Source: http://www.google.es/patents/US7793316
Timestamp: 2017-12-14 15:20:26
Document Index: 274718368

Matched Legal Cases: ['Application No. 92107979', 'Application No. 1833', 'Application No. 1833', 'Application No. 1833', 'Application No. 1833', 'Application No. 92107979']

Patente US7793316 - Methods and apparatus to adaptively select sensor(s) to gather audience ... - Google Patentes
Methods and apparatus to adaptively gather audience information data are disclosed. The disclosed methods and apparatus monitor system factor(s) and select one or more sensors from a plurality of sensors positioned to gather audience measurement data based on the monitored factor(s). Thus, the disclosed...http://www.google.es/patents/US7793316?utm_source=gb-gplus-sharePatente US7793316 - Methods and apparatus to adaptively select sensor(s) to gather audience measurement data based on a variable system factor and a quantity of data collectable by the sensors
Número de publicación US7793316 B2
Número de solicitud US 10/867,190
Fecha de publicación 7 Sep 2010
Fecha de presentación 14 Jun 2004
También publicado como EP1593217A1, EP1593217A4, EP2456104A1, US8020179, US8539519, US9088821, US9426508, US20050054285, US20100299689, US20110289523, US20140020007, US20150312606, US20160323615, WO2004073217A1
Número de publicación 10867190, 867190, US 7793316 B2, US 7793316B2, US-B2-7793316, US7793316 B2, US7793316B2
Inventores Paul M. Mears, Arun Ramaswamy
Citas de patentes (37), Otras citas (13), Citada por (60), Clasificaciones (66), Eventos legales (4)
Methods and apparatus to adaptively select sensor(s) to gather audience measurement data based on a variable system factor and a quantity of data collectable by the sensors
US 7793316 B2
monitoring a variable system factor reflecting a current system condition, the variable system factor comprising at least one of: (a) available bandwidth of a communication link between a local site and a remote site, (b) available storage capacity at the local site, (c) available storage capacity at the remote site, (d) processing speed associated with a processor at the local site, and (e) processing speed associated with a processor at the remote site;
summing a number of bytes of audience measurement data per unit of time that is currently capable of being gathered by a plurality of sensors located to develop the audience measurement data at the local site, the plurality of sensors being located at the same local site;
adaptively selecting, using a processor, at least one sensor from the plurality of sensors based on a comparison involving (a) the variable system factor and (b) the number of bytes of data per unit of time that is currently capable of being gathered by the plurality of sensors to adapt to the current system condition;
storing the audience measurement data developed by the at least one selected sensor; and,
at least one of ignoring or discarding data developed from a sensor in the plurality of sensors at the local site that is not one of the at least one selected sensor.
2. A method as defined in claim 1 wherein the plurality of sensors comprise at least one of: (a) an audio code sensor, (b) a video code sensor, (c) an audio signature sensor, (d) a video signature sensor, (e) a software meter sensor, (f) a digital bitstream sensor; (g) an on-screen display sensor; (h) an AMOL decoder; (i) an audio watermarking sensor; and (j) a video watermarking sensor.
3. A method as defined in claim 1 further comprising selecting the at least one sensor from the plurality of sensors based on at least one of: (a) a presence of an audio code, (b) a presence of a video code, (c) audible noise at the local site, and (d) a condition of a set top box.
4. A method as defined in claim 1 further comprising transmitting the audience measurement data developed by the at least one selected sensor from a local site to a remote site.
5. A method as defined in claim 1 wherein storing the audience measurement data developed by the at least one selected sensor comprises storing the data developed by the at least one selected sensor in a local storage device.
6. A method as defined in claim 1 wherein storing the audience measurement data developed by the at least one selected sensor comprises:
transmitting the data developed by the at least one selected sensor; and
storing the data developed by the at least one selected sensor in a remote storage device.
7. A method as defined in claim 1 further comprising selecting a preference ranking for the sensors in the plurality.
8. A method as defined in claim 7 wherein selecting a preference ranking for the sensors in the plurality comprises selecting the preference ranking based on a fixed system factor.
