IP Library Granted Patent US 11,057,674
Granted Patent B2
US 11,057,674 · App. 16/512,341 · Granted Jul 6, 2021

Methods and apparatus for metering portable media players

Inventors: Perry Joseph Fisch (Palm Harbor, FL); Seth Alan Pelletier (New Port Richey, FL)
Assignee: The Nielsen Company (US), LLC
H04N21/44218G06F16/41G11B27/322G11B27/36H04H60/37H04H60/58H04H60/59H04L67/10H04N21/235H04N21/2541H04N21/25883H04N21/25891H04N21/4223H04N21/435H04N21/4394H04N21/44204H04N21/44222H04N21/4532H04N21/4627H04N21/6125H04N21/6582H04N21/6587H04N21/8193H04N21/8358H04R3/00H04H60/31H04H2201/90H04N21/41407H04N21/44008H04R2420/05H04R2420/09
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,057,674
App. No.
16/512,341
Granted
Jul 6, 2021
Kind
B2
Abstract

Example methods, apparatus, and articles of manufacture for media metering are disclosed. An example machine readable storage device disclosed herein includes instructions that, when executed, cause a processor to at least cause a video decoder to generate video display rasterizing information, present the video display rasterizing information via an output device of a media presentation device, and in response to monitoring being enabled, generate metering information corresponding to media presented in association with the video display rasterizing information presented via the output device.

Claims (40)

1. A media presentation device comprising:

a first processor, wherein media is presented on the media presentation device by executing an instruction with the first processor;

a memory;

an output device;

an input to receive user input; and

a monitor installed in the media presentation device at a time of manufacture of the media presentation device, the monitor including:

a signal line interface to collect monitoring information, the signal line interface including at least one of (1) a video-out line physically coupled to a video output of the media presentation device during installation of the monitor in the media presentation device or (2) an audio-out line physically coupled to an audio output of the media presentation device during the installation of the monitor in the media presentation device;

a second processor; and

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

present an agreement to the user via the output device of the media presentation device;

in response to the agreement being accepted, download an application to be executed by at least one of the first processor or the second processor; and

collect monitoring information identifying the media presented on the media presentation device, the monitoring information based on data received on at least one of the video-out line or the audio-out line.

2. The media presentation device of claim 1 , wherein the monitoring information includes at least one of a song title, a media file title, a video title, a movie title, a show title, a number of times presented, a date and time of a presentation, an amount of media that was presented, a user identification, or a media player application identification.

3. The media presentation device of claim 1 , wherein monitoring information is generated based on at least one of audio signatures, audio watermarks, video signatures, video watermarks, or FIL tags.

4. The media presentation device of claim 1 , wherein the media presentation device is a television.

5. The media presentation device of claim 1 , wherein the monitor further includes a transceiver to transmit the monitoring information to a computing device.

6. The media presentation device of claim 1 , wherein the agreement is accepted in response to a signal received via the input.

7. A media presentation device comprising:

a first processor to execute first machine-readable instructions associated with a media player application and a second processor of a monitor installed in the media presentation device to execute second machine-readable instructions associated with a metering information collection application;

the media player application including the first machine-readable instructions that, when executed by the first processor, cause the first processor to:

cause a video decoder to generate video display rasterizing information; and

present the video display rasterizing information via an output device of the media presentation device; and

the metering information collection application including the second machine-readable instructions that, when executed by the second processor, cause the second processor to, in response to monitoring being enabled, generate metering information corresponding to media presented in association with the video display rasterizing information presented via the output device.

8. The media presentation device of claim 7 , wherein the metering information includes at least one of a song title, a media file title, a video title, a movie title, a show title, a number of times presented, a date and time of a presentation, an amount of media that was presented, a user identification, or a media player application identification.

9. The media presentation device of claim 7 , wherein the metering information is generated based on at least one of audio signatures, audio watermarks, video signatures, video watermarks, or FIL tags.

10. The media presentation device of claim 7 , wherein the media presentation device is a television.

11. The media presentation device of claim 7 , wherein the second machine-readable instructions, when executed, cause the second processor to:

present an agreement to a user via the output device of the media presentation device; and

in response to the agreement being accepted, download an application to be executed by the second processor.

12. A machine readable storage device comprising instructions that, when executed, cause a processor of a monitor installed in a media presentation device to at least:

cause a video decoder to generate video display rasterizing information;

present the video display rasterizing information via an output device of the media presentation device; and

in response to monitoring being enabled, generate metering information corresponding to media presented in association with the video display rasterizing information presented via the output device.

13. The machine readable storage device of claim 12 , wherein the metering information includes at least one of a song title, a media file title, a video title, a movie title, a show title, a number of times presented, a date and time of a presentation, an amount of media that was presented, a user identification, or a media player application identification.

14. The machine readable storage device of claim 12 , wherein the metering information is generated based on at least one of audio signatures, audio watermarks, video signatures, video watermarks, or FIL tags.

15. The machine readable storage device of claim 12 , wherein the media presentation device is a television.

16. The machine readable storage device of claim 12 , wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the processor to:

present an agreement to a user via the output device of the media presentation device; and

in response to the agreement being accepted, download an application to be executed by the processor.

17. The machine readable storage device of claim 16 , wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the processor to determine whether the agreement is accepted based on a signal from an input device.

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 Sep 11, 2019
From: PELLETIER, SETH ALAN; FISCH, PERRY JOSEPH
To: THE NIELSEN COMPANY (US), INC.
Reel/Frame 050336/0810 →