Methods and apparatus to synthesize reference media signatures
Methods and apparatus to synthesize reference media signatures based on constituent media signatures generated by metered media devices are disclosed. An example apparatus includes a collector to collect first constituent media signatures from a first media device that identify a first portion of media, a collector to collect second constituent media signatures from a second media device that identify a second portion of the media, and a synthesizer to combine the first constituent media signatures from the first media device and the second constituent media signatures from the second media device to form a reference media signature that represents the media, the reference media signature for comparison with third constituent media signatures collected from a third media device to detect consumption of the media at the third media device.
1. An apparatus to synthesize reference signatures, the apparatus comprising:
memory including computer readable instructions; and
a processor to execute the instructions to at least:
access a first sequence of media signatures collected from a first device, the first sequence of media signatures representative of a first portion of first media, respective ones of the first sequence of media signatures having corresponding first timestamps;
discard a subset of the first sequence of media signatures associated with an event identified in metadata associated with the first sequence of media signatures;
change the first timestamps of remaining ones of the first sequence of media signatures to determine a modified first sequence of media signatures; and
combine the modified first sequence of media signatures with a second sequence of media signatures collected from a second device different from the first device to form a sequence of reference signatures that represent the first media.
2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the metadata is associated with operation of a media player that presented the first media, and the event corresponds to at least one of a pause event, a stop event or a rewind event.
3. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein respective ones of the modified first sequence of media signatures have corresponding modified first timestamps, and the processor is to change the first timestamps of the remaining ones of the first sequence of media signatures to cause the modified first timestamps to be contiguous after the subset of the first sequence of media signatures is discarded.
4. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the media player is implemented by the first device.
5. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the media player is implemented by a media device monitored by the first device.
6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further to implement a web server to collect the first sequence of media signatures from the first device and the second sequence of media signatures from the second device.
7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further to compare the sequence of reference signatures with a third sequence of media signatures collected from a third device to determine whether the third sequence of media signatures is representative of the first media.
8. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising computer-readable instructions that, when executed, cause a processor to at least:
access a first sequence of media signatures collected from a first device, the first sequence of media signatures representative of a first portion of first media, respective ones of the first sequence of media signatures having corresponding first timestamps;
discard a subset of the first sequence of media signatures associated with an event identified in metadata associated with the first sequence of media signatures;
change the first timestamps of remaining ones of the first sequence of media signatures to determine a modified first sequence of media signatures; and
combine the modified first sequence of media signatures with a second sequence of media signatures collected from a second device different from the first device to form a sequence of reference signatures that represent the first media.
9. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8 , wherein the metadata is associated with operation of a media player that presented the first media, and the event corresponds to at least one of a pause event, a stop event or a rewind event.
10. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9 , wherein respective ones of the modified first sequence of media signatures have corresponding modified first timestamps, and the instructions, when executed, cause the processor to change the first timestamps of the remaining ones of the first sequence of media signatures to cause the modified first timestamps to be contiguous after the subset of the first sequence of media signatures is discarded.
11. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9 , wherein the media player is implemented by the first device.
12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9 , wherein the media player is implemented by a media device monitored by the first device.
13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8 , wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the processor to implement a web server to collect the first sequence of media signatures from the first device and the second sequence of media signatures from the second device.
14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8 , wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the processor to compare the sequence of reference signatures with a third sequence of media signatures collected from a third device to determine whether the third sequence of media signatures is representative of the first media.
15. A method to synthesize reference signatures, the method comprising:
accessing a first sequence of media signatures collected from a first device, the first sequence of media signatures representative of a first portion of first media, respective ones of the first sequence of media signatures having corresponding first timestamps;
discarding, by executing an instruction with a processor, a subset of the first sequence of media signatures associated with an event identified in metadata associated with the first sequence of media signatures;
changing, by executing an instruction with the processor, the first timestamps of remaining ones of the first sequence of media signatures to determine a modified first sequence of media signatures; and
combining, by executing an instruction with the processor, the modified first sequence of media signatures with a second sequence of media signatures collected from a second device different from the first device to form a sequence of reference signatures that represent the first media.
16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the metadata is associated with operation of a media player that presented the first media, and the event corresponds to at least one of a pause event, a stop event or a rewind event.
17. The method of claim 16 , wherein respective ones of the modified first sequence of media signatures have corresponding modified first timestamps, and the changing of the first timestamps includes changing the first timestamps of the remaining ones of the first sequence of media signatures to cause the modified first timestamps to be contiguous after the subset of the first sequence of media signatures is discarded.
18. The method of claim 16 , wherein the media player is at least one of implemented by the first device or implemented by a media device monitored by the first device.
19. The method of claim 15 , further including implementing a web server to collect the first sequence of media signatures from the first device and the second sequence of media signatures from the second device.
20. The method of claim 15 , further including comparing the sequence of reference signatures with a third sequence of media signatures collected from a third device to determine whether the third sequence of media signatures is representative of the first media.