WO2014066155A2

WO2014066155A2 - Monitoring media consumption habits

Info

Publication number: WO2014066155A2
Application number: PCT/US2013/065619
Authority: WO
Inventors: Nicholas Salvatore Arini; Owen Arthur CHARLEBOIS
Original assignee: Google Inc.
Priority date: 2012-10-22
Filing date: 2013-10-18
Publication date: 2014-05-01
Also published as: WO2014066155A3

Abstract

A device to monitor media consumption, includes a data store comprising a computer readable medium storing a program of instructions for monitoring media consumption; a processor that executes the program of instructions; a user registration module to register a user associated with the device; a media detection module to detect media being consumed by the user; an interfacing module to interface with another device; and a communication module to communicate the media detection to an outside source, the interfacing module is configured to automatically detect that the other device is a fixed meter device, and if the other device is a fixed meter device, the device acknowledges the other device is detecting media.

Description

MONITORING MEDIA CONSUMPTION HABITS

Claim of Priority

[0001] This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Number 61/716,742, filed October 22, 2012, entitled "Monitoring Media Consumption Habits," now pending. This patent application contains the entire Detailed Description of U.S. Provisional Application Number 61/716,742.

Background

[0002] A measurement system monitors media consumption habits by a media consumer. Thus, by being cognizant of the media consumption habits, a content provider may effectively determine prices for advertisements, or determine whether certain content displayed or presented at a specific time is effective. Media consumption may refer to a viewing a program, listening to an audio program, reading a web site, for example.

[0003] In recent times, certain media, such as television, is consumed outside of the home in greater frequencies. The advent of internet TV and other smart devices allows a media consumer to view programs over the internet, which traditionally have been distributed through cable or antenna based broadcasts.

[0004] Various techniques have been developed to monitor media consumption habits. One such technique is a fixed meter system. In a fixed meter system, a device is installed at the home. The device serves to monitor various media consumers who may reside at the home. Prior to watching, or while watching a program, each media consumer individually indicates that they are present. Further, a media consumer indicates when they leave the room as well. In this way, the fixed meter system may correlate the program being broadcast from a device with the number of media consumers indicating their presence. Thus, the device can provide a measurement if only one, some or all the media consumers who reside in the home watch a program.

[0005] In another technique, a media consumer may be provided a portable metering system to monitor the media consumer's media consumption. Thus, if the media consumer walks into an establishment with a radio program being broadcast, the portable metering system may detect that the media consumer is exposed to the radio program. The portable metering system may be equipped with the capability of detecting the radio program by various techniques, such as detecting a digital watermark embedded in the audio or matching the detected audio with audio fingerprints stored in a database. Unlike the fixed metering system, the portable metering system allows for monitoring of consumption habits both inside and outside a home.

Summary

[0006] A device to monitor media consumption, includes a data store comprising a computer readable medium storing a program of instructions for monitoring media consumption; a processor that executes the program of instructions; a user registration module to register a user associated with the device; a media detection module to detect media being consumed by the user; an interfacing module to interface with another device; and a communication module to communicate the media detection to an outside source the interfacing module is configured to automatically detect that the other device is a fixed meter device, and if the other device is a fixed meter device, the device acknowledges the other device is detecting media.

Description of the Drawings

[0007] The detailed description refers to the following drawings, in which like numerals refer to like items, and in which:

[0008] FIG. 1 is a high-level block diagram illustrating an example computer;

[0009] FIG. 2 illustrates an example of a system for monitoring media consumption habits;

[0010] FIG. 3 illustrates an example of a method for monitoring media consumption; and [0011] FIG. 4 illustrates an example implementation of the system of FIG. 2. Detailed Description

[0012] With respect to known techniques for monitoring media consumption habits, several issues exist preventing or limiting an accurate data measurement. Also, various inconveniences to users exist, thereby preventing an easy and seamless experience. Further, in situations with multiple implementations existing for monitoring at-home consumption versus remote consumption, duplicate detections for a single media consumption event are likely.

[0013] For example, in a fixed metering system, every media consumer who resides in the home logs in and registers as a present viewer while consuming media (e.g. viewing a television program). Over time, some media consumers may find this process to be inconvenient. Thus, to work around the fixed metering system, only one media consumer may login as a registered viewer, while other media consumers viewing the program may avoid this process because they find it to be inconvenient. Thus, the fixed metering system, due to its perceived inconvenience, may not provide an accurate indication of media consumption for all individuals in a household.

