IP Library Granted Patent US 11,924,510
Granted Patent B2
US 11,924,510 · App. 17/035,167 · Granted Mar 5, 2024

Systems, methods, and devices for determining viewership data

Inventors: Christopher Paul Whitely (Summit, NJ); Zhao Xing (Livingston, NJ)
Assignee: COMCAST CABLE COMMUNICATIONS, LLC
H04N21/44222H04N21/44204H04N21/4532H04N21/4755
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,924,510
App. No.
17/035,167
Granted
Mar 5, 2024
Kind
B2
Abstract

Systems, methods, and devices relating to determining viewership data are described herein. In a method, viewing data associated with a household is received. A first portion of the viewing data is indicative of video programming associated with a first video device and a second portion of the viewing data is indicative of video programming associated with a second video device. One or more characteristics associated with the first and second portions of the viewing data are determined. Based on the one or more characteristics and a comparison of the respective video programming associated with the first and second video devices, it is determined that the first portion of the viewing data is duplicative, at least in part, with the second portion of the viewing data.

Claims (43)

1. A method comprising:

receiving viewing data associated with a household, wherein a first portion of the viewing data is indicative of video programming associated with a first video device and a second portion of the viewing data is indicative of video programming associated with a second video device;

determining one or more characteristics associated with the first portion of the viewing data and the second portion of the viewing data;

comparing the video programming associated with the first video device and the video programming associated with the second video device; and

determining, based on the one or more characteristics and the comparing, that the first portion of the viewing data is duplicative, at least in part, with the second portion of the viewing data.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

excluding the duplicative viewing data of the first portion of the viewing data from the viewing data.

3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising:

determining, based on the viewing data with the duplicative viewing data excluded, viewership data, wherein the viewership data comprises at least one of television ratings, viewing metrics, historic viewing activity, or projected viewing activity.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first portion of the viewing data is determined by the first video device and the second portion of the viewing data is determined by the second video device.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

determining that the first video device is configured to output video programming to the second video device and the second video device is configured to display the viewing programming output by the first video device.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein:

the first video device comprises at least one of a smart TV, a television, a computer display, an LCD display, an LED display, or a video projector, and

the second video device comprises at least one of a cable set-top box, an over-the-top (OTT) device, a satellite television set-top box, a digital media player, a digital television adaptor, a digital video recorder (DVR), or a network device.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the comparing the video programming associated with the first video device and the video programming associated with the second video device comprises comparing a first time period associated with the video programming associated with the first video device and a second time period associated with the video programming associated with the second video device.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the comparing the video programming associated with the first video device and the video programming associated with the second video device comprises comparing a first video asset associated with the video programming associated with the first video device and a second video asset associated with the video programming associated with the second video device.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more characteristics comprise a classification of the household as one of SD dominant, HD dominant, or Ultra HD dominant.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more characteristics comprise a video quality classification of one or more of the video programming associated with first video device or the video programming associated with the second video device.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first video device or the second video device comprises a video display device and the one or more characteristics comprises an input categorization associated with the at least one of the first video device or the second video device.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more characteristics comprise an IP address associated with a video source of at least one of the video programming associated with the first video device or the video programming associated with the second video device.

13. A method comprising:

receiving first viewing data that is indicative of video programming output by a video output device located at a household and second viewing data that is indicative of video programming displayed by a video display device located at the household;

determining a first characteristic associated with the first viewing data and a second characteristic associated with the second viewing data;

comparing the video programming output by the video output device and the video programming output by the second viewing; and

determining, based on the first characteristic, the second characteristic, and the comparing, duplicative viewing data in at least one of the first viewing data or the second viewing data that is duplicative between the first viewing data and the second viewing data.

14. The method of claim 13 , further comprising:

excluding the duplicative viewing data from the at least one of the first viewing data or the second viewing data.

15. The method of claim 13 , wherein the first viewing data is determined by the video output device and the second viewing data is determined by the video display device.

16. The method of claim 13 , further comprising:

determining that the video output device is configured to output video programming to the video display device and the video display device is configured to display the video programming output by the video output device.

17. A device comprising:

one or more processors; and

memory storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the device to:

receive viewing data associated with a household, wherein a first portion of the viewing data is indicative of video programming associated with a first video device and a second portion of the viewing data is indicative of video programming associated with a second video device;

determine one or more characteristics associated with the first portion of the viewing data and the second portion of the viewing data;

compare the video programming associated with the first video device and the video programming associated with the second video device; and

determine, based on the one or more characteristics and the comparing, that the first portion of the viewing data is duplicative, at least in part, with the second portion of the viewing data.

18. The device of claim 17 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the device to:

exclude the duplicative viewing data of the first portion of the viewing data from the viewing data.

19. The device of claim 17 , wherein the first portion of the viewing data is determined by the first video device and the second portion of the viewing data is determined by the second video device.

20. The device of claim 17 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the device to:

determine that the first video device is configured to output video programming to the second video device and the second video device is configured to display the video programming output by the first video device.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 13, 2021
From: WHITELY, CHRISTOPHER PAUL; XING, ZHAO
To: COMCAST CABLE COMMUNICATIONS, LLC
Reel/Frame 055906/0390 →
Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 62906340 · Sep 26, 2019
Related Publication 20210099757A1 · Apr 1, 2021