AUDIO DATA RECEIPT/EXPOSURE MEASUREMENT WITH CODE MONITORING AND SIGNATURE EXTRACTION
Systems and methods are provided for gathering audience measurement data relating to receipt of and/or exposure to audio data by an audience member. Audio data is monitored to detect a monitoring code. Based on detection of the monitoring code, a signature characterizing the audio data is extracted.
1 . (canceled)
2 . A method of monitoring receipt or exposure to audio data, the method comprising:
receiving audio data in a monitoring device, the audio data including a monitoring code indicating that the audio data is to be monitored;
processing the audio data with a processor of the monitoring device to detect the monitoring code; and
generating, with the processor, a signature characterizing the audio data in response to detecting the monitoring code, the signature being generated from at least a portion of the audio data including the monitoring code.
3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the monitoring code is encoded in the audio data.
4 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the signature is generated based on at least one of: (1) time-domain variations in the audio data, (2) frequency-domain variations in the audio data, (3) signal-to-noise ratios for frequency components of the audio data, or (4) time-domain variations of the signal-to-noise ratios in a plurality of frequency sub-bands of the audio data.
5 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the audio data includes a first data set and a second data set, the first data set includes the monitoring code, the signature characterizes the first data set, the second data set includes a second monitoring code, and further including:
detecting the second monitoring code; and
in response to detection of the second monitoring code, generating a second signature characterizing the second data set, the second signature being generated from at least a portion of the audio data including the second monitoring code.
6 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the portion of the audio used to generate the signature further includes a source identification code.
7 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the monitoring code and the source identification code occur simultaneously in the audio data.
8 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the monitoring code and the source identification code occur in different time segments of the audio data.
9 . A tangible article of manufacture comprising computer readable instructions which, when executed, cause a processor of a monitoring device to at least:
access audio data at the monitoring device;
process the audio data to detect a monitoring code included in the audio data, the monitoring code indicating that the audio data is to be monitored; and
generate a signature characterizing the audio data in response to detection of the monitoring code, the signature being generated from at least a portion of the audio data including the monitoring code.
10 . The article of manufacture of claim 9 , wherein the monitoring code is encoded in the audio data.
11 . The article of manufacture of claim 9 , wherein the signature is generated based on at least one of: (1) time-domain variations in the audio data, (2) frequency-domain variations in the audio data, (3) signal-to-noise ratios for frequency components of the audio data, or (4) time-domain variations of the signal-to-noise ratios in a plurality of frequency sub-bands of the audio data.
12 . The article of manufacture of claim 9 , wherein the audio data includes a first data set and a second data set, the first data set includes the monitoring code, the signature characterizes the first data set, the second data set includes a second monitoring code, and the instructions, when executed, further cause the processor to:
detect the second monitoring code; and
in response to detection of the second monitoring code, generate a second signature characterizing the second data set, the second signature being generated from at least a portion of the audio data including the second monitoring code.
13 . The article of manufacture of claim 9 , wherein the portion of the audio used to generate the signature further includes a source identification code.
14 . The article of manufacture of claim 13 , wherein the monitoring code and the source identification code occur simultaneously in the audio data.
15 . The article of manufacture of claim 13 , wherein the monitoring code and the source identification code occur in different time segments of the audio data.
16 . A monitoring device comprising:
an input device to receive audio data;
a detector to detect a monitoring code encoded in the audio data, the monitoring code indicating that the audio data is to be monitored; and
a processor to generate a signature characterizing the audio data in response to detection of the monitoring code by the detector, the signature being generated from at least a portion of the audio data in which the monitoring code is encoded.
17 . The monitoring device of claim 16 , wherein the processor is to generate the signature based on at least one of: (1) time-domain variations in the audio data, (2) frequency-domain variations in the audio data, (3) signal-to-noise ratios for frequency components of the audio data, or (4) time-domain variations of the signal-to-noise ratios in a plurality of frequency sub-bands of the audio data.
18 . The monitoring device of claim 16 , wherein the audio data includes a first data set and a second data set, the first data set includes the monitoring code, the signature characterizes the first data set, the second data set includes a second monitoring code, the detector is further to detect the second monitoring code, and the processor is further to generate a second signature characterizing the second data set in response to the second monitoring code being detected by the detector, the second signature being generated from at least a portion of the audio data including the second monitoring code.
19 . The monitoring device of claim 16 , wherein the portion of the audio used to generate the signature further includes a source identification code.
20 . The monitoring device of claim 19 , wherein the monitoring code and the source identification code occur simultaneously in the audio data.
21 . The monitoring device of claim 16 , wherein the monitoring code occurs at least one of (1) continuously throughout a time base of the audio data, or (2) repeatedly in at least one interval of the audio data.