Methods and apparatus to verify consumption of programming content

Abstract

Methods and apparatus to verify consumption of media content are disclosed herein. An example method includes populating a data structure stored at a media device with first identifying data associated with media received at the media device in connection with a first content stream and not presented by the media device in real time; determining whether an audience member was exposed to the media in a time-shifted manner by comparing the first identifying data of the data structure stored at the media device to second identifying data obtained from a second content stream received at the media device subsequent to the first content stream; and when the first and second identifying data match, verifying time-shifted exposure of the audience member to the media by sending an index identifier assigned to the media to a data collection facility.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method, comprising:
 populating a data structure stored at a media device with first identifying data associated with media received at the media device in connection with a first content stream and not presented by the media device in real time;   determining whether an audience member was exposed to the media in a time-shifted manner by comparing the first identifying data of the data structure stored at the media device to second identifying data obtained from a second content stream received at the media device subsequent to the first content stream; and   when the first and second identifying data match, verifying time-shifted exposure of the audience member to the media by sending an index identifier assigned to the media to a data collection facility.   
     
     
         2 . A method as defined in  claim 1 , further comprising, when the first and second identifying data do not match, populating the data structure with the second identifying data. 
     
     
         3 . A method as defined in  claim 1 , further comprising, when the first and second identifying data match, sending a time at which the media was presented to the data collection facility. 
     
     
         4 . A method as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the index identifier is stored in a second data structure at the media device. 
     
     
         5 . A method as defined in  claim 4 , wherein the second data structure is received at the media device from a content provider. 
     
     
         6 . A method as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the media device is a personal video recorder in communication with a media presentation device. 
     
     
         7 . A method as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the first identifying data comprises at least one of an audio signature, a video signature, an audio code, a video code, a digital identifier, or a portion of the media. 
     
     
         8 . A tangible computer readable storage device or storage disc having instructions stored thereon that, when executed, cause a machine to at least:
 populate data structure stored at a media device with first identifying data associated with media received at the media device in connection with a first content stream and not presented by the media device in real time;   determine whether an audience member was exposed to the media in a time-shifted manner by comparing the first identifying data of the data structure stored at the media device to second identifying data obtained from a second content stream received at the media device subsequent to the first content stream; and   when the first and second identifying data match, verify time-shifted exposure of the audience member to the media by sending an index identifier assigned to the media to a data collection facility.   
     
     
         9 . A tangible computer readable storage device or storage disc as defined in  claim 8 , wherein the instructions cause the machine to, when the first and second identifying data do not match, populate the data structure with the second identifying data. 
     
     
         10 . A tangible computer readable storage device or storage disc as defined in  claim 8 , wherein the instructions cause the machine to, when the first and second identifying data match, sending a time at which the media was presented to the data collection facility. 
     
     
         11 . A tangible computer readable storage device or storage disc as defined in  claim 8 , wherein the index identifier is stored in a second data structure at the media device. 
     
     
         12 . A tangible computer readable storage device or storage disc as defined in  claim 11 , wherein the second data structure is received at the media device from a content provider. 
     
     
         13 . A tangible computer readable storage device or storage disc as defined in  claim 8 , wherein the media device is a personal video recorder in communication with a media presentation device. 
     
     
         14 . A tangible computer readable storage device or storage disc as defined in  claim 8 , wherein the first identifying data comprises at least one of an audio signature, a video signature, an audio code, a video code, a digital identifier, or a portion of the media. 
     
     
         15 . A video recorder located at a household, comprising:
 a library generator to populate data structure stored at a media device with first identifying data associated with media received at the media device in connection with a first content stream and not presented by the media device in real time;   a comparator to determine whether an audience member was exposed to the media in a time-shifted manner by comparing the first identifying data of the data structure stored at the media device to second identifying data obtained from a second content stream received at the media device subsequent to the first content stream; and   a processor to when the first and second identifying data match, verify time-shifted exposure of the audience member to the media by sending an index identifier assigned to the media to a data collection facility.   
     
     
         16 . A video recorder as defined in  claim 15 , wherein the library generator is to when the first and second identifying data do not match, populate the data structure with the second identifying data. 
     
     
         17 . A video recorder as defined in  claim 15 , wherein the processor is to, when the first and second identifying data match, send a time at which the media was presented to the data collection facility. 
     
     
         18 . A video recorder as defined in  claim 15 , wherein the index identifier is stored in a second data structure at the media device. 
     
     
         19 . A video recorder as defined in  claim 18 , wherein the second data structure is received at the media device from a content provider. 
     
     
         20 . A video recorder as defined in  claim 15 , wherein the first identifying data comprises at least one of an audio signature, a video signature, an audio code, a video code, a digital identifier, or a portion of the media.