Patent ID: 12238374

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

When monitoring households that utilize set top boxes (STBs) to receive media from content providers, a determination is made if the return path data (RPD) from a household for a given day should be retained as data used for audience projections. Return path data is a superset of set-top box data.

Set-Top Box data includes all the data collected by the set-top box. STB data may include, for example, tuning events and/or commands received by the STB (e.g., power on, power off, change channel, change input source, start presenting media, pause the presentation of media, record a presentation of media, volume up/down, etc.). STB data may additionally or alternatively include commands sent to a content provider by the STB (e.g., switch input sources, record a media presentation, delete a recorded media presentation, the time/date a media presentation was started, the time a media presentation was completed, etc.), heartbeat signals, or the like. The Set-top box data may additionally or alternatively include a household identification (e.g. a household ID) and/or a STB identification (e.g. a STB ID).

Return path data includes any data receivable at a content provider from the return path from a content consumer site. As such, return path data includes set-top box data. Return path data may additionally or alternatively include data from any other consumer device with network access capabilities (e.g., via a cellular network, the internet, other public or private networks, etc.). For example, return path data may include any or all of linear real time data from an STB, guide user data from a guide server, click stream data, key stream data (e.g., any click on the remote—volume, mute, etc.), interactive activity (such as Video On Demand) and any other data (e.g., data from middleware). Return path data can additionally or alternatively be from the network (e.g., via Switched Digital software) and/or any cloud-based data (such as a remote server DVR) from the cloud.

The term “intab” indicates that the RPD is retained/used for the given day and the term “outtab” indicates that the RPD is not used (e.g., discarded) for the given day.

Prior techniques for deciding when to retain/use the RPD include monitoring a heartbeat from the STBs in the household. A heartbeat indicates that an STB is operating properly. In the past, the RPD from a particular household was excluded (e.g., outtab) if heartbeat signals were not received from each STB of the particular household on a given day. Typically, content providers receive the heartbeat data from the STB s and forwarded the heartbeat data to an audience measurement entity (AME). However, some content providers do not report heartbeat data, and/or some STBs do not report heartbeats. Without the heartbeat data, some way of determining if all STBs in a household are functioning properly is needed.

Methods, apparatus and articles of manufacture to implement a window-metric rule for RPD solves the problem of being unable to rely on heartbeat data by using a window of time (e.g. a number of days over which the RPD is evaluated) to determine when to retain/use the RPD from the household for a given day. The window of time may be referred to as a “sliding window” as the window of time moves by a day for each day that passes.

In some examples, a configurable sized window is used to determine whether to retain a household's RPD for a given day, the window specifying the number of past days (e.g., 7 days, 14 days, etc.) over which STB usage in the household is to be analyzed. For example, if the window is 5 days long and the given day for the RPD is Friday, the window would start at Monday and end on Friday. On the next day (e.g. Saturday), the window would start on Tuesday and end on Saturday (e.g., the window “slid” one day forward).

For each day in the window, a count of the STBs (e.g. a STB-count) for the household is determined, the STB-count is the number of unique/different STBs in the household for which RPD is reported. Next, the window-metric for the window is determined. In some examples the window-metric is the most frequency occurring STB-count in the window of time. In other examples, the window-metric is an average of the STB-counts in the window of time. The STB-count for the given day is compared to the window-metric. If the STB-count does not satisfy (e.g. is less than) the window-metric, the RPD for the household is excluded (e.g., not used) from the RPD measurement panel (e.g. outtab). Otherwise, if the STB-count satisfies (e.g., is greater than or equal to) the window-metric, the RPD for the household is retained (e.g., used) in the RPD measurement panel (e.g. intab). The window allows the STB-count to adapt on a daily basis (e.g., to account for changes in the number of STBs in a given house over time, changes in usage patterns, such as when college students return home from school, etc.). For example, in the fall when students head to collage, the number of days in the sliding window may be reduced, to more quickly accommodate the reduction in usage of the student's STB.

An example apparatus disclosed herein to implement a window-metric rule for RPD includes an example media monitor that receives RPD. In some examples, the media monitor receives the RPD from one or more content providers. In other examples, the media monitor may receive the RPD from multiple households. The RPD may include a household identification (e.g. a household ID) and a STB identification (e.g. a STB ID) for the RPD reported from each STB. As such, the RPD can be traced to a specific STB in a specific household.

