IP Library Granted Patent US 11,068,944
Granted Patent B2
US 11,068,944 · App. 16/374,533 · Granted Jul 20, 2021

Methods and apparatus to determine impressions using distributed demographic information

Inventors: Mainak Mazumdar (Brooklyn, NY); Kevin Geraghty (Dublin, CA); Ronan Heffernan (Wesley Chapel, FL); Mark Kalus (New York, NY); Ari Paparo (New York, NY); Steven J. Splaine (Tampa, FL); Alexandros Deliyannis (Tampa, FL)
Assignee: The Nielsen Company (US), LLC
G06Q30/0272G06F16/951G06F17/30864G06F21/6245G06Q30/0201G06Q30/0241G06Q30/0246H04L43/04H04L43/0876H04L67/1097H04L67/22H04L67/42
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,068,944
App. No.
16/374,533
Granted
Jul 20, 2021
Kind
B2
Abstract

A disclosed example to monitor access to media includes; a communication interface to send a uniform resource locator (URL) scrape instruction to a client computer in response to a first request from the client computer, the first request indicative of access to the media at the client computer; a processor in circuit with the communication interface; and memory including machine readable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to: provide the URL scrape instruction to the communication interface when a URL of a host website of the media is not obtainable by the processor from the first request, the URL scrape instruction to cause the client computer to: (1) read the URL of the host website from an address bar of a web browser at the client computer, and (2) send the URL of the host website to a server; and store a logged impression of the media in association with the URL of the host website from the client computer.

Claims (46)

1. A server to monitor access to media, the server comprising:

a communication interface to send a uniform resource locator (URL) scrape instruction to a client computer in response to a first request from the client computer, the first request indicative of access to the media at the client computer;

a processor in circuit with the communication interface; and

memory including machine readable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:

provide the URL scrape instruction to the communication interface when a URL of a host website of the media is not obtainable by the processor from the first request, the URL scrape instruction to cause the client computer to: (1) read the URL of the host website from an address bar of a web browser at the client computer, and (2) send the URL of the host website to the server; and

store a logged impression of the media in association with the URL of the host website from the client computer.

2. The server of claim 1 , wherein the machine readable instructions are to cause the processor to store demographic information corresponding to an identifier of the client computer in association with the logged impression.

3. The server of claim 2 , wherein the communication interface is to receive the identifier as a cookie from the client computer in the first request, the cookie associated with a user corresponding to the demographic information.

4. The server of claim 1 , wherein the first request includes an identifier corresponding to a user of the client computer, the communication interface to send a response to the client computer, the response to instruct the client computer to send a second request to a second server, the machine readable instructions to further cause the processor to:

store first demographic information in association with the logged impression, the first demographic information associated with the identifier corresponding to the user, and the first demographic information stored by the server after the first demographic information is obtained from the user during enrollment in a panel, and

merge second demographic information from the second server with the first demographic information based on the second server associating the second demographic information with the access to the media at the client computer.

5. The server of claim 1 , wherein, when the client computer is not identifiable by the server at a first internet domain, the communication interface is further to send a response to the client computer, the response to instruct the client computer to send a second request to a second server at a second internet domain, the second request to be indicative of the access to the media at the client computer.

6. The server of claim 5 , wherein the machine readable instructions are to further cause the processor to store demographic information from the second internet domain in association with the logged impression, the demographic information corresponding to the second request.

7. The server of claim 1 , wherein the media is presented by the web browser in an ad iFrame of the host website, the ad iFrame associated with a second URL different from the URL of the host website.

8. The server of claim 1 , wherein the communication interface is to send a cookie to the client computer, and the machine readable instructions are to cause the processor to store demographic information corresponding to the cookie in association with the logged impression.

9. A tangible computer readable medium comprising instructions that, when executed, cause a machine to at least:

send a uniform resource locator (URL) scrape instruction to a client computer in response to a first request from the client computer, a URL of a host website of media is not obtainable by the machine from the first request, the first request indicative of access to the media at the client computer, the URL scrape instruction to cause the client computer to: (1) read the URL of the host web site from an address bar of a web browser at the client computer, and (2) send the URL of the host web site to a server; and

store a logged impression of the media in association with the URL of the host website from the client computer.