9. A method as defined in claim 8 wherein the fixed system factor comprises at least one of: (a) a presence of two or more affiliates of a broadcasting company in a market, (b) a local preference for a sensor type, (c) a presence of a set top box having an interactive program guide; (d) a type of communication link; (e) a cost of using a sensor type; (f) a complexity of using a sensor type; (g) a presence of a viewing time shifting device; and (h) a presence of a viewing place shifting device.
10. A method as defined in claim 1 further comprising selecting a rule defining a preference ranking for the sensors in the plurality from a set of rules defining a set of preference rankings for the sensors in the plurality.
11. A method as defined in claim 10 wherein selecting a rule defining a preference ranking for the sensors in the plurality from a set of rules comprises selecting the rule based on a fixed system factor.
12. A method as defined in claim 11 wherein the fixed system factor comprises at least one of: (a) a presence of two or more affiliates of a broadcasting company in a market, (b) a local preference for a sensor type, (c) a presence of a set top box having an interactive program guide; (d) a type of communication link; (e) a cost of using a sensor type; (f) a complexity of using a sensor type; (g) a presence of a viewing time shifting device; and (h) a presence of a viewing place shifting device.
13. A non-transitory medium storing machine readable instructions which, when executed by a machine, cause the machine to:
monitor a variable system factor, the variable system factor comprising at least one of: (a) available bandwidth of a communication link between a local site and a remote site, (b) available storage capacity at the local site, (c) available storage capacity at the remote site, (d) processing speed associated with a processor at the local site, and (e) processing speed associated with a processor at the remote site;
sum an amount of audience measurement data per unit of time that is currently capable of being gathered by a plurality of sensors located to develop the audience measurement data at the local site to provide a measure of the number of bytes of audience measurement data that is currently capable of being collectively gathered from the plurality of sensors;
adaptively select at least one sensor from the plurality of sensors based on a comparison involving (a) the variable system factor and (b) the number of bytes of data per unit of time that is currently capable of being gathered by the plurality of sensors;
store the audience measurement data developed by the at least one selected sensor; and
at least one of ignore or discard data developed from a sensor in the plurality of sensors that is not one of the at least one selected sensor.
14. A non-transitory medium as defined in claim 13 wherein the plurality of sensors comprise at least one of: (a) an audio code sensor, (b) a video code sensor, (c) an audio signature sensor, (d) a video signature sensor, (e) a software meter sensor, (f) a digital bitstream sensor; (g) an on-screen display sensor; (h) an AMOL decoder; (i) an audio watermarking sensor; and (j) a video watermarking sensor.
15. A non-transitory medium as defined in claim 13 wherein, when executed, the machine readable instructions further cause the machine to select the at least one sensor from the plurality of sensors based on at least one of: (a) a presence of an audio code, (b) a presence of a video code, (c) audible noise at the local site, and (d) a condition of a set top box.
16. A non-transitory medium as defined in claim 13 wherein the machine readable instructions further cause the machine to transmit the audience measurement data developed by the at least one selected sensor from a local site to a remote site.
17. A non-transitory medium as defined in claim 13 wherein the machine readable instructions further cause the machine to store the audience measurement data developed by the at least one selected sensor in a local storage device.
18. A non-transitory medium as defined in claim 13 wherein the machine readable instructions further cause the machine to:
19. A non-transitory medium as defined in claim 13 wherein the machine readable instructions further cause the machine to select a preference ranking for the sensors in the plurality.
20. A non-transitory medium as defined in claim 19 wherein the machine readable instructions cause the machine to select the preference ranking based on a fixed system factor.
21. A non-transitory medium as defined in claim 20 wherein the fixed system factor comprises at least one of: (a) a presence of two or more affiliates of a broadcasting company in a market, (b) a local preference for a sensor type, (c) a presence of a set top box having an interactive program guide; (d) a type of communication link; (e) a cost of using a sensor type; (f) a complexity of using a sensor type; (g) a presence of a viewing time shifting device; and (h) a presence of a viewing place shifting device.
22. A non-transitory medium as defined in claim 13 wherein the machine readable instructions further cause the machine to select a rule defining a preference ranking for the sensors in the plurality from a set of rules defining a set of preference rankings for the sensors in the plurality.
23. A tangible non-transitory medium as defined in claim 22 wherein the machine readable instructions cause the machine to select the rule based on a fixed system factor.
