IP Library Granted Patent US 10,785,534
Granted Patent B2
US 10,785,534 · App. 16/502,480 · Granted Sep 22, 2020

Methods and apparatus to measure audience composition and recruit audience measurement panelists

Inventors: Daniel Nelson (Tampa, FL); Madhusudhan Reddy Alla (Allen, TX)
Assignee: THE NIELSEN COMPANY (US), LLC
H04N21/44213G06K7/1095G06K19/06037G06Q30/0201H04N21/237H04N21/25883H04N21/4126H04N21/4223H04N21/435H04N21/4756H04N21/6582H04N21/8586
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,785,534
App. No.
16/502,480
Filed
Jul 3, 2019
Granted
Sep 22, 2020
Kind
B2
Art Unit
2425
USPC
725/20
Abstract

Methods and apparatus to measure audience composition and recruit audience measurement panelists are disclosed. An example apparatus disclosed herein includes a database to store audience measurement data associated with an audience member; a processor; and memory including machine readable instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to: assign a flag to the audience measurement data when panel enrollment information for the audience member is not in the database; and, when the panel enrollment information is obtained within a threshold period of time after the flag is assigned, associate the audience measurement data with the audience member.

Claims (51)

1. An apparatus comprising:

a database to store audience measurement data associated with an audience member;

a processor; and

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

assign a flag to the audience measurement data when panel enrollment information for the audience member is not in the database; and

when the panel enrollment information is obtained within a threshold period of time after the flag is assigned, associate the audience measurement data with the audience member.

2. The apparatus as defined in claim 1 , further including a communications interface to receive a report from a media device, the report including the audience measurement data and a user response indicating interest by the audience member to be enrolled in an audience measurement panel.

3. The apparatus as defined in claim 2 , wherein the report is a first report, the audience measurement data is first audience measurement data, the communications interface is to receive a second report from the media device, the second report including second audience measurement data, the second report not including the user response, and the processor is to (1) assign a second flag to the second audience measurement data when the panel enrollment information is not in the database and the threshold period of time has not elapsed, and (2) associate the second audience measurement data with the audience member when the panel enrollment information is obtained within the threshold period of time.

4. The apparatus as defined in claim 2 , wherein the user response is obtained by the media device in response to an enrollment request presented by the media device, and the processor is further to send an instruction to the media device to stop presentation of subsequent enrollment requests after the panel enrollment information is received.

5. The apparatus as defined in claim 2 , wherein the panel enrollment information is to be received from a portable device via a website, the portable device being separate from the media device.

6. The apparatus as defined in claim 2 , wherein the report is a first report, the audience measurement data is first audience measurement data, the communications interface is to receive a second report from the media device after the panel enrollment information is received, the second report including second audience measurement data, and the processor to associate the second audience measurement data with the audience member.

7. The apparatus as defined in claim 6 , wherein the processor is further to aggregate the second audience measurement data with other audience measurement data associated with other audience members who are panelists in the audience measurement panel.

8. The apparatus as defined in claim 1 , wherein, when the panel enrollment information is not obtained within the threshold period of time after the flag is assigned, the processor is to:

remove the flag assigned to the audience measurement data; and

aggregate the audience measurement data with other audience measurement data associated with other audience members who are not panelists in an audience measurement panel.

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

store audience measurement data associated with an audience member;

assign a flag to the audience measurement data when panel enrollment information for the audience member is not in a database; and

when the panel enrollment information is obtained within a threshold period of time after the flag is assigned, associate the audience measurement data with the audience member.

10. The non-transitory computer readable medium as defined in claim 9 , wherein the instructions further cause the machine to receive a report from a media device, the report including the audience measurement data and a user response indicating interest by the audience member to be enrolled in an audience measurement panel.

11. The non-transitory computer readable medium as defined in claim 10 , wherein the report is a first report, the audience measurement data is first audience measurement data, and the instructions further cause the machine to:

receive a second report from the media device, the second report including second audience measurement data, the second report not including the user response;

assign a second flag to the second audience measurement data when the panel enrollment information is not in the database and the threshold period of time has not elapsed; and

associate the second audience measurement data with the audience member when the panel enrollment information is obtained within the threshold period of time.

12. The non-transitory computer readable medium as defined in claim 10 , wherein the user response is obtained by the media device in response to an enrollment request presented by the media device, and the instructions further cause the machine to send an instruction to the media device to stop presentation of subsequent enrollment requests after the panel enrollment information is received.

13. The non-transitory computer readable medium as defined in claim 10 , wherein the panel enrollment information is to be received from a portable device via a website, the portable device separate from the media device.

14. The non-transitory computer readable medium as defined in claim 10 , wherein the report is a first report, the audience measurement data is first audience measurement data, and the instructions further cause the machine to:

receive a second report from the media device after the panel enrollment information is received, the second report including second audience measurement data; and

associate the second audience measurement data with the audience member.

15. The non-transitory computer readable medium as defined in claim 14 , wherein the instructions further cause the machine to aggregate the second audience measurement data with other audience measurement data associated with other audience members who are panelists in the audience measurement panel.

16. The non-transitory computer readable medium as defined in claim 9 , wherein, when the panel enrollment information is not obtained within the threshold period of time after the flag is assigned, the instructions further cause the machine to:

remove the flag assigned to the audience measurement data; and

aggregate the audience measurement data with other audience measurement data associated with other audience members who are not panelists in an audience measurement panel.

17. A method comprising:

storing, in a database, audience measurement data associated with an audience member;

assigning, by executing an instruction with a processor, a flag to the audience measurement data when panel enrollment information for the audience member is not in the database; and

when the panel enrollment information is obtained within a threshold period of time after the flag is assigned, associating, by executing an instruction with the processor, the audience measurement data with the audience member.

18. The method as defined in claim 17 , further including receiving a report from a media device, the report including the audience measurement data and a user response indicating interest by the audience member to be enrolled in an audience measurement panel.

19. The method as defined in claim 18 , wherein the report is a first report, the audience measurement data is first audience measurement data, and further including:

receiving a second report from the media device, the second report including second audience measurement data, the second report not including the user response, the method further including:

assigning a second flag to the second audience measurement data when the panel enrollment information is not in the database and the threshold period of time has not elapsed; and

associating the second audience measurement data with the audience member when the panel enrollment information is obtained within the threshold period of time.

20. The method as defined in claim 18 , wherein the user response is obtained by the media device in response to an enrollment request presented by the media device, and further including sending an instruction to the media device to stop presentation of subsequent enrollment requests after the panel enrollment information is received.

21. The method as defined in claim 18 , wherein the panel enrollment information is to be received from a portable device via a website, the portable device separate from the media device.

22. The method as defined in claim 18 , wherein the report is a first report, the audience measurement data is first audience measurement data, and further including:

receiving a second report from the media device after the panel enrollment information is received, the second report including second audience measurement data; and

associating the second audience measurement data with the audience member.

23. The method as defined in claim 22 , further including aggregating the second audience measurement data with other audience measurement data associated with other audience members who are panelists in the audience measurement panel.

24. The method as defined in claim 17 , further including, when the panel enrollment information is not obtained within the threshold period of time after the flag is assigned:

removing the flag assigned to the audience measurement data; and

aggregating the audience measurement data with other audience measurement data associated with other audience members who are not panelists in an audience measurement panel.

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 Aug 26, 2019
From: NELSON, DANIEL; ALLA, MADHUSUDHAN REDDY
To: THE NIELSEN COMPANY (US), LLC, A DELAWARE LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY
Reel/Frame 050167/0432 →