[0014] In the portable meter system, a media consumer entering a room or location where a fixed meter system is also installed may be registered as a media consumer with both the fixed meter system and the portable metering system. The media consumer may be registered as present by an operator of a remote control that interfaces with the fixed meter system. In this case, with overlapping fixed and portable metering systems, the media consumer is detected twice (by the fixed meter system and the portable metering system), while only viewing one program, thereby confounding the accuracy of detection.

[0015] Disclosed herein are methods and systems for monitoring media consumption. The aspects disclosed herein provide a user-friendly technique for monitoring media consumption, while maintaining and improving the accuracy of detection. The aspects disclosed herein allow for the integration of a fixed meter system with a portable metering system, and may obviate a media consumer manually logging-in to a fixed meter system to denote presence while consuming media. [0016] In situations in which the systems discussed here collect personal information about users, or may make use of personal information, the users will be provided with an opportunity to control whether programs or features collect user information (e.g., information about a user's social network, social actions or activities, a user's preferences, or a user's current location), or to control whether and/or how to receive content from the content server that may be more relevant to the user. In addition, certain data may be treated in one or more ways before it is stored or used, so that personally identifiable information is removed. For example, a user's identity may be treated so that no personally identifiable information can be determined for the user, or a user's geographic location may be generalized where location information is obtained (such as to a city, ZIP code, or state level), so that a particular location of a user cannot be determined. Thus, the user will have control over how information is collected about the user and used by a content server.

[0017] FIG. 1 is a high-level block diagram illustrating an example computer 100. The computer 100 includes at least one processor 102 coupled to a chipset 104. The chipset 104 includes a memory controller hub 120 and an input/output (I/O) controller hub 122. A memory 106 and a graphics adapter 1 12 are coupled to the memory controller hub 120, and a display 1 18 is coupled to the graphics adapter 1 12. A storage device 108, keyboard 1 10, pointing device 1 14, and network adapter 1 16 are coupled to the I/O controller hub 122. Other aspects of the computer 100 may have different architectures.

[0018] The storage device 108 is a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium such as a hard drive, compact disk read-only memory (CD-ROM), DVD, or a solid-state memory device. The memory 106 holds instructions and data used by the processor 102. The pointing device 1 14 is a mouse, track ball, or other type of pointing device, and is used in combination with the keyboard 1 10 to input data into the computer system 100. The graphics adapter 1 12 displays images and other information on the display 1 18. The network adapter 1 16 couples the computer system 100 to one or more computer networks.

[0019] The computer 100 is adapted to execute computer program modules for providing functionality described herein. As used herein, the term "module" refers to computer program logic used to provide the specified functionality. Thus, a module can be implemented in hardware, firmware, and/or software. In one aspect, program modules are stored on the storage device 108, loaded into the memory 106, and executed by the processor 102.

[0020] The types of computers used by the entities and processes disclosed herein can vary depending upon the aspect and the processing power required by the entity. The computer 100 may be a mobile device, tablet, smartphone or any sort of computing element with the above-listed elements. For example, a video corpus, such as a hard disk, solid state memory or storage device, might be stored in a distributed database system comprising multiple blade servers working together to provide the functionality described herein. The computers can lack some of the components described above, such as keyboards 1 10, graphics adapters 1 12, and displays 1 18.

[0021] FIG. 2 illustrates an example of a system for monitoring media consumption habits 200. The system 200 includes a user registration module 210, a media detection module 220, an interfacing module 230, a communication module 240, and a mode selection module 250.

[0022] The system 200 may be installed on the computer 100, as shown in FIG. 1 . The computer 100 may be a portable device, such as a smart phone or tablet, and thus, the media consumer may incorporate the computer 100 as an accessory that normally accompanies them.

[0023] The user registration module 210 allows the system 200 to register a specific user as the media consumer associated with system 200. The user registration module 210 may be equipped with a login screen that allows a specific user to register as the media consumer. Alternatively, the user registration module 210 may automatically detect that the owner associated with computer 100 (that the system 200 is implemented on) is the media consumer.

[0024] The media detection module 220 detects media that the media consumer identified by the user registration module 210 may come in contact with. Media may include television programs, advertisements, radio broadcasts, movies, movies, for example. The media detection module 220 may employ various techniques for detecting media. In one instance, the media detection module 220 may automatically detect the media being consumed by uploading the audio associated with the media, and comparing it with audio stored in a database. Alternatively, or in addition to, the media detection module 220 may allow a user to manually enter an acknowledgement that a specific media item is being consumed.