24. A tangible non-transitory medium as defined in claim 23 wherein the fixed system factor comprises at least one of: (a) a presence of two or more affiliates of a broadcasting company in a market, (b) a local preference for a sensor type, (c) a presence of a set top box having an interactive program guide; (d) a type of communication link; (e) a cost of using a sensor type; (f) a complexity of using a sensor type; (g) a presence of a viewing time shifting device; and (h) a presence of a viewing place shifting device.
25. An apparatus to gather audience measurement data comprising:
a plurality of sensors located to gather audience measurement data;
a switch coupled to the sensors to selectively connect the sensors to an output; and
a sensor selector to select which of the sensors the switch connects to the output based on a comparison involving (a) a number of bytes of audience measurement data per unit of time that is currently capable of being collectively gathered by the plurality of sensors and (b) at least one variable system factor.
26. An apparatus as defined in claim 25 wherein the switch has a first state in which a first set of the sensors in the plurality are connected to the output and a second state in which a second set of the sensors in the plurality are connected to the output.
27. An apparatus as defined in claim 26 wherein the first set has at least one member.
28. An apparatus as defined in claim 27 wherein the second set includes at least one member different than the first set.
29. An apparatus as defined in claim 27 wherein the second set includes no members.
30. An apparatus as defined in claim 25 wherein the plurality of sensors comprise at least one of: (a) an audio code sensor, (b) a video code sensor, (c) an audio signature sensor, (d) a video signature sensor, (e) a software meter sensor, (f) a digital bitstream sensor; (g) an on-screen display sensor; (h) an AMOL decoder; (i) an audio watermarking sensor; and (j) a video watermarking sensor.
31. An apparatus as defined in claim 25 wherein the variable system factor comprises at least one of: (a) a presence of an audio code, (b) a presence of a video code, (c) available bandwidth of a communication link between a home site and a remote site, (d) available storage capacity at the home site, (e) available storage capacity at the remote site, (f) processing speed associated with a processor at the local site, (g) processing speed associated with a processor at the remote site, (h) audible noise at the local site, and (i) a condition of a set top box.
32. An apparatus as defined in claim 25 wherein the sensor selector comprises a sensor tester to identify any of the sensors in the plurality of sensors which outputs valid data as valid sensors.
33. An apparatus as defined in claim 25 further comprising an output measuring unit to measure data output by the sensors coupled to the output and to compute the amount of audience measurement data per unit of time that is currently capable of being gathered by the plurality of sensors.
34. An apparatus as defined in claim 33 further comprising a processing speed tester to determine if a processor operates at sufficient speed to process the data output by the sensors.
35. An apparatus as defined in claim 34 wherein the processor is a local processor with respect to the sensors.
36. An apparatus as defined in claim 34 wherein the processor is a remote processor with respect to the sensors.
37. An apparatus as defined in claim 34 wherein the switch is responsive to the processing speed tester to isolate the output of at least one of the sensors from the output if the processor is not presently capable of operating at sufficient speed to process the amount of audience measurement data per unit of time that is currently capable of being gathered by the plurality of sensors.
38. An apparatus as defined in claim 33 further comprising a storage monitor to determine if a storage device has sufficient capacity to store at least a subset of the amount of audience measurement data that is currently capable of being gathered by the plurality of sensors.
39. An apparatus as defined in claim 38 further comprising a bandwidth sensor to determine a bandwidth associated with a communication link.
40. An apparatus as defined in claim 39 wherein the storage monitor uses the bandwidth determined by the bandwidth sensor to determine a rate of growth associated with the subset.
41. An apparatus as defined in claim 39 wherein the storage device is a local storage device relative to the communication link.
42. An apparatus as defined in claim 39 wherein the storage device is a remote storage device relative to the communication link.
43. An apparatus as defined in claim 38 wherein the switch is responsive to the storage monitor to disconnect at least one of the sensors if the storage monitor does not have sufficient capacity to store at least the subset of the data output by the sensors.
44. An apparatus as defined in claim 25 further comprising a weighting selector to determine a ranking of the sensors.
45. An apparatus as defined in claim 44 wherein the weighting selector determines the ranking of the sensors based upon at least one fixed system factor.
