Patent application number | Description | Published |
20100077420 | METHODS AND APPARATUS TO DETECT CARRYING OF A PORTABLE AUDIENCE MEASUREMENT DEVICE - Methods and apparatus to detect carrying of a portable audience measurement device are disclosed herein. An example portable audience measurement device includes a housing; a media detector in the housing to collect media exposure data; an attachment mechanism coupled to the housing to secure the housing to a person; and a sensor to detect a status of the attachment mechanism to enable determination of whether the device is being carried by the person. | 03-25-2010 |
20100102981 | METHODS AND APPARATUS TO DETECT CARRYING OF A PORTABLE AUDIENCE MEASUREMENT DEVICE - Methods and apparatus to detect carrying of a portable audience measurement device are disclosed herein. An example portable audience measurement device includes a housing; a media detector in the housing to collect media exposure data; a first status sensor to detect a first distance between the housing and an object at a first time, wherein the first status sensor is to detect a second distance between the housing and the object at a second time; and a distance comparator to generate a first signal indicative of a relationship between the first distance and the second distance to enable determination of whether the device is being carried by a person. | 04-29-2010 |
20100169904 | METHODS AND APPARATUS TO ENFORCE A POWER OFF STATE OF AN AUDIENCE MEASUREMENT DEVICE DURING SHIPPING - Methods and apparatus to enforce a power off state of an audience measurement device during shipping of the device are disclosed herein. An example portable audience measurement device includes a housing, a media detector in the housing to collect media exposure data and a packaging sensor to detect a stimulus generated within the package. A packaging detector compares the detected stimulus to a criterion to determine whether the device is located within the package. | 07-01-2010 |
20100169908 | METHODS AND APPARATUS TO ENFORCE A POWER OFF STATE OF AN AUDIENCE MEASUREMENT DEVICE DURING SHIPPING - Methods and apparatus to enforce a power off state of an audience measurement device during shipping of the device are disclosed herein. An example portable audience measurement device includes a housing, a media detector in the housing to collect media exposure data and a packaging sensor to detect an environmental condition exterior to the device. A packaging detector compares the detected environmental condition to a criterion to determine whether the device is located within the package. | 07-01-2010 |
20100169909 | METHODS AND APPARATUS TO ENFORCE A POWER OFF STATE OF AN AUDIENCE MEASUREMENT DEVICE DURING SHIPPING - Methods and apparatus to enforce a power off state of an audience measurement device during shipping of the device are disclosed herein. An example portable audience measurement device includes a housing, a media detector in the housing to collect media exposure data, and a packaging sensor to receive an audio signal. A packaging detector generates a frequency spectrum of the detected audio signal, determines an energy of a first frequency associated with the generated frequency spectrum, determines an energy of a second frequency higher than the first frequency and associated with the generated frequency spectrum, and compares the difference between the energy of the first frequency and the second frequency to a muffling threshold to determine whether the device is located within a package. | 07-01-2010 |
20100274372 | DISPLAY DEVICE ON/OFF DETECTION METHODS AND APPARATUS - Display device ON/OFF detection methods and apparatus are disclosed. An example method disclosed herein to determine whether a presentation device is ON or OFF comprises determining an audio signature based on an audio signal corresponding to an output of the presentation device, comparing the audio signature to a set of reference signatures corresponding to a set of known media content, and determining a result indicating whether the presentation device is ON or OFF based on whether the audio signature matches any of the set of reference signatures. | 10-28-2010 |
20100275225 | METHODS AND APPARATUS TO EXPORT TUNING DATA COLLECTED IN A RECEIVING DEVICE - Methods and apparatus to export tuning data collected in a receiving device are disclosed. An example method of collecting audience measurement data comprises collecting tuning data within a receiving device, and modulating an LED associated with the receiving device to export the collected tuning data from the receiving device. | 10-28-2010 |
20120011528 | METHODS AND APPARATUS TO DETECT CARRYING OF A PORTABLE AUDIENCE MEASUREMENT DEVICE - Methods and apparatus to detect carrying of a portable audience measurement device are disclosed herein. An example portable audience measurement device includes a media detector carried by a housing to collect media exposure data; a distance comparator to compare a first distance to an object at a first time and a second distance to the object at a second time; and a compliance detector to validate the media exposure data based on the comparison of the distance comparator. | 01-12-2012 |