[0025] The interfacing module 230 interfaces with other metering systems in a general proximity of the system 200. The interfacing module 230 may employ various communication techniques, such as short-range communication, near field communication, infrared communication, for example. The system 200 may determine that media consumption detected by the media detection module 220 occurs in a location with an established fixed meter system, such as a second system 200 set to stationary mode, for example. In this case, the interfacing module 230 may override the media detection module 220, and control the system 200 to not record media detection when in the presence of a fixed meter system. As explained above, the overriding prevents a double recordation of media detection.

[0026] The interfacing module 230 may automatically detect that a fixed meter system is in the same location where the media consumption occurs. Alternatively, or in addition to, the interfacing module 230 may allow the media consumer to manually indicate that the system 200 is in the same location as a fixed meter system.

[0027] Thus, the interfacing module 230 allows the system 200 to acknowledge that other metering systems (such as a fixed meter system) may also be recording media consumption of the media consumer associated with the system 200. The interfacing module 230 may use this acknowledgment to disable or edit the recordation of media consumption when the system 200 is in the presence of another metering system.

[0028] The communication module 240 communicates the media detection to an outside source, such as a ratings agency, that tracks media consumption. The communication module 240 may communicate data pertaining to the media consumed, the media consumer, the location of the media consumption, or oti er data associated with the system 200. The communication module 240 may employ various communication techniques. The communication module 240 may also delay communication based on predefined conditions, such as the availability of a WiFi connection, or at certain user-defined time periods.

[0029] The mode selection module 250 may allow the system 200 to toggle between operating in a stationary mode (i.e. a fixed meter system) or in a portable mode (i.e. a portable metering system). Depending on the implementation, the system 200 may be set to one of the modes based on the application. In this way, both a fixed meter system and a portable metering system may be implemented on a device such as a smart phone implementing system 200. By providing the mode selection module 250, separate devices do not need to be manufactured for a fixed meter system and a portable metering system.

[0030] The user registration module 210 and the interfacing module 230 may operate differently in the stationary mode versus the portable mode. For example, if a second system 200 (in stationary mode) is located near a media producing device, the interfacing module 230 may detect that a smart phone associated with a media consumer is in a nearby location. The interfacing module 230 may detect that metering systems associated with a media consumer are nearby, by employing various communication techniques, such as short range communication, near field communication, infrared communication, for example. Thus, the interfacing module 230 may communicate to the user registration module 210 that a media consumer is in the presence of a media device associated with the system 200 (in stationary mode). Thus, based on the media consumer identified by the interfacing module 230, the system 200 (in stationary mode) may identify that the media consumer is at a nearby location.

[0031] By allowing the second system 200 (in stationary mode) to automatically perform a user registration based on a detection by the interfacing module 230 that a system 200 associated with a media consumer is nearby, a media consumer may not have to perform a manual registration to denote the media consumer's presence. Further, the second system 200 is more likely to register multiple media consumers, due to the second system 200 recognizing each media consumer's personal device.

[0032] As explained above, the second system 200 may identify the media consumer by detecting the device via the interfacing module 230. The system 200 may store a database that associates various devices with a respective media consumer. Alternatively, the system 200 may request or prompt that a media consumer manually login when it detects that a media consumer is nearby. The device associated with the media consumer may or may not implement system 200. [0033] FIG. 3 illustrates an example of a method for monitoring media consumption 300. The method 300 may be implemented on the system 200 depicted in FIG. 2.

[0034] In operation 310, the system 200 registers a media consumer. The registration can occur through an automatic detection based on the operation of the computer 100, or through a manual process of allowing the media consumer to enter relevant information, such as the media consumer's identity or an authentication.

[0035] In operation 320, the system 200 detects media consumption. As explained in reference to FIG. 2, the media consumption detection may be either automatic or manually performed. If the media consumption is detected automatically, a user may ascertain whether the system 200 was correct in identifying and detecting the media.

[0036] Thus, if the system 200, implemented on computer 100, is worn or carried by a media consumer who enters into an establishment with a popular radio or television program being broadcast, in operation 320, the program may be identified and the system 200 may record data pertaining to the media consumption by the user.

[0037] In operation 330, the system 200 interfaces with any devices that may be at a nearby location. In performing the interfacing, the system 200 may determine if a fixed meter system, for example a second system 200 (in stationary mode), also detected the media consumption recorded in operation 320. If in operation 330 a determination is made that the second system 200 is at a nearby location, and the second system 200 also records media consumption, the system 200 may determine that the data recorded in operation 320 is redundant. Accordingly, the system 200 may delete data pertaining to the recordation of media consumption.

