Methods and apparatus for crediting a media presentation device

1. A method, comprising: obtaining, with a processor, ambient audio for a time period from a monitored location including a media presentation device;

without measuring power drawn by the media presentation device, determining, with the processor, the media presentation device was in an off state during the time period based on a gain level applied by an automatic gain controller (AGC) at the monitored location during the time period;

identifying information encoded in the ambient audio; generating a signature of the ambient audio for comparison with signatures of known media;

determining whether the media presentation device is in an on state or an off state based on information encoded in the ambient audio or the signature; and crediting a first portion of the time period for the media presentation device to first media based on the encoded information or the signature, wherein the crediting of the first portion includes overriding a determination that the media presentation device was in the off state during the first portion with a determination that the media presentation device was in the on state based on the identifying of the encoded information or the signature.

2. A method as defined in claim 1 , further including comparing the signature to the reference signatures of the known media, wherein the crediting of the media presentation device with the presenting of the media is based on the comparison.

3. A method, comprising:

obtaining, with a processor at a back office, a file containing ambient audio collected for a time period by an audience measurement device monitoring a media presentation device at a monitored location remote from the back office, the file identifying a gain level applied to collect the ambient audio;

determining, with the processor, the media presentation device was in an off state during the time period based on the gain level;

analyzing, with the processor, the ambient audio for encoded information;

at least when the encoded information is not present in the ambient audio, generating, with the processor, a signature based on the ambient audio and attempting to match the signature to a set of reference signatures;

if either the encoded information is present in the ambient audio or the signature matches at least one of the reference signatures:

overriding, with the processor, the determination that the media presentation device was in the off state; and

crediting, with the processor, the media presentation device with presenting media corresponding to at least one of the encoded information or the signature during the time period.

4. A method as defined in claim 1 , wherein the obtaining of the ambient audio includes recording the ambient audio at the monitored location.

5. A method as defined in claim 1 , wherein the obtaining of the ambient audio includes receiving a data file including the ambient audio.

6. A method as defined in claim 1 , wherein the detecting of the encoded information includes extracting a steganographically encoded watermark.

7. A method as defined in claim 1 , wherein the overriding of the determination that the media presentation device was in the off state is based only on the ambient audio.

8. A tangible computer readable storage medium comprising computer readable instructions which, when executed, cause a processor to at least:

access ambient audio collected for a time period at a monitored location including a media presentation device;

without measuring power drawn by the media presentation device, determine the media presentation device was in an off state during a time period based on a gain level applied by an automatic gain controller (AGC) at the monitored location during the time period; identify information encoded in the ambient audio; generate a signature of the ambient audio for comparison with signatures of known media;

determine whether the media presentation device is in an on state or an off state based on information encoded in the ambient audio or the signature; and

credit a first portion of the time period for the media presentation device to first media based on the encoded information or the signature, the crediting of the first portion including overriding a determination that the media presentation device was in the off state during the first portion with a determination that the media presentation device was in the on state based on the identifying of the encoded information or the signature.

9. A storage medium as defined in claim 8 , wherein the instructions further cause the processor to compare the signature to the signatures of known media, and the instructions cause the processor to credit the media presentation device with presenting the media based on the comparison.

10. A storage medium as defined in claim 8 , wherein the ambient audio is recorded at the monitored location.

11. A storage medium as defined in claim 8 , wherein the ambient audio is stored in a data file.

12. A storage medium as defined in claim 8 , wherein the instructions cause the processor to detect the encoded information by extracting a steganographically encoded watermark.

13. A storage medium as defined in claim 8 , wherein the instructions cause the processor to override the determination that the media presentation device is in the off state is based only on the ambient audio.

14. An apparatus, comprising: a code detector to detect encoded information present in ambient audio obtained for a time period from a media presentation device; a signature generator to compute a signature of the ambient audio for comparison with signatures of known media; an on/off detector to determine an on/off state of the media presentation device based on a gain level applied by an automatic gain controller to collect the ambient audio, the on/off detector to determine an on/off state of the media presentation device based on information encoded in the ambient audio or the signature; and a location creditor to credit a first portion of the time period for the media presentation device to first media based on at least one of the encoded information or the signature, the location creditor to credit the first portion by overriding a determination that the media presentation device was in the off state during the first portion with a determination that the media presentation device was in the on state based on the identifying of the encoded information or the signature.

15. An apparatus as defined in claim 14 , wherein the location creditor is to compare the signature to the signatures of known media and to credit the media based on the comparison.

16. An apparatus as defined in claim 14 , wherein the ambient audio is recorded at a monitored location.

17. An apparatus as defined in claim 14 , wherein the code detector is to receive a data file including the ambient audio.

18. An apparatus as defined in claim 14 , wherein the code detector is to detect the encoded information by extracting a steganographically encoded watermark.

19. An apparatus as defined in claim 14 , wherein the location creditor is to override the determination by the on/off detector that the media presentation was in the off state based only on the ambient audio.

20. An apparatus, comprising: a code detector to detect encoded information present in ambient audio obtained from a media presentation device; a signature generator to compute a signature of the ambient audio; an on/off detector to determine an on/off state of the media presentation device based on a gain level applied by an automatic gain controller to collect the ambient audio; and a location creditor to credit the media presentation device with presenting media when at least one of the code detector detects the encoded information and a comparison of the signature with signatures of known media results in a match, irrespective of the determination of the on/off state by the on/off detector, the location creditor to not credit the media presentation device with presenting media when the code detector does not detect the encoded information and the signature does not match any of the signatures of the known media and the on/off detector determines the media presentation device is in the off state.