Systems and methods to pre-scale media content to facilitate audience measurement

1. A method to encode media comprising:

encoding, by executing an instruction with at least one processor, a media sample with an original number of codes in accordance with a first encoding configuration to create an encoded media sample;

recording, by executing an instruction with the at least one processor, the original number of codes;

playing, by executing an instruction with the at least one processor, the encoded media sample in a first controlled ambient environment provided by a media tester and having a first ambient configuration value;

detecting, by executing an instruction with the at least one processor, a detected number of codes extracted while the encoded media sample is played in the first controlled ambient environment;

recording, by executing an instruction with the at least one processor, the detected number of codes;

generating, by executing an instruction with the at least one processor, a scaling factor for the media sample based on the first ambient configuration value and a ratio of (a) the original number of codes to (b) the detected number of codes; and

determining, by executing an instruction with the at least one processor, a threshold value based on the scaling factor, the threshold value being for a portion of the original number of codes required to be detected to establish detection of an advertisement associated with the encoded media sample when the encoded media sample is subsequently played via a device other than the media tester in an ambient environment having a characteristic corresponding to the first ambient configuration value.

2. The method as defined in claim 1 , wherein the encoded media sample includes the advertisement.

3. The method as defined in claim 1 , wherein the first encoding configuration includes at least one of a first playback volume parameter, a first encoding volume parameter, a first ambient noise volume parameter, or a first encoding density parameter.

4. The method as defined in claim 1 , further including:

encoding, by executing an instruction with the at least one processor, the media sample with the original number of codes in accordance with a second encoding configuration different from the first encoding configuration to create a second encoded media sample;

playing, by executing an instruction with the at least one processor, the second encoded media sample in the first controlled ambient environment;

detecting, by executing an instruction with the at least one processor, a second detected number of codes extracted while the second encoded media sample is played in the first controlled ambient environment;

recording, by executing an instruction with the at least one processor, the second detected number of codes; and

generating, by executing an instruction with the at least one processor, a second scaling factor for the media sample based on the first ambient configuration value and a ratio of (a) the original number of codes to (b) the second detected number of codes.

5. The method as defined in claim 1 , further including assigning the media sample to a first detection category based on the scaling factor.

6. The method as defined in claim 5 , wherein the first detection category is assigned relative to a second detection category associated with at least one of a higher or lower scaling factor than the first detection category.

7. The method as defined in claim 1 , further including associating the scaling factor with the media sample and storing the scaling factor in a database.

8. The method as defined in claim 1 , further including embedding the ratio in the media sample as metadata.

9. The method as defined in claim 1 , further including increasing a likelihood of detecting an instance of the original number of codes by increasing an encoding volume parameter.

10. An apparatus to encode media comprising:

an encoder structured to encode a media sample with an original number of codes to create an encoded media sample;

a media device structured to play the encoded media sample in a first controlled ambient environment provided by a media tester and having a first ambient configuration value;

a detector structured to identify a detected number of codes extracted while the encoded media sample is played by the media device in the first controlled ambient environment; and

a correlator structured to:

record the original number of codes;

record the detected number of codes;

generate a scaling factor for the media sample based on the first ambient configuration value and a ratio of (a) the original number of codes to (b) the detected number of codes; and

determine a threshold value based on the scaling factor, the threshold value being for a portion of the original number of codes required to be detected to establish detection of an advertisement associated with the encoded media sample when the encoded media sample is subsequently played via a device other than the media tester in an ambient environment having a characteristic corresponding to the first ambient configuration value.

11. The apparatus as defined in claim 10 , wherein the detector includes at least one audience measurement device.

12. The apparatus as defined in claim 10 , further including a layer controller structured to identify a code type for the encoder to embed in the media sample.

13. The apparatus as defined in claim 10 , further including a volume controller structured to establish an encoding volume for the original number of codes encoded in the media sample.

14. The apparatus as defined in claim 10 , further including an ambient noise generator structured to play ambient noise while the media device is playing the encoded media sample.

15. The apparatus as defined in claim 14 , further including a volume controller structured to establish a volume level for at least one of the media device or the ambient noise generator.

16. An article of manufacture comprising computer readable instructions that, when executed, cause a processor to perform at least the operations of:

encoding a media sample with an original number of codes in accordance with a first encoding configuration to create an encoded media sample;

recording the original number of codes;

playing the encoded media sample in a first controlled ambient environment provided by a media tester and having a first ambient configuration value;

detecting a detected number of codes extracted while the encoded media sample is played in the first controlled ambient environment;

recording the detected number of codes;

generating a scaling factor for the media sample based on the first ambient configuration value and a ratio of (a) the original number of codes to (b) the detected number of codes; and

determining a threshold value based on the scaling factor, the threshold value being for a portion of the original number of codes required to be detected to establish detection of an advertisement associated with the encoded media sample when the encoded media sample is subsequently played via a device other than the media tester in an ambient environment having a characteristic corresponding to the first ambient configuration value.

17. The article of manufacture as defined in claim 16 , wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the processor to perform the operations of:

encoding the media sample with the original number of codes in accordance with a second encoding configuration different from the first encoding configuration to create a second encoded media sample;

playing the second encoded media sample in the first controlled ambient environment;

detecting a second detected number of codes extracted while the second encoded media sample is played in the first controlled ambient environment;

recording the second detected number of codes; and

generating a second scaling factor for the media sample based on the first ambient configuration value and a ratio of (a) the original number of codes to (b) the second detected number of codes.

18. The article of manufacture as defined in claim 16 , wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the processor to perform the operation of assigning the media sample to a first detection category based on the scaling factor.

19. The article of manufacture as defined in claim 18 , wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the processor to perform the operation of assigning the first detection category relative to a second detection category, the second detection category associated with at least one of a higher or lower scaling factor than the first detection category.

20. The article of manufacture as defined in claim 16 , wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the processor to perform the operations of associating the scaling factor with the media sample and storing the scaling factor in a database.

21. The article of manufacture as defined in claim 16 , wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the processor to perform the operation of embedding the ratio in the media sample as metadata.

22. The article of manufacture as defined in claim 16 , wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the processor to increase a likelihood of detecting an instance of the original number of codes by performing the operation of increasing an encoding volume parameter.

23. The method as defined in claim 1 , wherein the first ambient configuration value includes an ambient volume level.

24. The method as defined in claim 1 , further including:

playing, by executing an instruction with the at least one processor, the encoded media sample in a second controlled ambient environment provided by the media tester and having a second ambient configuration value different from the first ambient configuration value;

detecting, by executing an instruction with the at least one processor, a second detected number of codes extracted while the encoded media sample is played in the second controlled ambient environment; and

recording, by executing an instruction with the at least one processor, the second detected number of codes.

25. The method as defined in claim 24 , further including,

generating, by executing an instruction with the at least one processor, a second scaling factor for the media sample based on the second ambient configuration value and a ratio of (a) the original number of codes to (b) the second detected number of codes; and

determining, by executing an instruction with the at least one processor, a second threshold value based on the second scaling factor, the second threshold value being for a portion of the original number of codes required to be detected to establish detection of the advertisement when the encoded media sample is subsequently played via a device other than the media tester in an ambient environment having a characteristic corresponding to the second ambient configuration value.

26. The method as defined in claim 1 , wherein respective ones of the codes are audio watermarks.