IP Library Granted Patent US 10,937,040
Granted Patent B2
US 10,937,040 · App. 15/360,832 · Granted Mar 2, 2021

Systems and methods to identify intentionally placed products

Inventors: David H. Harkness (Wilton, CT); Arun Ramaswamy (Tampa, FL)
Assignee: THE NIELSEN COMPANY (US), LLC
G06Q30/0201G06Q30/02G06Q30/0277
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,937,040
App. No.
15/360,832
Granted
Mar 2, 2021
Kind
B2
Abstract

Systems and methods to identify intentionally placed products in media content are disclosed. A disclosed system to detect intentionally placed products in media content includes a placement monitor site to record an occurrence of a first intentionally placed product within first broadcast media content in a product placement record; an audience measurement site to record an audience interaction with a second intentionally placed product in second broadcast media content in an event record; and a collection facility to receive the product placement record and the event record.

Claims (46)

1. A system comprising:

a logic circuit;

an audience measurement monitor to:

detect a presence of an intentionally placed prop in media by processing metadata stored in a local memory at the audience measurement monitor, user interaction with the prop causing a display of information related to the prop;

detect a selection of a uniform resource locator (URL) displayed with the media by an audience member during presentation of the intentionally placed prop in the media, the selection of the URL causing a display device displaying the media to access a web page including information related to the intentionally placed prop;

in response to detecting the selection of the URL, initiating a timer;

in response to detecting that presentation of a webpage associated with the URL has ended at the location of the audience member, stopping the timer to determine a duration of time; and

identify the media in which the intentionally placed prop is located; and

a collection facility to generate a report including at least one of the presence of the intentionally placed prop or the duration of time, at least one of the audience measurement monitor or the collection facility including the logic circuit.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the audience measurement monitor is to:

record the presence of the intentionally placed prop in a product placement record; and

record the interaction with the intentionally placed prop in an event record.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the report indicates whether a characteristic associated with display of the intentionally placed prop met a term of the contract.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the characteristic includes at least one of a display size of the intentionally placed prop, a duration of display associated with the intentionally placed prop, a frequency of display of the intentionally placed prop.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the frequency of display includes at least one of a number of scenes in which the intentionally placed prop is displayed and a number of programs in which the intentionally placed prop is displayed.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the audience measurement monitor is to detect the interaction by detecting that the interaction with the intentionally placed prop occurred during presentation of the intentionally placed prop in the media.

7. A method comprising:

detecting, by executing an instruction using a processor, a presence of an intentionally placed prop in media by processing metadata stored in a local memory at an audience measurement monitor, user interaction with the prop causing a display of information related to the prop when interacted;

detecting, by executing an instruction using the processor, a selection of a uniform resource locator (URL) displayed with the media by an audience member during presentation of the intentionally placed prop in the media, the selection of the URL causing a display device displaying the media to access a web page including information related to the intentionally placed prop;

in response to detecting the selection of the URL, initiating a timer;

in response to detecting that presentation of a webpage associated with the URL has ended at the location of the audience member, stopping the timer to determine a duration of time;

identifying, by executing an instruction using the processor, the media in which the intentionally placed prop is located; and

generating, by executing an instruction using the processor, a report including at least one of the presence of the intentionally placed prop or the duration of time.

8. The method of claim 7 , further including:

recording the presence of the intentionally placed prop in a product placement record; and

recording the interaction with the intentionally placed prop in an event record.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the report indicates whether a characteristic associated with display of the intentionally placed prop met a term of the contract.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the characteristic includes at least one of a display size of the intentionally placed prop, a duration of display associated with the intentionally placed prop, a frequency of display of the intentionally placed prop.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the frequency of display includes at least one of a number of scenes in which the intentionally placed prop is displayed and a number of programs in which the intentionally placed prop is displayed.

12. The method of claim 7 , wherein detecting the interaction includes detecting that the interaction with the intentionally placed prop occurred during presentation of the intentionally placed prop in the media.

13. An article of manufacture comprising machine readable instructions, which, when executed, cause a machine to at least:

detect a presence of an intentionally placed prop in media by processing metadata stored in a local memory at an audience measurement monitor, user interaction with the prop causing a display of information related to the prop;

detect a selection of a uniform resource locator (URL) displayed with the media by an audience member during presentation of the intentionally placed prop in the media, the selection of the URL causing a display device displaying the media to access a web page including information related to the intentionally placed prop;

in response to detecting the selection of the URL, initiate a timer;

in response to detecting that presentation of a webpage associated with the URL has ended at the location of the audience member, stop the timer to determine a duration of time;

identify the media in which the intentionally placed prop is located; and

generate a report including at least one of the presence of the intentionally placed prop or the duration of time.

14. The article of manufacture of claim 13 , wherein the instructions cause the machine to:

record the presence of the intentionally placed prop in a product placement record; and

record the interaction with the intentionally placed prop in an event record.

15. The article of manufacture of claim 14 , wherein the report indicates whether a characteristic associated with display of the intentionally placed prop met a term of the contract.

16. The article of manufacture of claim 15 , wherein the characteristic includes at least one of a display size of the intentionally placed prop, a duration of display associated with the intentionally placed prop, a frequency of display of the intentionally placed prop.

17. The article of manufacture of claim 16 , wherein the frequency of display includes at least one of a number of scenes in which the intentionally placed prop is displayed and a number of programs in which the intentionally placed prop is displayed.

18. The article of manufacture of claim 13 , wherein the instructions cause the machine to detect the interaction by detecting that the interaction with the intentionally placed prop occurred during presentation of the intentionally placed prop in the media.

19. The system of claim 1 , wherein the audience measurement monitor is to detect the presence of the intentionally placed prop in the media by identifying sales information in the metadata.

20. The article of manufacture of claim 13 , wherein the instructions cause the machine to detect the presence of the intentionally placed prop in the media by identifying sales information in the metadata.

Assignments (8)
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 →
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 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 10, 2017
From: HARKNESS, DAVID H.; RAMASWAMY, ARUN
To: THE NIELSEN COMPANY (US), LLC
Reel/Frame 041220/0599 →
Cited By (1)
US 12,561,705