Methods and apparatus to determine impressions using distributed demographic information

• US 9,344,343 B2
• Filed: 11/30/2012
• Issued: 05/17/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/22/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Nielsen Company LLC (MOOD Media Corporation)
• Original Assignee: The Nielsen Company LLC (MOOD Media Corporation)
• Inventors: Mazumdar, Mainak, Geraghty, Kevin, Heffernan, Ronan, Kalus, Mark, Paparo, Ari, Splaine, Steven J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dalencourt, Yves
• Application Number:
  US13/690,915
• Publication Number:
  US 20130097311A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,264 Days
• Field of Search: 709/224
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6245 Protecting personal data, e.g. for financial or medical purposes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0201 Market modelling; Market analysis; Collecting market data
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0241 Advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0246 Traffic
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0272 Period of advertisement exposure
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/04 Processing captured monitoring data, e.g. for logfile generation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0876 Network utilisation, e.g. volume of load or congestion level
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1097 for distributed storage of data in networks, e.g. transport arrangements for network file system [NFS], storage area networks [SAN] or network attached storage [NAS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34

Abstract

An example method to monitor media exposure involves receiving, at a first internet domain, a first request from a client computer, the first request indicative of access to the media at the client computer. The example method also involves determining if the client computer is known. If the client computer is not known, a response is sent from the first internet domain to the client computer, the response to instruct the client computer to send a second request to a second internet domain, the second request to be indicative of access to the media at the client computer. If the client computer is known, an impression of the media is logged.

Claims

1. A method to monitor media exposure, the method comprising:

receiving, at a first internet domain, a first request from a client computer, the first request indicative of access to the media at the client computer, and the first request including identifying information associated with the media;

generating a modified value corresponding to the identifying information;

determining if the client computer is known;

if the client computer is not known, sending, from the first internet domain to the client computer, a response including the modified value in place of the identifying information, the response to instruct the client computer to send a second request to a second internet domain, the second request to be indicative of the access to the media at the client computer, and the modified value to be included in the second request to the second internet domain; and

if the client computer is known, logging an impression of the media.

2. The method as defined in claim 1, further including, when the first request includes an identifier associated with the client computer, storing the identifier in association with the impression.

3. The method as defined in claim 2, wherein the identifier includes a cookie set by a server of the first internet domain.

4. The method as defined in claim 2, further including:

when the first request does not include the identifier, setting, via the first internet domain, the identifier in the client computer; and

storing the identifier in association with the impression.

5. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the first request is received at the first internet domain based on instructions provided with the media and executed at the client computer when the client computer accesses the media.

6. The method as defined in claim 5, wherein the instructions include at least one of Java instructions, java script, or hyper-text markup language.

7. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the first request includes at least one of a campaign identifier, a creative type identifier, or a placement identifier associated with the media, the campaign identifier indicative of an advertisement campaign, the creative type identifier indicative of a technology type of the media, and the placement identifier indicative of a position of the media on a screen of the client computer.

8. The method as defined in claim 1, further including mapping the modified values to the identifying information at the first internet domain.

9. The method as defined in claim 8, further including:

receiving, from the second internet domain, a second impression based on the modified values; and

determining that the second impression corresponds to the media presented at the client computer based on the modified value of the second impression and the mapping of the modified value to the identifying information at the first internet domain.

10. The method as defined in claim 9, wherein the second impression from the second internet domain includes demographic information of a user associated with the client computer.

11. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the response to instruct the client computer to send the second request to the second internet domain includes an internet address associated with the second internet domain.

12. The method as defined in claim 11, further including selecting the internet address associated with the second internet domain based on data indicative of a database proprietor that is most likely to have demographic information for a user associated with the client computer.

13. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the second internet domain is associated with a social network service that collects demographic information from its registered users.

14. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the media is an advertisement.