[0038] In operation 340, the system 200 may communicate the data recorded to a reporting or monitoring entity. As explained in operation 330, the data recorded in operation 320 is verified to be a unique recordation or a redundant recordation. The system 200 may delay the reporting of the data until the system 200 is in the range of a specific communication protocol, such as WiFi.

[0039] FIG. 4 illustrates an example implementation of the system 200. As shown in FIG. 4, a smart phone 400A (implemented with a system 200 set to stationary mode) is placed near a media device 410. A media consumer 420 carries a smart phone 400B (implemented with a system 200 set to portable mode), and actively views and listens to media sourced from the media device 410.

[0040] In the example shown in FIG. 4, the smart phone 400A detects that smart phone 400B is at a nearby location. Thus, smart phone 400A may automatically register media consumer 420, and record media consumption by media consumer

420.

[0041] Further, the smart phone 400B detects that smart phone 400A is in a nearby position, and that smart phone 400B is capable of media detection. Smart phone 400B may not perform any recordation of media consumption while smart phone 400B is in a nearby location to smart phone 400A.

[0042] Based on the systems and methods disclosed herein, an accurate metering of media consumption is realized by ensuring that multiple metering systems work together to avoid multiple recordation of a single media consumption event. Further, because the aspects disclosed herein are implemented on a device such as a smart phone, a convenience to the user is realized due to the process of manually registering one's presence prior to media consumption recordation being obviated.

[0043] In addition to the above, various modifications to the aspects disclosed herein may be implemented. For example, if a user authorizes usage of the aspects disclosed herein with a location detection unit, the location detection unit may be incorporated with the media detection disclosed herein. Thus, an entity that monitors data may ascertain where media is being consumed along with the actual detection.

[0044] Additionally, the aspects disclosed herein may be incorporated with an automatic payment system. For example, if the media consumer pays for an item at a store using a portable device, the same portable device may be used to detect media consumption. In this way, information about media consumption and commerce may be correlated.

[0045] Certain of the devices shown in Figure 1 include a computing system. The computing system includes a processor (CPU) and a system bus that couples various system components including a system memory such as read only memory (ROM) and random access memory (RAM), to the processor. Other system memory may be available for use as well. The computing system may include more than one processor or a group or cluster of computing system networked together to provide greater processing capability. The system bus may be any of several types of bus structures including a memory bus or memory controller, a peripheral bus, and a local bus using any of a variety of bus architectures. A basic input/output (BIOS) stored in the ROM or the like, may provide basic routines that help to transfer information between elements within the computing system, such as during start-up. The computing system further includes data stores, which maintain a database according to known database management systems. The data stores may be implemented in many forms, such as a hard disk drive, a magnetic disk drive, an optical disk drive, tape drive, or another type of computer readable media which can store data that are accessible by the processor, such as magnetic cassettes, flash memory cards, digital versatile disks, cartridges, random access memories (RAMs) and, read only memory (ROM). The data stores may be connected to the system bus by a drive interface. The data stores provide nonvolatile storage of computer readable instructions, data structures, program modules and other data for the computing system.

[0046] To enable human (and in some instances, machine) user interaction, the computing system may include an input device, such as a microphone for speech and audio, a touch sensitive screen for gesture or graphical input, keyboard, mouse, motion input, and so forth. An output device can include one or more of a number of output mechanisms. In some instances, multimodal systems enable a user to provide multiple types of input to communicate with the computing system. A communications interface generally enables the computing device system to communicate with one or more other computing devices using various communication and network protocols.

[0047] The preceding disclosure refers to a number of flow charts and accompanying descriptions to illustrate the aspects represented in Figure 3. The disclosed devices, components, and systems contemplate using or implementing any suitable technique for performing the steps illustrated in these figures. Thus, Figure 3 is for illustration purposes only and the described or similar steps may be performed at any appropriate time, including concurrently, individually, or in combination. In addition, many of the steps in these flow charts may take place simultaneously and/or in different orders than as shown and described. Moreover, the disclosed systems may use processes and methods with additional, fewer, and/or different steps.

[0048] Aspects disclosed herein can be implemented in digital electronic circuitry, or in computer software, firmware, or hardware, including the herein disclosed structures and their equivalents. Some aspects can be implemented as one or more computer programs, i.e., one or more modules of computer program instructions, encoded on a tangible computer storage medium for execution by one or more processors. A computer storage medium can be, or can be included in, a computer- readable storage device, a computer-readable storage substrate, or a random or serial access memory. The computer storage medium can also be, or can be included in, one or more separate tangible components or media such as multiple CDs, disks, or other storage devices. The computer storage medium does not include a transitory signal.

