Variable encoding and detection apparatus and methods

• US 9,210,416 B2
• Filed: 12/27/2013
• Issued: 12/08/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/23/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Nielsen Company LLC (MOOD Media Corporation)
• Original Assignee: The Nielsen Company LLC (MOOD Media Corporation)
• Inventors: Luff, Robert A., Headley, Weston P.
• Primary Examiner(s): WANG, TED M
• Application Number:
  US14/141,641
• Publication Number:
  US 20140104435A1
• Time in Patent Office: 711 Days
• Field of Search: 375/295
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 tagging collected media monitoring information, comprising:

extracting, using a processor, media monitoring information from a media signal;

determining if the media monitoring information is complete by;

identifying a data field of the media monitoring information; and

determining whether the data field contains complete information or incomplete information; and

tagging, using the processor, the media monitoring information in response to determining whether the media monitoring information is complete.

2. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the media signal is obtained via a portable metering device.

3. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein incomplete information includes at least one of corrupt information or missing information.

4. A method as defined in claim 1, further including tagging the media monitoring information with in-home identification information when the data field contains complete information.

5. A method as defined in claim 4, further including tagging the media monitoring information with out-of-home identification information when the data field contains incomplete information.

6. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the media monitoring information includes a code.

7. A method of tagging collected media monitoring information, comprising:

extracting, using a processor, media monitoring information from a media signal;

determining if the media monitoring information is complete by;

identifying a multi-tiered time stamp in the media signal; and

determining if a tier of the multi-tiered time stamp includes complete information; and

tagging, using the processor, the media monitoring information in response to determining whether the media monitoring information is complete.

8. A method as defined in claim 7, further including determining if a tier of the multi-tiered time stamp contains incomplete information at a time when the media monitoring information is collected.

9. An apparatus to tag collected media monitoring information, the apparatus comprising:

a processor; and

a memory having machine readable instructions stored thereon which, when executed, cause the processor to at least;

extract media monitoring information from a media signal;

determine if the media monitoring information is complete by;

identifying a data field of the media monitoring information; and

determining whether the data field contains complete information or incomplete information; and

tag the media monitoring information in response to a determination of whether the media monitoring information is complete.

10. An apparatus as defined in claim 9, wherein the instructions cause the processor to obtain the media signal via a portable metering device.

11. An apparatus as defined in claim 9, wherein the media monitoring information includes a code.

12. An apparatus as defined in claim 9, wherein the instructions cause the processor to:

tag the media monitoring information with in-home identification information in response to a determination that the data field contains complete information.

13. An apparatus as defined in claim 12, wherein the instructions cause the processor to tag the media monitoring information with out-of-home identification information in response to a determination that the data field contains incomplete information.

14. An apparatus as defined in claim 12, wherein incomplete information includes at least one of corrupt information or missing information.

15. An apparatus to tag collected media monitoring information, the apparatus comprising:

a processor; and

a memory having machine readable instructions stored thereon which, when executed, cause the processor to at least;

extract media monitoring information from a media signal;

determine if the media monitoring information is complete by;

identify a multi-tiered time stamp in the media signal;

determine if a tier of the multi-tiered time stamp includes incomplete information; and

determine whether the media monitoring information is complete based on a determination of whether the tier of the multi-tiered time stamp includes incomplete information; and

tag the media monitoring information in response to a determination of whether the media monitoring information is complete.

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

extract media monitoring information from a media signal;

determine if the media monitoring information is complete by

identifying a data field of the media monitoring information; and

determining whether the data field contains complete information or incomplete information; and

tag the media monitoring information based on a determination of whether the media monitoring information is complete.

17. A computer readable storage device or storage disc as defined in claim 16, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to obtain the media signal via a portable metering device.

18. A computer readable storage device or storage disc as defined in claim 16, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to:

determine the media monitoring information is complete in response to determining that the data field contains complete information.

19. A computer readable storage device or storage disc as defined in claim 18, wherein incomplete information includes at least one of corrupt information or missing information.

20. A computer readable storage device or storage disc as defined in claim 18, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to tag the media monitoring information with in-home identification information when the data field contains complete information.

21. A computer readable storage device or storage disc as defined in claim 18, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to tag the media monitoring information with out-of-home identification information when the data field contains incomplete information.

22. A computer readable storage device or storage disc as defined in claim 16, wherein the media monitoring information includes a code.

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

extract media monitoring information from a media signal;

determine if the media monitoring information is complete by;

identifying a multi-tiered time stamp in the media signal;

determining if a tier of the multi-tiered time stamp includes incomplete information; and

determining if the media monitoring information is complete based on a determination of whether the tier of the multi-tiered time stamp includes incomplete information; and

tag the media monitoring information based on a determination of whether the media monitoring information is complete.