The example media monitor may receive RPD from any number of content providers. An example household sorter in the media monitor sorts the RPD by households for each content provider. An example RPD analyzer in the example media monitor, analyzes the RPD for a first day from a content provider to determine a first STB-count, the RPD includes data from a first household. The example RPD analyzer compares the first STB-count to a current window-metric, the window of time having a number of days. The example RPD analyzer excludes/discards the RPD for the household for the first day when the first STB-count does not satisfy (e.g. is less than) the current window-metric and retains/selects the RPD for the household for the first day when the first STB-count satisfies (e.g., is greater than or equal to) the current window-metric.

The example RPD analyzer may also include an example window-metric calculator to update the current window-metric. The example window-metric calculator updates the current window-metric by deleting an oldest STB-count from the window of time, aging the remaining STB-counts in the window of time by a day, and adding the first STB-count as a newest STB-count to the window of time. In some examples, the window-metric calculator then updates the window-metric as the most frequently occurring STB-count in the updated window of time. In other examples, the window-metric calculator then updates the window-metric as the average of the STB-counts in the updated window of time.

FIG.1is a block diagram of an example system100to implement a window-metric rule for RPD. The example system100includes households105A,105B,105C, content provider110, media monitor120, and network115. Each of the households105A,105B,105C is coupled to the content provider110over network115(e.g., the Internet).

The content provider110sends media to the households. As used herein, the term “media” includes any type of content and/or advertisement delivered via any type of distribution medium. Thus, media includes television programming or advertisements, radio programming or advertisements, movies, web sites, streaming media, etc. In some examples, content provider receives RPD from the households105A,105B,105C. In other examples, the media monitor120receives the RPD from the households105A,105B,105C over network115.

Content provider110sends the RPD from the households105A,105B,105C to the example media monitor120over network115. The example media monitor120analyzes the RPD to implement a window-metric rule for RPD as describe in further detail below with respect toFIG.3.

FIG.2is a block diagram showing additional details of an example household ofFIG.1. Household105A includes a gateway205, set top boxes (STBs)210A,210B and210C, and media presentation devices215A,215B,215C and220. Gateway205is coupled to the content provider110and may be connected to media monitor120ofFIG.1over network115ofFIG.1. In some examples, gateway205distributes signals/media from content provider110to respective STBs210A,210B,210C inside household105A and sends RPD from the STBs to the content provider110. In other examples, Gateway205may send the RPD directly to the media monitor.

STBs210A,210B and210C are coupled to respective media presentation devices215A,215B,215C. The example media presentation devices215A,215B,215C of the illustrated example shown inFIG.2are devices that retrieves media from their respective STBs210A,210B,210C for presentation. In the example ofFIG.2there are three STBs and three corresponding media presentation devices215A,215B,215C. However, any number of STBs/media presentation devices could be used in household105A. Household105A may also include any other types of media presentation devices, for example media presentation device220(e.g. a cell phone).

In some examples, the media presentation devices215A,215B,215C are capable of directly presenting media (e.g., via a display) while, in other examples, the media presentation devices215A,215B,215C presents the media on separate media presentation equipment (e.g., speakers, a display, etc.). Thus, as used herein “media presentation devices” may or may not be able to present media without assistance from a second device. Media presentation devices are typically consumer electronics. For example, the media presentation devices215A,215B,215C of the illustrated example may be a television, and thus, would be capable of directly presenting media (e.g., via an integrated and/or connected display and speakers). Any type(s) and/or number(s) of media presentation device(s) may be used. For example, Internet-enabled mobile handsets (e.g., a smartphone, an iPod®, etc.), video game consoles (e.g., Xbox®, PlayStation 3, etc.), tablet computers (e.g., an iPad®, a Motorola™ Xoom™, etc.), digital media players (e.g., a Roku® media player, a Slingbox®, a Tivo®, etc.), smart televisions, desktop computers, laptop computers, servers, etc. may be used.

FIG.3is a block diagram showing additional details of an example media monitor ofFIG.1. Media monitor120includes an example RPD collector305, an example household sorter310, an example RPD analyzer315and an example report generator320. In some examples, the RPD collector305receives RPD from content provider110across network115ofFIG.1. In other examples, the RPD collector305receives RPD directly from households, for example Households105A-C, across network115ofFIG.1. In the example ofFIG.1, only one content provider is shown. However, RPD collector305may receive RPD from any number of content providers. The RPD collector305may receive RPD from the content provider110hourly, daily or weekly, etc. The RPD collector305passes the RPD from respective content providers to the household sorter310.

