IP Library Granted Patent US 8,843,626
Granted Patent B2
US 8,843,626 · App. 13/691,175 · Granted Sep 23, 2014

Methods and apparatus to determine impressions using distributed demographic information

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,843,626
App. No.
13/691,175
Granted
Sep 23, 2014
Kind
B2
Abstract

Example methods and apparatus to determine impressions using distributed demographic information are disclosed. A disclosed 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 (27)

1. A method of expanding an audience measurement panel, comprising:

determining if a received indication identifying access to media was sent by a member of the audience measurement panel;

if the received indication identifying access to the media was not sent by the member of the audience measurement panel, forwarding the indication to a social network provider, wherein forwarding the indication to the social network provider comprises forwarding a modified value of a site identifier indicative of a publisher website of the media; and

if the indication was sent by a user of the social network provider, receiving a log associating the access to the media with first demographics of the user stored in records of the social network provider.

2. A method as defined in claim 1 further comprising, if the indication was sent by the member of the audience measurement panel, logging an association between the media and second demographics of the member.

3. A method as defined in claim 1 , wherein the indication is received via a hypertext transfer protocol request.

4. A method as defined in claim 1 further comprising storing the modified value in association with the site identifier in a data structure, and not sending the site identifier to the provider of the social network.

5. A method as defined in claim 4 further comprising receiving logged impression data from the social network provider based on the modified value and identifying the site identifier of the publisher website based on the modified value in the logged impression data and the storing of the modified value in association with the site identifier in the data structure.

6. A method as defined in claim 1 , wherein the forwarding of the indication to the social network provider is performed by an audience measurement entity managing the audience measurement panel.

7. An apparatus to expand an audience measurement panel, comprising:

a comparator to determine if a received indication identifying access to media was sent by a member of the audience measurement panel;

a communication interface to, if the received indication identifying access to the media was not sent by the member of the audience measurement panel, forward the indication to a social network provider, wherein forwarding the indication to the social network provider comprises forwarding a modified value of a site identifier indicative of a publisher website of the media; and

a report generator to, if the indication was sent by a user of the social network provider, receive a log associating the access to the media with first demographics of the user stored in records of the social network provider.

8. An apparatus as defined in claim 7 further comprising a data structure to, if the indication was sent by the member of the audience measurement panel, log an association between the media and second demographics of the member.

9. An apparatus as defined in claim 7 , wherein the indication is received via a hypertext transfer protocol request.

10. An apparatus as defined in claim 7 further comprising a data structure to store the modified value in association with the site identifier, and the communication interface to not send the site identifier to the provider of the social network.

11. An apparatus as defined in claim 10 , wherein the report generator is to receive logged impression data from the social network provider based on the modified value and identify the site identifier of the publisher website based on the modified value in the logged impression data and the storing of the modified value in association with the site identifier in the data structure.

12. An apparatus as defined in claim 7 , wherein the comparator, the communication interface, and the report generator are operated by an audience measurement entity managing the audience measurement panel.

13. A machine accessible medium having instructions stored thereon that, when executed, cause a machine to at least:

determine if a received indication identifying access to media was sent by a member of the audience measurement panel;

if the received indication identifying access to the media was not sent by the member of the audience measurement panel, forward the indication to a social network provider, wherein forwarding the indication to the social network provider comprises forwarding a modified value of a site identifier indicative of a publisher website of the media; and

if the indication was sent by a user of the social network provider, receive a log associating the access to the media with first demographics of the user stored in records of the social network provider.

14. A machine accessible medium as defined in claim 13 storing instructions that cause the machine to, if the indication was sent by the member of the audience measurement panel, log an association between the media and second demographics of the member.

15. A machine accessible medium as defined in claim 13 , wherein the indication is received via a hypertext transfer protocol request.

16. A machine accessible medium as defined in claim 13 storing instructions that cause the machine to store the modified value in association with the site identifier in a data structure, and not send the site identifier to the provider of the social network.

17. A machine accessible medium as defined in claim 16 storing instructions that cause the machine to receive logged impression data from the social network provider based on the modified value and identify the site identifier of the publisher website based on the modified value in the logged impression data and the storing of the modified value in association with the site identifier in the data structure.

18. A machine accessible medium as defined in claim 13 , wherein the forwarding of the indication to the social network provider is performed by an audience measurement entity managing the audience measurement panel.

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 May 23, 2014
From: MAZUMDAR, MAINAK; GERAGHTY, KEVIN; HEFFERNAN, RONAN; KALUS, MARK; PAPARO, ARI; SPLAINE, STEVEN J.
To: THE NIELSEN COMPANY (US), LLC
Reel/Frame 032958/0509 →