20120159529 | METHODS AND APPARATUS TO ENFORCE A POWER OFF STATE OF AN AUDIENCE MEASUREMENT DEVICE DURING SHIPPING - Methods and apparatus to enforce a power off state of an audience measurement device during shipping of the device are disclosed herein. An example portable audience measurement device includes a housing, a media detector in the housing to collect media exposure data, and a packaging sensor to receive an audio signal. A packaging detector generates a frequency spectrum of the detected audio signal, determines an energy of a first frequency associated with the generated frequency spectrum, determines an energy of a second frequency higher than the first frequency and associated with the generated frequency spectrum, and compares the difference between the energy of the first frequency and the second frequency to a muffling threshold to determine whether the device is located within a package. | 06-21-2012 |
20130156273 | METHODS AND APPARATUS TO CAPTURE IMAGES - Methods and apparatus to capture images are disclosed. An example apparatus includes a resolution determiner to determine that a first frame of image data is to undergo processing at a first resolution and that a second frame of image data is to undergo processing at a second resolution lower than the first resolution; and a controller to activate an illuminator when an image sensor is to capture the first frame and to deactivate the illuminator when the image sensor is to capture the second frame. | 06-20-2013 |
20130227595 | METHODS AND APPARATUS TO IDENTIFY AUDIENCE MEMBERS - Methods and apparatus are disclosed to identify audience members. An example method includes detecting selection an identification key on a remote control. The identification key is input by a user using an input on the remote control. The remote control is to control a consumer electronic device. The example method includes generating an audio signal to identify the user based on the identification key. The audio signal is electronically detectable. The example method includes outputting the audio signal via a speaker. | 08-29-2013 |
20140007153 | DISPLAY DEVICE ON/OFF DETECTION METHODS AND APPARATUS | 01-02-2014 |
20140211952 | METHODS AND APPARATUS TO COLLECT MEDIA IDENTIFYING DATA - Methods and apparatus to collect media identifying data are disclosed. An example method includes collecting audio data through a sound hole. The sound hole has a chamfered opening. The sound hole has an effective length-to-width ratio which is equal to or less than about 1.25 and analyzing the audio data to obtain media identifying data. | 07-31-2014 |
20140240092 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR IDENTIFYING A USER OF AN ELECTRONIC DEVICE - Systems and methods for identifying a user of an electronic device are disclosed. An example method includes capturing body characteristic data associated with a user via a sensor on a computing device. The body characteristic data is captured as the user interacts with the computing device for a purpose different from user identification. The example method includes determining an identifier associated with the user based on the captured body characteristic data. | 08-28-2014 |
20140250448 | METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR REDUCING SPILLOVER BY MEASURING A CREST FACTOR - Methods, apparatus, and articles of manufacture for reducing spillover in a media monitoring system are disclosed. An example method includes identifying media associated with media monitoring data. The media monitoring data is received from a first meter associated with a first media presentation device. The example method includes identifying an expected crest factor associated with the media. The example method includes comparing the expected crest factor to a received crest factor to determine if spillover occurred. The received crest factor is received from the first meter. The example method includes crediting the media as a media exposure if spillover did not occur. | 09-04-2014 |
20140259039 | METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR REDUCING SPILLOVER BY DETECTING SIGNAL DISTORTION - Methods, apparatus, and articles of manufacture for reducing spillover in a media monitoring system are disclosed. An example method includes identifying media associated with media monitoring data. The media monitoring data is received from a first meter associated with a first media presentation device. The example method includes identifying an expected frequency spectrum associated with the media. The example method includes comparing the expected frequency spectrum to an actual frequency spectrum collected from the media by the first meter to determine if spillover occurred. The example method includes crediting the media as a media exposure if spillover did not occur. | 09-11-2014 |