The household sorter310sorts the RPD by households for each content provider. The household sorter310passes the sorted RPD to the RPD analyzer315.

RPD analyzer315analyzes the RPD for a given household from a content provider for a first day to determine if the RPD will be retained/used or discarded/excluded. The example RPD analyzer315discards/excludes the RPD from the household for the first day when a first STB-count does not satisfy (e.g. is less than) a current window-metric and retains/selects the RPD from the household for the first day when the first STB-count satisfies (e.g., is greater than or equal to) the current window-metric. Using the window-metric for the comparison to the first STB-count to determine which RPD is retained is defined as the window-metric rule. When the RPD from a household is retained, the RPD is said to have passed the window-metric rule. The RPD analyzer315analyses each household in the RPD for the first day to determine if the RPD from the household will be intab (e.g. retained) or outtab (e.g. excluded or not used) as discussed in more detail below with respect toFIG.4.

The RPD analyzer315passes the retained/selected (e.g. intab) RPD from the households to the example report generator320. The example report generator320tabulates the retained/selected RPD and creates a report used to credit media exposures from the content provider as reported by the STBs in the households. Using the window-metric rule overcomes the limitation for determining if RPD is to be retained using heartbeat data from the STBs. As such, using the window-metric rule increases the number of households that have RPD retained (e.g., RPD that does not have heartbeat data, but pass the window mode rule, are retained).

FIG.4is a block diagram showing additional details of an example RPD analyzer ofFIG.3. The example RPD analyzer315includes an example count calculator405, and example RPD selector410and an example window-metric calculator415. The example count calculator405analyzes the RPD for a given household from a content provider for a first day to determine a first STB-count. In some examples, the first STB-count is the number of different set top boxes in the household that reported RPD. By using the number of different set top boxes in the RPD for a given household, instead of tracking the specific STB IDs, the household can update or replace a STB without affecting the results of the RPD analysis.

The example RPD selector410compares the first STB-count for the household to a current window-metric for the household. In some examples, the current window-metric is the most frequently occurring STB-count that occurs during a window of time associated with the content provider. In other examples, the current window-metric is the average of the STB-counts that occurs during a window of time associated with the content provider.

In some examples, the window of time associated with the content provider has an adjustable number of days. The example RPD selector410discards/excludes the RPD from the household for the first day when the first STB-count does not satisfy (e.g. is less than) the current window-metric and retains/selects the RPD from the household for the first day when the first STB-count satisfies (e.g., is greater than or equal to) the current window-metric. Using the window-metric for the comparison to the first STB-count to determine which RPD is retains is defined as the window-metric rule. When the RPD from a household is retained, the RPD is said to have passed the window-metric rule. The RPD analyzer315analyses each household in the RPD for the first day to determine if the RPD from the household will be intab (e.g. retained) or outtab (e.g. discarded/excluded).

The example RPD selector410sends the first STB-count for a household to the window-metric calculator415and request an updated window-metric from the window-metric calculator415before analyzing the RPD from that household for the first day. The window-metric calculator415updates the window-metric for a household by deleting an oldest STB-count from the household in a sliding window datastore, aging the remaining STB-counts from the household in the sliding window datastore by a day, and adding the first STB-count from the household as a newest STB-count to the sliding window datastore. In some examples, the current window-metric calculator415then updates the current window-metric as the most frequently occurring STB-count in the updated sliding window datastore. In other examples, the current window-metric calculator415updates the current window-metric as the average of the STB-counts in the updated sliding window datastore.

