IP Library Granted Patent US 10,734,004
Granted Patent B2
US 10,734,004 · App. 16/450,057 · Granted Aug 4, 2020

Systems and methods to improve timestamp transition resolution

Inventors: Ken Joseph Frett (Tampa, FL); Vladimir Kuznetsov (Ellicott City, MD); David Gish (Riverdale, NJ); Sadhana Gupta (Columbia, MD)
Assignee: The Nielsen Company (US), LLC
G10L19/018G10L25/45H04N21/4302H04N21/8358H04N21/8547H04N19/467
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 10,734,004
App. No.
16/450,057
Granted
Aug 4, 2020
Kind
B2
Abstract

Systems, methods, apparatus, and articles of manufacture to improve timestamp transition resolution of watermarks are disclosed. An example system includes a watermark detector to detect watermarks in media and a decoder to decode timestamps from respective ones of the watermarks. The example system also includes a timestamp transition resolution enhancer to: (a) estimate, based on the timestamps, a coarse transition window between two time periods of the media; (b) map a prior transition window estimate to the estimate of (a); (c) determine a fine transition window estimate based on an overlap between the estimate of (a) and (b); (d) compare the fine transition window estimate of (c) to a threshold; (e) repeat (a) through (d) for successive time periods of the media using the fine transition window estimate of (c) as the prior transition window estimate of (b) until the fine transition window estimate of (c) satisfies the threshold; and (f) set the fine transition window estimate to be an established moment of transition between time periods of the media when the estimate of (c) satisfies the threshold.

Claims (52)

1. A system comprising:

a watermark detector to detect watermarks in media;

a decoder to decode timestamps from respective ones of the watermarks; and

a timestamp transition resolution enhancer to:

(a) estimate, based on the timestamps, a coarse transition window between two time periods of the media;

(b) map a prior transition window estimate to the estimate of (a);

(c) determine a fine transition window estimate based on an overlap between the estimate of (a) and (b);

(d) compare the fine transition window estimate of (c) to a threshold;

(e) repeat (a) through (d) for successive time periods of the media using the fine transition window estimate of (c) as the prior transition window estimate of (b) until the fine transition window estimate of (c) satisfies the threshold; and

(f) set the fine transition window estimate to be an established moment of transition between time periods of the media when the estimate of (c) satisfies the threshold.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the timestamp transition resolution enhancer is to identify a plurality of moments of transition between the time periods of the media based on the established moment of transition.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the time periods correspond to successive minutes of the media and the threshold is about five seconds.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the timestamp transition resolution enhancer is to estimate the coarse transition window when a first timestamp from a first watermark is different than a second timestamp from a second watermark.

5. A method comprising:

detecting watermarks in media;

decoding timestamps from respective ones of the watermarks; and

determining, by executing an instruction with a processor, moments of transition between time periods of the media containing the watermarks by:

(a) estimating, based on the timestamps, a coarse transition window between two time periods of the media;

(b) mapping a prior transition window estimate to the estimate of (a);

(c) determining a fine transition window estimate based on an overlap between the estimate of (a) and (b);

(d) comparing the fine transition window estimate of (c) to a threshold;

(e) repeating (a) through (d) for successive time periods of the media using the fine transition window estimate of (c) as the prior transition window estimate of (b) until the fine transition window estimate of (c) satisfies the threshold; and

(f) setting the fine transition window estimate to be an established moment of transition between time periods of the media when the estimate of (c) satisfies the threshold.

6. The method of claim 5 , further including identifying a plurality of moments of transition between the time periods of the media based on the established moment of transition.

7. The method of claim 5 , wherein the time periods correspond to successive minutes of the media and the threshold is about five seconds.

8. The method of claim 5 , wherein the estimating of a coarse transition window between two time periods is based on a first timestamp from a first watermark being different than a second timestamp from a second watermark.

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

detect watermarks in media;

decode timestamps in respective ones of the watermarks; and

determine moments of transition between time periods of media containing the watermarks by:

(a) estimating, based on the timestamps, a coarse transition window between two time periods of the media;

(b) mapping a prior transition window estimate to the estimate of (a);

(c) determining a fine transition window estimate based on an overlap between the estimate of (a) and (b);

(d) comparing the fine transition window estimate of (c) to a threshold;

(e) repeating (a) through (d) for successive time periods of the media using the fine transition window estimate of (c) as the prior transition window estimate of (b) until the fine transition window estimate of (c) satisfies the threshold; and

(f) setting the fine transition window estimate to be an established moment of transition between time periods of the media when the estimate of (c) satisfies the threshold.

10. The computer readable medium of claim 9 , wherein the instructions further cause the machine to identify a plurality of moments of transition between the time periods of the media based on the established moment of transition.

11. The computer readable medium of claim 9 , wherein the time periods correspond to successive minutes of the media and the threshold is about five seconds.

12. The computer readable medium claim 9 , wherein the instructions cause the machine to estimate the coarse transition window between two time periods based on a first timestamp in a first watermark being different than a second timestamp in a second watermark.

13. A system comprising:

means for detecting watermarks in media;

means for decoding timestamps in respective ones of the watermarks;

means for determining moments of transition between time periods of media containing the watermarks by:

(a) estimating, based on the timestamps, a coarse transition window between two time periods of the media;

(b) mapping a prior transition window estimate to the estimate of (a);

(c) determining a fine transition window estimate based on an overlap between the estimate of (a) and (b);

(d) comparing the fine transition window estimate of (c) to a threshold;

(e) repeating (a) through (d) for successive time periods of the media using the fine transition window estimate of (c) as the prior transition window estimate of (b) until the fine transition window estimate of (c) satisfies the threshold; and

(f) setting the fine transition window estimate to be an established moment of transition between time periods of the media when the estimate of (c) satisfies the threshold.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein the means for determining is to identify a plurality of moments of transition between the time periods of the media based on the established moment of transition.

15. The system of claim 13 , wherein the time periods correspond to successive minutes of the media and the threshold is about five seconds.

16. The system of claim 13 , wherein the means for determining is to estimate the coarse transition window when a first timestamp in a first watermark is different than a second timestamp in a second watermark.

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 Jul 11, 2019
From: GUPTA, SADHANA; KUZNETSOV, VLADIMIR; GISH, DAVID; FRETT, KEN JOSEPH
To: THE NIELSEN COMPANY (US), LLC
Reel/Frame 049727/0461 →