IP Library Granted Patent US 11,368,759
Granted Patent B2
US 11,368,759 · App. 16/706,335 · Granted Jun 21, 2022

Remote control devices to interface with audience measurement meters

Inventors: Eric Barone (Tampa, FL); Joseph Wyatt Brewer (Tarpon Springs, FL); Matjaz Finc (Izola, SI); Robert Byrne (Tampa, FL)
Assignee: The Nielsen Company (US), LLC
H04N21/475H04N21/25883H04N21/42204
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,368,759
App. No.
16/706,335
Granted
Jun 21, 2022
Kind
B2
Abstract

Remote control devices to interface with audience measurement meters are disclosed. An example remote control device to interface with an audience measurement meter includes an audience management controller to, responsive to a gender value input via a user interface of the remote control device, store the gender value, responsive to an age value input via the user interface of the remote control device, store the age value, generate a message including the gender value and age value, and a transmitter to transmit the message to the audience measurement meter, the message including a sequence of infrared codes.

Claims (35)

1. A remote control device to interface with an audience measurement meter, the remote control device comprising:

an audience management controller to:

responsive to a gender value input via a user interface of the remote control device, store the gender value in memory of the remote control device;

responsive to an age value input via the user interface of the remote control device, store the age value in the memory of the remote control device; and

generate a macro message including data entries and a macro identifier corresponding to a number of the data entries, the data entries including at least one of the gender value or the age value; and

a transmitter to transmit the macro message to the audience measurement meter, the message including a sequence of infrared codes.

2. The remote control device of claim 1 , where the sequence of infrared codes includes a first infrared code corresponding to the gender value and a second infrared code corresponding to the age value.

3. The remote control device of claim 1 , wherein the audience management controller includes a threshold analyzer to determine whether the age value satisfies a threshold.

4. The remote control device of claim 3 , further including a display, wherein the audience management controller is to illuminate an error indicator on the display when the age value does not satisfy the threshold.

5. The remote control device of claim 1 , wherein the audience management controller is to generate a second message responsive to a request to reprogram an address of the audience measurement meter, the second message including a first infrared code corresponding to a reprogram request and a second infrared code corresponding to an address input via the user interface of the remote control device.

6. The remote control device of claim 1 , further including the user interface, the user interface including a numeric keypad to obtain the age value.

7. The remote control device of claim 1 , further including the user interface, the user interface including a viewer entry section to obtain the gender value.

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

responsive to a gender value input via a user interface of a remote control device, store the gender value in a memory of the remote control device;

responsive to an age value input via the user interface of the remote control device, store the age value in the memory of the remote control device;

generate a macro message including data entries and a macro identifier corresponding to a number of the data entries, the data entries including at least one of the gender value or the age value; and

transmit the macro message to an audience measurement meter, the message including a sequence of infrared codes.

9. The computer readable storage medium of claim 8 , where the sequence of infrared codes includes a first infrared code corresponding to the gender value and a second infrared code corresponding to the age value.

10. The computer readable storage medium of claim 8 , wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the at least one processor to determine whether the age value satisfies a threshold.

11. The computer readable storage medium of claim 10 , wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the at least one processor to illuminate an error indicator on a display when the age value does not satisfy the threshold.

12. The computer readable storage medium of claim 8 , wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the at least one processor to generate a second message responsive to a request to reprogram an address of the audience measurement meter, the second message including a first infrared code corresponding to a reprogram request and a second infrared code corresponding to an address input via the user interface of the remote control device.

13. The computer readable storage medium of claim 8 , wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the at least one processor to obtain the age value via a numeric keypad.

14. The computer readable storage medium of claim 8 , wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the at least one processor to obtain the gender value via a viewer entry section.

15. A method comprising:

responsive to a gender value input via a user interface of a remote control device, storing the gender value in a memory of the remote control device;

responsive to an age value input via the user interface of the remote control device, storing the age value in the memory of the remote control device;

generating a macro message including data entries and a macro identifier corresponding to a number of the data entries, the data entries including at least one of the gender value or the age value; and

transmitting the macro message to an audience measurement meter, the message including a sequence of infrared codes.

16. The method of claim 15 , where the sequence of infrared codes includes a first infrared code corresponding to the gender value and a second infrared code corresponding to the age value.

17. The method of claim 15 , further including determining whether the age value satisfies a threshold.

18. The method of claim 17 , further including illuminating an error indicator on a display when the age value does not satisfy the threshold.

19. The method of claim 15 , further including generating a second message responsive to a request to reprogram an address of the audience measurement meter, the second message including a first infrared code corresponding to a reprogram request and a second infrared code corresponding to an address input via the user interface of the remote control device.