[0049] As used herein, the term processor encompasses all kinds of apparatus, devices, and machines for processing data, including by way of example a programmable processor, a computer, a system on a chip, or multiple ones, or combinations, of the foregoing. The processor can include special purpose logic circuitry, e.g., an FPGA (field programmable gate array) or an ASIC (application- specific integrated circuit). The processor also can include, in addition to hardware, code that creates an execution environment for the computer program in question, e.g., code that constitutes processor firmware, a protocol stack, a database management system, an operating system, a cross-platform runtime environment, a virtual machine, or a combination of one or more of them.

[0050] A computer program (also known as a program, module, engine, software, software application, script, or code) can be written in any form of programming language, including compiled or interpreted languages, declarative or procedural languages, and the program can be deployed in any form, including as a stand-alone program or as a module, component, subroutine, object, or other unit suitable for use in a computing environment. A computer program may, but need not, correspond to a file in a file system. A program can be stored in a portion of a file that holds other programs or data (e.g., one or more scripts stored in a markup language document), in a single file dedicated to the program in question, or in multiple coordinated files (e.g., files that store one or more modules, sub-programs, or portions of code). A computer program can be deployed to be executed on one computer or on multiple computers that are located at one site or distributed across multiple sites and interconnected by a communication network.

[0051] To provide for interaction with an individual, the herein disclosed aspects can be implemented using an interactive display, such as a graphical user interface (GUI). Such GUI's may include interactive features such as pop-up or pull-down menus or lists, selection tabs, scannable features, and other features that can receive human inputs.

[0052] The computing system disclosed herein can include clients and servers. A client and server are generally remote from each other and typically interact through a communications network. The relationship of client and server arises by virtue of computer programs running on the respective computers and having a client-server relationship to each other. In some aspects, a server transmits data (e.g., an HTML page) to a client device (e.g., for purposes of displaying data to and receiving user input from a user interacting with the client device). Data generated at the client device (e.g., a result of the user interaction) can be received from the client device at the server.

Claims

We claim:

1. A device to monitor media consumption, comprising:

a data store comprising a computer readable medium storing a program of instructions for monitoring media consumption;

a processor that executes the program of instructions;

a user registration module to register a user associated with the device;

a media detection module to detect media being consumed by the user;

an interfacing module to interface with another device; and

a communication module to communicate the media detection to an outside source,

the interfacing module is configured to automatically detect that the other device is a fixed meter device, and if the other device is a fixed meter device, the device acknowledges the other device is detecting media.

2. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the user registration module registers the user via an authentication process.

3. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the user registration module automatically registers the user based on prior information associated with the device.

4. The device according to claim 1 , further comprising a mode switching module to set the device in a stationary mode or a portable mode.

5. The device according to claim 4, wherein the device is a mobile device.

6. The device according to claim 1 , the interfacing module interfaces with other devices via short range communication.

7. The device according to claim 1 , wherein if the other device is a fixed meter device, the device deactivates the media detection module.

8. The device according to claim 1 , wherein if the other device is a fixed meter device, the device allows the user to manually deactivate the media detection module.

9. A method for monitoring media consumption via a device, comprising:

registering a user associated with the device;

detecting media being consumed by the user;

interfacing with another device to meter the media being consumed;

communicating the media detection to an outside source; and

detecting that the other device is a fixed meter device, and if the other device is a fixed meter device, acknowledging to the user via the device that the other device is detecting media,

the method being performed by a processor.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the registration is performed via an authentication process.

11. The method according to claim 9, wherein the registration automatically registers the user based on prior information associated with the device.

12. The method according to claim 9, further comprising allowing the user to set the device in a stationary mode or a portable mode.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the device is a mobile device.

14. The method according to claim 9, wherein the interfacing is performed via short range communication.

15. The method according to claim 9, wherein if the other device is a fixed meter device, the device deactivates the detection of media consumption. 6. The method according to claim 9, wherein if the other device is a fixed meter device, the device allows the user to manually deactivate the detection of media consumption.

17. A system for monitoring media consumption, comprising:

a first detection device associated with a user to detect media consumption of the user; and

a second detection device associated with a media device to detect media consumption of the user, when the first detection device and the second detection device are proximal to each other, either the first detection device or the second detection device disables the detection of media.

18. The system according to claim 17, wherein the first detection device and the second detection device are mobile devices.

19. The system according to claim 17, wherein the first detection device and the second detection device communicate to each other via short range communication.

20. The system according to claim 17, wherein the media device is an internet television.