IP Library Granted Patent US 10,943,252
Granted Patent B2
US 10,943,252 · App. 16/175,476 · Granted Mar 9, 2021

Methods and apparatus to identify a type of media presented by a media player

Inventor: Chad A. Hage (Clearwater, FL)
Assignee: The Nielsen Company (US), LLC
G06Q30/0241
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,943,252
App. No.
16/175,476
Granted
Mar 9, 2021
Kind
B2
Abstract

Methods and apparatus to identify a type of media presented by a media player are disclosed herein. Example apparatus disclosed herein include an image analyzer to process an image taken of a media player application to determine whether an appearance characteristic of a user-selectable media application control of the media player application indicates the user-selectable media application control is able to be manipulated while media is presented by the media player application. Disclosed example apparatus further include a media type analyzer to determine at least one of the media is not an advertisement or the media does not include an advertisement when the appearance characteristic indicates the user-selectable media application control is able to be manipulated, and determine at least one of the media is an advertisement or the media includes an advertisement when the appearance characteristic indicates the user-selectable media application control is not to be manipulated.

Claims (40)

1. An apparatus comprising:

a data analyzer to:

process a control message corresponding to a media player application to determine whether a user attempted to activate a user-selectable media application control presented in a user interface while the media player application presented media; and

process control data corresponding to the user-selectable media application control to determine whether the user-selectable media application control presented in the user interface was activated;

a media type analyzer to:

determine at least one of the media is not an advertisement or the media does not include an advertisement when (a) the user attempted to active the user-selectable media application control and (b) the user-selectable media application control presented in the user interface was activated; and

determine at least one of the media is an advertisement or the media includes an advertisement when (a) the user attempted to active the user-selectable media application control and (b) the user-selectable media application control presented in the user interface was not activated.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , further including a control data analyzer to identify the control data associated with the user-selectable media application control in a stream of data received by the media player application.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , further including a storage device to store data representative of the media.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , further including a media type identifier to extract the control data from media player data corresponding to the media player application.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the user-selectable media application control corresponds to at least one of a closed captioning control, a fast forward control, or a pause control.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , further including an interface to communicate to a data collection entity, the communication including the determination of whether the media is an advertisement or the media includes an advertisement.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , further including a buffer analyzer is to prevent the media type analyzer from determining whether the media is an advertisement or the media includes an advertisement when the media player application is determined to be buffering data.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:

the data analyzer is external to a device that is to implement the media player application; and

the media type analyzer is external to the device that is to implement the media player application.

9. A method comprising:

when a media player application is determined not to be performing a buffering operation:

processing, by executing an instruction with processor, a control message corresponding to the media player application to determine whether a user attempted to activate a user-selectable media application control presented in a user interface while the media player application presented media;

processing, by executing an instruction with the processor, control data corresponding to the user-selectable media application control to determine whether the user-selectable media application control presented in the user interface was activated;

determining, by executing an instruction with the processor, at least one of the media is not an advertisement or the media does not include an advertisement when (a) the user attempted to activate the user-selectable media application control and (b) the user-selectable media application control presented in the user interface was activated; and

determining, by executing an instruction with the processor, at least one of the media is an advertisement or the media includes an advertisement when (a) the user attempted to activate the user-selectable media application control and (b) the user-selectable media application control presented in the user interface was not activated.

10. The method of claim 9 , further including identifying the control data associated with the user-selectable media application control in a stream of data received by the media player application.

11. The method of claim 9 , further including storing data representative of the media.

12. The method of claim 9 , further including extracting the control data from media player data corresponding to media player application.

13. The method of claim 9 , wherein the user-selectable media application control corresponds to at least one of a closed captioning control, a fast forward control, or a pause control.

14. The method of claim 9 , further including communicating the determination of whether the media is an advertisement or the media includes an advertisement to a data collection entity.

15. The method of claim 9 , further including preventing the determining of whether the media is an advertisement or the media includes an advertisement when the media player application is determined to be buffering data.

16. The method of claim 9 , wherein the processor is external to a device that is to implement the media player application.

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

when a media player application is determined to not be buffering data:

process a control message corresponding to the media player application to determine whether a user attempted to activate a user-selectable media application control presented in a user interface the media player application presented media;

process control data corresponding to the user-selectable media application control to determine whether the user-selectable media application control presented in the user interface was activated;

determine at least one of the media is not an advertisement or the media does not include an advertisement when (a) the user attempted to activate the user-selectable media application control and (b) the user-selectable media application control presented in the user interface was activated; and

determine at least one of the media is an advertisement or the media includes an advertisement when (a) the user attempted to activate the user-selectable media application control and (b) the user-selectable media application control presented in the user interface was not activated.

18. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 17 , wherein the instructions further cause the machine to identify the control data associated with the user-selectable media application control in a stream of data received by the media player application.

19. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 17 , wherein the instructions further cause the machine to:

communicate to a data collection entity that at least one of the media is not an advertisement or the media does not include an advertisement when the user-selectable media application control was activated; and

communicate to the data collection entity that at least one of the media is an advertisement or the media includes an advertisement when the user-selectable media application control was not activated is disabled.

20. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 17 , wherein the machine is external to a device that is to implement the media player application.

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 8, 2018
From: HAGE, CHAD A.
To: THE NIELSEN COMPANY (US), LLC
Reel/Frame 047457/0906 →