IP Library Granted Patent US 12,301,784
Granted Patent B2
US 12,301,784 · App. 18/494,478 · Granted May 13, 2025

Display device on/off detection methods and apparatus

Inventors: Christen V. Nielsen (Palm Harbor, FL); Dan Nelson (Tampa, FL)
Assignee: The Nielsen Company (US), LLC
H04N17/04H04H60/32H04N21/4394
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,301,784
App. No.
18/494,478
Granted
May 13, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

Display device ON/OFF detection methods and apparatus are disclosed. Example display activity detectors disclosed herein are to extract regions from respective ones of captured video frames, the regions corresponding to a depiction of a display of a monitored media device Disclosed example display activity detectors are also to compute a distance metric that is to represent an amount a first one of the regions of a first one of the captured video frames differs from a corresponding second one of the regions of a second one of the captured video frames. Disclosed example display activity detectors are further to compare the distance metric to a threshold to determine whether the monitored media device is ON or OFF.

Claims (44)

1. A method, comprising:

generating an audio signature based on an audio signal of media content presented on a presentation device;

determining that an operating state of the presentation device is an ON state based on an indication that the audio signature matches a reference signature of a set of reference signatures corresponding to a set of known media content; and

augmenting a viewing record of the media content based on the audio signature matching the reference signature.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

providing the ON state of the presentation device to a metering unit coupled to the presentation device and which monitors the media content presented on the presentation device.

3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising:

generating, at the metering unit, viewing records including the viewing record of the media content presented on the presentation device; and

transmitting, from the metering unit, the viewing records to a data processing facility.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the viewing record is representative of a determination, by the metering unit, that the media content was presented on the presentation device.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

determining that the audio signal is not indicative of silence or background noise, wherein the determining that the operating state of the presentation device is the ON state is based further on the determining that the audio signal is not indicative of silence or background noise.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

determining that an audio gain level does not exceed an audio gain threshold, wherein the determining that the operating state of the presentation device is the ON state is based further on the determining that the audio gain level does not exceed the audio gain threshold.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein generating the audio signature comprises detecting, at an audio sensor, the audio signal of the media content.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the audio sensor is a microphone.

9. A computing system comprising:

a sensor configured to detect an audio signal based on an audio output of a presentation device;

at least one memory storing computer-readable instructions; and

at least one processor configured to execute the computer-readable instructions to perform operations comprising:

generating an audio signature based on the audio signal of media content presented on the presentation device;

determining that an operating state of the presentation device is an ON state based on an indication that the audio signature matches a reference signature of a set of reference signatures corresponding to a set of known media content; and

augmenting a viewing record of the media content based on the audio signature matching the reference signature.

10. The computing system of claim 9 , the operations further comprising:

providing the ON state of the presentation device to a metering unit coupled to the presentation device and which monitors the media content presented on the presentation device.

11. The computing system of claim 10 , the operations further comprising:

generating, at the metering unit, viewing records including the viewing record of the media content presented on the presentation device; and

transmitting, from the metering unit, the viewing records to a data processing facility.

12. The computing system of claim 11 , wherein the viewing record is representative of a determination, by the metering unit, that the media content was presented on the presentation device.

13. The computing system of claim 9 , the operations further comprising:

determining that the audio signal is not indicative of silence or background noise, wherein the determining that the operating state of the presentation device is the ON state further is based further on determining that the audio signal is not indicative of silence or background noise.

14. The computing system of claim 9 , the operations further comprising:

determining that an audio gain level does not exceed an audio gain threshold, wherein the determining that the operating state of the presentation device is the ON state is based further on determining that the audio gain level used does not exceed the audio gain threshold.

15. The computing system of claim 9 , wherein generating the audio signature comprises detecting, at the sensor, the audio signal of the media content.

16. The computing system of claim 15 , wherein the sensor is a microphone.

17. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer-readable instructions that, when executed, cause at least one processor to perform operations comprising:

generating an audio signature based on an audio signal of media content presented on a presentation device;

determining that an operating state of the presentation device is an ON state based on an indication that the audio signature matches a reference signature of a set of reference signatures corresponding to a set of known media content; and

augmenting a viewing record of the media content based on the audio signature matching the reference signature.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17 , the operations further comprising:

generating, at a metering unit, viewing records including the viewing record of the media content regarding presented on the presentation device; and

transmitting, from the metering unit, the viewing records to a data processing facility.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17 , wherein generating the audio signature comprises detecting, at an audio sensor, the audio signal of the media content.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 19 , wherein the audio sensor is a microphone.

Assignments (4)
MERGER Recorded Apr 7, 2025
From: NIELSEN MEDIA RESEARCH, LLC
To: THE NIELSEN COMPANY (US), LLC
Reel/Frame 070759/0058 →
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE THE ASSIGNEE DATA PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL: 66756 FRAME: 159. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE ASSIGNMENT. Recorded Apr 7, 2025
From: NIELSEN, CHRISTEN V.; NELSON, DAN
To: NIELSEN MEDIA RESEARCH, INC.
Reel/Frame 070761/0908 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Apr 7, 2025
From: NIELSEN MEDIA RESEARCH, INC.
To: NIELSEN MEDIA RESEARCH, LLC
Reel/Frame 070762/0148 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 13, 2024
From: NIELSEN, CHRISTEN V.; NELSON, DAN
To: THE NIELSEN COMPANY (US), LLC
Reel/Frame 066756/0159 →
Continuity (13)
Continuation 18092030 · Dec 30, 2022
Continuation 17164483 · Feb 1, 2021
Continuation 16706280 · Dec 6, 2019
Continuation 16417128 · May 20, 2019
Continuation 16166871 · Oct 22, 2018
Continuation 15958814 · Apr 20, 2018
Continuation 15207019 · Jul 11, 2016
Continuation 14015664 · Aug 30, 2013
Continuation 12831870 · Jul 7, 2010
Continuation 11576328
Provisional Application 60761678 · Jan 24, 2006
Provisional Application 60708557 · Aug 16, 2005
Related Publication 20240080436A1 · Mar 7, 2024
References Cited (2)
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United States Patent and Trademark Office, Non-Final office action, issued in connection with U.S. Appl. No. 18/785,639, mailed on Sep. 18, 2024, 7 pages. [cited by applicant]