Methods and systems for reducing spillover by detecting signal distortion

• US 9,332,306 B2
• Filed: 07/10/2015
• Issued: 05/03/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/08/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Nielsen Company LLC (MOOD Media Corporation)
• Original Assignee: The Nielsen Company LLC (MOOD Media Corporation)
• Inventors: Nielsen, Christen V.
• Primary Examiner(s): SHANG, ANNAN Q
• Application Number:
  US14/796,584
• Publication Number:
  US 20150319491A1
• Time in Patent Office: 298 Days
• Field of Search: 725/10, 725/14, 725/17, 725/18, 709/224
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/58 of audio determination or detection of speech characteristics in general G10L25/00; speech recognition in general G10L15/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4131 home appliance, e.g. lighting, air conditioning system, metering devices home automation data switching networks exchanging configuration information on appliance services H04L12/2807
• 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 21/44218 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 21/44224 Monitoring of user activity on external systems, e.g. Internet browsing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6582 Data stored in the client, e.g. viewing habits, hardware capabilities, credit card number arrangements where receivers interact with the broadcast H04H20/38

Abstract

Methods, apparatus, and articles of manufacture for reducing spillover in a media monitoring system are disclosed. An example method includes determining an actual frequency spectrum of the media monitored by a meter, and determining absolute values of differences between amplitudes of corresponding frequency components of the actual frequency spectrum and an expected frequency spectrum, the expected frequency spectrum stored in a database in association with a media identifier corresponding to the media. An example method also includes determining whether spillover occurred based on a summation of the absolute values satisfying a threshold, crediting the media with a media exposure if spillover did not occur.

Claims

1. A method to credit media presented by a media presentation device, the method comprising:

determining, via a processor, an actual frequency spectrum of the media monitored by a meter;

determining, via the processor, absolute values of differences between amplitudes of corresponding frequency components of the actual frequency spectrum and an expected frequency spectrum, the expected frequency spectrum stored in a database in association with a media identifier corresponding to the media;

determining, via the processor, whether spillover occurred based on a summation of the absolute values satisfying a threshold; and

crediting, via the processor, the media with a media exposure if spillover did not occur.

2. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the meter is a portable people meter to be worn or carried by a panelist.

3. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the actual frequency spectrum is based on a sample of the media presented by the media presentation device and collected by the meter.

4. The method as defined in claim 3, further including discarding, via the processor, the sample of the media corresponding to the actual frequency spectrum if spillover did occur.

5. The method as defined in claim 3, further including;

determining, via the processor, whether the actual frequency spectrum represents a sound not associated with the media; and

when the actual frequency spectrum represents the sound not associated with the media, discarding, via the processor, the sample of the media corresponding to the actual frequency spectrum before determining the absolute values of the differences between the amplitudes of the corresponding frequency components of the actual frequency spectrum and the expected frequency spectrum.

6. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the expected frequency spectrum is calculated prior to determining the actual frequency spectrum of the media.

7. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the determining that spillover occurred indicates that the meter is in a different room from the media presentation device.

8. An apparatus to credit media presented by a media presentation device, the apparatus comprising:

a frequency spectrum analyzer to determine an actual frequency spectrum of the media monitored by a meter;

a frequency spectrum comparator to;

determine absolute values of differences between amplitudes of corresponding frequency components of the actual frequency spectrum and an expected frequency spectrum, the expected frequency spectrum stored in a database in association with a media identifier corresponding to the media;

determine whether spillover occurred based on a summation of the absolute values satisfying a threshold; and

a media creditor to;

credit the media with a media exposure if spillover did not occur; and

not credit the media with the media exposure if spillover did occur.

9. The apparatus as defined in claim 8, wherein the meter is a portable people meter to be worn or carried by a panelist.

10. The apparatus as defined in claim 8, wherein the actual frequency spectrum is based on a sample of the media presented by the media presentation device and collected by the meter.

11. The apparatus as defined in claim 10, wherein the media creditor is further to discard the sample of the media corresponding to the actual frequency spectrum if spillover did occur.

12. The apparatus as defined in claim 10, wherein the frequency spectrum analyzer is further to:

determine whether the actual frequency spectrum represents a sound not associated with the media; and

when the actual frequency spectrum represents the sound not associated with the media, discard the sample of the media corresponding to the actual frequency.

13. The apparatus as defined in claim 8, wherein the expected frequency spectrum is calculated prior to determining the actual frequency spectrum of the media.

14. The apparatus as defined in claim 8, wherein determining that spillover occurred indicates that the meter is in a different room from the media presentation device.

15. A tangible computer readable storage medium comprising instructions that, when executed, cause a computing device to:

determine an actual frequency spectrum of the media monitored by a meter;

determine absolute values of differences between amplitudes of corresponding frequency components of the actual frequency spectrum and an expected frequency spectrum, the expected frequency spectrum stored in a database in association with a media identifier corresponding to the media;

determine whether spillover occurred based on a summation of the absolute values satisfying a threshold; and

credit the media with a media exposure if spillover did not occur.

16. The tangible computer readable storage medium as defined in claim 15, wherein the meter is a portable people meter to be worn or carried by a panelist.

17. The tangible computer readable storage medium as defined in claim 15, wherein the actual frequency spectrum is based on a sample of the media presented by the media presentation device and collected by the meter.

18. The tangible computer readable storage medium as defined in claim 17, further including instructions that, when executed, cause the computing device to discard the sample of the media corresponding to the actual frequency spectrum if spillover did occur.

19. The tangible computer readable storage medium as defined in claim 15, wherein the expected frequency spectrum is calculated prior to determining the actual frequency spectrum of the media.

20. The tangible computer readable storage medium as defined in claim 15, wherein determining that spillover occurred indicates that the meter is in a different room from the media presentation device.