Methods and apparatus to facilitate gathering of audience measurement data based on a fixed system factor

• US 9,936,234 B2
• Filed: 07/14/2016
• Issued: 04/03/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 02/10/2003
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Nielsen Media Research, Inc. (Nielsen Holdings plc)
• Original Assignee: The Nielsen Company LLC (MOOD Media Corporation)
• Inventors: Mears, Paul M., Ramaswamy, Arun
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen Ba, Hoang Vu A
• Application Number:
  US15/210,409
• Publication Number:
  US 20160323615A1
• Time in Patent Office: 628 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0203 Market surveys; Market polls
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0245 Surveys
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 2201/50 characterised by the use of watermarks
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 2201/90 characterised by the use of signatures
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/37 for identifying segments of broadcast information, e.g. scenes or extracting programme ID
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/40 for identifying broadcast time
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/43 for identifying broadcast channels
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/44 for identifying broadcast stations
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/56 Arrangements characterised by components specially adapted for monitoring, identification or recognition covered by groups H04H60/29-H04H60/54
• 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: H04H 60/59 of video recognising characters or patterns in general G06F18/00, G06V20/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/241 Operating system [OS] processes, e.g. server setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/252 Processing of multiple end-users' preferences to derive collaborative data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25808 Management of client data terminal profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/303
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25866 Management of end-user data customer care in data networks H04L41/5077
• 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 21/4223 Cameras H04N23/00 takes precedence
• 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 21/44008 involving operations for analysing video streams, e.g. detecting features or characteristics in the video stream arrangements characterised by components specially adapted for monitoring, identification or recognition of video in broadcast systems H04H60/59
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44204 : Monitoring of content usage, e.g. the number of times a movie has been viewed, copied or the amount which has been watched monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; protecting generic digital content where the protection is independent of the precise nature of the content G06F21/10; arrangements for monitoring the use made of the broadcast services in broadcast systems H04H60/31
• 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 21/44224 : Monitoring of user activity on external systems, e.g. Internet browsing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4667 : Processing of monitored end-user data, e.g. trend analysis based on the log file of viewer selections
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6332 : directed to client
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8352 : involving content or source identification data, e.g. Unique Material Identifier [UMID]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8358 : involving watermark protecting executable software by watermarking G06F21/16; image watermarking in general G06T1/0021; watermarks inserted in still images for transmission purposes H04N1/32144; inserting watermarks during video coding H04N19/467
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/173 : with two-way working, e.g. subscriber sending a programme selection signal

Abstract

Methods and apparatus to adaptively gather audience information data are disclosed. The disclosed methods and apparatus monitor system factor(s) and select one or more sensors from a plurality of sensors positioned to gather audience measurement data based on the monitored factor(s). Thus, the disclosed methods and apparatus adapt to the conditions they face by selecting an amount and/or type of audience measurement data they gather.

Claims

1. A method of gathering audience measurement data comprising:

identifying, by executing an instruction with a processor, a set of sensors outputting valid audience measurement data;

determining, by executing an instruction with the processor, an aggregate amount of audience measurement data that is capable of being produced by the set of valid sensors;

when the aggregate amount of audience measurement data exceeds a threshold, selecting, by executing an instruction with the processor, a subset of the set of valid sensors according to a preference order, the preference order based on weights of the sensors corresponding to a fixed system factor, the fixed system factor to cause an increased weight to be assigned to one or more of the sensors in the set of valid sensors, the preference order to place the set of valid sensors in order of priority based on the weights associated with the sensors; and

forwarding the of audience measurement data from the subset of valid sensors.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the fixed system factor includes at least one of:

(a) a presence of two or more affiliates of a broadcasting company in a market, (b) a local preference for a sensor type, (c) a presence of a set top box having an interactive program guide;

(d) a type of communication link;

(e) a cost of using a sensor type;

(f) a complexity of using a sensor type;

(g) a presence of a viewing time shifting device;

or (h) a presence of a viewing place shifting device.

3. The method of claim 1, further including:

automatically determining the preference order of the sensors based on an input including the fixed system factor.

