IP Library › Granted Patent US 11,463,787
Granted Patent B1
US 11,463,787 · App. 17/331,603 · Granted Oct 4, 2022

Methods and apparatus to generate a signature based on signature candidates

Inventors: Daniel Nelson (Tampa, FL); David H. Wright (Safety Harbor, FL); Raghuram Ranganathan (Tampa, FL)
Assignee: THE NIELSEN COMPANY (US), LLC
H04N21/8352H04N21/854
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,463,787
App. No.
17/331,603
Granted
Oct 4, 2022
Kind
B1
Abstract

Methods, apparatus, systems and articles of manufacture are disclosed to generate a signature based on signature candidates. An example apparatus disclosed herein includes a timing handler to determine an alignment point of a first candidate signature segment and a second candidate signature segment, the first candidate signature segment and the second candidate signature segment including time data and signature data, the alignment point based on the time data of the first candidate signature segment and the time data of the second candidate signature segment, a signature comparator to compare a first signature to a second signature at the alignment point, the first signature included in the first candidate signature segment and the second signature included in the second candidate signature segment, and a candidate stitcher to stitch the second signature to the first signature based on the comparison to generate a stitched signature, the stitched signature used for media crediting.

Claims (31)

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a timing handler to determine an alignment point of a first candidate signature segment and a second candidate signature segment, the first candidate signature segment and the second candidate signature segment including time data and signature data, the alignment point based on the time data of the first candidate signature segment and the time data of the second candidate signature segment;

a signature comparator to compare a first signature to a second signature at the alignment point, the first signature included in the first candidate signature segment and the second signature included in the second candidate signature segment; and

a candidate stitcher to stitch the second signature to the first signature based on the comparison to generate a stitched signature, the stitched signature used for media crediting.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , further including a candidate checker to determine whether the first candidate signature segment and the second candidate signature segment meet a candidate duration threshold.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the signature comparator is to determine a strong match between the first candidate signature segment and the second candidate signature segment in response to a difference between the first signature and the second signature being less than a first deviation threshold.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , further including a signature match counter to count a number of strong matches between the first candidate signature segment and the second candidate signature segment.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the signature comparator is to identify a basic match between the first candidate signature segment and the second candidate signature segment in response to the number of strong matches exceeding a first match threshold.

6. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the signature match counter is to count a number of basic matches between the first candidate signature segment and the second candidate signature segment.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the candidate stitcher is to stitch the second candidate signature segment to the first candidate signature segment to generate a stitched signature in response to the number of basic matches exceeding a second match threshold.

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

determine an alignment point of a first candidate signature segment and a second candidate signature segment, the first candidate signature segment and the second candidate signature segment including time data and signature data, the alignment point based on the time data of the first candidate signature segment and the time data of the second candidate signature segment;

compare a first signature to a second signature at the alignment point, the first signature included in the first candidate signature segment and the second signature included in the second candidate signature segment; and

stitch the second signature to the first signature based on the comparison to generate a stitched signature, the stitched signature used for media crediting.

9. The at least one non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 8 , wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the at least one processor to determine a strong match between the first candidate signature segment and the second candidate signature segment in response to a difference between the first signature and the second signature being less than a first deviation threshold.

10. The at least one non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 8 , wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the at least one processor to count a number of strong matches between the first candidate signature segment and the second candidate signature segment.

11. The at least one non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 10 , wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the at least one processor to identify a basic match between the first candidate signature segment and the second candidate signature segment in response to the number of strong matches exceeding a first match threshold.

12. The at least one non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 10 , wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the at least one processor to count a number of basic matches between the first candidate signature segment and the second candidate signature segment.

13. The at least one non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 12 , wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the at least one processor to stitch the second candidate signature segment to the first candidate signature segment to generate a stitched signature in response to the number of basic matches exceeding a second match threshold.

14. An apparatus, comprising:

at least one storage device; and

a processor circuitry to:

determine an alignment point of a first candidate signature segment and a second candidate signature segment, the first candidate signature segment and the second candidate signature segment including time data and signature data, the alignment point based on the time data of the first candidate signature segment and the time data of the second candidate signature segment;

compare a first signature to a second signature at the alignment point, the first signature included in the first candidate signature segment and the second signature included in the second candidate signature segment; and

stitch the second signature to the first signature based on the comparison to generate a stitched signature, the stitched signature used for media crediting.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the processor circuitry is to determine whether the first candidate signature segment and the second candidate signature segment meet a candidate duration threshold.

16. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the processor circuitry is to determine a strong match between the first candidate signature segment and the second candidate signature segment in response to a difference between the first signature and the second signature being less than a first deviation threshold.

17. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the processor circuitry is to count a number of strong matches between the first candidate signature segment and the second candidate signature segment.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 , wherein the processor circuitry is to identify a basic match between the first candidate signature segment and the second candidate signature segment in response to the number of strong matches exceeding a first match threshold.

19. The apparatus of claim 17 , wherein the processor circuitry is to count a number of basic matches between the first candidate signature segment and the second candidate signature segment.

20. The apparatus of claim 19 , wherein the processor circuitry is to stitch the second candidate signature segment to the first candidate signature segment to generate a stitched signature in response to the number of basic matches exceeding a second match threshold.

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 Aug 25, 2022
From: NELSON, DANIEL; WRIGHT, DAVID H.; RANGANATHAN, RAGHURAM
To: THE NIELSEN COMPANY (US), LLC
Reel/Frame 060898/0792 →
Cited By (3)
US 12,301,902 US 12,316,811 US 12,598,349