46. An apparatus as defined in claim 45 wherein the fixed system factor comprises at least one of: (a) a presence of two or more affiliates of a broadcasting company in a market, (b) a local preference for a sensor type, (c) a presence of a set top box having an interactive program guide; (d) a type of communication link; (e) a cost of using a sensor type; (f) a complexity of using a sensor type; (g) a presence of a viewing time shifting device; and (h) a presence of a viewing place shifting device.
47. A computer-implemented method of gathering audience measurement data comprising:
ranking, using a processor, a plurality of sensors based on at least one fixed system factor;
selecting, using the processor, a set of the sensors in the plurality of sensors from which to collect audience measurement data based on an adaptive comparison involving (a) a number of bytes of audience measurement data per unit of time that is currently capable of being gathered by the plurality of sensors to (b) at least one variable system factor; and
outputting an audience measurement report based on the audience measurement data collected with the selected set of sensors.
48. A method as defined in claim 47 wherein ranking the plurality of sensors comprises establishing a relative preference order for the sensors in the plurality.
49. A method as defined in claim 48 wherein selecting the set of the sensors in the plurality is performed in accordance with the relative preference order.
50. A method as defined in claim 47 wherein selecting a set of the sensors is repeated periodically.
51. A method as defined in claim 47 wherein selecting a set of the sensors is repeated if at least one of the variable system factors changes by a predetermined amount.
This patent issues from a continuation application that claims priority from International Patent Application Serial Number PCT/US03/04030, which was filed on Feb. 10, 2003.
The home unit 10 may also or alternatively include a video code sensor 14 to detect video codes broadcast, for example, in a vertical blanking interval of the video component of a program being consumed. Like audio codes, video codes can be any type of signal (digital, analog), or absence of a signal that may be used to identify a program being consumed, a tuned channel, and/or a broadcasting station. For example, a given television station may always place a flash of light in the upper right corner of the screen during the vertical blanking intervals of every program it broadcasts. If this code is unique to that station (e.g., ABC™) in the relevant geographic market, when the video code sensor 14 detects a flash in the upper right hand corner of a frame, the home unit 10 or central office knows that the program being viewed has been broadcast by that station (e.g., ABC™). With this information, the time of the broadcast, and a program guide, the identity of the program being viewed can be precisely obtained. Of course, other codes may alternatively be used such as markers, alphanumeric codes, tone codes, positional codes, intensity codes, data inserted into a compressed digital bitstream, data inserted into the audio , video, or ancillary data fields, the act of turning the luminance level of a pixel brighter or darker, etc.
A more detailed view of the example apparatus 50 is shown in FIG. 3. For the purpose of adjusting the operation of the apparatus 50 to accommodate the fixed system factors, the sensor selector 52 is provided with a weighting selector 54. The weighting selector 54 determines a ranking, priority, or preference order of the sensors 12-20 based on one or more fixed system factors. Fixed system factors are system factors that are not typically subject to short term variation. Fixed system factors include such things as, for example: (a) a number of affiliates of a particular broadcasting company in a particular market, (b) a local preference for a particular sensor type, (c) a presence of a set top box having an interactive program guide, (d) the type of communication link between the home and the Central Office (e.g, fixed bandwidth link versus Internet), (e) the basic cost and complexity associated with using each sensor (e.g., more expensive and/or difficult to use sensors are less desirable then less expensive and/or easy to use sensors), and (f) presence of viewing time and/or viewing place shifting devices at a home such as personal video recorders (PVRs), a Media Center PC, etc.
After the weighting detector 54 has completed the fixed system factor analysis (block 112 or block 114), the weighting selector 54 determines if any of the preference values are equal (block 1116). If any of the preference values are equal (block 116), the weighting selector 54 adjusts the values to remove the equality in accordance with a predetermined preference order (block 118). For example, audio sensors may be preferred to video sensors, codes may be preferred to signatures, and software metering may be preferred to codes. Using this or another rule of thumb, the weighting selector 54 adjusts the tied preference values to ensure that no ties exist. In so doing, the weighting selector 54 ensures that no tied preference value is advanced above a non-tied preference value to preserve the preference ranking(s) dictated by the fixed factors.
