Media usage monitoring and measurement system and method

Abstract

Media monitoring and measurement systems and methods are disclosed. Some embodiments of the present invention provide a media measurement system and method that utilizes audience data to enhance content identifications. Some embodiments analyze media player log data to enhance content identification. Other embodiments of the present invention analyze sample sequence data to enhance content identifications. Other embodiments analyze sequence data to enhance content identification and/or to establish channel identification. Yet other embodiments provide a system and method in which sample construction and selection parameters are adjusted based upon identification results. Yet other embodiments provide a method in which play-altering activity of an audience member is deduced from content offset values of identifications corresponding to captured samples. Yet other embodiments provide a monitoring and measurement system in which a media monitoring device is adapted to receive a wireless or non-wireless audio signal from a media player, the audio signal also being received wirelessly by headphones of a user of the monitoring device.

1 . A media measurement method comprising: 
 submitting data samples corresponding to portions of audio data captured at a monitoring device for content recognition against known media content; and    using audience data to enhance identification of a sample.    
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein: 
 using audience data comprises performing an identification attempt by testing a submitted sample against a portion of the known content related to a media consumption pattern of an audience member using the monitoring device.    
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2  wherein, if the identification attempt is not successful, the method further comprises testing the submitted sample against a larger portion of the known content.  
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1  wherein: 
 using audience data comprises performing an identification attempt by testing a submitted sample against a portion of the known content related to a media consumption pattern of persons sharing characteristics of an audience member using the monitoring device.    
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1  wherein: 
 using audience data comprises performing an identification attempt by testing a submitted sample against a portion of the known content related to a location of an audience member using the monitoring device; and    
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5  wherein the audience member is a first audience member and content related to a location of the first audience member is determined at least in part by identifying content received from a monitoring device being used by a second audience member at a time and place proximate to that associated with the sample corresponding to audio data received from the monitoring device used by the first audience member.  
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1  wherein using audience data comprises scrubbing a raw play stream by analyzing known content related to a location of an audience member using the monitoring device.  
     
     
         8 . The method of  7  wherein the audience member is a first audience member and content related to a location of the first audience member is determined at least in part by identifying content received from a monitoring device being used by a second audience member at a time and place proximate to that associated with the sample corresponding to audio data received from the monitoring device used by the first audience member.  
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1  wherein content recognition against known content comprises selecting from multiple content recognition algorithms based upon expected content type to optimize recognition performance.  
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1  wherein content recognition against known content comprises selecting from multiple settings of a content recognition algorithm.  
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 9  wherein an expected content type includes absence of recognized content.  
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 9  wherein an expected content type includes music audio.  
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 9  wherein an expected content type includes voice audio.  
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 9  wherein an expected content type includes music, voice and sound effect audio.  
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 1  wherein using audience data comprises using channel data relating to a channel experienced by an audience member using the monitoring device.  
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 2  wherein the media consumption pattern is determined at least in part by using channel data relating to a channel experienced by an audience member using the monitoring device.  
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 15  wherein using channel data comprises performing an identification attempt by testing a submitted sample against content corresponding to at least a portion of channel content.  
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 2  wherein the media consumption pattern is determined at least in part by examining log data of a media player of an audience member using the monitoring device.  
     
     
         19 . A media measurement method comprising: 
 receiving audio data from a monitoring device, the audio data being divisible into a series of samples; and    determining a sample for attempted identification based at least in part upon a result of an attempt to identify a prior sample against known content.    
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19  wherein determining comprises selecting a format of a sample.  
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 20  wherein: 
 format includes length of a sample time window; and    determining comprises adjusting the time window for a sample subsequent to an n'th sample based at least in part upon an identification result corresponding to the n'th sample.    
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 20  wherein: 
 format includes audio parameters corresponding to requirements of a content recognition algorithm; and    determining comprises, for a sample subsequent to an n'th sample, selecting audio parameters corresponding to one of a plurality of available content recognition algorithms based at least in part upon an identification result corresponding to the n'th sample.    
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 20  wherein: 
 format includes audio parameters corresponding to settings of a content recognition algorithm; and    determining comprises, for a sample subsequent to an n'th sample, selecting a setting from a plurality of settings of a content recognition algorithm based at least in part upon an identification result corresponding to the n'th sample.    
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 19  wherein: 
 determining a sample comprises, for an (n+r)'th sample submitted for content recognition, determining r at least in part based upon an identification result corresponding to the n'th sample.    
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 24  wherein the value of r is increased from a prior value if the identification result corresponding to the n'th sample does not indicate an identification.  
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 24  wherein the value of r is increased from a prior value if the identification result corresponding to the n'th sample indicates absence of any media content.  
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 19  wherein determining comprises, depending upon identification results corresponding to an n'th and an (n+r)'th sample, determining whether any samples captured between the n'th and the (n+r)'th sample should be submitted for a content recognition attempt.  
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 27  further comprising: 
 submitting one or more samples captured between the n'th and the (n+r)'th sample for a content identification attempt if the identification results corresponding to the n'th and (n+r)'th sample do not match.    
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 19  wherein channel data is used in determining the sample, the channel data relating to recently identified samples.  
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 19  wherein content data is used in determining the sample, the content data relating one or more recently identified samples.  
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 30  wherein content data includes at least one of content type and content length.  
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 19  wherein sample sequence data is used in determining the sample, the sample sequence data relating to recently identified samples.  
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 19  wherein log data is used in determining the sample, the log data relating to a media player of an audience member using the monitoring device.  
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 19  wherein location data is used in determining the sample, the location data relating to a media player of an audience member using the monitoring device.  
     
