IP Library Granted Patent US 10,547,877
Granted Patent B2
US 10,547,877 · App. 16/002,920 · Granted Jan 28, 2020

Methods and apparatus for identifying media content using temporal signal characteristics

Inventor: Morris Lee (Palm Harbor, FL)
Assignee: The Nielsen Company (US), LLC
H04N21/23418G06K9/0053G06K9/00543H04H60/58H04N21/4394H04N21/442H04N21/44204H04N21/84H04H2201/90
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,547,877
App. No.
16/002,920
Granted
Jan 28, 2020
Kind
B2
Abstract

Methods and apparatus to identify media content using temporal signal characteristics are disclosed. An example method includes generating a reference signature based on a reference signal corresponding to known media, generating sums based on peaks in a media signal corresponding to media, identifying signal peaks based on the generated sums, generating a second signature based on normalized curve features, wherein the normalized curve features respectively correspond to the identified signal peaks at a corresponding temporal locations of the corresponding signal peak, and determining whether the media signal corresponds to the reference signal based on a comparison of the reference signature and the second signature.

Claims (50)

1. An apparatus comprising:

a peak detector to detect peaks of a sensed media signal during time intervals and to output absolute values of the detected peaks;

a summer to generate interval sums respective to the time intervals based on the absolute values;

a peak identifier to identify second peaks based on the interval sums; and

a feature generator to generate and output a signature representative of the media signal, the signature including normalized curve features located at temporal locations of the second peaks, at least one of the peak detector, the summer, the peak identifier or the feature generator implemented with hardware or at least one processor.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the signature is a first signature, further including a correlator to:

compare the first signature representative of the media signal to a second signature representative of a reference media signal; and

generate an index based on the comparison of the first signature and the second signature.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , further including an index comparator to:

compare the index to a threshold; and

determine whether the media signal matches the reference media signal based on the comparison of the index to the threshold.

4. An apparatus comprising:

a peak detector to detect peaks of a sensed media signal during time intervals and to output absolute values of the detected peaks;

a summer to generate interval sums respective to the time intervals based on the absolute values;

a peak identifier to identify second peaks based on the interval sums; and

a feature generator to generate and output a signature representative of the media signal, the signature including normalized curve features based on the second peaks, the normalized curve features having equal heights, at least one of the peak detector, the summer, the peak identifier or the feature generator implemented with hardware or at least one processor.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the normalized curve features have equal widths.

6. An apparatus comprising:

a peak detector to detect peaks of a sensed media signal during time intervals and to output absolute values of the detected peaks;

a summer to generate interval sums respective to the time intervals based on the absolute values;

a peak identifier to identify second peaks based on the interval sums; and

a feature generator to generate and output a signature representative of the media signal, the signature including normalized curve features based on the second peaks, the signature having a substantially zero value except at temporal locations corresponding to the normalized curve features, at least one of the peak detector, the summer, the peak identifier or the feature generator implemented with hardware or at least one processor.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , further including a smoother to smooth the interval sums.

8. A method comprising:

detecting, by executing one or more instructions with a processor, peaks in time intervals of a sensed media signal;

generating, by executing one or more instructions with the processor, interval sums respective to the time intervals based on absolute values of the detected peaks;

generating, by executing one or more instructions with the processor, a curve based on the interval sums;

generating, by executing one or more instructions with the processor, normalized curve features at respective temporal locations of peaks in the curve; and

outputting, by executing one or more instructions with the processor, a signature based on the normalized curve features, the signature having a substantially zero value except at the normalized curve features, the signature representative of the media signal.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the signature is a first signature, and further including determining whether the media signal corresponds to a reference media signal based on a comparison of a reference signature and the first signature.

10. The method of claim 9 , further including generating an index value based on the comparison, wherein the determining of whether the sensed media signal corresponds to the reference media signal includes determining whether the index value satisfies a threshold.

11. The method of claim 8 , wherein the normalized curve features have respective heights, widths, and center locations.

12. The method of claim 8 , further including smoothing the curve prior to generating the normalized curved features.

13. A method comprising:

detecting, by executing one or more instructions with a processor, peaks in time intervals of a sensed media signal;

generating, by executing one or more instructions with the processor, interval sums respective to the time intervals based on absolute values of the detected peaks;

generating, by executing one or more instructions with the processor, a curve based on the interval sums;

generating, by executing one or more instructions with the processor, normalized curve features at respective temporal locations of peaks in the curve, the normalized curved features have heights, widths, and center locations, the heights of the normalized curve features being equal and the widths of the normalized curve features being equal; and

outputting, by executing one or more instructions with the processor, a signature based on the normalized curve features, the signature representative of the media signal.

14. A computer readable storage device or storage disk comprising instructions that, when executed, cause a processor to at least:

identify peaks in time intervals of a sensed media signal;

determine interval sums respective to the time intervals based on absolute values of the peaks occurring in the time intervals;

identify second peaks based on the interval sums; and

generate a signature to identify the media signal, the signature including normalized curve features located at temporal locations of the second peaks.

15. The computer readable storage device or storage disk of claim 14 , wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the processor to generate an index based on a comparison of the signature generated to identify the media signal and a reference signature associated with a reference media signal.

16. The computer readable storage device or storage disk of claim 15 , wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the processor to identify the media signal based on whether the index satisfies a threshold.

17. The computer readable storage device or storage disk of claim 14 , wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the processor to smooth the interval sums prior to identification of the second peaks.

18. The computer readable storage device or storage disk of claim 14 , wherein the normalized curved features have equal heights.

19. The computer readable storage device or storage disk of claim 14 , wherein the normalized curved features have equal widths.

20. The computer readable storage device or storage disk of claim 14 , wherein the signature has a substantially zero value except at the normalized curve features.

Assignments (8)
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 →
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 →
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 Aug 14, 2018
From: LEE, MORRIS
To: THE NIELSEN COMPANY (U.S.), LLC
Reel/Frame 046786/0231 →
Continuity (5)
Continuation 15431463 · Feb 13, 2017
Continuation 14537566 · Nov 10, 2014
Continuation 13337890 · Dec 27, 2011
Continuation 12261899 · Oct 30, 2008
Related Publication 20180352270A1 · Dec 6, 2018