Media usage monitoring and measurement system and method

• US 20090018684A1
• Filed: 09/11/2008
• Published: 01/15/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/27/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Anonymous Media Research Holdings, LLC (Anonymous Media Research, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Anonymous Media LLC (Sizmek, Inc.)
• Inventors: Otto, Christopher W., Steuer, Jonathan S.
• Granted Patent: US 8,677,389 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/94
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0246 Traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/33 Arrangements for monitoring the users' behaviour or opinions
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/37 for identifying segments of broadcast information, e.g. scenes or extracting programme ID
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/611 for multicast or broadcast systems for broadcast or conference H04L12/18; arrangements for broadcast or distribution combined with broadcast H04H20/00; arrangements for broadcast applications with a direct linkage to broadcast information or to broadcast space-time H04H60/00; selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS], H04W4/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/765 intermediate
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34

Abstract

Media monitoring and measurement systems and methods are disclosed. Some embodiments of the present invention provide a media measurement system and method that utilizes audience data to enhance content identifications. Some embodiments analyze media player log data to enhance content identification. Other embodiments of the present invention analyze sample sequence data to enhance content identifications. Other embodiments analyze sequence data to enhance content identification and/or to establish channel identification. Yet other embodiments provide a system and method in which sample construction and selection parameters are adjusted based upon identification results. Yet other embodiments provide a method in which play-altering activity of an audience member is deduced from content offset values of identifications corresponding to captured samples. Yet other embodiments provide a monitoring and measurement system in which a media monitoring device is adapted to receive a wireless or non-wireless audio signal from a media player, the audio signal also being received wirelessly by headphones of a user of the monitoring device.

Claims

1. A media measurement method comprising:

receiving audio data from a monitoring device, the audio data being divisible into a series of samples; and

determining a sample for attempted identification based at least in part upon a result of an attempt to identify a prior sample against known content.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein determining comprises selecting a format of a sample.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein:

selecting a format includes selecting a length of a sample time window; and

determining comprises adjusting the time window for a sample subsequent to an n'"'"'th sample based at least in part upon an identification result corresponding to the n'"'"'th sample.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein:

selecting a format includes selecting an audio parameters corresponding to requirements of a content recognition algorithm; and

determining comprises, for a sample subsequent to an n'"'"'th sample, selecting audio parameters corresponding to one of a plurality of available content recognition algorithms based at least in part upon an identification result corresponding to the n'"'"'th sample.

5. The method of claim 2 wherein:

selecting a format includes selecting an audio parameters corresponding to settings of a content recognition algorithm; and

determining comprises, for a sample subsequent to an n'"'"'th sample, selecting a setting from a plurality of settings of a content recognition algorithm based at least in part upon an identification result corresponding to the n'"'"'th sample.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein:

determining a sample comprises, for an (n+r)'"'"'th sample submitted for content recognition, determining r at least in part based upon an identification result corresponding to the n'"'"'th sample.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the value of r is increased from a prior value if the identification result corresponding to the n'"'"'th sample does not indicate an identification.

8. The method of claim 6 wherein the value of r is increased from a prior value if the identification result corresponding to the n'"'"'th sample indicates absence of any media content.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein determining comprises, depending upon identification results corresponding to an n'"'"'th and an (n+r)'"'"'th sample, determining whether any samples captured between the n'"'"'th and the (n+r)'"'"'th sample should be submitted for a content recognition attempt.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising:

submitting one or more samples captured between the n'"'"'th and the (n+r)'"'"'th sample for a content identification attempt if the identification results corresponding to the n'"'"'th and (n+r)'"'"'th sample do not match.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein channel data is used in determining the sample, the channel data relating to recently identified samples.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein content data is used in determining the sample, the content data relating one or more recently identified samples.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein content data includes at least one of content type and content length.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein sample sequence data is used in determining the sample, the sample sequence data relating to recently identified samples.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein log data is used in determining the sample, the log data relating to a media player of an audience member using the monitoring device.

16. The method of claim 1 wherein location data is used in determining the sample, the location data relating to a media player of an audience member using the monitoring device.