IP Library Granted Patent US 11,948,588
Granted Patent B2
US 11,948,588 · App. 16/779,212 · Granted Apr 2, 2024

Methods, apparatus and articles of manufacture to provide secondary content in association with primary broadcast media content

Inventors: David Henry Harkness (Wilton, CT); Arun Ramaswamy (Tampa, FL); Jerome Samson (Belleair, FL); Jan Besehanic (Tampa, FL); Venugopal Srinivasan (Palm Harbor, FL); Alexander Pavlovich Topchy (New Port Richey, FL)
Assignee: The Nielsen Company (US), LLC
G10L19/018H04H20/31H04H20/86H04H60/68H04N7/17327H04N21/25891H04N21/4126H04N21/4394H04N21/4398H04N21/442H04N21/44222H04N21/6582G06Q30/02G06Q30/0251H04H60/14H04H2201/40
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,948,588
App. No.
16/779,212
Granted
Apr 2, 2024
Kind
B2
Abstract

Example methods disclosed herein include accessing a secondary content schedule based on one or more watermarks detected in primary media content, the secondary content schedule to identify (i) one or more secondary content items and (ii) one or more first time values associated with the one or more secondary content items. Disclosed example methods also include comparing the one or more first time values associated with the one or more secondary content items in the secondary content schedule to second time values provided by a clock to determine whether to present a first one of the one or more secondary content items, the second time values based on a timestamp associated with the one or more watermarks detected in the primary media content. Disclosed example methods further include causing a media presentation device to display the first one of the secondary content items according to the secondary content schedule.

Claims (35)

1. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising computer readable instructions that, when executed, cause a processor of a media presentation device to at least:

compare a second identifier in a second media watermark detected in primary media content to a first identifier in a preceding first media watermark detected in the primary media content;

in response to the second identifier in the second media watermark having changed relative to the first identifier in the preceding first media watermark, access a secondary content schedule based on the second identifier and a timestamp in the second media watermark detected in the primary media content, the secondary content schedule to identify (i) one or more secondary content items and (ii) one or more first time values associated with the one or more secondary content items;

set an initial output time value of a clock to correspond to the timestamp in the second media watermark detected in the primary media content to synchronize the clock to permit identification of locations in the primary media content;

compare the one or more first time values associated with the one or more secondary content items in the secondary content schedule to second time values provided by the clock after synchronization to determine whether to present a first one of the one or more secondary content items; and

cause the media presentation device to present the first one of the secondary content items according to the secondary content schedule.

2. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1 , wherein the primary media content includes video content and the first and second media watermarks are detected from the video content.

3. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1 , wherein to cause the media presentation device to display the first one of the secondary content items according to the secondary content schedule, the instructions, when executed, cause the processor to instruct the media presentation device to display the first one of the one or more secondary content items when a first one of the second time values corresponds to a time defined by a first one of the one or more first time values associated with the first one of the one or more secondary content items.

4. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1 , wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the processor to retrieve the first one of the one or more secondary content items from a remote server.

5. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 4 , wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the processor to store the first one of the one or more secondary content items in memory of the media presentation device.

6. A media presentation device comprising:

memory including computer readable instructions; and

a processor to execute the instructions to at least:

compare a second identifier in a second media watermark detected in primary media content to a first identifier in a preceding first media watermark detected in the primary media content;

in response to the second identifier in the second media watermark being different from the first identifier in the preceding first media watermark, access a secondary content schedule based on the second identifier and a timestamp in the second media watermark detected in the primary media content, the secondary content schedule to identify (i) one or more secondary content items and (ii) one or more first time values associated with the one or more secondary content items;

set an initial output time value of a clock to correspond to the timestamp in the second media watermark detected in the primary media content to synchronize the clock to permit identification of locations in the primary media content;

compare the one or more first time values associated with the one or more secondary content items in the secondary content schedule to second time values provided by the clock after synchronization to determine whether to present a first one of the one or more secondary content items; and

cause the media presentation device to present the first one of the secondary content items according to the secondary content schedule.

7. The media presentation device of claim 6 , wherein the primary media content includes video content and the first and second media watermarks are detected from the video content.

8. The media presentation device of claim 6 , wherein to cause the media presentation device to display the first one of the one or more secondary content items according to the secondary content schedule, the processor is to instruct the media presentation device to display the first one of the one or more secondary content items when a first one of the second time values corresponds to a time defined by a first one of the one or more first time values associated with the first one of the one or more secondary content items.

9. The media presentation device of claim 6 , wherein the processor is to retrieve the first one of the one or more secondary content items from a remote server.

10. The media presentation device of claim 9 , wherein the memory is first memory, and further including second memory, the processor to store the first one of the one or more secondary content items in the second memory of the media presentation device.

11. A method comprising:

comparing a second identifier in a second media watermark detected in primary media content to a first identifier in a preceding first media watermark detected in the primary media content;

in response to the second identifier in the second media watermark having changed relative to the first identifier in the preceding first media watermark, accessing, by executing an instruction with a processor of a media presentation device, a secondary content schedule based on the second identifier and a timestamp in the second media watermark detected in the primary media content, the secondary content schedule to identify (i) one or more secondary content items and (ii) one or more first time values associated with the one or more secondary content items;

setting, by executing an instruction with the processor, an initial output time value of a clock to correspond to the timestamp in the second media watermark detected in the primary media content to synchronize the clock to permit identification of locations in the primary media content;

comparing, by executing an instruction with the processor, the one or more first time values associated with the one or more secondary content items in the secondary content schedule to second time values provided by the clock after synchronization to determine whether to present a first one of the one or more secondary content items; and

causing, by executing an instruction with the processor, the media presentation device to present the first one of the secondary content items according to the secondary content schedule.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the primary media content includes video content and the first and second media watermarks are detected from the video content.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the causing of the media presentation device to display the first one of the one or more secondary content items according to the secondary content schedule includes instructing the media presentation device to display the first one of the one or more secondary content items when a first one of the second time values corresponds to a time defined by a first one of the one or more first time values associated with the first one of the one or more secondary content items.

14. The method of claim 11 , further including retrieving the first one of the one or more secondary content items from a remote server.

15. The method of claim 14 , further including storing the first one of the one or more secondary content items in memory of the media presentation device.

16. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1 , wherein the first and second media watermarks are first and second audio watermarks.

17. The media presentation device of claim 6 , wherein the first and second media watermarks are first and second audio watermarks.

18. The method of claim 11 , wherein the first and second media watermarks are first and second audio watermarks.

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 May 4, 2020
From: HARKNESS, DAVID HENRY; RAMASWAMY, ARUN; SAMSON, JEROME; BESEHANIC, JAN; SRINIVASAN, VENUGOPAL; TOPCHY, ALEXANDER PAVLOVICH
To: THE NIELSEN COMPANY (US), LLC
Reel/Frame 052559/0824 →