     
         35 . A media measurement method comprising: 
 generating a raw play stream of content identification results corresponding to a sequence of data samples; and    scrubbing the raw play stream by, with respect to samples that are not identified or appear to be misidentified, analyzing sample sequence data to attempt selection of corrected content identifications.    
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 35  wherein sample sequence data includes at least one of log times, content IDs, and content offsets.  
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 35  wherein: 
 scrubbing the raw play stream further comprises analyzing channel data as part of attempting selection of corrected content identifications.    
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 35  wherein: 
 scrubbing the raw play stream further comprises using audience data as part of attempting selection of corrected content identifications.    
     
     
         39 . The media measurement method of  claim 35  wherein a clean play list is generated from the scrubbed play stream.  
     
     
         40 . A media measurement method comprising: 
 generating a raw play stream of content identification results corresponding to a sequence of data samples; and    using sample sequence data to identify a channel corresponding to the samples.    
     
     
         41 . The method of  claim 40  further comprising: 
 converting the raw play stream to a format usable for searching channel data to identify a channel to associate with content of the play stream.    
     
     
         42 . The method of  claim 41  wherein the raw play stream is converted to a play list.  
     
     
         43 . The method of  claim 41  wherein the raw play stream is converted to a mathematical representation of the content associated with the play stream.  
     
     
         44 . A media measurement method comprising: 
 generating a raw play stream of content identification results corresponding to a sequence of submitted data samples; and    utilizing sample sequence data including content offset data to deduce play-altering actions of a monitored audience member.    
     
     
         45 . The method of  claim 44  further comprising: 
 generating a play list including content offset data as part of deducing media play-altering actions of a monitored audience member.    
     
     
         46 . The method of  claim 44  further comprising: 
 utilizing sample sequence data together with corresponding channel data to deduce play-altering actions of a monitored audience member.    
     
     
         47 . The media measurement method of  claim 44  wherein a clean play list is generated including deduced play-altering actions.  
     
     
         48 . A media measurement system comprising: 
 a plurality of monitoring devices; and    a system adapted to receive and process audio data received from the monitoring devices, the system being adapted to measure media usage by users of the monitoring devices wherein:    a device of the plurality of monitoring devices is adapted to receive a signal that is received wirelessly by headphones being used by an audience member monitored by the monitoring device.    
     
     
         49 . The system of  claim 48  wherein the signal is received wirelessly by the monitoring device.  
     
     
         50 . The system of  claim 48  wherein a device of the plurality of monitoring devices is adapted to connect to a media player and headphones associated with an audience member using the monitoring device such that the monitoring device receives an audio signal from the media player and passes the received audio signal to the headphones via wireless transmission.  
     
     
         51 . The system of  claim 48  wherein the headphones receive a signal from the media player and pass that signal to the monitoring device.  
     
     
         52 . The system of  claim 48  further comprising a synchronizing element adapted to synchronize the headphones and the monitoring device to receive the same wireless signal from a media player.  
     
     
         53 . The system of  claim 52  wherein the syncing element synchronizes the headphones and the monitoring device automatically.  
     
     
         54 . A computer program product for measuring media usage, the computer program product comprising executable instruction code in an electronically readable medium for at least: 
 submitting a data samples corresponding to portions of audio data captured at a monitoring device for content recognition against known media content; and    using audience data to enhance identification of a sample.    
     
     
         55 . The computer program product of  claim 54  wherein the executable instruction code is also for at least: 
 performing an identification attempt by testing a submitted sample against a portion of the known content related to a media consumption pattern of an audience member using the monitoring device.    
     
     
         56 . The computer program product of  claim 54  wherein the executable instruction code is also for at least: 
 performing an identification attempt by testing a submitted sample against a portion of the known content related to a media consumption pattern of persons sharing characteristics of an audience member using the monitoring device.    
     
     
         57 . The computer program product of  claim 54  wherein the executable instruction code is also for at least: 
 selecting from multiple content recognitions algorithms based upon expected content type to optimize recognition performance.    
     
     
         58 . The computer program product of  claim 54  wherein the executable instruction code is also for at least 
 selecting from multiple settings of a content recognition algorithm.    
     
     
         59 . The computer program product of  claim 54  wherein the executable instruction code is also for at least: 
 performing an identification attempt by testing samples against content identified using log data from a media player associated with an audience member using the monitoring device.    
     
     
         60 . The computer program product of  claim 54  wherein the executable instruction code is also for at least: 
 using channel data to perform an identification attempt by testing a submitted sample against content corresponding to content of the channel.    
     
     
         61 . A media measurement system comprising: 
 content recognition means for attempting identification of a media sample; and    means for enhancing identification of the media sample using information exogenous to the media sample.    
     
     
         62 . A media measurement method comprising: 
 recognition steps for attempting identification of a media sample; and    steps for enhancing identification of the media sample using information exogenous to the media sample.