20140270195 | METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR REDUCING SPILLOVER BY ANALYZING SOUND PRESSURE LEVELS - Methods, apparatus, and articles of manufacture for reducing spillover in a media monitoring system are disclosed. An example method includes identifying media associated with media monitoring data. The media monitoring data is received from a first meter associated with a first media presentation device. The example method includes identifying an expected sound pressure level associated with the first meter. The example method includes comparing the expected sound pressure level to an actual sound pressure level collected from the media by the first meter to determine if spillover occurred. The example method includes crediting the media as a media exposure if spillover did not occur. | 09-18-2014 |
20140282640 | METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR REDUCING CREDITING ERRORS DUE TO SPILLOVER USING AUDIO CODES AND/OR SIGNATURES - Methods, apparatus, and articles of manufacture for reducing exposure crediting errors due to spillover in a media monitoring system are disclosed. An example method includes determining if first media monitoring data provided from a first meter identifies a same media as second media monitoring data provided from a second meter. If the first media monitoring data identifies the same media as the second media monitoring data, the example method includes detecting if spillover occurred by determining if an absolute value of a difference between a first timestamp associated with the first media monitoring data and a second timestamp associated with the second media monitoring data is less than a threshold. If spillover occurred, the example method includes determining which of the first media monitoring data or the second media monitoring data to credit as a media exposure. | 09-18-2014 |
20140344841 | Methods and Apparatus to Detect Carrying of a Portable Audience Measurement Device - Methods and apparatus to detect carrying of a portable audience measurement device are disclosed herein. An example portable audience measurement device including a housing; a media detector in the housing to collect media exposure data; a hinge having an arm to rotate in response to an applied, the arm to secure the housing to an object associated with a person; a rotation sensor to detect a magnitude of rotation of the arm relative to the housing; and a detector to compare the magnitude of rotation of the arm to a threshold angle to determine whether the device is being carried by the person. | 11-20-2014 |
Patent application number | Description | Published |
20080271065 | Methods and Apparatus for Indirect Illumination in Electronic Media Rating Systems - Methods and apparatus for indirect illumination in electronic media rating systems are disclosed. A disclosed electronic media rating system comprises an audience image detection system and a non-visible light source to provide indirect illumination of an audience member. | 10-30-2008 |
20090055854 | METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR COOPERATOR INSTALLED METERS - Methods and apparatus for cooperator installed meters are disclosed. An example method includes receiving audience information, configuring the audience meter based on the audience information, placing the audience meter in a sleep mode, and shipping the audience meter to a location associated with the audience information. | 02-26-2009 |
20100045972 | METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR INDIRECT ILLUMINATION IN ELECTRONIC MEDIA RATING SYSTEMS - Methods and apparatus for indirect illumination in electronic media rating systems are disclosed. A disclosed example method includes reflecting infrared light off of a room ceiling to indirectly illuminate the audience member, receiving reflections of the indirect illumination off of the audience member, blocking visible light prior to receiving the reflections of the indirect illumination off of the audience member, and processing the received reflections to detect the audience member. | 02-25-2010 |
20100325647 | METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR INDIRECT ILLUMINATION IN ELECTRONIC MEDIA RATING SYSTEMS - Methods and apparatus for indirect illumination in electronic media rating systems are disclosed. A disclosed example method to detect an audience member includes reflecting non-visible light off of a room surface to indirectly illuminate a first portion of the room, receiving reflections of the indirect illumination, processing the received reflections to determine whether an audience member is present in the illuminated portion of the room, and when the audience member is not detected, adjusting a source of the non-visible light to illuminate a second portion of the room. | 12-23-2010 |