Variable encoding and detection apparatus and methods

• US 8,406,341 B2
• Filed: 09/07/2007
• Issued: 03/26/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/23/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nielsen & Company Incorporated (MOOD Media Corporation), The Nielsen Company (US), LLC (Nielsen Holdings plc), Nielsen Company (US) LLC (RR Donnelley & Sons Company)
• Original Assignee: The Nielsen Company LLC (MOOD Media Corporation)
• Inventors: Headley, Weston P., Luff, Robert A.
• Primary Examiner(s): WANG, TED M
• Application Number:
  US11/852,049
• Publication Number:
  US 20080101454A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,027 Days
• Field of Search: 375/355, 375/295, 375/316, 375/324, 375/340, 375/345
• US Class Current: 375/316
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 17/00 Diagnosis, testing or measuring for television systems or their details
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/00 Methods or arrangements for coding, decoding, compressing or decompressing digital video signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2343 involving reformatting operations of video signals for distribution or compliance with end-user requests or end-user device requirements video transcoding H04N19/40; media packet handling at the source H04L65/762
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/234309 by transcoding between formats or standards, e.g. from MPEG-2 to MPEG-4 or from Quicktime to Realvideo conversion of standards in analog television systems H04N7/01
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2383 Channel coding or modulation of digital bit-stream, e.g. QPSK modulation arrangements for detecting or preventing errors in the information received by adapting the channel coding H04L1/0009; analogue front ends or means for connecting modulators, demodulators or transceivers to a transmission line H04L27/0002
• 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 21/4348 Demultiplexing of additional data and video streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4382 Demodulation or channel decoding, e.g. QPSK demodulation analog front ends or means for connecting modulators, demodulators or transceivers to a transmission line H04L27/0002
• 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 7/17309 Transmission or handling of upstream communications

Abstract

Apparatus, methods, and articles of manufacture for media monitoring are disclosed. In particular, the example apparatus, methods, and articles of manufacture determine a media source type associated with a media signal and select an encoding or decoding mode based on the media source type. An encoding operation encodes the media signal using the selected encoding mode and a decoding operation decodes the media signal using the selected decoding mode.

Claims

1. A method of decoding a media signal, comprising:

using a processor to determine a physical environment type associated with the media signal by determining that the physical environment type is an in-home environment or an out-of-home environment;

selecting a decoding mode based on the physical environment type; and

decoding a code from the media signal using the selected decoding mode.

2. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein using the processor to determine the physical environment type comprises analyzing acoustic characteristics of the physical environment based on the media signal.

3. A method of decoding a media signal, comprising:

using a processor to determine a physical environment type associated with the media signal by analyzing a frequency spectrum or a signal amplitude of the media signal;

selecting a decoding mode based on the physical environment type; and

decoding a code from the media signal using the selected decoding mode.

4. A method of decoding a media signal, comprising:

using a processor to determine a physical environment type associated with the media signal by extracting the code from the media signal and analyzing characteristics of the code;

selecting a decoding mode based on the physical environment type; and

decoding a code from the media signal using the selected decoding mode.

5. A method as defined in claim 4, wherein analyzing the characteristics of the code comprises at least one of analyzing a power level of the code, analyzing a frequency spectrum of the code, or comparing the code to information stored in a database.

6. A method of decoding a media signal, comprising:

using a processor to determine a physical environment type associated with the media signal by extracting a plurality of codes from the media signal and comparing at least one of the extracted codes to another one of the extracted codes;

selecting a decoding mode based on the physical environment type; and

decoding a code from the media signal using the selected decoding mode.

7. A method of decoding a media signal, comprising:

using a processor to determine a physical environment type associated with the media signal by obtaining via a portable metering device a base metering device identification code emitted by a base metering device;

selecting a decoding mode based on the physical environment type; and

decoding a code from the media signal using the selected decoding mode.

8. A method of decoding a media signal, comprising:

using a processor to determine a physical environment type associated with the media signal;

selecting a decoding mode based on the physical environment type by selecting a code detection threshold; and

decoding a code from the media signal using the selected decoding mode.

9. A method as defined in claim 8, wherein the code detection threshold is at least one of an amplitude threshold or a frequency threshold.

10. A method of decoding a media signal, comprising:

using a processor to determine a physical environment type associated with the media signal;

selecting a decoding mode based on the physical environment type by adjusting a gain setting of an automatic gain control circuit; and

decoding a code from the media signal using the selected decoding mode.

11. A method of decoding a media signal, comprising:

using a processor to determine whether to obtain the media signal via a portable metering device or a base metering device by determining that the portable metering device and the base metering device are located within different rooms of a household;

determining a physical environment type associated with the media signal;

selecting a decoding mode based on the physical environment type; and

decoding a code from the media signal using the selected decoding mode.

12. A method of decoding a media signal, comprising:

using a processor to determine whether to obtain the media signal via a portable metering device or a base metering device, by;

emitting a plurality of presence codes via the portable metering device; and

determining that the amount of time since the base metering device last received a presence code from the portable metering device is greater than a time threshold;

determining a physical environment type associated with the media signal;

selecting a decoding mode based on the physical environment type; and

decoding a code from the media signal using the selected decoding mode.