While an example manner of implementing the media monitor120ofFIG.1is illustrated inFIG.3, one or more of the elements, processes and/or devices illustrated inFIG.3may be combined, divided, re-arranged, omitted, eliminated and/or implemented in any other way. Further, the example RPD collector305, the example RPD analyzer315, the window-metric calculator415, the report generator320and/or, more generally, the example media monitor120ofFIG.1may be implemented by hardware, software, firmware and/or any combination of hardware, software and/or firmware. Thus, for example, any of the example RPD collector305, the example RPD analyzer315, the window-metric calculator415, the report generator320and/or, more generally, the example media monitor120could be implemented by one or more analog or digital circuit(s), logic circuits, programmable processor(s), programmable controller(s), graphics processing unit(s) (GPU(s)), digital signal processor(s) (DSP(s)), application specific integrated circuit(s) (ASIC(s)), programmable logic device(s) (PLD(s)) and/or field programmable logic device(s) (FPLD(s)). When reading any of the apparatus or system claims of this patent to cover a purely software and/or firmware implementation, at least one of the example, RPD collector305, the example RPD analyzer315, the window-metric calculator415, and/or the report generator320is/are hereby expressly defined to include a non-transitory computer readable storage device or storage disk such as a memory, a digital versatile disk (DVD), a compact disk (CD), a Blu-ray disk, etc. including the software and/or firmware. Further still, the example media monitor120ofFIG.1may include one or more elements, processes and/or devices in addition to, or instead of, those illustrated inFIG.3, and/or may include more than one of any or all of the illustrated elements, processes and devices. As used herein, the phrase “in communication,” including variations thereof, encompasses direct communication and/or indirect communication through one or more intermediary components, and does not require direct physical (e.g., wired) communication and/or constant communication, but rather additionally includes selective communication at periodic intervals, scheduled intervals, aperiodic intervals, and/or one-time events.

A flowchart representative of example hardware logic, machine readable instructions, hardware implemented state machines, and/or any combination thereof for implementing the media monitor120ofFIG.3is shown inFIGS.5,6and7. The machine readable instructions may be an executable program or portion of an executable program for execution by a computer processor such as the processor712shown in the example processor platform700discussed below in connection withFIG.7. The program may be embodied in software stored on a non-transitory computer readable storage medium such as a CD-ROM, a floppy disk, a hard drive, a DVD, a Blu-ray disk, or a memory associated with the processor712, but the entire program and/or parts thereof could alternatively be executed by a device other than the processor712and/or embodied in firmware or dedicated hardware. Further, although the example program is described with reference to the flowchart illustrated inFIGS.5,6and7, many other methods of implementing the example media monitor120may alternatively be used. For example, the order of execution of the blocks may be changed, and/or some of the blocks described may be changed, eliminated, or combined. Additionally, or alternatively, any or all of the blocks may be implemented by one or more hardware circuits (e.g., discrete and/or integrated analog and/or digital circuitry, an FPGA, an ASIC, a comparator, an operational-amplifier (op-amp), a logic circuit, etc.) structured to perform the corresponding operation without executing software or firmware.

As mentioned above, the example processes ofFIGS.5,6and7may be implemented using executable instructions (e.g., computer and/or machine readable instructions) stored on a non-transitory computer and/or machine readable medium such as a hard disk drive, a flash memory, a read-only memory, a compact disk, a digital versatile disk, a cache, a random-access memory and/or any other storage device or storage disk in which information is stored for any duration (e.g., for extended time periods, permanently, for brief instances, for temporarily buffering, and/or for caching of the information). As used herein, the term non-transitory computer readable medium is expressly defined to include any type of computer readable storage device and/or storage disk and to exclude propagating signals and to exclude transmission media.

“Including” and “comprising” (and all forms and tenses thereof) are used herein to be open ended terms. Thus, whenever a claim employs any form of “include” or “comprise” (e.g., comprises, includes, comprising, including, having, etc.) as a preamble or within a claim recitation of any kind, it is to be understood that additional elements, terms, etc. may be present without falling outside the scope of the corresponding claim or recitation. As used herein, when the phrase “at least” is used as the transition term in, for example, a preamble of a claim, it is open-ended in the same manner as the term “comprising” and “including” are open ended. The term “and/or” when used, for example, in a form such as A, B, and/or C refers to any combination or subset of A, B, C such as (1) A alone, (2) B alone, (3) C alone, (4) A with B, (5) A with C, (6) B with C, and (7) A with B and with C. As used herein in the context of describing structures, components, items, objects and/or things, the phrase “at least one of A and B” is intended to refer to implementations including any of (1) at least one A, (2) at least one B, and (3) at least one A and at least one B. Similarly, as used herein in the context of describing structures, components, items, objects and/or things, the phrase “at least one of A or B” is intended to refer to implementations including any of (1) at least one A, (2) at least one B, and (3) at least one A and at least one B. As used herein in the context of describing the performance or execution of processes, instructions, actions, activities and/or steps, the phrase “at least one of A and B” is intended to refer to implementations including any of (1) at least one A, (2) at least one B, and (3) at least one A and at least one B. Similarly, as used herein in the context of describing the performance or execution of processes, instructions, actions, activities and/or steps, the phrase “at least one of A or B” is intended to refer to implementations including any of (1) at least one A, (2) at least one B, and (3) at least one A and at least one B.

