Methods and apparatus for monitoring video games
View Patent ↗Methods and apparatus for monitoring video games are disclosed. Example methods disclosed herein to identify a video game include generating a memory signature based on a pattern of memory locations of a game medium accessed by a device to play the video game. Such example methods also include determining an identity of the video game based on the memory signature.
1. A method to identify a video game, the method comprising:
generating, with a processor, a memory signature based on a pattern of memory addresses previously accessed by a device to access a game medium to play the video game; and
determining, with the processor, an identity of the video game based on the memory signature.
2. The method as defined in claim 1 , wherein the determining of the identity of the video game based on the memory signature includes comparing the memory signature with information from a reference database.
3. The method as defined in claim 1 , wherein the pattern of memory addresses corresponds to a sequence of memory addresses previously accessed by the device at startup of the video game.
4. The method as defined in claim 1 , wherein the pattern of memory addresses is included in information reported from a software meter executing on the device.
5. The method as defined in claim 1 , wherein the pattern of memory addresses is included in information reported from an analyzer in communication with at least one of a media reader or a media reader controller of the device.
6. The method as defined in claim 1 , further including cross-referencing at least some of the memory addresses from the pattern of memory addresses with a memory map corresponding to the game medium to determine game content being presented by the device.
7. The method as defined in claim 1 , wherein the game medium includes at least one of a game disk or a game cartridge.
8. A machine readable storage device or storage disk comprising machine readable instructions which, when executed, cause a processor to at least:
generate a memory signature of a video game based on a pattern of memory addresses previously accessed by a device to access a game medium to play the video game; and
determine an identity of the video game based on the memory signature.
9. The storage device or storage disk as defined in claim 8 , wherein to determine the identity of the video game based on the memory signature, the instructions, when executed, further cause the processor to compare the memory signature with information from a reference database.
10. The storage device or storage disk as defined in claim 8 , wherein the pattern of memory addresses corresponds to a sequence of memory addresses previously accessed by the device at startup of the video game.
11. The storage device or storage disk as defined in claim 8 , wherein the pattern of memory addresses is included in information reported from a software meter executing on the device.
12. The storage device or storage disk as defined in claim 8 , wherein the pattern of memory addresses is included in information reported from an analyzer in communication with at least one of a media reader or a media reader controller of the device.
13. The storage device or storage disk as defined in claim 8 , wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the processor to cross-reference at least some of the memory addresses from the pattern of memory addresses with a memory map corresponding to the game medium to determine game content being presented by the device.
14. The storage device or storage disk as defined in claim 8 , wherein the game medium includes at least one of a game disk or a game cartridge.
15. An apparatus to identify a video game, the apparatus comprising:
a data processor to:
generate a memory signature based on a pattern of memory addresses previously accessed by a device to access a game medium to play the video game; and
determine an identity of the video game based on the memory signature; and
a database to store information to compare with the memory signature to determine the identity of the video game.
16. The apparatus as defined in claim 15 , wherein the pattern of memory addresses corresponds to a sequence of memory addresses previously accessed by the device at startup of the video game.
17. The apparatus as defined in claim 15 , wherein the pattern of memory addresses is included in information reported from a software meter executing on the device.
18. The apparatus as defined in claim 15 , wherein the pattern of memory addresses is included in information reported from an analyzer in communication with at least one of a media reader or a media reader controller of the device.
19. The apparatus as defined in claim 15 , wherein the data processor is further to cross-reference at least some of the memory addresses from the pattern of memory addresses with a memory map corresponding to the game medium to determine game content being presented by the device.
20. The apparatus as defined in claim 15 , wherein the game medium includes at least one of a game disk or a game cartridge.