15. The method as defined in claim 1, further including sending, from the first internet domain, a second response to the client computer, the second response to instruct the client computer to send a third request to a third internet domain, the third request to be indicative of the presentation of the media at the client computer.

16. The method as defined in claim 15, wherein the second response is sent to the client computer when an impression was not logged at the second internet domain.

17. The method as defined in claim 1, further including receiving, from the second internet domain, demographic information associated with a second impression logged at the second internet domain based on the second request.

18. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the response to instruct the client computer to send the second request to the second internet domain instructs the client computer to send the second request to an intermediary.

19. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the modified value includes a modified website identifier substituted for an identifier of a host website from which the client computer accessed the media.

20. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the identifying information is a uniform resource locator at which the media was accessed, and the modified value is to obfuscate the uniform resource locator.

21. A method to monitor media exposure, the method comprising:

receiving, at a first internet domain, a first request from a client computer, the first request indicative of access to the media at the client computer;

determining if the client computer is known;

if the client computer is not known, sending, from the first internet domain, a response to the client computer, the response to instruct the client computer to send a second request to a second internet domain, the second request to be indicative of the access to the media at the client computer;

if the client computer is known;

logging an impression of the media, and

storing first demographic information associated with the client computer in association with the logged impression of the media based on the first request, the first demographic information corresponding to a panelist member associated with the client computer;

receiving, at the first internet domain, a third request from a second client computer associated with a non-panelist user, the third request indicative of access to second media at the second client computer; and

receiving, from the second internet domain, second demographic information associated with the second client computer, the second demographic information received in association with a second impression logged at the second internet domain based on the presentation of the second media at the second client computer.

22. The method as defined in claim 21, wherein the panelist member is associated with a panel that is maintained by an audience ratings measurement entity associated with the first internet domain, and wherein the non-panelist user of the second client computer is a registered user of a registration-based service associated with the second internet domain.

23. An apparatus to monitor media exposure, the apparatus comprising:

a communication interface to;

receive, at a first internet domain, a first request from a client computer, the first request indicative of access to the media at the client computer, and the first request including identifying information associated with the media, and

if the client computer is not known, send, from the first internet domain to the client computer, a response including a modified value in place of the identifying information, the response to instruct the client computer to send a second request to a second internet domain, the second request to be indicative of the access to the media at the client computer, and the modified value to be included in the second request to the second internet domain; and

a data structure to log an impression of the media if the client computer is known.

24. The apparatus as defined in claim 23, wherein the data structure stores an identifier in association with the impression when the first request includes the identifier associated with the client computer.

25. The apparatus as defined in claim 24, wherein the identifier includes a cookie set by a server of the first internet domain.

26. The apparatus as defined in claim 24, wherein the communication interface is to, when the first request does not include the identifier, set, via the first internet domain, the identifier in the client computer, and the data structure to store the identifier in association with the impression after the communication interfaces sets the identifier in the client computer.

27. The apparatus as defined in claim 23, wherein the first request is received at the first internet domain based on instructions provided with the media and executed at the client computer when the client computer accesses the media.

28. The apparatus as defined in claim 27, wherein the instructions include at least one of Java instructions, java script, or hyper-text markup language.

29. The apparatus as defined in claim 23, wherein the first request includes at least one of a campaign identifier, a creative type identifier, or a placement identifier associated with the media, the campaign identifier indicative of an advertisement campaign, the creative type identifier indicative of a technology type of the media, and the placement identifier indicative of a position of the media on a screen of the client computer.

30. The apparatus as defined in claim 23, further including a site identifier map to map the modified value to the identifying information at the first internet domain.

31. The apparatus as defined in claim 30, further including a report generator to:

receive, from the second internet domain, a second impression based on the modified value; and

determine that the second impression corresponds to the media presented at the client computer based on the modified value of the second impression and the mapping of the modified value to the identifying information at the first internet domain.

32. The apparatus as defined in claim 31, wherein the second impression from the second internet domain includes demographic information of a user associated with the client computer.

