content signal, identifying a presence or absence of errors associated with the media content signal, or identifying a change in a state of a set-top box.

19. A method as defined in claim 18, wherein the identification data inserted into the media content signal is at least one of a tag inserted to meter media content or identification data inserted to facilitate distribution of the media content to a consumer location.

20. A method as defined in claim 9, wherein determining whether or not the portion of the media content signal is locally inserted media content comprises extracting identification data inserted into the media content signal and recognizing a transition between at least two segments of the media content signal.

21. A method as defined in claim 9, further comprising receiving the media content signal at least one of a set top box, a satellite receiver, a cable converter box, a cable decoder box, a subscription television receiver, a terrestrial receiver, a personal video recorder, an internet protocol television receiver, or a video cassette recorder/player.

22. A method as defined in claim 9, further comprising:

receiving metadata associated with the portion of the media content signal;

extracting a signature from the portion of the media content signal;

transmitting the extracted signature and the received metadata to a remote location; and

storing the signature and the received metadata at the remote location.

23. A method as defined in claim 9, wherein determining whether or not the portion of the media content signal is locally inserted media content comprises at least one of extracting identification data inserted into the media content signal, or extracting a signature of the portion of the media content signal.

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30. An apparatus for identifying locally inserted media content, the apparatus comprising:

a tag detector to detect an identification tag associated with a media content signal;

at least one of an inherent data detector to detect inherent data associated with the media content signal or a transition detector to detect a transition between at least two segments of the media content signal; and

an analyzer to indicate that a segment of the media content signal is locally inserted media content when at least one of the tag detector, the inherent data detector, or the transition detector indicates that the media content is locally inserted media content.

31. An apparatus as defined in claim 30, wherein the inherent data detector is to extract inherent data associated with the media content signal.

32. An apparatus as defined in claim 31, further comprising an inherent data database to store inherent data extracted by the inherent data detector.

33. An apparatus as defined in claim 30, wherein the tag detector is to extract an identification tag associated with the media content signal.

34. An apparatus as defined in claim 31, further comprising a tag database to store identification tags extracted by the tag detector.

35. An apparatus as defined in claim 30, further comprising a signature module to extract a signature from the media content signal.

36. An apparatus as defined in claim 30, wherein the apparatus comprises both the inherent data detector and the transition detector.

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