4. The method of claim 1, further including:

selecting the subset of valid sensors based on a variable system factor.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the variable system factor includes at least one of processing speed, bandwidth, or storage capacity.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of sensors includes at least one of:

(a) an audio code sensor, (b) a video code sensor, (c) an audio signature sensor, (d) a video signature sensor, (e) a software meter sensor, (f) a digital bitstream sensor;

(g) an on-screen display sensor;

(h) an Automatic Measurement Of Line-up (AMOL) decoder;

(i) an audio watermarking sensor; and

(j) a video watermarking sensor.

7. A computer readable storage device comprising machine readable instructions which, when executed by a machine, cause the machine to at least:

identify a set of sensors outputting valid audience measurement data;

determine an aggregate amount of audience measurement data that is capable of being produced by the set of valid sensors;

when the aggregate amount of audience measurement data exceeds a threshold, select a subset of the set of valid sensors according to a preference order, the preference order based on a fixed system factor, the fixed system factor specifying a preference ranking for the set of valid sensors to define the preference order for selecting the subset of valid sensors; and

forward the audience measurement data from the subset of valid sensors.

8. The storage device of claim 7, wherein the fixed system factor includes at least one of:

(a) a presence of two or more affiliates of a broadcasting company in a market, (b) a local preference for a sensor type, (c) a presence of a set top box having an interactive program guide;

(d) a type of communication link;

(e) a cost of using a sensor type;

(f) a complexity of using a sensor type;

(g) a presence of a viewing time shifting device;

or (h) a presence of a viewing place shifting device.

9. The storage device of claim 7, wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the machine to:

automatically determine the preference order of the sensors based on an input including the fixed system factor.

10. The storage device of claim 7, wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the machine to:

select the subset of valid sensors based on a variable system factor.

11. The storage device of claim 10, wherein the variable system factor includes at least one of processing speed, bandwidth, or storage capacity.

12. The storage device of claim 7, wherein the plurality of sensors includes at least one of:

(a) an audio code sensor, (b) a video code sensor, (c) an audio signature sensor, (d) a video signature sensor, (e) a software meter sensor, (f) a digital bitstream sensor;

(g) an on-screen display sensor;

(h) an Automatic Measurement Of Line-up (AMOL) decoder;

(i) an audio watermarking sensor; and

(j) a video watermarking sensor.

13. An apparatus comprising:

a memory including machine executable instructions; and

a processor to execute the instructions to;

identify a set of sensors capable of outputting valid audience measurement data;

determine an aggregate amount of audience measurement data that is capable of being produced by the set of valid sensors;

when the aggregate amount of audience measurement data exceeds a threshold, select a subset of the set of valid sensors according to a preference order, the preference order based on weights of the sensors corresponding to a fixed system factor, the fixed system factor to cause an increased weight to be assigned to one or more of the sensors in the set of valid sensors, the preference order to place the set of valid sensors in order of priority based on the weights associated with the sensors; and

forward the audience measurement data from the subset of valid sensors.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the fixed system factor includes at least one of:

(a) a presence of two or more affiliates of a broadcasting company in a market, (b) a local preference for a sensor type, (c) a presence of a set top box having an interactive program guide;

(d) a type of communication link;

(e) a cost of using a sensor type;

(f) a complexity of using a sensor type;

(g) a presence of a viewing time shifting device;

or (h) a presence of a viewing place shifting device.

15. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the processor is further to select the subset of valid sensors based on a variable system factor.

16. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the variable system factor includes at least one of processing speed, bandwidth, or storage capacity.

17. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the plurality of sensors includes at least one of:

(a) an audio code sensor, (b) a video code sensor, (c) an audio signature sensor, (d) a video signature sensor, (e) a software meter sensor, (f) a digital bitstream sensor;

(g) an on-screen display sensor;

(h) an Automatic Measurement Of Line-up (AMOL) decoder;

(i) an audio watermarking sensor; and

(j) a video watermarking sensor.

18. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the processor is to not forward the audience measurement data from a sensor in the set of valid sensors that is not included in the subset of valid sensors.