IP Library Granted Patent US 11,825,140
Granted Patent B2
US 11,825,140 · App. 17/121,286 · Granted Nov 21, 2023

Methods and apparatus to correlate census measurement data with panel data

Inventor: F. Gavin McMillan (Tarpon Springs, FL)
Assignee: The Nielsen Company (US), LLC
H04N21/25883H04N21/25841H04N21/6175
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,825,140
App. No.
17/121,286
Granted
Nov 21, 2023
Kind
B2
Abstract

Methods, apparatus, and systems are disclosed to correlate census measurement data with panel data. An example system includes accessing means to access a message sent from a requesting device in response to accessing media that includes a tag causing the requesting device to send the message to a monitoring entity with an identification of a geographic location of the requesting device and media identifying information. The example system also includes identification means to determine locations of a plurality of panelist homes and compare the geographic location of the requesting device with the locations of the panelist homes. The example system also includes associating means to identify a user of the requesting device as a panelist residing at the first panelist home and associate the media identifying information with panelist data associated with the first one of the panelist homes.

Claims (43)

1. An apparatus comprising:

at least one non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions; and

at least one processor to execute the instructions, wherein the instructions, when executed cause the at least one processor to at least:

access a message sent from a requesting device in response to accessing media that includes a tag causing the requesting device accessing the media to send the message to the at least one processor with an identification of a geographic location of the requesting device and media identifying information;

identify locations of a plurality of panelist homes;

compare the geographic location of the requesting device with the locations of the plurality of panelist homes, the locations determined based on sizes of ones of the plurality of panelist homes;

determine whether the geographic location of the requesting device is within a threshold distance of a first location of a first one of the plurality of panelist homes, the first location determined based on a first size of the first one of the plurality of panelist homes;

identify a user of the requesting device as a panelist residing at the first one of the panelist homes; and

associate the media identifying information to panelist data associated with the first one of the panelist homes when the geographic location of the requesting device is within the threshold distance of the first location of the first one of the plurality of panelist homes.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the media identifying information corresponds to media accessed by the requesting device at the geographic location.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the tag is a reference to an executable monitoring instruction hosted external to the media.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is to extract the geographic location of the requesting device from the message.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein a portion of the message is encrypted and the at least one processor is to decrypt the portion of the message.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the message is a Hypertext Transfer Protocol message.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the geographic location is determined based on at least one of cellular data, Wi-Fi data, or global positioning data from a global positioning system.

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

access a message sent from a requesting device in response to accessing media that includes a tag causing the requesting device accessing the media to send the message to the at least one processor with an identification of a geographic location of the requesting device and media identifying information;

identify locations of a plurality of panelist homes;

compare the geographic location of the requesting device with the locations of the plurality of panelist homes, the locations determined based on sizes of ones of the plurality of panelist homes;

determine whether the geographic location of the requesting device is within a threshold distance of a first location of a first one of the plurality of panelist homes, the first location determined based on a first size of the first one of the plurality of panelist homes;

identify a user of the requesting device as a panelist residing at the first one of the panelist homes; and

associate the media identifying information to panelist data associated with the first one of the panelist homes when the geographic location of the requesting device is within the threshold distance of the first location of the first one of the plurality of panelist homes.

9. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 8 , wherein the media identifying information corresponds to media accessed by the requesting device at the geographic location.

10. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 8 , wherein the tag is a reference to an executable monitoring instruction hosted external to the media.

11. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 8 , wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the at least one processor to extract the geographic location of the requesting device from the message.

12. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 8 , wherein a portion of the message is encrypted, and the instructions, when executed, cause the at least one processor to decrypt the portion of the message.

13. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 8 , wherein the message is a Hypertext Transfer Protocol message.

14. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 8 , wherein the geographic location is determined based on at least one of cellular data, Wi-Fi data, or global positioning data from a global positioning system.

15. A method comprising:

accessing a message sent from a requesting device in response to accessing media that includes a tag causing the requesting device accessing the media to send the message to at least one processor with an identification of a geographic location of the requesting device and media identifying information;

identifying locations of a plurality of panelist homes;

comparing the geographic location of the requesting device with the locations of the plurality of panelist homes, the locations determined based on sizes of ones of the plurality of panelist homes;

determining whether the geographic location of the requesting device is within a threshold distance of a first location of a first one of the plurality of panelist homes, the first location determined based on a first size of the first one of the plurality of panelist homes; and

identifying a user of the requesting device as a panelist residing at the first one of the panelist homes;

associating the media identifying information to panelist data associated with the first one of the panelist homes when the geographic location of the requesting device is within the threshold distance of the first location of the first one of the plurality of panelist homes.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the media identifying information corresponds to media accessed by the requesting device at the geographic location.

17. The method of claim 15 , wherein the tag is a reference to an executable monitoring instruction hosted external to the media.

18. The method of claim 15 , further including extracting the geographic location of the requesting device from the message.

19. The method of claim 15 , wherein a portion of the message is encrypted, and further including decrypting the portion of the message.

20. The method of claim 15 , wherein the geographic location is determined based on at least one of cellular data, Wi-Fi data, or global positioning data from a global positioning system.

21. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the sizes are determined based on at least one of perimeters of the plurality of panelist homes or radii of the plurality of panelist homes.

22. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first size is determined based on an orientation of walls of the first one of the plurality of panelist homes, the walls defining the first one of the plurality of panelist homes.

23. The apparatus of claim 22 , wherein the threshold distance is determined based on at least one of a perimeter of the first one of the plurality of panelist homes, or a radius of the first one of the plurality of panelist homes, or the orientation of the walls.

Assignments (4)
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 Jan 14, 2021
From: MCMILLAN, F. GAVIN
To: THE NIELSEN COMPANY (US), LLC
Reel/Frame 054924/0216 →
Continuity (5)
Continuation 16167014 · Oct 22, 2018
Continuation 15458399 · Mar 14, 2017
Continuation 14132626 · Dec 18, 2013
Provisional Application 61815544 · Apr 24, 2013
Related Publication 20210176511A1 · Jun 10, 2021