33. The apparatus as defined in claim 23, wherein the response to instruct the client computer to send the second request to the second internet domain includes an internet address associated with the second internet domain.

34. The apparatus as defined in claim 33, further including a rules engine to select the internet address associated with the second internet domain based on data indicative of a database proprietor that is most likely to have demographic information for a user associated with the client computer.

35. The apparatus as defined in claim 23, wherein the second internet domain is associated with a social network service that collects demographic information from its registered users.

36. The apparatus as defined in claim 23, wherein the media is an advertisement.

37. The apparatus as defined in claim 23, wherein the communication interface is to send from the first internet domain, a second response to the client computer, the second response to instruct the client computer to send a third request to a third internet domain, the third request to be indicative of the presentation of the media at the client computer.

38. The apparatus as defined in claim 23, wherein the second response is sent to the client computer when an impression was not logged at the second internet domain.

39. The apparatus as defined in claim 23, further including a report generator to receive, from the second internet domain, demographic information associated with a second impression logged at the second internet domain based on the second request.

40. The apparatus as defined in claim 23, wherein the response to instruct the client computer to send the second request to the second internet domain instructs the client computer to send the second request to an intermediary.

41. The apparatus as defined in claim 23, wherein the modified value includes a modified website identifier substituted for an identifier of a host website from which the client computer accessed the media.

42. The apparatus as defined in claim 23, wherein the identifying information is a uniform resource locator at which the media was accessed, and the modified value is to obfuscate the uniform resource locator.

43. An apparatus to monitor media exposure, the apparatus comprising:

a communication interface to;

receive, at a first internet domain, a first request from a client computer, the first request indicative of access to the media at the client computer,

if the client computer is not known, send, from the first internet domain, a response to the client computer, the response to instruct the client computer to send a second request to a second internet domain, the second request to be indicative of the access to the media at the client computer, and

receive, at the first internet domain, a third request from a second client computer associated with a non-panelist user, the third request indicative of access to second media at the second client computer;

a data structure to log an impression of the media if the client computer is known, the data structure to store first demographic information associated with the client computer in association with the logged impression of the media based on the first request if the client computer is known, the first demographic information corresponding to a panelist member associated with the client computer; and

a report generator to receive, from the second internet domain, second demographic information associated with the second client computer, the second demographic information received in association with a second impression logged at the second internet domain based on the presentation of the second media at the second client computer.

44. The apparatus as defined in claim 43, wherein the panelist member is associated with a panel that is maintained by an audience ratings measurement entity associated with the first internet domain, and the non-panelist user of the second client computer is a registered user of a registration-based service associated with the second internet domain.

45. A tangible computer readable medium, excluding propagating signals, comprising instructions that, when executed, cause a machine to at least:

access, at a first internet domain, a first request from a client computer, the first request indicative of access to media at the client computer, and the first request including identifying information associated with the media;

determine if the client computer is known;

if the client computer is not known, send, from the first interne domain to the client computer, a response including a modified value in place of the identifying information, the response to instruct the client computer to send a second request to a second internet domain, the second request to be indicative of the access to the media at the client computer, and the modified value to be included in the second request to the second internet domain, the modified value corresponding to the identifying information but not specifying the media to the second internet domain; and

if the client computer is known, log an impression of the media.

46. The tangible computer readable medium as defined in claim 45, wherein the instructions cause the machine to, when the first request includes an identifier associated with the client computer, store the identifier in association with the impression.

47. The tangible computer readable medium as defined in claim 46, wherein the identifier includes a cookie set by a server of the first internet domain.

48. The tangible computer readable medium as defined in claim 46, wherein the instructions cause the machine to:

when the first request does not include the identifier, set, via the first internet domain, the identifier in the client computer; and

store the identifier in association with the impression.

49. The tangible computer readable medium as defined in claim 45, wherein the first request is received at the first internet domain based on second instructions provided with the media and executed at the client computer when the client computer accesses the media.

