Methods and apparatus for optimizing station reference fingerprint loading using reference watermarks

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a segment analyzer to determine whether watermark coverage of a first media segment satisfies a dropout constraint, the first media segment corresponding to a first monitoring time interval of a media source feed;

a signature hasher to hash first media signatures associated with the first media segment to generate corresponding first hashed signatures, the signature hasher to hash the first media signatures to generate the first hashed signatures when the watermark coverage of the first media segment does not satisfy the dropout constraint but not when the watermark coverage of the first media segment does satisfy the dropout constraint; and

a reference storer to:

generate first reference data for the first media segment when the watermark coverage of the first media segment does not satisfy the dropout constraint, the first reference data including the first hashed signatures and the first media signatures; and

generate second reference data for the first media segment when the watermark coverage of the first media segment does satisfy the dropout constraint, the second reference data including the first media signatures but not including the first hashed signatures.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:

the segment analyzer is further to determine whether the watermark coverage of a second media segment satisfies the dropout constraint; and

when the watermark coverage of the second media segment does not satisfy the dropout constraint:

the signature hasher is further to hash second media signatures associated with the second media segment to generate corresponding second hashed signatures; and

the reference storer is further to generate third reference data for the second media segment, the third reference data including the second hashed signatures and the second media signatures; and

when the watermark coverage of the second media segment satisfies the dropout constraint, the reference storer is further to generate fourth reference data for the second media segment, the fourth reference data including the second media signatures.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the reference storer is further to provide at least one of the first reference data, the second reference data, the third reference data or the fourth reference data to a media monitor that is to credit viewership of the media source feed.

4. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the reference storer is to store at least one of the first reference data, the second reference data, the third reference data or the fourth reference data on a cloud service.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , further including a watermark receiver to receive a watermark reference associated with the first media segment, the watermark reference based on a watermark encoded in the first media segment.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the watermark reference is generated by a reference generator, the reference generator to monitor the media source feed.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the dropout constraint corresponds to an amount of watermark coverage associated with the first media segment that allows identification of the first media segment using the watermark reference.

8. A method, comprising:

determining whether watermark coverage of a first media segment satisfies a dropout constraint, the first media segment corresponding to a first monitoring time interval of a media source feed;

hashing first media signatures associated with the first media segment to generate corresponding first hashed signatures when the watermark coverage of the first media segment does not satisfy the dropout constraint but not when the watermark coverage of the first media segment does satisfy the dropout constraint;

when the watermark coverage of the first media segment does not satisfy the dropout constraint,

generating first reference data for the first media segment, the first reference data including the first hashed signatures and the first media signatures; and

when the watermark coverage of the first media segment satisfies the dropout constraint, generating second reference data for the first media segment, the second reference data including the first media signatures but not including the first hashed signatures.

9. The method of claim 8 , further including:

determining whether the watermark coverage of a second media segment satisfies the dropout constraint; and

when the watermark coverage of the second media segment does not satisfy the dropout constraint:

hashing second media signatures associated with the second media segment to generate corresponding second hashed signatures; and

generating third reference data for the second media segment, the third reference data including the second hashed signatures and the second media signatures; and

when the watermark coverage of the second media segment satisfies the dropout constraint, generating fourth reference data for the second media segment, the fourth reference data including the second media signatures.

10. The method of claim 9 , further including providing at least one of the first reference data, the second reference data, the third reference data or the fourth reference data to a media monitor that is to credit viewership of the media source feed.

11. The method of claim 9 , further including storing at least one of the first reference data, the second reference data, the third reference data or the fourth reference data on a cloud service.

12. The method of claim 8 , wherein the determining of whether the watermark coverage of the first media segment includes determining if a watermark reference associated with the first media segment has been received, the watermark reference based on a watermark encoded in the first media segment.

13. The method of claim 12 , further including obtaining the watermark reference from a reference generator, the reference generator to monitor the media source feed.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the dropout constraint corresponds to an amount of watermark coverage associated with the first media segment that allows identification of the first media segment using the watermark reference.

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

determine whether watermark coverage of a first media segment satisfies a dropout constraint, the first media segment corresponding to a first monitoring time interval of a media source feed;

hash first media signatures associated with the first media segment to generate corresponding first hashed signatures when the watermark coverage of the first media segment does not satisfy the dropout constraint but not when the watermark coverage of the first media segment does satisfy the dropout constraint;

when the watermark coverage of the first media segment does not satisfy the dropout constraint,

generate first reference data for the first media segment, the first reference data including the first hashed signatures and the first media signatures; and

when the watermark coverage of the first media segment satisfies the dropout constraint, generate second reference data for the first media segment, the second reference data including the first media signatures but not including the first hashed signatures.

16. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 15 , wherein the instructions cause the machine further to:

determine whether the watermark coverage of a second media segment satisfies the dropout constraint; and

when the watermark coverage of the second media segment does not satisfy the dropout constraint:

hash second media signatures associated with the second media segment to generate corresponding second hashed signatures; and

generate third reference data for the first media segment, the third reference data including the second hashed signatures and the second media signatures; and

when the watermark coverage of the second media segment satisfies the dropout constraint, generate fourth reference data for the second media segment, the fourth reference data including the second media signatures.

17. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 16 , wherein the instructions cause the machine further to provide at least one of the first reference data, the second reference data, the third reference data or the fourth reference data to a media monitor that is to credit viewership of the media source feed.

18. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 16 , wherein the instructions cause the machine further to determine if a watermark reference associated with the first media segment has been received, the watermark reference based on a watermark encoded in the first media segment.

19. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 18 , wherein the instructions cause the machine to obtain the watermark reference from a reference generator, the reference generator to monitor the media source feed.

20. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 19 , wherein the dropout constraint corresponds to an amount of watermark coverage associated with the first media segment that allows identification of the first media segment using the watermark reference.