10. The tangible computer readable medium as defined in claim 9 , wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the machine to store demographic information corresponding to an identifier of the client computer in association with the logged impression.

11. The tangible computer readable medium as defined in claim 10 , wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the machine to access the identifier as a cookie from the client computer in the first request, the cookie associated with a user corresponding to the demographic information.

12. The tangible computer readable medium as defined in claim 9 , wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the machine to:

send a response to the client computer, the response to instruct the client computer to send a second request to a second server;

store first demographic information in association with the logged impression, the first demographic information associated with an identifier corresponding to a user, and the first demographic information obtained from the user during enrollment in a panel; and

merge second demographic information from the second server with the first demographic information based on the second server associating the second demographic information with the access to the media at the client computer.

13. The tangible computer readable medium as defined in claim 9 , wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the machine to:

when the client computer is not identifiable by the server at a first internet domain, send a response to the client computer, the response to instruct the client computer to send a second request to a second server at a second internet domain, the second request to be indicative of the access to the media at the client computer.

14. The tangible computer readable medium as defined in claim 13 , wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the machine to store demographic information from the second internet domain in association with the logged impression, the demographic information corresponding to the second request.

15. The tangible computer readable medium as defined in claim 9 , wherein the media is presented by the web browser in an ad iFrame of the host web site, the ad iFrame pertaining to a second URL different from the URL of the host web site.

16. The tangible computer readable medium as defined in claim 9 , wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the machine to:

send a cookie to the client computer; and

store demographic information corresponding to the cookie in association with the logged impression.

17. A method to monitor access to media, the method comprising:

sending a uniform resource locator (URL) scrape instruction from a server to a client computer in response to a first request from the client computer, a URL of a host website of the media is not obtainable by the server from the first request, the first request indicative of access to the media at the client computer, the URL scrape instruction to cause the client computer to: (1) read the URL of the host website from an address bar of a web browser at the client computer, and (2) send the URL of the host website to the server; and

storing a logged impression of the media in association with the URL of the host website from the client computer.

18. The method of claim 17 , further including storing demographic information corresponding to an identifier of the client computer in association with the logged impression.

19. The method of claim 18 , further including accessing the identifier as a cookie from the client computer in the first request, the cookie associated with a user corresponding to the demographic information.

20. The method of claim 17 , wherein the first request includes an identifier corresponding to a user of the client computer, and further including:

sending a response from the server to the client computer, the response to instruct the client computer to send a second request to a second server;

storing first demographic information in association with the logged impression, the first demographic information associated with the identifier corresponding to the user, and the first demographic information obtained from the user during enrollment in a panel; and

merging second demographic information from the second server with the first demographic information based on the second server associating the second demographic information with the access to the media at the client computer.

21. The method of claim 17 , further including, when the client computer is not identifiable by the server at a first internet domain, sending a response from the server to the client computer, the response to instruct the client computer to send a second request to a second server at a second internet domain, the second request to be indicative of the access to the media at the client computer.

22. The method of claim 21 , further including storing demographic information from the second internet domain in association with the logged impression, the demographic information corresponding to the second request.

23. The method of claim 17 , wherein the media is presented by the web browser in an ad iFrame of the host website, the ad iFrame pertaining to a second URL different from the URL of the host website.

24. The method of claim 17 , further including:

sending a cookie to the client computer, and

storing demographic information corresponding to the cookie in association with the logged impression.

Assignments (9)
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 Jan 24, 2020
From: MAZUMDAR, MAINAK; GERAGHTY, KEVIN; HEFFERNAN, RONAN; KALUS, MARK; PAPARO, ARI; SPLAINE, STEVEN J.
To: THE NIELSEN COMPANY (US), LLC
Reel/Frame 051615/0711 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 24, 2020
From: DELIYANNIS, ALEXANDROS
To: THE NIELSEN COMPANY (US), LLC
Reel/Frame 051615/0673 →