Media usage monitoring and measurement system and method

• US 8,296,791 B2
• Filed: 09/11/2008
• Issued: 10/23/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/27/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Anonymous Media Research Holdings, LLC (Anonymous Media Research, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Anonymous Media Research, LLC
• Inventors: OTTO, Christopher, Steuer, Jonathan S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kincaid, Kristine
• Assistant Examiner(s): Smith, Chenea
• Application Number:
  US12/283,355
• Publication Number:
  US 20090019466A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,503 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 725/18
• 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:

using one or more computers to generating generate a play stream of content identification results corresponding to a sequence of submitted data samples, the submitted data samples corresponding to audio data samples captured at a monitoring device associated with a monitored audience member; and

using one or more computers to utilize sample sequence data and content offset data to deduce play-altering actions of the monitored audience member, the sample sequence data corresponding to a sequence of the content identification results, the content offset data including content offsets associated with the content identification results, a content offset indicating a time position of a content identification result within identified content, wherein to utilize comprises, for a particular plurality of submitted data samples and corresponding content identification results, comparing a progression of log times associated with capture timing of each of the particular plurality of submitted data samples and a progression of content offsets of the corresponding content identification results.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

generating a play list including content offset data as part of deducing media play-altering actions of a monitored audience member.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

utilizing sample sequence data together with corresponding channel data to deduce play-altering actions of a monitored audience member.

4. The media measurement method of claim 1 wherein a clean play list is generated including deduced play-altering actions.

5. The media measurement method of claim 1 wherein the play stream is a raw play stream.

6. The media measurement method of claim 1 wherein the play stream is a clean play stream.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein utilizing further comprises determining if one or more discontinuities exist in the progression of content offsets.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the content offset data is derived from a comparison conducted by a computerized content identification system comparing the submitted data samples against known content such that content offset data is obtainable without using time codes accompanying the captured audio data samples.

9. A media measurement method comprising:

using one or more computers to generate a play stream of content identification results corresponding to a sequence of submitted data samples, the submitted data samples corresponding to audio data samples captured at a monitoring device associated with a monitored audience member; and

using one or more computers to utilize sample sequence data and content offset data to deduce play-altering actions of the monitored audience member, the sample sequence data corresponding to a sequence of the content identification results, wherein play-altering actions include actions that alter at least one of a pace and a sequence of a media stream, the content offset data including content offsets associated with the content identification results, a content offset indicating a time position of a content identification result within identified content, wherein to utilize comprises, for a particular plurality of submitted data samples and corresponding content identification results, comparing a progression of log times associated with capture timing of each of the particular plurality of submitted data samples and a progression of content offsets of the corresponding content identification results.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein play-altering actions include at least one of fast forwarding, rewinding, and pausing a media stream.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein play-altering actions include at least one of skipping forward and skipping backward in a media stream.