Methods and apparatus to meter video game play

• US 8,430,752 B2
• Filed: 01/31/2008
• Issued: 04/30/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/20/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nielsen Company (US), LLC
• Original Assignee: The Nielsen Company LLC (MOOD Media Corporation)
• Inventors: Ramaswamy, Arun, Peiffer, John C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hylinski, Steven J
• Application Number:
  US12/023,844
• Publication Number:
  US 20080318672A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,916 Days
• Field of Search: 463/47, 463 36- 43, 702/150, 702/158, 340/572.1, 340/686.1, 340/689, 340/500, 340/545.2, 340/545.5, 340/548, 340/566, 340/568, 340/669, 340/670, 340/677, 446/491
• US Class Current: 463/37
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/211 using inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers or gyroscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/215 comprising means for detecting acoustic signals, e.g. using a microphone
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/235 using a wireless connection, e.g. infrared or piconet
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/24 Constructional details thereof, e.g. game controllers with detachable joystick handles
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/285 Generating tactile feedback signals via the game input device, e.g. force feedback
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/335 using Internet
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/79 involving player-related data, e.g. identities, accounts, preferences or play histories
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1031 using a wireless connection, e.g. Bluetooth, infrared connections
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1037 being specially adapted for converting control signals received from the game device into a haptic signal, e.g. using force feedback
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1043 being characterized by constructional details
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/105 using inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers, gyroscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1081 Input via voice recognition
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/208 for storing personal settings or data of the player
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/407 Data transfer via internet
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5546 using player registration data, e.g. identification, account, preferences, game history
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 9/24 Electric games; Games using electronic circuits not otherwise provided for video games A63F13/00; computerized gaming systems G07F17/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/441 Acquiring end-user identification , e.g. using personal code sent by the remote control or by inserting a card

Abstract

Methods and apparatus to meter video game play are described. An example apparatus to meter video game play includes a tag to be attached to a video game controller, the tag having a sensor to detect a user interaction with the video game controller. The apparatus also includes a meter to receive information reflecting the user interaction.

Claims

1. An apparatus to meter video game play, comprising:

a tag adapted to be attached to a video game controller, the video game controller adapted to interact with a video game system capable of executing a plurality of video games, the tag having a sensor adapted to detect motion data related to movement of the video game controller; and

a meter adapted to receive the motion data from the sensor without affecting operation of the video game system, the meter adapted to attribute the motion data to a user interaction with the video game controller, the meter adapted to detect media identifying information presented in an environment including the video game controller to identify which of the plurality of video games is being played via the video game controller, and adapted to combine the media identifying information with the motion data received from the sensor.

2. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, further comprising a filter adapted to identify the movement detected by the sensor as unrelated to video game play.

3. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, further comprising a timer adapted to cause the tag to periodically transmit the motion data to the meter.

4. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, further comprising a timer adapted to cause the tag to transmit the motion data to the meter when the movement has been detected by the sensor during a time interval.

5. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the meter comprises an audio sensor adapted to detect the media identifying information in audio signals associated with the metered video game system.

6. An apparatus as defined in claim 5, wherein the audio signals comprise at least one embedded audio code.

7. An apparatus as defined in claim 5, wherein the audio signals comprise an audio signature.

8. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the tag is removably attached to at least one of a body of the video game controller or a wire of the video game controller.

9. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the sensor comprises at least one of a liquid metal switch, an accelerometer, an electronic compass, or a motion sensor.

10. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the video game controller comprises a motion detector to control the operation of the video game system.

11. An apparatus as defined in claim 10, wherein the motion detector is housed within the video game controller.

12. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the media identifying information identifies a video game with which the video game controller interacts.

13. A method of metering video game play, comprising:

detecting a user interaction with a video game controller via a sensor attached to a wire that is coupled to the video game controller, wherein the sensor is attached to a portion of the wire external to a housing of the video game controller;

comparing a magnitude of a motion of the wire detected by the sensor to a threshold;

attributing the motion of the wire to video game play if the magnitude of the motion detected by the sensor exceeds the threshold;

and

transmitting one or more signals representative of the detected user interaction to a meter without affecting operation of a video game system to be controlled by the video game controller.

14. A method as defined in claim 13, further comprising transmitting data from the meter to a metering entity.

15. A method as defined in claim 13, further comprising attributing the motion to non-video game play if the magnitude of the motion is less than the threshold.

16. A method as defined in claim 13, further comprising associating the user interaction with an identification number assigned to the sensor.

17. A method as defined in claim 16, wherein the identification number is at least locally unique.

18. A method as defined in claim 13, further comprising detecting a status of the sensor and transmitting the status of the sensor to the meter.

19. A method as defined in claim 18, further comprising supplying a replacement sensor if the detected status is an inoperative status.

20. A method as defined in claim 18, wherein detecting the status comprises detecting a battery status.

21. A method as defined in claim 20, further comprising supplying at least one replacement battery if the detected battery status is below a battery status threshold.

22. A method as defined in claim 13, wherein detecting the user interaction with the video game controller comprises measuring magnitudes of movement along at least three axes.

23. A method as defined in claim 13, wherein the threshold is a non-zero threshold.

24. A method as defined in claim 13, wherein the threshold is an amount of time and the magnitude of the motion is a duration of sustained movement.

25. A method as defined in claim 13, further comprising attributing the detected user interaction to non-video game play when the magnitude of the motion is below a threshold amount of time and when the sensor does not detect motion during a first period of time immediately prior to the detected motion or during a second period of time immediately after the detected motion.

26. A video game play tag, comprising:

an annular housing having an aperture to receive a wire coupled to a video game controller, wherein the annular housing comprises two semicircular interlocking halves to, when interlocked, define the aperture to receive the wire;

a sensor carried by the housing to detect a user interaction with the video game controller based on a change in orientation of the housing; and

a transmitter to send orientation information generated by the sensor to a remote device.

27. A video game play tag defined in claim 26, wherein the transmitter is to send an identification number associated with the video game play tag to the remote device.

28. A video game play tag as defined in claim 26, wherein the sensor is to detect at least one of an orientation, a tilt, a movement, or an acceleration of the housing.

29. A video game play tag as defined in claim 26, wherein the transmitter further comprises at least one of an optical transmitter, an acoustic transmitter, an ultrasonic transmitter, or a radio frequency transmitter.