Methods and apparatus to encode and decode audio for shopper location and advertisement presentation tracking
View Patent ↗Methods and apparatus to encode and decode audio for shopper location and advertisement presentation tracking are disclosed. A method for tracking a shopper includes receiving a first audio signal at a first location with a decoder attached to a shopping implement, determining a first code encoded in the first audio signal, receiving a second audio signal at a second location with the decoder, determining a second code encoded in the first audio signal, and transmitting the first code and the second code to a data retrieval device.
1. A method for tracking a shopper, the method comprising:
determining a first code and a second code encoded in a first audio signal received at a first location with a decoder attached to a shopping implement, the first code being encoded with a code flag indicating that the first code was encoded at a second location separate from the first location;
determining a third code encoded in a second audio signal received at a third location with the decoder; and
transmitting the first code, the second code, and the third code to a data retrieval device.
2. A method as defined in claim 1 , wherein the data retrieval device is integrated in a store checkout device.
3. A method as defined in claim 1 , further comprising determining that the shopping implement was at the first location based on receiving the second code from the shopping implement.
4. A method as defined in claim 1 , further comprising receiving an identification of a person associated with the shopping implement.
5. A method as defined in claim 1 , wherein the shopping implement is at least one of a shopping cart, a shopping basket, a shopping bag, or a portable electronic device.
6. A method as defined in claim 1 , wherein the data retrieval device is a store checkout device.
7. A method as defined in claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving a shopper identification;
receiving purchase information; and
storing the first code, the second code, the third code, and the purchase information in association with the shopper identification.
8. A system for tracking a shopper, the system comprising:
a decoder attached to a shopping implement to:
determine a first code and a second code encoded in a first audio signal received at a first location, the first code being encoded with a code flag indicating that the first code was encoded at a second location separate from the first location,
determine a third code encoded in a second audio signal received at a third location, and
transmit the first code, the second code, and the third code to a data retrieval device, the data retrieval device to store the first code, the second code, and the third code.
9. A system as defined in claim 8 , wherein the data retrieval device is integrated in a store checkout device.
10. A system as defined in claim 8 , wherein the data retrieval device is further to determine that the shopping implement was at the first location based on receiving the second code from the shopping implement.
11. A system as defined in claim 8 , wherein the data retrieval device is further to receive an identification of a person associated with the shopping implement.
12. A system as defined in claim 8 , wherein the shopping implement is at least one of a shopping cart, a shopping basket, a shopping bag, or a portable electronic device.
13. A system as defined in claim 8 , wherein the data retrieval device is a store checkout device.
14. A system as defined in claim 8 , wherein the data retrieval device is further to:
receive a shopper identification;
receive purchase information; and
store the first code, the second code, the third code, and the purchase information in association with the shopper identification.
15. A tangible machine readable storage medium comprising instructions that, when executed, cause a decoder to track a shopper associated with a shopping implement by at least:
determining a first code and a second code encoded in a first audio signal received at a first location, the first code being encoded with a code flag indicating that the first code was encoded at a second location separate from the first location;
determining a third code encoded in a second audio signal received at a third location; and
transmitting the first code, the second code, and the third code to a data retrieval device.
16. A machine readable medium as defined in claim 15 , wherein the data retrieval device is integrated in a store checkout device.
17. A machine readable medium as defined in claim 15 , wherein the instructions further cause the decoder to determine that the shopping implement was at the first location based on the second code.
18. A machine readable medium as defined in claim 15 , wherein the instructions further cause the decoder to receive an identification of a person associated with the shopping implement.
19. A machine readable medium as defined in claim 15 , wherein the shopping implement is at least one of a shopping cart, a shopping basket, a shopping bag, or a portable electronic device.
20. A machine readable medium as defined in claim 15 , wherein the data retrieval device is a store checkout device.
21. A method as defined in claim 1 , wherein a first identification symbol table is used to encode the first code and a second identification symbol table is used to encode the second code, the first identification symbol table being different from the second identification symbol table.
22. A method as defined in claim 1 , wherein the first code identifies a first media distributor that broadcast the first audio signal at a first time and the second code identifies a second media distributor that broadcast the first audio signal at a second time later than the first time.
23. A method as defined in claim 1 , wherein determining the first code and the second code includes storing the first code in a first buffer and storing the second code in a second buffer, the first code being separate from the second code.