FIG.5is a flowchart representative of machine readable instructions which may be executed to implement the example media monitor120ofFIG.3. The example machine readable instructions500ofFIG.5begin execution at block502, where the RPD collector305receives RPD. In some examples, the RPD collector305receives RPD from the content provider110ofFIG.1. In other examples, the RPD collector305receives RPD from the households105A-C ofFIG.1. Only one content provider is shown inFIG.1. However, RPD collector305may receive RPD from any number of content providers. RPD collector305passes the received RPD to the example household sorter310.

Flow continues in block504, where the household sorter310ofFIG.3sorts the RPD by households for each content provider. The household sorter310passes the sorted RPD for each household to the RPD analyzer315ofFIG.3.

Flow continues in block506, where the RPD analyzer315analyzes the RPD from the identified household and discards/excludes the RPD from the household when the window-metric rule is not met, as described in more detail with respect toFIG.6. Flow returns to block504when another household in the RPD from the content provider has not been analyzed. When all the households in the RPD have been analyzed, flow continues in block508.

In block508, report generator320receives the intab RPD from RPD analyzer315. The intab RPD is the RPD from the households that pass the window-metric rule (e.g. the RPD that is retained). The report generator320generates a media exposure report by tabulating the media events from the intab RPD for the content provider.

FIG.6is a flowchart representative of machine readable instructions which may be executed to implement block506ofFIG.5. Flow begins at block602where the count calculator405ofFIG.4determines a first STB-count for the identified household. The first STB-count for a household is the number of different STBs identified in the RPD from the household for the first day. By using the number of different set top boxes in the RPD for a given household, instead of tracking the specific STB IDs, the household can update or replace a STB without affecting the results of the RPD analysis. The count calculator405passes the first STB-count to the RPD selector410ofFIG.4

Flow continues in bock604where the RPD selector410passes the first STB-count to the window-metric calculator415ofFIG.4. The window-metric calculator415updates the current window-metric as described in more detail below in regard toFIG.7and passes the updated current window-metric back to the RPD selector410.

Flow continues in block606where the RPD selector410compares the first STB-count for the household to the current window-metric for the household, where the window-metric for the household is associated with the content provider. A comparison between the first STB-count and the window-metric is made in box608. When the first STB-count is less that the window-metric, flow continues at block610, where the RPD analyzer315excludes/discards (e.g. outtabs) the household's RPD for the first day. Flow then returns to block508ofFIG.5.

When the first STB-count satisfies (e.g., is greater than or equal to) the window-metric, flow continues at block612, where the RPD analyzer315retains/selects (e.g. intabs) the household's RPD for the first day. As such, RPD that is retained/selected is said to have passed the window-metric rule. Flow then returns to block508ofFIG.5.

FIG.7is a flowchart representative of machine readable instructions which may be executed to implement block604ofFIG.6. Flow starts at block702. In block702, the window-metric calculator415receives the first STB-count for the identified household and the identity of the associated content provider.

Flow continues in block704, where the window-metric calculator415ofFIG.4deletes an oldest STB-count from a sliding window datastore for the household. The sliding window datastore is associated with the identified content provider110.

A household may receive content from multiple content providers. As such, the household may have multiple sliding window datastores, where each datastore is associated with a different content provider. Each sliding window datastore has a number of days N, where N is adjustable. The number N may be adjusted based on the identity of content provider, for example 7 days for a first content provider, and 14 days for a second content provider. The number N may also be adjusted based on the time of year.

The number of days N in the window for a given content provider associated with the household may initially be set as a minimum number of days required to obtain a stable retention rate for the RPD for the content provider. A stable retention rate is defined as a percentage of the number of households whose RPD is retained, where the percentage stays within a band of retention rates, bounded by a maximum retention rate and a minimum retention rate, over a period of time (e.g., a month, two months, a quarter, etc.). For example, a retention rate that stays between 80% and 84% over a two-month period for a set number of days N in the sliding window would be considered a stable retention rate. An initial “burn in” period may be required to fully fill the sliding window datastore before beginning the measurements for a stable retention rate.

Flow continues in block706, where the window-metric calculator415ages the remaining STB-counts in the sliding window datastore by one day.

Flow continues in block708where the window-metric calculator415inserts the first STB-count into the sliding window datastore as the newest STB-count.

