IP Library Granted Patent US 12,184,917
Granted Patent B2
US 12,184,917 · App. 18/498,171 · Granted Dec 31, 2024

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 12,184,917
App. No.
18/498,171
Granted
Dec 31, 2024
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 (47)

1. A computing system comprising:

a processor; and

a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, having stored thereon program instructions that, upon execution by the processor, cause performance of a set of operations comprising:

receiving a message sent from a requesting device in response to accessing media,

wherein the message includes data, and

wherein the data comprises media identification information and a geographic location of the requesting device;

determining whether the geographic location of the requesting device is within a reference area associated with a reference location by comparing the geographic location of the requesting device to the reference area associated with the reference location,

wherein the reference location and the reference area associated with the reference location are stored in a reference database;

and

associating the media identifying information to a user when the geographic location of the requesting device is within the reference area.

2. The computing system of claim 1 , wherein the reference area is a geographic area with respect to a reference location; and wherein the requesting device is a user device of the user.

3. The computing system of claim 1 , wherein the reference database further comprises a building type associated with the reference location.

4. The computing system of claim 3 , wherein a size of the reference area associated with the reference location is based on the building type.

5. The computing system of claim 3 , wherein the building type is at least one of: a house, an apartment, an office building, or a gym.

6. The computing system of claim 1 , wherein the reference database includes a plurality of user identifiers corresponding to a plurality of users, and wherein the reference database for each user of the plurality of users comprises a corresponding reference area associated with a respective reference location.

7. The computing system of claim 6 , the set of operations further comprising:

iteratively determining whether the geographic location of the requesting device is within any corresponding reference area for each user of the plurality of users.

8. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, having stored thereon program instructions that, upon execution by a processor, cause performance of a set of operations comprising:

receiving a message sent from a requesting device of a user in response to accessing media,

wherein the message includes data, and

wherein the data comprises media identification information and a geographic location of the requesting device;

determining whether the geographic location of the requesting device is within a reference area associated with a reference location by comparing the geographic location of the requesting device to the reference area associated with the reference location,

wherein the reference location and the reference area associated with the reference location are stored in a reference database;

and

associating the media identifying information to the user when the geographic location of the requesting device is within the reference area.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8 , wherein the reference area is a geographic area with respect to a reference location; and wherein the requesting device is a user device of the user.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8 , wherein the reference database further comprises a building type associated with the reference location.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 10 , wherein a size of the reference area associated with the reference location is based on the building type.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 10 , wherein the building type is at least one of: a house, an apartment, an office building, or a gym.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8 , wherein the reference database includes a plurality of user identifiers corresponding to a plurality of users, and wherein the reference database for each user of the plurality of users comprises a corresponding reference area associated with a respective reference location.

14. A method comprising:

a processor; and

a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, having stored thereon program instructions that, upon execution by the processor, cause performance of a set of operations comprising:

receiving a message sent from a requesting device of a user in response to accessing media,

wherein the message includes data, and

wherein the data comprises media identification information and a geographic location of the requesting device;

determining whether the geographic location of the requesting device is within a reference area associated with a reference location by comparing the geographic location of the requesting device to the reference area associated with the reference location,

wherein the reference location and the reference area associated with the reference location are stored in a reference database;

and

associating the media identifying information to the user when the geographic location of the requesting device is within the reference area.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the reference area is a geographic area with respect to a reference location; and wherein the requesting device is a user device of the user.

16. The method of claim 14 , wherein the reference database further comprises a building type associated with the reference location.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein a size of the reference area associated with the reference location is based on the building type.

18. The method of claim 16 , wherein the building type is at least one of: a house, an apartment, an office building, or a gym.

19. The method of claim 14 , wherein the reference database includes a plurality of user identifiers corresponding to a plurality of users, and wherein the reference database for each user of the plurality of users comprises a corresponding reference area associated with a respective reference location.

20. The method of claim 19 , further comprising:

iteratively determining whether the geographic location of the requesting device is within any corresponding reference area for each user of the plurality of users.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 31, 2023
From: MCMILLAN, F GAVIN
To: THE NIELSEN COMPANY (US), LLC
Reel/Frame 065401/0001 →
Continuity (6)
Continuation 17121286 · Dec 14, 2020
Continuation 16167014 · Oct 22, 2018
Continuation 15458399 · Mar 14, 2017
Continuation 14132626 · Dec 18, 2013
Provisional Application 61815544 · Apr 24, 2013
Related Publication 20240171795A1 · May 23, 2024