IP Library Granted Patent US 11,039,190
Granted Patent B1
US 11,039,190 · App. 16/520,100 · Granted Jun 15, 2021

Methods and apparatus to determine a unique audience for internet-based media

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,039,190
App. No.
16/520,100
Granted
Jun 15, 2021
Kind
B1
Abstract

Methods, apparatus, systems and articles of manufacture are disclosed to generate measures of unique audiences for Internet-based media. An example method disclosed herein includes a salt generator to generate a shared salt at a first database proprietor, a database proprietor interface to the shared salt to a second database proprietor, a Hyperloglog (HLL) generator to generate a first hash vector at the first database proprietor based on the shared salt and first user impression data associated with media, the first hash vector to obfuscate first personally identifiable information of first subscribers of the first database proprietor and an AME interface to send the first hash vector to a database containing a second hash vector, the second hash vector generated by the second database proprietor using second user impression data and the shared salt, the second hash vector to obfuscate second personally identifiable information of second subscribers of the second database proprietor, the first hash vector and the second hash vector to enable a third party to a deduplicate audience size corresponding to the first user impression data and the second user impression data.

Claims (41)

1. An apparatus comprising:

a salt generator to generate a shared salt at a first database proprietor;

a database proprietor interface to the shared salt to a second database proprietor;

a Hyperloglog (HLL) generator to generate a first hash vector at the first database proprietor based on the shared salt and first user impression data associated with media, the first hash vector to obfuscate first personally identifiable information of first subscribers of the first database proprietor; and

an AME interface to send the first hash vector to a database containing a second hash vector, the second hash vector generated by the second database proprietor using second user impression data and the shared salt, the second hash vector to obfuscate second personally identifiable information of second subscribers of the second database proprietor, the first hash vector and the second hash vector to enable a third party to a deduplicate audience size corresponding to the first user impression data and the second user impression data.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the media is an advertising campaign.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the salt generator generates the shared salt based on a first campaign attribute of the media, and further including:

the salt generator to determine a second advertising campaign attribute;

the salt generator to determine a second shared salt based on the second advertising campaign attribute; and

the database proprietor interface to send the second shared salt to the second database proprietor.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , further including a salt encryptor to encrypt the shared salt with an encryption key, the encryption key available to the first and second database proprietors.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the third party is an audience measurement entity.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the AME interface sending the first hash vector to the database includes sending the first hash vector to a cloud server.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first hash vector is a first hyperloglog vector, the second hash vector is a second hyperloglog vector, and the third party unions the first hyperloglog vector and the second hyperloglog vector to determine the deduplicated audience size.

8. A method comprising:

generating a shared salt at a first database proprietor;

sending the shared salt to a second database proprietor;

generating a first hash vector at the first database proprietor based on the shared salt and first user impression data associated with media, the first hash vector to obfuscate first personally identifiable information of first subscribers of the first database proprietor; and

sending the first hash vector to a database containing a second hash vector, the second hash vector generated by the second database proprietor using second user impression data and the shared salt, the second hash vector to obfuscate second personally identifiable information of second subscribers of the second database proprietor, the first hash vector and the second hash vector to enable a third party to a deduplicate audience size corresponding to the first user impression data and the second user impression data.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the media is an advertising campaign.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein the shared salt is based or a first attribute of the media, and further including:

determining a second advertising campaign attribute;

determining a second shared salt based on the second advertising campaign attribute; and

sending the second shared salt to the second database proprietor.

11. The method of claim 8 , further including encrypting the shared salt with an encryption key, the encryption key available to the first and second database proprietors.

12. The method of claim 8 , wherein the third party is an audience measurement entity.

13. The method of claim 8 , wherein sending the first hash vector to the database includes sending the first hash vector to a cloud server.

14. The method of claim 8 , wherein the first hash vector is a first hyperloglog vector, the second hash vector is a second hyperloglog vector, and the third party unions the first hyperloglog vector and the second hyperloglog vector to determine the deduplicated audience size.

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

generate a shared salt at a first database proprietor;

send the shared salt to a second database proprietor;

generate a first hash vector at the first database proprietor based on the shared salt and first user impression data associated with media, the first hash vector to obfuscate first personally identifiable information of first subscribers of the first database proprietor; and

send the first hash vector to a database containing a second hash vector, the second hash vector generated by the second database proprietor using second user impression data and the shared salt, the second hash vector to obfuscate second personally identifiable information of second subscribers of the second database proprietor, the first hash vector and the second hash vector to enable a third party to a deduplicate audience size corresponding to the first user impression data and the second user impression data.

16. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 15 , wherein the media is an advertising campaign.

17. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 15 , wherein the shared salt is based or a first attribute of the media, and the instructions further cause the processor to:

determine a second advertising campaign attribute;

determine a second shared salt based on the second advertising campaign attribute; and

send the second shared salt to the second database proprietor.

18. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 15 , wherein the instructions further cause the processor to encrypt the shared salt with an encryption key, the encryption key available to the first and second database proprietors.

19. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 15 , wherein the third party is an audience measurement entity.

20. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 15 , wherein the first hash vector is a first hyperloglog vector, the second hash vector is a second hyperloglog vector, and the third party unions the first hyperloglog vector and the second hyperloglog vector to determine the deduplicated audience size.

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 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 6, 2021
From: DAILEY, JAKE; HANIF, FURQUAN; LOPEZ, DIANE MOROVATI; MORTENSEN, JOSE; NICOTRA, CHRIS; PIERCE, CHRISTINE; VANLANDEGHEM, MATTHEW
To: THE NIELSEN COMPANY (US), LLC
Reel/Frame 056161/0045 →
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 →