IP Library Granted Patent US 11,451,859
Granted Patent B2
US 11,451,859 · App. 16/441,957 · Granted Sep 20, 2022

Real-time audience measurement system

Inventor: James M. Barton (Los Catos, CA)
Assignee: TIVO SOLUTIONS INC.
H04N21/435H04H20/40H04H60/31H04H60/33H04H60/46H04H60/61H04H60/73H04N21/43615H04N21/44226H04N21/4667H04H2201/37
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,451,859
App. No.
16/441,957
Granted
Sep 20, 2022
Kind
B2
Abstract

Techniques for real-time audience measurement are provided. The techniques include instant message protocol in a DVR environment to obtain real-time audience measurement data to modify the scheduled recording time of a media content in real-time, to bookmark in real-time, and to gather audience ratings on commercials and viewership in real-time.

Claims (70)

1. A method comprising:

establishing, by a first server, an SSL connection between the first server and a user device, wherein the connection is used to transmit media asset from the first server to cause the user device to play the media asset;

in response to detecting that the SSL connection is dropped, automatically reconnecting, by the first server that was transmitting the media asset to the user device, the SSL connection between the first server and the user device, wherein the automatic reconnection is initiated by the first server that was transmitting the media asset to the user device by the SSL connection to reestablish the connection between the first server and the user device to resume transmitting the media asset, without an input from the user device, to the user device by the first server via the reestablished SSL connection;

receiving at the first server, via the SSL connection, data from the user device, wherein the data specifies the first server as a recipient of the data and is indicative of user input during the playing of the media asset;

generating, by the first server, output information by analyzing the data; and

transmitting the output information, by the same first sever, to a second server.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the user device is a digital video recorder (DVR) and the media content is a video program.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein output information comprises at least one of: reports, displays, notifications, or other output information that describe aspects of a real-time operation of a population of DVRs.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein analyzing the data comprises:

aggregating, in real-time, data from other television viewer data received from one or more other user devices and the received data from the first device; and

wherein the output information comprises real-time audience measurement, based, in part, on the aggregated data.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein analyzing the data further comprises at least one of:

aggregating viewer behavior in relation to a particular television video program;

aggregating viewer response to particular commercial pods;

aggregating viewer behavior in relation to tuning out of a particular television program and viewer tune-in destinations;

predicting viewing behavior or program ratings; or

predicting demographic response to programs that are similar to one another, derived from correlating specific information about DVRs with demographic information about households that own the DVRs.

6. A method comprising:

establishing, by a first server, an SSL connection between the first server and a user device, wherein the connection is used to transmit media asset from the first server to cause the user device to play the media asset;

receiving at a first server, via the SSL connection, data from the user device, wherein the data specifies the first server as a recipient of the data and is indicative of user input during the playing of the media asset;

generating output information by analyzing the data;

transmitting the output information to a second server; and

in response to detecting that the SSL connection is dropped, automatically reconnecting, by the first server that was transmitting the media asset to the user device, the SSL connection between the first server and the user device to resume transmitting the media asset, without an input from the user device, to the user device by the first server via the reestablished SSL connection, wherein the automatic reconnection is initiated by the first server, that was transmitting the media asset to the user device, to reestablish the connection between the first server and the user device.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the user device is a digital video recorder (DVR) and the media content is a video program.

8. The method of claim 6 , wherein output information comprises at least one of: reports, displays, notifications, or other output information that describe aspects of a real-time operation of a population of DVRs.

9. The method of claim 6 , wherein analyzing the data comprises:

aggregating, in real-time, data from other television viewer data received from one or more other user devices and the received data from the first device; and

wherein the output information comprises real-time audience measurement, based, in part, on the aggregated data.

10. The method of claim 6 , wherein analyzing the data further comprises at least one of:

aggregating viewer behavior in relation to a particular television video program;

aggregating viewer response to particular commercial pods;

aggregating viewer behavior in relation to tuning out of a particular television program and viewer tune-in destinations;

predicting viewing behavior or program ratings; or

predicting demographic response to programs that are similar to one another, derived from correlating specific information about DVRs with demographic information about households that own the DVRs.

11. A system comprising:

control circuitry configured to:

establish, by a first server, an SSL connection between the first server and a user device, wherein the connection is used to transmit media asset from the first server to cause the user device to play the media asset;

in response to detecting that the SSL connection is dropped, automatically reconnect, by the first server that was transmitting the media asset to the user device, the SSL connection between the first server and the user device, wherein the automatic reconnection is initiated by the first server that was transmitting the media asset to the user device to reestablish the connection between the first server and the user device to resume transmitting the media asset, without an input from the user device, to the user device by the first server via the reestablished SSL connection;

receive at the first server, via the SSL connection, data from the user device, wherein the data specifies the first server as a recipient of the data and is indicative of user input during the playing of the media asset;

generate, by the first server, output information by analyzing the data; and

transmit, by the same first sever, the output information to a second server.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the user device is a digital video recorder (DVR) and the media content is a video program.

