Granted Patent B2

US 12,526,476 · App. 18/670,876 · Granted Jan 13, 2026

Inventors: Michael Sheppard (Holland, MI); Jonathan Sullivan (Hurricane, UT); Edward Murphy (North Stonington, CT); Michael D. Morgan (Bartlett, IL); Ludo Daemen (Duffel, BE)

Assignee: The Nielsen Company (US), LLC

H04N21/44224G06Q30/0201H04N21/4756

Abstract

Claims (53)

1 . A computing system comprising a processor and a memory, the computing system configured to perform a set of acts comprising:

receiving, from a plurality of meters via a network, meter data indicative of media exposure for respective time slots of television programming across a plurality of panelist households;

determining, using the meter data, panel marginal ratings for the respective time slots and a total panel reach across the respective time slots;

receiving, from a media service provider via the network, return path data indicative of media exposure for the respective time slots across a plurality of population households;

determining, using the return path data, population marginal ratings for the respective time slots;

determining an initial estimate for a panel pseudo universe;

determining an initial estimate for a total population reach across the respective time slots;

for each of multiple iterations:

determining, for the iteration, a current estimate of a population pseudo universe using a prior estimate for the panel pseudo universe, a prior estimate for the total population reach, and the total panel reach,

determining, for the iteration, a current estimate of the total population reach using the current estimate of the population pseudo universe and the population marginal ratings, and

determining, for the iteration, whether a further iteration is necessary; and

after the multiple iterations, outputting the current estimate of the total population reach.

2 . The computing system of claim 1 , wherein determining the initial estimate for the panel pseudo universe comprises using a universe estimate for the population as the initial estimate for the panel pseudo universe.

3 . The computing system of claim 1 , wherein determining the initial estimate for the total population reach comprises determining the initial estimate for the total population reach assuming independence among the population marginal ratings.

4 . The computing system of claim 1 , wherein the initial estimate for the panel pseudo universe is the prior estimate for the panel pseudo universe for a first iteration of the multiple iterations.

5 . The computing system of claim 1 , wherein the computing system uses the initial estimate for the total population reach as the prior estimate for the total population reach for a first iteration of the multiple iterations.

6 . The computing system of claim 1 , wherein the set of acts further comprises determining a subsequent estimate for the panel pseudo universe based on determining that a further iteration is necessary.

7 . The computing system of claim 6 , wherein determining the subsequent estimate comprises determining the subsequent estimate using the total panel reach, the current estimate of the population pseudo universe, and the panel marginal ratings.

8 . The computing system of claim 1 , wherein determining whether a further iteration is necessary comprises determining that: (i) it is not a first iteration; and (ii) a difference between the current estimate of the total population reach and the prior estimate of the total population reach satisfy a threshold condition.

9 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored therein instructions that upon execution by a computing system cause the computing system to perform a set of acts comprising:

receiving, from a plurality of meters via a network, meter data indicative of media exposure for respective time slots of television programming across a plurality of panelist households;

determining, using the meter data, panel marginal ratings for the respective time slots and a total panel reach across the respective time slots;

receiving, from a media service provider via the network, return path data indicative of media exposure for the respective time slots across a plurality of population households;

determining, using the return path data, population marginal ratings for the respective time slots;

determining an initial estimate for a panel pseudo universe;

determining an initial estimate for a total population reach across the respective time slots;

for each of multiple iterations:

determining, for the iteration, a current estimate of a population pseudo universe using a prior estimate for the panel pseudo universe, a prior estimate for the total population reach, and the total panel reach,

determining, for the iteration, a current estimate of the total population reach using the current estimate of the population pseudo universe and the population marginal ratings, and

determining, for the iteration, whether a further iteration is necessary; and

after the multiple iterations, outputting the current estimate of the total population reach.

10 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9 , wherein determining the initial estimate for the panel pseudo universe comprises using a universe estimate for the population as the initial estimate for the panel pseudo universe.

11 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9 , wherein determining the initial estimate for the total population reach comprises determining the initial estimate for the total population reach assuming independence among the population marginal ratings.

12 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9 , wherein the initial estimate for the panel pseudo universe is the prior estimate for the panel pseudo universe for a first iteration of the multiple iterations.

13 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9 , wherein the computing system uses the initial estimate for the total population reach as the prior estimate for the total population reach for a first iteration of the multiple iterations.

14 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9 , wherein the set of acts further comprises determining a subsequent estimate for the panel pseudo universe based on determining that a further iteration is necessary.

15 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14 , wherein determining the subsequent estimate comprises determining the subsequent estimate using the total panel reach, the current estimate of the population pseudo universe, and the panel marginal ratings.

16 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9 , wherein determining whether a further iteration is necessary comprises determining that: (i) it is not a first iteration; and (ii) a difference between the current estimate of the total population reach and the prior estimate of the total population reach satisfy a threshold condition.

17 . A method comprising:

receiving, from a plurality of meters via a network, meter data indicative of media exposure for respective time slots of television programming across a plurality of panelist households;

determining, using the meter data, panel marginal ratings for the respective time slots and a total panel reach across the respective time slots;

receiving, from a media service provider via the network, return path data indicative of media exposure for the respective time slots across a plurality of population households;

determining, using the return path data, population marginal ratings for the respective time slots;

determining an initial estimate for a panel pseudo universe;

determining an initial estimate for a total population reach across the respective time slots;

for each of multiple iterations:

determining, for the iteration, a current estimate of a population pseudo universe using a prior estimate for the panel pseudo universe, a prior estimate for the total population reach, and the total panel reach,

determining, for the iteration, a current estimate of the total population reach using the current estimate of the population pseudo universe and the population marginal ratings, and

determining, for the iteration, whether a further iteration is necessary; and

after the multiple iterations, outputting the current estimate of the total population reach.

18 . The method of claim 17 , wherein determining the initial estimate for the panel pseudo universe comprises using a universe estimate for the population as the initial estimate for the panel pseudo universe.

19 . The method of claim 17 , wherein determining the initial estimate for the total population reach comprises determining the initial estimate for the total population reach assuming independence among the population marginal ratings.

20 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the initial estimate for the panel pseudo universe is the prior estimate for the panel pseudo universe for a first iteration of the multiple iterations.

Assignments (1)

Continuity (4)

References Cited (31)