IP Library Granted Patent US 11,336,940
Granted Patent B1
US 11,336,940 · App. 17/308,441 · Granted May 17, 2022

Systems and methods for generating a schedule

Inventors: Sean Pinkney (Reston, VA); Jordan Kohn (Reston, VA)
Assignee: Comscore, Inc.
H04N21/26241H04N21/23424H04N21/26283H04N21/812
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,336,940
App. No.
17/308,441
Granted
May 17, 2022
Kind
B1
Abstract

Data indicative of times at which at least one item of supplemental video content was output via a plurality of client devices may be received. A first time at which the at least one item of supplemental video content was output via a greatest quantity of client devices of the plurality of client devices may be determined. A second time at which the at least one item of supplemental video content was output via a second greatest quantity of client devices of the plurality of client devices may also be determined. A schedule associated with output of the at least one item of supplemental video content may be generated based at least on the first time and the second time.

Claims (47)

1. A method comprising:

receiving data indicative of different times at which at least one item of supplemental video content was output via a plurality of client devices;

determining, based on the data, a first time at which the at least one item of supplemental video content was output via a greatest quantity of client devices of the plurality of client devices;

determining, based on the data, a second time at which the at least one item of supplemental video content was output via a second greatest quantity of client devices of the plurality of client devices, the second time being different from the first time; and

generating, based on the first time and the second time, a schedule indicating a start time and an end time of output of the at least one item of supplemental video content.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising, before receiving the data indicative of the different times at which the at least one item of supplemental video content was output via the plurality of client devices:

receiving the at least one item of supplemental video content; and

sending, to a computing device at a remote location, the at least one item of supplemental video content.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

indicating the schedule indicating the start time and the end time of the output of the at least one item of supplemental video content.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

identifying, based on the schedule, content viewed by at least one user.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising determining the start time and the end time of the output of the at least one item of supplemental video content by:

comparing the first time with the second time to determine that the first time occurs before the second time; and

determining that the first time is the start time associated with the output of the at least one item of supplemental video content and that the second time is the end time associated with the output of the at least one item of supplemental video content.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising determining the start time and the end time of the output of the at least one item of supplemental video content by:

comparing the first time with the second time to determine that the second time occurs before the first time; and

determining that the second time is the start time associated with the output of the at least one item of supplemental video content and that the first time is the end time associated with the output of the at least one item of supplemental video content.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the data indicative of the different times at which the at least one item of supplemental video content was output via the plurality of client devices is indicative of a network that caused output of the at least one item of supplemental video content via the plurality of client devices, and wherein the schedule indicating the start time and the end time of the output of the at least one item of supplemental video content is associated with the network.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the different times at which the at least one item of supplemental video content was output via the plurality of client devices comprise different times during a predetermined window of time at which the at least one item of supplemental video content was output via the plurality of client devices.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the first time at which the at least one item of supplemental video content was output via the greatest quantity of client devices of the plurality of client devices comprises:

identifying a time the at least one item of supplemental video content was output by a maximum quantity of client devices of the plurality of client devices.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the second time at which the at least one item of supplemental video content was output via the second greatest quantity of client devices of the plurality of client devices comprises:

determining a time frame including the first time; and

identifying a time, during the time frame, the at least one item of supplemental video content was output via the second greatest quantity of client devices of the plurality of client devices.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the schedule indicating the start time and the end time of the output of the at least one item of supplemental video content is indicative of an estimated time period during which the at least one item of supplemental video content was output live.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one item of supplemental video content comprises an advertisement.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of client devices comprises at least one television, set-top box, tablet, phone, computer, or laptop.

14. The method of claim 1 , further comprising grouping the plurality of client devices that output the at least one item of supplemental video content by time.

15. The method of claim 1 , wherein the greatest quantity of client devices of the plurality of client devices and the second greatest quantity of client devices of the plurality of client devices are based on client devices that share a characteristic.

16. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first time and the second time are within a time window based on a duration of the at least one item of supplemental video content.

17. The method of claim 2 , wherein the data indicative of the different times at which the at least one item of supplemental video content was output via the plurality of client devices comprises data determined using automatic content recognition (ACR) by the computing device at the remote location.

18. The method of claim 10 , wherein determining the time frame including the first time comprises:

determining a duration of the at least one item of supplemental video content; and

determining a window of time including the first time and having a duration equal to a multiple of the duration of the at least one item of supplemental video content.

19. A system comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory storing instructions that, when executed, cause the at least one processor to:

receive data indicative of different times at which at least one item of supplemental video content was output via a plurality of client devices;

determine, based on the data, a first time at which the at least one item of supplemental video content was output via a greatest quantity of client devices of the plurality of client devices;

determine, based on the data, a second time at which the at least one item of supplemental video content was output via a second greatest quantity of client devices of the plurality of client devices, the second time being different from the first time; and

generate, based on the first time and the second time, a schedule indicating a start time and an end time of output of the at least one item of supplemental video content.

20. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed, cause:

receiving data indicative of different times at which at least one item of supplemental video content was output via a plurality of client devices;

determining, based on the data, a first time at which the at least one item of supplemental video content was output via a greatest quantity of client devices of the plurality of client devices;

determining, based on the data, a second time at which the at least one item of supplemental video content was output via a second greatest quantity of client devices of the plurality of client devices, the second time being different from the first time; and

generating, based on the first time and the second time, a schedule indicating a start time and an end time of output of the at least one item of supplemental video content.

Assignments (5)
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jun 2, 2026
From: BLUE TORCH FINANCE LLC
To: COMSCORE, INC.; PROXIMIC, LLC; RENTRAK, LLC (F/N/A RENTRAK CORPORATION)
Reel/Frame 075679/0830 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jan 16, 2025
From: BANK OF AMERICA, N.A.
To: COMSCORE, INC.
Reel/Frame 069903/0716 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jan 3, 2025
From: COMSCORE, INC.; PROXIMIC, LLC; RENTRAK, LLC
To: BLUE TORCH FINANCE LLC
Reel/Frame 069818/0446 →
NOTICE OF GRANT OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS Recorded Mar 24, 2023
From: COMSCORE, INC.
To: BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
Reel/Frame 063164/0136 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 5, 2021
From: PINKNEY, SEAN; KOHN, JORDAN
To: COMSCORE, INC.
Reel/Frame 056143/0654 →