IP Library Granted Patent US 11,463,769
Granted Patent B2
US 11,463,769 · App. 16/518,499 · Granted Oct 4, 2022

Invertible metering apparatus and related methods

Inventors: Timothy Scott Cooper (Oldsmar, FL); James Joseph Vitt (Palm Harbor, FL); Douglas Brent Turnbow (Odessa, FL); Marko Usaj (Ljubljana, SI); Andrej Barbis (Ilirska Bistrica, SI); Saso Vranek (Ilirska Bistrica, SI)
Assignee: The Nielsen Company (US), LLC
H04N21/44218H04N21/44222H04N21/812H05K5/00H04L12/1403
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,463,769
App. No.
16/518,499
Granted
Oct 4, 2022
Kind
B2
Abstract

Example invertible meter apparatus and related methods are disclosed. An example meter to monitor a media device includes a housing having a display and a plurality of walls. Respective ones of the walls are between respective ones of openings such that the openings are isolated from adjacent ones of the openings. A removable stencil includes a plurality of visual indicators, where the visual indicators to align with respective ones of the openings.

Claims (30)

1. A meter to monitor a media device, the meter comprising:

a housing structured to be positioned in a first orientation or a second orientation different than the first orientation, the housing structured to couple to at least one of a side surface or an edge of a media presentation device, the housing including:

a display having a plurality of walls, respective ones of the walls being positioned between respective ones of openings such that the openings are isolated from adjacent ones of the openings; and

a removable stencil including a plurality of visual indicators, the visual indicators to align with respective ones of the openings.

2. The meter of claim 1 , further including a cover removably coupled to the housing to enable access to the stencil.

3. The meter of claim 1 , further including a light supported by the housing.

4. The meter of claim 1 , wherein the housing is positionable in a first orientation or a second orientation inverted from the first orientation.

5. The meter of claim 1 , wherein the stencil is interchangeable with another stencil.

6. The meter of claim 1 , wherein the visual indicators include a plurality of numbers in ascending order.

7. The meter of claim 1 , wherein the visual indicators of the stencil are in a landscape orientation.

8. The meter of claim 1 , wherein the visual indicators of the stencil are in a portrait orientation.

9. The meter of claim 1 , wherein the stencil is a first stencil and further including a second stencil, the first stencil being interchangeable with the second stencil, the visual indicators of the first stencil in a landscape orientation and the second stencil including visual indicators in a portrait orientation.

10. The meter of claim 3 , wherein the light includes a plurality of lights, respective ones of the lights to illuminate respective ones of the openings such that light emitted from the respective ones of the lights passes through corresponding ones of the openings to illuminate the respective ones of the visual indicators via the stencil.

11. The meter of claim 4 , wherein the visual indicators are to be positioned in the in an upright orientation when the housing is in the first orientation, the stencil being repositionable to orient the visual indicators to the upright orientation when the housing is moved to the second orientation.

12. A meter to monitor a media device, the meter comprising:

a housing selectively repositionable between a first orientation and a second orientation different than the first orientation and structured to couple to at least one of a side surface or an edge of a presentation device, the housing having a display area including a plurality of spaced-apart openings;

a stencil removably coupled to the display area of the housing, the stencil including a plurality of spaced-apart visual indicators, respective ones of the visual indicators to align with respective ones of the openings; and

a plurality of lights supported by the housing, respective ones of the lights being positioned to illuminate respective ones of the openings such that light emitted from the respective ones of the lights passes through the respective ones of the openings to illuminate the respective ones of the visual indicators when the stencil is coupled to the display area.

13. The meter of claim 12 , further including a cover removably coupled to the housing to enable access to the stencil positioned in the display area.

14. The meter of claim 12 , further including a plurality of walls, respective ones

of the walls positioned between respective ones of the openings, the walls to restrict passage of light therethrough.

15. The meter of claim 12 , wherein the stencil is a first stencil and further including a second stencil, the first stencil being interchangeable with the second stencil, the first stencil having first visual indicators in a first language and the second stencil having second visual indicators in a second language different than the first language, each of the first stencil and the second stencil to be positionable separately and removably in the display area of the housing.

16. The meter of claim 12 , wherein the housing defines a recess to receive the stencil, the recess having a first profile corresponding to a second profile defined by a perimeter of the stencil, the perimeter of the stencil to engage an edge of the housing defined by the recess when the stencil is positioned in the recess, a portion of the stencil to extend beyond the edge defined by the recess when the stencil is positioned in the recess.

17. The meter of claim 16 , wherein the portion of the stencil is a tab protruding from the perimeter of the stencil.

18. A meter to monitor a media device, the meter comprising:

a housing structured to be repositionable between a first orientation and a second orientation different than the first orientation and the housing structured to couple to at least one of a side surface or an edge of a presentation device, the housing having a display area including a plurality of openings;

a plurality of lights supported by the housing, respective ones of the lights positioned to illuminate respective ones of the openings; and

a stencil removably coupled to the display area of the housing, the stencil including a plurality of visual indicators, respective ones of the visual indicators to align with respective ones of the openings to enable light emitted from the respective ones of the lights passing through the respective ones of the openings to illuminate the respective ones of the visual indicators when the stencil is coupled to the display area.

19. The meter of claim 18 , further including a cover removably coupled to the housing to enable access to the stencil in the display area.

20. The meter of claim 18 , wherein the display area includes a planar surface that includes the openings.

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 23, 2019
From: COOPER, TIMOTHY SCOTT; VITT, JAMES JOSEPH; TURNBOW, DOUGLAS BRENT; USAJ, MARKO; BARBIS, ANDREJ; VRANEK, SASO
To: THE NIELSEN COMPANY (US), LLC
Reel/Frame 049831/0158 →