IP Library Granted Patent US 9,219,559
Granted Patent B2
US 9,219,559 · App. 13/473,358 · Granted Dec 22, 2015

Methods and systems for audience measurement

Inventor: Francis Gavin McMillan (Tarpoon, FL)
Assignee: The Nielsen Company (US), LLC
H04H60/58H04H60/31H04N21/42203H04N21/44213H04N21/6582H04H2201/90
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,219,559
App. No.
13/473,358
Granted
Dec 22, 2015
Kind
B2
Abstract

Methods and systems are disclosed for audience measurement. An example method includes identifying at least one of a media device, an operation command, or a person in response to a voice command. The voice command is spoken by a user to control the media device. The example method includes collecting audience measurement data related to at least one of the media device, the person, or the user. The example method includes associating the at least one of the media device, the operation command, or the person with the audience measurement data.

Claims (34)

1. A method of measuring an audience, the method comprising:

identifying, with a processor, a person in response to a voice command spoken to control a media device at a first time;

collecting audience measurement data identifying media output by the media device;

determining, with the processor, whether the voice command muted the volume of the media device; and

at least one of removing or preventing, with the processor, the association of the person with the audience measurement data when the voice command muted the volume of the media device.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the audience measurement data is representative of at least one of an operating state of the media device, a source of media presented by the media device, a volume of the media presented by the media device, or a number of audience members.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the collecting of the audience measurement data further includes extracting a code from an audio signal, the code to identify at least one of media presented by the media device or a source of the media presented by the media device.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the collecting of the audience measurement data further includes generating a signature based on an audio signal, the signature to identify media presented by the media device.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the identifying of the person includes identifying a reference table, the reference table including reference person identifiers.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the voice command includes an indication of media consumption.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the voice command includes at least one of fast forward, rewind, play, next or previous.

8. An audience measurement system, the system comprising:

a voice command recognizer to identify a person based on a voice command spoken to control a media device at a first time;

a data collector to collect audience measurement data related to the media device; and

an association analyzer to:

determine whether the voice command muted the volume of the media device; and

at least one of prevent or remove the association of the person with the audience measurement data when the voice command muted the volume of the media device.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the audience measurement data is representative of at least one of an operating state of the media device, a source of media presented by the media device, a volume of the media presented by the media device, or a number of audience members.

10. The system of claim 8 , wherein the data collector is to collect the audience measurement data by extracting a code from an audio signal, the code to identify at least one of media presented by the media device or a source of the media presented by the media device.

11. The system of claim 8 , wherein the data collector is to collect the audience measurement data by generating a signature based on an audio signal, the signature to identify media presented by the media device.

12. The system of claim 8 , wherein the voice command recognizer is to identify the person using a reference table including reference person identifiers.

13. The system of claim 8 , wherein the voice command includes an indication of media consumption.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein the voice command includes at least one of fast forward, rewind, play, next or previous.

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

identify a person in response to a voice command spoken to control a media device at a first time;

collect audience measurement data identifying media output by the media device;

determine whether the voice command muted the volume of the media device; and

at least one of prevent or remove the association of the person with the audience measurement data when the voice command muted the volume of the media device.

16. The computer readable storage medium of claim 15 , wherein the audience measurement data is representative of at least one of an operating state of the media device, a source of media presented by the media device, a volume of the media presented by the media device, or a number of audience members.

17. The computer readable storage medium of claim 15 , wherein the instructions cause the computing device to collect the audience measurement data by extracting a code from an audio signal, the code to identify at least one of media presented by the media device or a source of the media presented by the media device.

18. The computer readable storage medium of claim 15 , wherein the instructions cause the computing device to collect the audience measurement data by generating a signature based on an audio signal, the signature to identify at least one of media presented by the media device or a source of the media presented by the media device.

19. The computer readable storage medium of claim 15 , wherein the instructions cause the computing device to identify the person by identifying a reference table, the reference table including reference person identifiers.

20. The computer readable storage medium of claim 15 , wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the computing device to identify an indication of media consumption from the voice command.

21. The computer readable storage medium of claim 20 , wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the computing device to identify at least one of a fast forward, rewind, play, next or previous voice command.