50. The tangible computer readable medium as defined in claim 49, wherein the second instructions include at least one of Java instructions, java script, or hyper-text markup language.

51. The tangible computer readable medium as defined in claim 45, wherein the first request includes at least one of a campaign identifier, a creative type identifier, or a placement identifier associated with the media, the campaign identifier indicative of an advertisement campaign, the creative type identifier indicative of a technology type of the media, and the placement identifier indicative of a position of the media on a screen of the client computer.

52. The tangible computer readable medium as defined in claim 45, wherein the instructions cause the machine to map the modified value to the identifying information at the first internet domain.

53. The tangible computer readable medium as defined in claim 52, wherein the instructions cause the machine to:

access a second impression received from the second internet domain based on the modified value; and

determine that the second impression corresponds to the media presented at the client computer based on the modified value of the second impression and the mapping of the modified value to the identifying information at the first internet domain.

54. The tangible computer readable medium as defined in claim 53, wherein the second impression from the second internet domain includes demographic information of a user associated with the client computer.

55. The tangible computer readable medium as defined in claim 45, wherein the response to instruct the client computer to send the second request to the second internet domain includes an internet address associated with the second internet domain.

56. The tangible computer readable medium as defined in claim 55, wherein the instructions cause the machine to select the internet address associated with the second internet domain based on data indicative of a database proprietor that is most likely to have demographic information for a user associated with the client computer.

57. The tangible computer readable medium as defined in claim 45, wherein the second internet domain is associated with a social network service that collects demographic information from its registered users.

58. The tangible computer readable medium as defined in claim 45, wherein the media is an advertisement.

59. The tangible computer readable medium as defined in claim 45, wherein the instructions cause the machine to send, from the first internet domain, a second response to the client computer, the second response to instruct the client computer to send a third request to a third internet domain, the third request to be indicative of the presentation of the media at the client computer.

60. The tangible computer readable medium as defined in claim 59, wherein the second response is sent to the client computer when an impression was not logged at the second internet domain.

61. The tangible computer readable medium as defined in claim 45, wherein the instructions cause the machine to access demographic information received from the second internet domain, the demographic information associated with a second impression logged at the second internet domain based on the second request.

62. The tangible computer readable medium as defined in claim 45, wherein the response to instruct the client computer to send the second request to the second internet domain instructs the client computer to send the second request to an intermediary.

63. The tangible computer readable medium as defined in claim 45, wherein the modified value includes a modified website identifier substituted for an identifier of a host website from which the client computer accessed the media.

64. The tangible computer readable medium as defined in claim 45, wherein the identifying information is a uniform resource locator at which the media was accessed, and the modified value is to obfuscate the uniform resource locator.

65. A tangible computer readable medium, excluding propagating signals, comprising instructions that, when executed, cause a machine to at least:

access, at a first internet domain, a first request from a client computer, the first request indicative of access to media at the client computer;

if the client computer is not known, send, from the first internet domain, a response to the client computer, the response to instruct the client computer to send a second request to a second internet domain, the second request to be indicative of the access to the media at the client computer;

if the client computer is known;

log an impression of the media, and

store first demographic information associated with the client computer in association with the logged impression of the media based on the first request, the first demographic information corresponding to a panelist member associated with the client computer;

access, at the first internet domain, a third request from a second client computer associated with a non-panelist user, the third request indicative of access to second media at the second client computer; and

access second demographic information received from the second internet domain, the second demographic information associated with the second client computer, the second demographic information received in association with a second impression logged at the second internet domain based on the presentation of the second media at the second client computer.

66. The tangible computer readable medium as defined in claim 65, wherein the panelist member is associated with a panel that is maintained by an audience ratings measurement entity associated with the first internet domain, and the non-panelist user of the second client computer is a registered user of a registration-based service associated with the second internet domain.