If the valid sensor counter has not fallen to zero (block156), control returns to block 142 (FIG. 5A). At block 142, the sensor counter S and the output measurement variable A are reset to zero, and the output measuring unit 58 again sums the outputs of the sensors appearing on the valid sensor list. Because there is one fewer sensor on the valid sensor list this time, the output measurement variable A will have a lower value (i.e., fewer sensor outputs are being considered and, thus, the combined output of those sensors is typically smaller). As a result, the local processor is more likely to be capable of processing the aggregate output of the sensors on the valid sensor list.
If, however, the currently available bandwidth Bcurrent of the communication link 26 is smaller than the aggregate output A of the sensors appearing on the valid sensor list (block 162), then the storage monitor 64 determines if there is sufficient local storage capacity to handle the output of the sensors appearing on the valid sensor list given the current condition of the communication link 26. In particular, at block 164 the storage monitor 64 divides the local storage capacity by the rate at which data output by the sensors must be stored in the local storage device. If the computed ratio of storage capacity to storage usage rate exceeds a predetermined threshold T1 (block 164), then there is insufficient local storage to process all of the data output by the sensors appearing on the valid sensor list. Accordingly, the storage monitor 64 calls the DROP SENSOR routine (block151) which, as explained above, removes the sensor having the lowest preference value from the valid sensor list (block 152, FIG. 8). For example, if the current valid sensor list is the list appearing in FIG. 7C, the storage monitor 64 deletes the audio signature sensor 16 from the valid sensor list such that the valid sensor list now includes only two sensors as shown in FIG. 7D. The storage monitor 64 then decrements the valid sensor counter V by one (block 154). If the valid sensor counter V has fallen to zero (block 156), then there are no valid sensors appearing on the valid sensor list and control advances to block 158 where an error message is issued and the process terminates. If the valid sensor counter V has not fallen to zero (block 156), control returns to block 142 where the output measuring unit 58 re-computes the output measurement value A based on the reduced valid sensor list. Control continues to loop through blocks 142-164 until the number of sensors appearing on the valid sensor list is reduced to a level that the local processor and the local storage unit can handle, and/or until no sensors are listed in the valid sensor list
The example of FIGS. 12A-12C represents a real time or near real time approach to implementing the apparatus of FIG. 3 wherein data is collected in a first time period, data is transmitted in a second time period which at least partially overlaps the first period, and data is processed in a third time period which at least partially overlaps the second time period. In this way, ratings data can be developed in real time or near real time. As shown in FIG. 11, a predetermined maximum period of time Tc (e.g., between 1:00 PM and 3:00 AM) is selected for the home unit to collect data. Data may or may not be collected during this entire time period, depending on usage of the viewing device. In the example of FIG. 11, a maximum length of time TT is selected for transmitting the collected data to the central office 24. This maximum length of time TT may be chosen, for example, as a time period occurring at least partially during the collecting time period Tc, such that the data collection period Tc and the transmission period TT at least partially overlap as shown in FIG. 11. Additionally, a maximum length of time TP for processing the data at the central office 24 to produce ratings data is selected. In the example of FIG. 11, this maximum time period TP is selected such that it at least partially overlaps with the transmission period TT
The example program of FIGS. 12A-12C begins like the example program of FIGS. 5A-5D. In fact, in the illustrated example, blocks 100-148 of FIGS. 12A-12B are identical to blocks 100-148 of FIGS. 5A-5B. In the interest of brevity, the description of blocks 100-148 will not be repeated here. Instead, the interested reader is referred to the above passages discussing those blocks in the context of FIGS. 5A-5B.
After the aggregate output data rate (A, measured in Bytes/sec) produced by the valid, non-isolated, sensors has been calculated (block 148), control advances to block 300. At block 300, the bandwidth sensor 62 calculates any mismatch (DCT) between the maximum available bandwidth (BCHANNEL) of the channel 26 and the amount of data (A) currently being collected by the valid, non-isolated sensors. In particular, the bandwidth sensor 62 calculates any difference (DCT) by subtracting the aggregate output data rate (A) from the maximum available bandwidth (BCHANNEL) (block 300).
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13 Ago 2009 AS Assignment
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