IP Library Granted Patent US 12,450,679
Granted Patent B2
US 12,450,679 · App. 17/967,596 · Granted Oct 21, 2025

Methods and apparatus for decentralized content measurement

Inventors: Sudheer Thota (Oldsmar, FL); John Charles Peiffer (New Port Richey, FL)
Assignee: The Nielsen Company (US), LLC
G06T1/0092
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,450,679
App. No.
17/967,596
Granted
Oct 21, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

Methods, apparatus, systems and articles of manufacture are disclosed for encoding a watermark using a multichain blockchain. An example apparatus disclosed herein includes permission manager circuitry to detect a request from a requesting device, the request for watermark payload elements to encode in a media asset and blockchain client interface circuitry to allocate, via a first transaction on a blockchain maintained by a blockchain network, the water payload elements.

Claims (47)

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

receiving, from a blockchain client of media broadcaster device, a request for permission to begin encoding media assets;

based on the request for permission, generating, by a blockchain client of the computing system, a blockchain of a multichain system for a respective source identifier associated with the media broadcaster device;

granting a permission to the blockchain client of the media broadcaster device to conduct transactions on the blockchain for the respective source identifier, wherein the permission identifies the blockchain for the respective source identifier;

detecting a watermark payload request from the blockchain client of the media broadcaster device, the watermark payload request seeking time in content codes to encode in a media asset; and

based on detecting the watermark payload request from the blockchain client of the media broadcaster device, allocating, by the blockchain client of the computing system via a first transaction on the blockchain for the respective source identifier, a set of time in content codes,

wherein the set of time in content codes is based on data in a database that indicates previously allocated time in content codes for the respective source identifier, and

wherein the media broadcaster device uses the respective source identifier and the set of time in content codes to encode watermarks in the media asset.

2. The computing system of claim 1 , wherein the set of acts further comprises verifying, via a ledger of the blockchain for the respective source identifier, the media asset has been encoded with the respective source identifier and a time in content code of the set of time in content codes.

3. The computing system of claim 1 , wherein the blockchain for the respective source identifier is private to the blockchain client of the media broadcaster device and the blockchain client of the computing system.

4. The computing system of claim 1 , wherein the set of time in content codes comprises a start time in content code and an end time in content code.

5. The computing system of claim 1 , wherein generating the blockchain for the respective source identifier comprises creating time in content codes as a transaction medium of the blockchain for the respective source identifier and creating a ledger associated with the time in content codes.

6. The computing system of claim 1 , wherein granting permission includes providing credentials to enable the blockchain client of the media broadcaster device to conduct the transactions on the blockchain for the respective source identifier.

7. The computing system of claim 1 , wherein:

each blockchain of the multichain system is associated with a corresponding source identifier, and

the medium of transactions on each blockchain of the multichain system is time in content codes to be combined with the corresponding source identifier.

8. A method comprising:

receiving, from a blockchain client of media broadcaster device, a request for permission to begin encoding media assets;

based on the request for permission, generating, by a blockchain client of a computing system, a blockchain of a multichain system for a respective source identifier associated with the media broadcaster device;

granting a permission to the blockchain client of the media broadcaster device to conduct transactions on the blockchain for the respective source identifier, wherein the permission identifies the blockchain for the respective source identifier;

detecting a watermark payload request from the blockchain client of the media broadcaster device, the request seeking time in content codes to encode in a media asset; and

based on detecting the watermark payload request from the blockchain client of the media broadcaster device, allocating, by the blockchain client of the computing system via a first transaction on the blockchain for the respective source identifier, a set of time in content codes,

wherein the set of time in content codes is based on data in a database that indicates previously allocated time in content codes for the respective source identifier, and

wherein the media broadcaster device uses the respective source identifier and the set of time in content codes to encode watermarks in the media asset.

9. The method of claim 8 , further including verifying, via a ledger of the blockchain for the respective source identifier, that the media asset has been encoded with the respective source identifier and a time in content code of the set of time in content codes.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein the set of time in content codes comprises a start time in content code and an end time in content code.

11. The method of claim 8 , wherein generating the blockchain for the respective source identifier comprises creating time in content codes as a transaction medium of the blockchain for the respective source identifier and creating a ledger associated with the time in content codes.

12. The method of claim 8 , wherein grating the permission includes providing credentials to enable the blockchain client of the media broadcaster device to conduct the transactions on the blockchain for the respective source identifier.

13. The method of claim 8 , wherein:

each blockchain of the multichain system is associated with a corresponding source identifier, and

the medium of transactions on each blockchain of the multichain system is time in content codes to be combined with the corresponding source identifier.

14. At least one non-transitory computer readable medium comprising computer readable instructions that, when executed, cause at least one processor of a computing system to at least:

receive, from a blockchain client of media broadcaster device, a request for permission to begin encoding media assets;

based on the request for permission, generate, by a blockchain client of the computing system, a blockchain of a multichain system for a respective source identifier associated with the media broadcaster device;

grant a permission to the blockchain client of the media broadcaster device to conduct transactions on the blockchain for the respective source identifier, wherein the permission identifies the blockchain for the respective source identifier;

detect a watermark payload request from the blockchain client of the media broadcaster device, the request seeking time in content codes to encode in a media asset; and

based on detecting the watermark payload request from the blockchain client of the media broadcaster device, allocate, by the blockchain client of the computing system via a first transaction on the blockchain for the respective source identifier, a set of time in content codes,

wherein the set of time in content codes is based on data in a database that indicates previously allocated time in content codes for the respective source identifier, and

wherein the media broadcaster device uses the respective source identifier and the set of time in content codes to encode watermarks in the media asset.

15. The at least one non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 14 , wherein the instructions cause the at least one processor to verify, via a ledger of the blockchain for the respective source identifier, that the media asset has been encoded with the respective source identifier and a time in content code of the set of time in content codes.

16. The at least one non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 14 , wherein the blockchain for the respective source identifier is private to the blockchain client of the media broadcaster device and the blockchain client of the computing system.

17. The at least one non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 14 , wherein the set of time in content codes comprises a start time in content code and an end time in content code.

18. The at least one non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 14 , wherein generating the blockchain for the respective source identifier comprises creating time in content codes as a transaction medium of the blockchain for the respective source identifier and creating a ledger associated with the time in content codes.

19. The at least one non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 14 , wherein granting the permission includes providing credentials to enable the blockchain client of the media broadcaster device to conduct the transactions on the blockchain for the respective source identifier.

20. The at least one non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 14 , wherein:

each blockchain of the multichain system is associated with a corresponding source identifier, and

the medium of transactions on each blockchain of the multichain system is time in content codes to be combined with the corresponding source identifier.

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 Nov 17, 2022
From: THOTA, SUDHEER; PEIFFER, JOHN CHARLES
To: THE NIELSEN COMPANY (US), LLC
Reel/Frame 061811/0895 →
Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 63266301 · Dec 31, 2021
Related Publication 20230214954A1 · Jul 6, 2023
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