13. The system of claim 11 , wherein output information comprises at least one of: reports, displays, notifications, or other output information that describe aspects of a real-time operation of a population of DVRs.

14. The system of claim 11 , wherein control circuitry is configured, when analyzing the data, to:

aggregate, in real-time, data from other television viewer data received from one or more other user devices and the received data from the first device; and

wherein the output information comprises real-time audience measurement, based, in part, on the aggregated data.

15. The system of claim 11 , wherein control circuitry is configured, when analyzing the data, to:

aggregate viewer behavior in relation to a particular television video program;

aggregate viewer response to particular commercial pods;

aggregate viewer behavior in relation to tuning out of a particular television program and viewer tune-in destinations;

predict viewing behavior or program ratings; or

predict demographic response to programs that are similar to one another, derived from correlating specific information about DVRs with demographic information about households that own the DVRs.

16. A system comprising:

control circuitry configured to:

establish, by a first server, an SSL connection between the first server and a user device, wherein the connection is used to transmit media asset from the first server that was transmitting the media asset to the user device to cause the user device to play the media asset;

receive at the first server that was transmitting the media asset to the user device, via the SSL connection, data from the user device, wherein the data specifies the first server as a recipient of the data and is indicative of user input during the playing of the media asset;

generate, by the first server, output information by analyzing the data;

transmit, by the same first sever, the output information to a second server; and

in response to detecting that the SSL connection is dropped, automatically reconnect, by the first server that was transmitting the media asset to the user device, the SSL connection between the first server and the user device, wherein the automatic reconnection is initiated by the first server to reestablish the connection between the first server and the user device to resume transmitting the media asset to the user device, without an input from the user device, by the first server via the reestablished SSL connection.

17. The system of claim 16 , wherein the user device is a digital video recorder (DVR) and the media content is a video program.

18. The system of claim 16 , wherein output information comprises at least one of: reports, displays, notifications, or other output information that describe aspects of a real-time operation of a population of DVRs.

19. The system of claim 16 , wherein control circuitry is configured, when analyzing the data, to:

aggregate, in real-time, data from other television viewer data received from one or more other user devices and the received data from the first device; and

wherein the output information comprises real-time audience measurement, based, in part, on the aggregated data.

20. The system of claim 16 , wherein control circuitry is configured, when analyzing the data, to:

aggregate viewer behavior in relation to a particular television video program;

aggregate viewer response to particular commercial pods;

aggregate viewer behavior in relation to tuning out of a particular television program and viewer tune-in destinations;

predict viewing behavior or program ratings; or

predict demographic response to programs that are similar to one another, derived from correlating specific information about DVRs with demographic information about households that own the DVRs.

Assignments (8)
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Sep 27, 2024
From: TIVO SOLUTIONS INC.
To: ADEIA MEDIA SOLUTIONS INC.
Reel/Frame 069067/0504 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jun 5, 2020
From: HPS INVESTMENT PARTNERS, LLC
To: ROVI SOLUTIONS CORPORATION; ROVI TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION; ROVI GUIDES, INC.; TIVO SOLUTIONS, INC.; VEVEO, INC.
Reel/Frame 053458/0749 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jun 5, 2020
From: MORGAN STANLEY SENIOR FUNDING, INC.
To: ROVI SOLUTIONS CORPORATION; ROVI TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION; ROVI GUIDES, INC.; TIVO SOLUTIONS, INC.; VEVEO, INC.
Reel/Frame 053481/0790 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jun 1, 2020
From: ROVI SOLUTIONS CORPORATION; ROVI TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION; ROVI GUIDES, INC.; TIVO SOLUTIONS INC.; VEVEO, INC.; INVENSAS CORPORATION; INVENSAS BONDING TECHNOLOGIES, INC.; TESSERA, INC.; TESSERA ADVANCED TECHNOLOGIES, INC.; DTS, INC.; PHORUS, INC.; IBIQUITY DIGITAL CORPORATION
To: BANK OF AMERICA, N.A.
Reel/Frame 053468/0001 →
PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Nov 25, 2019
From: ROVI SOLUTIONS CORPORATION; ROVI TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION; ROVI GUIDES, INC.; TIVO SOLUTIONS, INC.; VEVEO, INC.
To: MORGAN STANLEY SENIOR FUNDING, INC., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 051110/0006 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Nov 22, 2019
From: ROVI SOLUTIONS CORPORATION; ROVI TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION; ROVI GUIDES, INC.; TIVO SOLUTIONS, INC.; VEVEO, INC.
To: HPS INVESTMENT PARTNERS, LLC, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 051143/0468 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 14, 2019
From: BARTON, JAMES M.
To: TIVO INC.
Reel/Frame 049476/0376 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Jun 14, 2019
From: TIVO INC.
To: TIVO SOLUTIONS INC.
Reel/Frame 049476/0455 →