IP Library Granted Patent US 10,264,301
Granted Patent B2
US 10,264,301 · App. 15/807,177 · Granted Apr 16, 2019

Methods and apparatus to detect spillover

Inventor: Morris Lee (Palm Harbor, FL)
Assignee: THE NIELSEN COMPANY (US), LLC
H04N21/252H04H60/31H04H60/52H04H60/58H04N21/42203H04N21/4394H04N21/44204H04N21/4667G10L25/78
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,264,301
App. No.
15/807,177
Granted
Apr 16, 2019
Kind
B2
Abstract

Methods and apparatus to improve the accuracy of crediting media exposure through detecting reverberation indicative of spillover are disclosed. An example apparatus includes a reverberation analyzer to identify a quantity of short durations of loudness in an audio signal of media presented by a media presentation device and calculate a ratio of the quantity of the short durations of loudness to a quantity of durations of loudness in the audio signal of the media, the quantity of the durations of loudness including the quantity of short durations of loudness. The example apparatus also includes a processor and memory in circuit with the processor, the memory including instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to mark the media as un-usable to credit a media exposure when the ratio does not satisfy a loudness ratio threshold.

Claims (44)

1. An apparatus comprising:

a reverberation analyzer to:

identify a quantity of short durations of loudness in an audio signal of media presented by a media presentation device;

calculate a ratio of the quantity of the short durations of loudness to a quantity of durations of loudness in the audio signal of the media, the quantity of the durations of loudness including the quantity of short durations of loudness;

a processor; and

a memory in circuit with the processor, the memory including instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:

store data denoting the media as un-usable to credit a media exposure based on the audio signal being spillover when the ratio does not satisfy a loudness ratio threshold.

2. The apparatus as defined in claim 1 , wherein the short durations of loudness are identified based on a duration threshold.

3. The apparatus as defined in claim 1 , wherein the reverberation analyzer is further to:

determine the durations of loudness in the audio signal of the media by identifying a first transition when a loudness flag transitions from a quiet-indicator value to a loud-indicator value, and identifying a second transition in the audio signal of the media when the loudness flag transitions from the loud-indicator value to the quiet-indicator value; and

determine a duration of one of the durations of loudness as a number of samples of the audio signal between the first transition and the second transition.

4. The apparatus as defined in claim 3 , wherein the loudness flag is set to the quiet-indicator value when a sample of the audio signal satisfies a quiet threshold and a quiet length satisfies a quiet length threshold.

5. The apparatus as defined in claim 4 , wherein the reverberation analyzer is further to:

increment the quiet length when the sample of the audio signal satisfies the quiet threshold; and

set the quiet length to zero when the sample of the audio signal does not satisfy the quiet threshold.

6. The apparatus as defined in claim 3 , wherein the loudness flag is set to the loud-indicator value when a difference between a current sample of the audio signal and a previous sample of the audio signal satisfies a loud threshold.

7. The apparatus as defined in claim 3 , wherein a sample duration range is incremented at the second transition, the sample duration range corresponding to the number of samples of the audio signal between the first transition and the second transition.

8. An apparatus comprising:

means for identifying a quantity of short durations of loudness in an audio signal of media presented by a media presentation device;

means for calculating a ratio of the quantity of the short durations of loudness to a quantity of durations of loudness in the audio signal of the media, the quantity of the durations of loudness including the quantity of short durations of loudness; and

means for detecting the audio signal as being spillover, the means for detecting the audio signal as being spillover to store data denoting the media as un-usable to credit a media exposure when the ratio does not satisfy a loudness ratio threshold, the storing of the data to improve an accuracy of the media exposure credit by excluding media having indications of spillover.

9. The apparatus as defined in claim 8 , wherein the short durations of loudness are identified based on a duration threshold.

10. The apparatus as defined in claim 8 , further including:

means for determining the durations of loudness in the audio signal of the media by identifying a first transition when a loudness flag transitions from a quiet-indicator value to a loud-indicator value, and identifying a second transition in the audio signal of the media when the loudness flag transitions from the loud-indicator value to the quiet-indicator value; and

means for determining a duration of one of the durations of loudness as a number of samples of the audio signal between the first transition and the second transition.

11. The apparatus as defined in claim 10 , wherein the loudness flag is set to the quiet-indicator value when a sample of the audio signal satisfies a quiet threshold and a quiet length satisfies a quiet length threshold.

12. The apparatus as defined in claim 11 , further including:

means for incrementing the quiet length when the sample of the audio signal satisfies the quiet threshold; and

means for setting the quiet length to zero when the sample of the audio signal does not satisfy the quiet threshold.

13. The apparatus as defined in claim 10 , wherein the loudness flag is set to the loud-indicator value when a difference between a current sample of the audio signal and a previous sample of the audio signal satisfies a loud threshold, the loud threshold being based on a most recent dip value of the audio signal.

14. The apparatus as defined in claim 10 , wherein a sample duration range is incremented at the second transition, the sample duration range corresponding to the number of samples of the audio signal between the first transition and the second transition.

15. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium comprising instructions that, when executed, cause a machine to at least:

determine a quantity of short durations of loudness in an audio signal of media presented by a media presentation device;

determine a ratio of the quantity of the short durations of loudness to a quantity of durations of loudness in the audio signal of the media, the quantity of the durations of loudness including the quantity of short durations of loudness; and

store data denoting the media as un-usable to credit a media exposure based on the audio signal being spillover when the ratio does not satisfy a loudness ratio threshold, the storing of the data to improve an accuracy of the media exposure credit by excluding media having indications of spillover.

16. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium as defined in claim 15 , wherein the short durations of loudness are identified based on a duration threshold.

17. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium as defined in claim 15 , wherein the instructions are further to cause the machine to:

determine the durations of loudness in the audio signal of the media by identifying a first transition when a loudness flag transitions from a quiet-indicator value to a loud-indicator value, and identifying a second transition in the audio signal of the media when the loudness flag transitions from the loud-indicator value to the quiet-indicator value; and

determine a duration of one of the durations of loudness as a number of samples of the audio signal between the first transition and the second transition.

18. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium as defined in claim 17 , wherein the loudness flag is set to the quiet-indicator value when a sample of the audio signal satisfies a quiet threshold and a quiet length satisfies a quiet length threshold.

19. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium as defined in claim 18 , wherein the instructions are further to cause the machine to:

increment the quiet length when the sample of the audio signal satisfies the quiet threshold; and

set the quiet length to zero when the sample of the audio signal does not satisfy the quiet threshold.

20. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium as defined in claim 17 , wherein the loudness flag is set to the loud-indicator value when a difference between a current sample of the audio signal and a previous sample of the audio signal satisfies a loud threshold, the loud threshold being based on a most recent dip value of the audio signal.

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 Nov 9, 2017
From: LEE, MORRIS
To: THE NIELSEN COMPANY (US), LLC
Reel/Frame 044078/0643 →
Continuity (3)
Continuation 14920314 · Oct 22, 2015
Provisional Application 62192889 · Jul 15, 2015
Related Publication 20180070117A1 · Mar 8, 2018