Flow continues in block710, where the window-metric calculator415updates the window-metric as the most frequently occurring STB-count in the updated sliding window datastore. In some examples, the window-metric calculator415updates the window-metric as the average of the STB-counts in the updated sliding window datastore. The window-metric calculator415returns the updated window-metric to the RPD selector410. Flow then returns to block606inFIG.6.

FIG.8is a block diagram of an example processor platform800structured to execute the instructions ofFIGS.5,6and7to implement the apparatus ofFIG.3. The processor platform800can be, for example, a server, a personal computer, a workstation, a self-learning machine (e.g., a neural network, an Internet appliance, or any other type of computing device.

The processor platform800of the illustrated example includes a processor812. The processor812of the illustrated example is hardware. For example, the processor812can be implemented by one or more integrated circuits, logic circuits, microprocessors, GPUs, DSPs, or controllers from any desired family or manufacturer. The hardware processor may be a semiconductor based (e.g., silicon based) device. In this example, the processor implementsFIGS.5,6and7.

The processor812of the illustrated example includes a local memory813(e.g., a cache). The processor812of the illustrated example is in communication with a main memory including a volatile memory814and a non-volatile memory816via a bus818. The volatile memory814may be implemented by Synchronous Dynamic Random Access Memory (SDRAM), Dynamic Random Access Memory (DRAM), RAMBUS® Dynamic Random Access Memory (RDRAM®) and/or any other type of random access memory device. The non-volatile memory816may be implemented by flash memory and/or any other desired type of memory device. Access to the main memory814,816is controlled by a memory controller.

The processor platform800of the illustrated example also includes an interface circuit820. The interface circuit820may be implemented by any type of interface standard, such as an Ethernet interface, a universal serial bus (USB), a Bluetooth® interface, a near field communication (NFC) interface, and/or a PCI express interface.

In the illustrated example, one or more input devices822are connected to the interface circuit820. The input device(s)822permit(s) a user to enter data and/or commands into the processor812. The input device(s) can be implemented by, for example, an audio sensor, a microphone, a camera (still or video), a keyboard, a button, a mouse, a touchscreen, a track-pad, a trackball, isopoint and/or a voice recognition system.

One or more output devices824are also connected to the interface circuit820of the illustrated example. The output devices824can be implemented, for example, by display devices (e.g., a light emitting diode (LED), an organic light emitting diode (OLED), a liquid crystal display (LCD), a cathode ray tube display (CRT), an in-place switching (IPS) display, a touchscreen, etc.), a tactile output device, a printer and/or speaker. The interface circuit820of the illustrated example, thus, typically includes a graphics driver card, a graphics driver chip and/or a graphics driver processor.

The interface circuit820of the illustrated example also includes a communication device such as a transmitter, a receiver, a transceiver, a modem, a residential gateway, a wireless access point, and/or a network interface to facilitate exchange of data with external machines (e.g., computing devices of any kind) via a network826. The communication can be via, for example, an Ethernet connection, a digital subscriber line (DSL) connection, a telephone line connection, a coaxial cable system, a satellite system, a line-of-site wireless system, a cellular telephone system, etc.

The processor platform800of the illustrated example also includes one or more mass storage devices828for storing software and/or data. Examples of such mass storage devices828include floppy disk drives, hard drive disks, compact disk drives, Blu-ray disk drives, redundant array of independent disks (RAID) systems, and digital versatile disk (DVD) drives.

The machine executable instructions832ofFIGS.4,5, and6may be stored in the mass storage device828, in the volatile memory814, in the non-volatile memory816, and/or on a removable non-transitory computer readable storage medium such as a CD or DVD.

From the foregoing, it will be appreciated that example methods, apparatus and articles of manufacture have been disclosed that improve the retention rate for RPD for households viewing media using STBs. The improved retention rate for RPD increases the accuracy for reported media events. The disclosed methods, apparatus and articles of manufacture improve the efficiency of using a computing device by replacing inconsistent and/or missing heartbeat data from STBs with RPD from the STBs. In recent tests, missing data (e.g. RPD that were discarded) due to missing heartbeats was reduced from 22% to 8% using the window-metric rule. The disclosed methods, apparatus and articles of manufacture are accordingly directed to one or more improvement(s) in the functioning of a computer.

Although certain example methods, apparatus and articles of manufacture have been disclosed herein, the scope of coverage of this patent is not limited thereto. On the contrary, this patent covers all methods, apparatus and articles of manufacture fairly falling within the scope of the claims of this patent.