Methods, systems and apparatus for multi-purpose metering

• US 9,185,457 B2
• Filed: 06/08/2015
• Issued: 11/10/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Nielsen Company LLC (MOOD Media Corporation)
• Original Assignee: The Nielsen Company LLC (MOOD Media Corporation)
• Inventors: Ramaswamy, Arun, Conklin, Charles C., Olmsted, Wayne A., Martensen, Fred, Nelson, Daniel, Topchy, Alexander, Mears, Paul M., Johnson, Karin
• Primary Examiner(s): CORBO, NICHOLAS T
• Application Number:
  US14/733,651
• Publication Number:
  US 20150271549A1
• Time in Patent Office: 155 Days
• Field of Search: 725 9- 16
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/66 Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41265 having a remote control device for bidirectional communication between the remote control device and client device unidirectional remote control device H04N21/42204
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4394 involving operations for analysing the audio stream, e.g. detecting features or characteristics in audio streams arrangements characterised by components specially adapted for monitoring, identification or recognition of audio in broadcast systems H04H60/58
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44213 Monitoring of end-user related data arrangements for monitoring the users' behaviour or opinions in broadcast systems H04H60/33
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44218 Detecting physical presence or behaviour of the user, e.g. using sensors to detect if the user is leaving the room or changes his face expression during a TV program methods or arrangements for recognising human body or animal bodies or body parts G06V40/10; methods or arrangements for acquiring or recognising human faces, facial parts, facial sketches, facial expressions G06V40/16; methods or arrangements for recognising movements or behaviour G06V40/20; arrangements for identifying users in broadcast systems H04H60/45
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4432 Powering on the client, e.g. bootstrap loading using setup parameters being stored locally or received from the server resetting in general G06F1/14; program loading or initiating in general G06F9/445; bootstrapping in general G06F9/4401; secure boots of computer platforms G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4436 Power management, e.g. shutting down unused components of the receiver power management in computer systems G06F1/3203; hibernate or awake process in computer systems G06F9/4418
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4524 involving the geographical location of the client retrieval from the Internet by querying based on geographical locations G06F16/9537; systems specially adapted for using geographical information in broadcast systems H04H60/70; protocols in which the network application is adapted for the location of the user terminal in communication control or processing H04L67/52; services making use of the location of users or terminals in wireless networks H04W4/02; locating users or terminals in wireless networks H04W64/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for multi-purpose metering are disclosed. An example method includes determining whether a portable device is within a vicinity of a household monitoring system based on detecting an identifier via a first radio frequency (RF) signal, when the identifier from the first RF signal is associated with the portable device, determining whether a second acoustic signal includes the identifier associated with the portable device, deactivating a media detection circuit of the portable device when the identifier is detected via both the first RF signal and the second acoustic signal, and activating the media detection circuit of the portable device when the identifier is detected from the first RF signal and the second acoustic signal is absent.

Claims

1. A method to perform media monitoring, comprising:

determining whether a portable device is within a vicinity of a household monitoring system based on detecting an identifier via a first radio frequency (RF) signal;

when the identifier from the first RF signal is associated with the portable device, determining whether a second acoustic signal includes the identifier associated with the portable device;

deactivating a media detection circuit of the portable device when the identifier is detected via both the first RF signal and the second acoustic signal; and

activating the media detection circuit of the portable device when the identifier is detected from the first RF signal and the second acoustic signal is absent.

2. A method as defined in claim 1, further including appending an in-home indicator to audio samples collected by the portable device when the identifier is detected via the first RF signal and the second acoustic signal is absent.

3. A method as defined in claim 2, wherein the portable device is located within the vicinity of the household monitoring system and outside a monitoring proximity of the household monitoring system.

4. A method as defined in claim 2, further including conserving power consumption by deactivating a location detection circuit of the portable device when the identifier is detected via the first RF signal.

5. A method as defined in claim 4, wherein the location detection circuit includes a global positioning satellite detection circuit.

6. A method as defined in claim 1, further including preventing media detection duplication by deactivating the media detection circuit of the portable device when the identifier is detected via both the first RF signal and the second acoustic signal.

7. A method as defined in claim 1, further including appending an out-of-home indicator to audio samples collected by the portable device when the identifier from the first RF signal is not associated with the portable device.

8. A method as defined in claim 1, further including appending an out-of-home indicator to audio samples collected by the portable device when the first RF signal is absent.

9. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the acoustic signal includes an ultrasonic signal.

10. An apparatus to perform media monitoring, comprising:

a communication interface having a processor to;

determine whether a portable device is within a vicinity of a household monitoring system based on detecting an identifier via a first radio frequency (RF) signal;

when the identifier from the first RF signal is associated with the portable device, determine whether a second acoustic signal includes the identifier associated with the portable device;

deactivate a media detection circuit of the portable device when the identifier is detected via both the first RF signal and the second acoustic signal; and

activate the media detection circuit of the portable device when the identifier is detected from the first RF signal and the second acoustic signal is absent.

11. An apparatus as defined in claim 10, wherein the communication interface is to append an in-home indicator to audio samples collected by the portable device when the identifier is detected via the first RF signal and the second acoustic signal is absent.

12. An apparatus as defined in claim 11, wherein the communication interface is to determine that the portable device is located within the vicinity of the household monitoring system and outside a monitoring proximity of the household monitoring system.

13. An apparatus as defined in claim 11, wherein the communication interface is to conserve power consumption by deactivating a location detection circuit of the portable device when the identifier is detected via the first RF signal.

14. An apparatus as defined in claim 10, wherein the communication interface is to prevent media detection duplication by deactivating the media detection circuit of the portable device when the identifier is detected via both the first RF signal and the second acoustic signal.

15. An apparatus as defined in claim 10, wherein the communication interface is to append an out-of-home indicator to audio samples collected by the portable device when the identifier from the first RF signal is not associated with the portable device.

16. An apparatus as defined in claim 10, wherein the communication interface is to append an out-of-home indicator to audio samples collected by the portable device when the first RF signal is absent.

17. A tangible computer readable storage device or storage disk comprising computer readable instructions that, when executed, cause a processor to at least:

determine whether a portable device is within a vicinity of a household monitoring system based on detecting an identifier via a first radio frequency (RF) signal;

when the identifier from the first RF signal is associated with the portable device, determine whether a second acoustic signal includes the identifier associated with the portable device;

deactivate a media detection circuit of the portable device when the identifier is detected via both the first RF signal and the second acoustic signal; and

activate the media detection circuit of the portable device when the identifier is detected from the first RF signal and the second acoustic signal is absent.

18. A storage device or storage disk as defined in claim 17, wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the processor to append an in-home indicator to audio samples collected by the portable device when the identifier is detected via the first RF signal and the second acoustic signal is absent.

19. A storage device or storage disk as defined in claim 18, wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the processor to determine that the portable device is located within the vicinity of the household monitoring system and outside a monitoring proximity of the household monitoring system.

20. A storage device or storage disk as defined in claim 18, wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the processor to conserve power consumption by deactivating a location detection circuit of the portable device when the identifier is detected via the first RF signal.

21. A storage device or storage disk as defined in claim 17, wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the processor to prevent media detection duplication by deactivating the media detection circuit of the portable device when the identifier is detected via both the first RF signal and the second acoustic signal.

22. A storage device or storage disk as defined in claim 17, wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the processor to append an out-of-home indicator to audio samples collected by the portable device when the identifier from the first RF signal is not associated with the portable device.

23. A storage device or storage disk as defined in claim 17, wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the processor to append an out-of-home indicator to audio samples collected by the portable device when the first RF signal is absent.