IP Library Granted Patent US 11,687,958
Granted Patent B2
US 11,687,958 · App. 17/693,159 · Granted Jun 27, 2023

Methods and apparatus to monitor media presentations

Inventors: Madhusudhan Reddy Alla (Allen, TX); Arun Ramaswamy (Tampa, FL)
Assignee: The Nielsen Company (US), LLC
G06Q30/0204G06F8/61G06F16/245G06F16/285G06Q30/0241H04N21/251H04N21/25883G06Q30/0246
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,687,958
App. No.
17/693,159
Granted
Jun 27, 2023
Kind
B2
Abstract

Methods, apparatus, systems and articles of manufacture to monitor media are disclosed. An example apparatus includes at least one memory, first instructions in the apparatus, and processor circuitry to execute the first instructions. The first instructions, when executed, are to: instruct a media provider to include second instructions in an application to create an instrumented application and receive data from a media device based on the media device executing the second instructions. The second instructions, when executed, are to cause the media device to: access configuration information to instruct the instrumented application on the media device to operate in at least one of a first mode or a second mode, the second mode different from the first mode; access a media identifier corresponding to a media presentation event when monitoring functionality is enabled on the instrumented application; determine a second identifier to identify at least one of the media device or a user of the media device when the monitoring functionality is enabled, the second identifier assigned by a first entity when the instrumented application is to operate in the first mode, the second identifier assigned by a second entity when the instrumented application is to operate in the second mode, the first entity separate from the second entity; and send the media identifier in association with the second identifier to the second entity when the monitoring functionality is enabled.

Claims (41)

1. An apparatus comprising:

at least one memory;

first instructions in the apparatus; and

processor circuitry to execute the first instructions to:

instruct a media provider to include second instructions in an application to create an instrumented application;

receive data from a media device based on the media device executing the second instructions, the second instructions to cause the media device to:

access configuration information to instruct the instrumented application on the media device to operate in at least one of a first mode or a second mode, the second mode different from the first mode;

access a media identifier corresponding to a media presentation event when monitoring functionality is enabled on the instrumented application;

determine a second identifier to identify at least one of the media device or a user of the media device when the monitoring functionality is enabled, the second identifier assigned by a first entity when the instrumented application is to operate in the first mode, the second identifier assigned by a second entity when the instrumented application is to operate in the second mode, the first entity separate from the second entity; and

send the media identifier in association with the second identifier to the second entity when the monitoring functionality is enabled.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the second instructions are to cause the media device to access the media identifier by accessing an ID3 tag.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processor circuitry is to execute the instructions to determine, based on the configuration information, whether demographic information associated with the second identifier may be collected on at least one of an aggregate basis or an individual basis.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the second instructions are to cause the media device to send an indicator in association with the media identifier, the indicator to indicate whether demographic information associated with the second identifier may be collected on at least one of an aggregate basis or an individual basis.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the second instructions are to cause the media device to configure the indicator to cause the second entity to request the demographic information from a database proprietor using a plurality of third identifiers associated with the media identifier when the indicator indicates that the demographic information may be collected on the aggregate basis, the plurality of third identifiers to identify at least one of second media devices or second users of the second media devices.

6. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the second instructions are to cause the media device to configure the indicator to cause the second entity to request the demographic information from a database proprietor using the second identifier associated with the media identifier when the indicator indicates that the demographic information may be collected on the individual basis.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the media identifier is a first media identifier, the second instructions to cause the media device to transmit a second media identifier in association with the second identifier to the second entity when the monitoring functionality is enabled, the second media identifier associated with a second media presentation event occurring prior to the enablement of the monitoring functionality.

8. A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium comprising first instructions which, when executed by at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to at least:

instruct a media provider to include second instructions in an application to generate a monitoring enabled application;

receive data from a media device based on the media device executing the second instructions, the second instructions to cause the media device to:

access configuration information to instruct a monitoring enabled application on the media device to operate in at least one of a first mode or a second mode, the second mode different from the first mode;

access a media identifier corresponding to a media presentation event when monitoring functionality is enabled on the monitoring enabled application;

determine a second identifier to identify at least one of the media device or a user of the media device when the monitoring functionality is enabled, the second identifier assigned by a first entity when the monitoring enabled application is to operate in the first mode, the second identifier assigned by a second entity when the monitoring enabled application is to operate in the second mode, the first entity separate from the second entity; and

send the media identifier in association with the second identifier to the second entity when the monitoring functionality is enabled.

9. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 8 , wherein the second instructions are to cause the media device to access an ID3 tag as the media identifier.

10. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 8 , wherein the instructions are to cause the at least one processor to determine, based on the configuration information, whether demographic information associated with the second identifier may be collected on at least one of an aggregate basis or an individual basis.

11. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 8 , wherein the second instructions are to cause the media device to send an indicator in association with the media identifier, the indicator to indicate whether demographic information associated with the second identifier may be collected on at least one of an aggregate basis or an individual basis.

12. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 11 , wherein the second instructions are to cause the media device to configure the indicator to cause the second entity to request the demographic information from a database proprietor using a plurality of third identifiers associated with the media identifier when the indicator indicates that the demographic information may be collected on the aggregate basis, the plurality of third identifiers to identify at least one of second media devices or second users of the second media devices.

13. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 11 , wherein the second instructions are to cause the media device to configure the indicator to cause the second entity to request the demographic information from a database proprietor using the second identifier associated with the media identifier when the indicator indicates that the demographic information may be collected on the individual basis.

14. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 8 , wherein the media identifier is a first media identifier, the second instructions are to cause the media device to transmit a second media identifier in association with the second identifier to the second entity when the monitoring functionality is enabled, the second media identifier associated with a second media presentation event occurring prior to the enablement of the monitoring functionality.

15. A method to monitor media presented on a media device, the method comprising:

instructing a media provider to include second instructions in an application to create an instrumented application;

receiving data from the media device based on the media device executing the second instructions, the second instructions to cause the media device to:

access configuration information to instruct the instrumented application on the media device to operate in at least one of a first mode or a second mode, the second mode different from the first mode;

access a media identifier corresponding to a media presentation event when monitoring functionality is enabled on the instrumented application;

determine a second identifier to identify at least one of the media device or a user of the media device when the monitoring functionality is enabled, the second identifier assigned by a first entity when the instrumented application is to operate in the first mode, the second identifier assigned by a second entity when the instrumented application is to operate in the second mode, the first entity separate from the second entity; and

send the media identifier in association with the second identifier to the second entity when the monitoring functionality is enabled.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the accessing of the media identifier includes accessing an ID3 tag.

17. The method of claim 15 , further including determining based on the configuration information whether demographic information associated with the second identifier may be collected on at least one of an aggregate basis or an individual basis.

18. The method of claim 15 , wherein the second instructions are to cause the media device to send an indicator in association with the media identifier, the indicator to indicate whether demographic information associated with the second identifier may be collected on at least one of an aggregate basis or an individual basis.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the indicator is to cause the second entity to request the demographic information from a database proprietor using a plurality of third identifiers associated with the media identifier when the indicator indicates that the demographic information may be collected on the aggregate basis, the plurality of third identifiers to identify at least one of second media devices or second users of the second media devices.

20. The method of claim 18 , wherein the indicator is to cause the second entity to request the demographic information from a database proprietor using the second identifier associated with the media identifier when the indicator indicates that the demographic information may be collected on the individual basis.

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 Oct 1, 2022
From: REDDY ALLA, MADHUSUDHAN; RAMASWAMY, ARUN
To: THE NIELSEN COMPANY (US), LLC
Reel/Frame 061278/0779 →