Assignments (10)
RELEASE (REEL 054066 / FRAME 0064) Recorded May 11, 2023
From: CITIBANK, N.A.
To: A. C. NIELSEN COMPANY, LLC; EXELATE, INC.; GRACENOTE, INC.; GRACENOTE MEDIA SERVICES, LLC; THE NIELSEN COMPANY (US), LLC; NETRATINGS, LLC
Reel/Frame 063605/0001 →
RELEASE (REEL 053473 / FRAME 0001) Recorded May 11, 2023
From: CITIBANK, N.A.
To: A. C. NIELSEN COMPANY, LLC; EXELATE, INC.; GRACENOTE, INC.; GRACENOTE MEDIA SERVICES, LLC; THE NIELSEN COMPANY (US), LLC; NETRATINGS, LLC
Reel/Frame 063603/0001 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded May 8, 2023
From: GRACENOTE DIGITAL VENTURES, LLC; GRACENOTE MEDIA SERVICES, LLC; GRACENOTE, INC.; TNC (US) HOLDINGS, INC.; THE NIELSEN COMPANY (US), LLC
To: ARES CAPITAL CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 063574/0632 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Apr 28, 2023
From: GRACENOTE DIGITAL VENTURES, LLC; GRACENOTE MEDIA SERVICES, LLC; GRACENOTE, INC.; TNC (US) HOLDINGS, INC.; THE NIELSEN COMPANY (US), LLC
To: CITIBANK, N.A.
Reel/Frame 063561/0381 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Jan 31, 2023
From: GRACENOTE DIGITAL VENTURES, LLC; GRACENOTE MEDIA SERVICES, LLC; GRACENOTE, INC.; TNC (US) HOLDINGS, INC.; THE NIELSEN COMPANY (US), LLC
To: BANK OF AMERICA, N.A.
Reel/Frame 063560/0547 →
RELEASE (REEL 037172 / FRAME 0415) Recorded Oct 13, 2022
From: CITIBANK, N.A.
To: THE NIELSEN COMPANY (US), LLC
Reel/Frame 061750/0221 →
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE PATENTS LISTED ON SCHEDULE 1 RECORDED ON 6-9-2020 PREVIOUSLY RECORDED ON REEL 053473 FRAME 0001. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE SUPPLEMENTAL IP SECURITY AGREEMENT. Recorded Oct 7, 2020
From: A.C. NIELSEN (ARGENTINA) S.A.; A.C. NIELSEN COMPANY, LLC; ACN HOLDINGS INC.; ACNIELSEN CORPORATION; ACNIELSEN ERATINGS.COM; AFFINNOVA, INC.; ART HOLDING, L.L.C.; ATHENIAN LEASING CORPORATION; CZT/ACN TRADEMARKS, L.L.C.; EXELATE, INC.; GRACENOTE, INC.; GRACENOTE DIGITAL VENTURES, LLC; GRACENOTE MEDIA SERVICES, LLC; NETRATINGS, LLC; NIELSEN AUDIO, INC.; NIELSEN CONSUMER INSIGHTS, INC.; NIELSEN CONSUMER NEUROSCIENCE, INC.; NIELSEN FINANCE CO.; NIELSEN FINANCE LLC; NIELSEN INTERNATIONAL HOLDINGS, INC.; NIELSEN MOBILE, LLC; NMR INVESTING I, INC.; TCG DIVESTITURE INC.; TNC (US) HOLDINGS, INC.; THE NIELSEN COMPANY (US), LLC; VIZU CORPORATION; VNU MARKETING INFORMATION, INC.; NMR LICENSING ASSOCIATES, L.P.; NIELSEN HOLDING AND FINANCE B.V.; THE NIELSEN COMPANY B.V.; VNU INTERNATIONAL B.V.
To: CITIBANK, N.A
Reel/Frame 054066/0064 →
SUPPLEMENTAL SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Jun 9, 2020
From: A. C. NIELSEN COMPANY, LLC; ACN HOLDINGS INC.; ACNIELSEN CORPORATION; ACNIELSEN ERATINGS.COM; AFFINNOVA, INC.; ART HOLDING, L.L.C.; ATHENIAN LEASING CORPORATION; CZT/ACN TRADEMARKS, L.L.C.; EXELATE, INC.; GRACENOTE, INC.; GRACENOTE DIGITAL VENTURES, LLC; GRACENOTE MEDIA SERVICES, LLC; NETRATINGS, LLC; NIELSEN AUDIO, INC.; NIELSEN CONSUMER INSIGHTS, INC.; NIELSEN CONSUMER NEUROSCIENCE, INC.; NIELSEN FINANCE CO.; NIELSEN FINANCE LLC; NIELSEN INTERNATIONAL HOLDINGS, INC.; NIELSEN MOBILE, LLC; NIELSEN UK FINANCE I, LLC; NMR INVESTING I, INC.; TCG DIVESTITURE INC.; TNC (US) HOLDINGS, INC.; THE NIELSEN COMPANY (US), LLC; VIZU CORPORATION; VNU MARKETING INFORMATION, INC.; NMR LICENSING ASSOCIATES, L.P.; NIELSEN HOLDING AND FINANCE B.V.; THE NIELSEN COMPANY B.V.; VNU INTERNATIONAL B.V.
To: CITIBANK, N.A.
Reel/Frame 053473/0001 →
SUPPLEMENTAL IP SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Nov 30, 2015
From: THE NIELSEN COMPANY ((US), LLC
To: CITIBANK, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT FOR THE FIRST LIEN SECURED PARTIES
Reel/Frame 037172/0415 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 27, 2012
From: MCMILLAN, FRANCIS GAVIN
To: THE NIELSEN COMPANY (US), LLC
Reel/Frame 028655/0866 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20130312019A1 · Nov 21, 2013