20. The method of claim 15 , further including obtaining the age value via a numeric keypad, and obtaining the gender value via a viewer entry section.

21. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the remote control device has a visitor mode and a normal mode, and the audience management controller is to differentiate macro messages that occur responsive to operation in the visitor mode from other messages that occur during operation in the normal mode.

22. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the macro identifier represents a number of commands associated with the data entries to be processed by the audience measurement meter.

Assignments (8)
RELEASE (REEL 054066 / FRAME 0064) Recorded May 11, 2023
From: CITIBANK, N.A.
To: A. C. NIELSEN COMPANY, LLC; EXELATE, INC.; GRACENOTE, INC.; GRACENOTE MEDIA SERVICES, LLC; THE NIELSEN COMPANY (US), LLC; NETRATINGS, LLC
Reel/Frame 063605/0001 →
RELEASE (REEL 053473 / FRAME 0001) Recorded May 11, 2023
From: CITIBANK, N.A.
To: A. C. NIELSEN COMPANY, LLC; EXELATE, INC.; GRACENOTE, INC.; GRACENOTE MEDIA SERVICES, LLC; THE NIELSEN COMPANY (US), LLC; NETRATINGS, LLC
Reel/Frame 063603/0001 →
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 →
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE PATENTS LISTED ON SCHEDULE 1 RECORDED ON 6-9-2020 PREVIOUSLY RECORDED ON REEL 053473 FRAME 0001. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE SUPPLEMENTAL IP SECURITY AGREEMENT. Recorded Oct 7, 2020
From: A.C. NIELSEN (ARGENTINA) S.A.; A.C. NIELSEN COMPANY, LLC; ACN HOLDINGS INC.; ACNIELSEN CORPORATION; ACNIELSEN ERATINGS.COM; AFFINNOVA, INC.; ART HOLDING, L.L.C.; ATHENIAN LEASING CORPORATION; CZT/ACN TRADEMARKS, L.L.C.; EXELATE, INC.; GRACENOTE, INC.; GRACENOTE DIGITAL VENTURES, LLC; GRACENOTE MEDIA SERVICES, LLC; NETRATINGS, LLC; NIELSEN AUDIO, INC.; NIELSEN CONSUMER INSIGHTS, INC.; NIELSEN CONSUMER NEUROSCIENCE, INC.; NIELSEN FINANCE CO.; NIELSEN FINANCE LLC; NIELSEN INTERNATIONAL HOLDINGS, INC.; NIELSEN MOBILE, LLC; NMR INVESTING I, INC.; TCG DIVESTITURE INC.; TNC (US) HOLDINGS, INC.; THE NIELSEN COMPANY (US), LLC; VIZU CORPORATION; VNU MARKETING INFORMATION, INC.; NMR LICENSING ASSOCIATES, L.P.; NIELSEN HOLDING AND FINANCE B.V.; THE NIELSEN COMPANY B.V.; VNU INTERNATIONAL B.V.
To: CITIBANK, N.A
Reel/Frame 054066/0064 →
SUPPLEMENTAL SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Jun 9, 2020
From: A. C. NIELSEN COMPANY, LLC; ACN HOLDINGS INC.; ACNIELSEN CORPORATION; ACNIELSEN ERATINGS.COM; AFFINNOVA, INC.; ART HOLDING, L.L.C.; ATHENIAN LEASING CORPORATION; CZT/ACN TRADEMARKS, L.L.C.; EXELATE, INC.; GRACENOTE, INC.; GRACENOTE DIGITAL VENTURES, LLC; GRACENOTE MEDIA SERVICES, LLC; NETRATINGS, LLC; NIELSEN AUDIO, INC.; NIELSEN CONSUMER INSIGHTS, INC.; NIELSEN CONSUMER NEUROSCIENCE, INC.; NIELSEN FINANCE CO.; NIELSEN FINANCE LLC; NIELSEN INTERNATIONAL HOLDINGS, INC.; NIELSEN MOBILE, LLC; NIELSEN UK FINANCE I, LLC; NMR INVESTING I, INC.; TCG DIVESTITURE INC.; TNC (US) HOLDINGS, INC.; THE NIELSEN COMPANY (US), LLC; VIZU CORPORATION; VNU MARKETING INFORMATION, INC.; NMR LICENSING ASSOCIATES, L.P.; NIELSEN HOLDING AND FINANCE B.V.; THE NIELSEN COMPANY B.V.; VNU INTERNATIONAL B.V.
To: CITIBANK, N.A.
Reel/Frame 053473/0001 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 13, 2020
From: BARONE, ERIC; BREWER, JOSEPH WYATT; FINC, MATJAZ; BYRNE, ROBERT
To: THE NIELSEN COMPANY (US), LLC
Reel/Frame 052375/0737 →