SYSTEMS, METHODS, AND APPARATUS TO IDENTIFY MEDIA DEVICES

• US 20140317270A1
• Filed: 06/28/2013
• Published: 10/23/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/22/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Nielsen Company LLC (MOOD Media Corporation)
• Original Assignee: The Nielsen Company LLC (MOOD Media Corporation)
• Inventors: Besehanic, Jan
• Granted Patent: US 9,647,779 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/32 Arrangements for monitoring conditions of receiving stations, e.g. malfunction or breakdown of receiving stations
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/103 across network layers, e.g. resolution of network layer into physical layer addresses or address resolution protocol [ARP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/2514 between local and global IP addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5014 using dynamic host configuration protocol [DHCP] or bootstrap protocol [BOOTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34

Abstract

Systems, methods, and apparatus to identify media devices are disclosed. An example method includes determining an internet protocol address of a requesting device of a received network communication. A first lookup is performed to identify a media access control address of the requesting device based on the internet protocol address. Data identifying the network communication is stored in association with the media access control address.

Claims

1. A method of identifying a media presentation device, the method comprising:

determining an internet protocol address of a requesting device of a received network communication;

performing a first lookup to identify a media access control address of the requesting device based on the internet protocol address; and

storing data identifying the network communication in association with the media access control address.

2. The method as described in claim 1, wherein the first lookup is performed using an address resolution protocol table.

3. The method as described in claim 1, wherein the requesting device is associated with a local area network.

4. The method as described in claim 1, further comprising performing a second lookup to identify a device identifier of the requesting device based on the media access control address.

5. The method as described in claim 4, wherein storing the data identifying the network communication in association with the media access control address occurs only when the second lookup does not identify the device identifier.

6. The method as described in claim 5, further comprising alerting a measurement system of a media device added to a network when the second lookup does not identify the device identifier.

7. The method as described in claim 1, further comprising storing the media access control address in association with the device identifier.

8. The method as described in claim 1, further comprising transmitting the data identifying the network communication and the device identifier to a central measurement system.

9. A network communications monitor to identify a media device, the apparatus comprising:

a network communicator to receive a network communication of a media device, the network communicator indicating an internet protocol address of the media device;

a communications processor to identify a media access control address of the media device based on the internet protocol address; and

a communications data storer to store data identifying the network communication in association with the media access control address in a network communications data store.

10. The apparatus as described in claim 9, wherein the communications processor is to identify a device identifier based on the media access control address

11. The apparatus as described in claim 10, further comprising a communications transmitter to transmit the data identifying the network communication and the associated device identifier to a central measurement system.

12. The apparatus as described in claim 10, further comprising a device information receiver to receive an association of the media access control address and the device identifier.

13. A tangible machine-readable storage medium comprising computer readable instructions which, when executed, cause a machine to at least:

determine an internet protocol address of a requesting device of a received network communication;

perform a first lookup to identify a media access control address of the requesting device based on the internet protocol address; and

store data identifying the network communication in association with the media access control address.

14. The machine-readable storage medium as described in claim 13, wherein the first lookup is performed using an address resolution protocol table.

16. The machine readable storage medium as described in claim 13, further comprising instructions which, when executed, cause the machine to at least perform a second lookup to identify a device identifier of the requesting device based on the media access control address.

17. The machine-readable storage medium as described in claim 16, wherein storing the data identifying the network communication in association with the media access control address occurs only when the second lookup does not identify the device identifier.

18. The machine-readable storage medium as described in claim 16, further comprising instructions which, when executed, cause the machine to alert a measurement system of a media device added to a network when the second lookup does not identify the device identifier.

19. The machine-readable storage medium as described in claim 13, further comprising instructions which, when executed, cause the machine to store the media access control address in association with the device identifier.

20. The machine-readable storage medium as described in claim 13, further comprising instructions which, when executed, cause the machine to transmit the data identifying the network communication and the device identifier to a central measurement system.

15. The machine-readable storage medium as described in claim 15, wherein the requesting device is associated with a local area network.