Methods and apparatus to reduce false crediting of exposure to video-on-demand media assets

Abstract

Methods, apparatus, systems and articles of manufacture are disclosed to reduce false crediting of exposure to video-on-demand media assets. Example apparatus disclosed herein include a signature matcher to compare a sequence of monitored media signatures to sequences of reference signatures representative of corresponding reference media assets, the sequence of monitored media signatures included in monitoring data reported by a media device meter, the sequences of reference signature stored in a library of reference signatures. Disclosed example apparatus also include a matched assets counter to determine a count of ones of the reference media assets represented by corresponding ones of the sequences of reference signatures determined to match the sequence of monitored media signatures. Disclosed examples further include a credit determiner to determine whether to credit media exposure to a first one of the reference media assets based on the count.

1 - 20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . An apparatus comprising:
 a network interface;   computer readable instructions; and   at least one processor to at least one of execute or instantiate the computer readable instructions to at least:
 compare monitored media signatures corresponding to an evaluation period to sequences of reference signatures representative of respective reference media assets to identify ones of the reference media assets associated with respective numbers of signature matches over the evaluation period that satisfy a signature match threshold; and 
 credit media exposure for the evaluation period based on comparison of a count of the identified ones of the reference media assets to a media asset threshold. 
   
     
     
         22 . The apparatus of  claim 21 , wherein the at least one processor is to:
 credit the media exposure for the evaluation period to the identified ones of the reference media assets when the count of the identified ones of the reference media assets is less than the media asset threshold; and   credit the media exposure for the evaluation period to none of the reference media assets when the count of the identified ones of the reference media assets is greater than the media asset threshold.   
     
     
         23 . The apparatus of  claim 21 , wherein the evaluation period is a first evaluation period, and the at least one processor is to segment a sequence of monitored media signatures into a plurality of temporally adjacent evaluation periods including the first evaluation period. 
     
     
         24 . The apparatus of  claim 23 , wherein the monitored media signatures are first monitored media signatures of the sequence of monitored media signatures, the identified ones of the reference media assets are first identified ones of the reference media assets, and the at least one processor is to:
 compare second monitored media signatures of the sequence of monitored media signatures to the sequences of reference signatures to identify second ones of the reference media assets associated with respective numbers of signature matches that satisfy the signature match threshold, the second monitored media signatures corresponding to a second evaluation period of the plurality of temporally adjacent evaluation periods; and   credit media exposure for the second evaluation period based on comparison of a count of the second identified ones of the reference media assets to the media asset threshold.   
     
     
         25 . The apparatus of  claim 24 , wherein the at least one processor is to:
 credit the media exposure for the second evaluation period to the second identified ones of the reference media assets when the count of the second identified ones of the reference media assets is less than the media asset threshold; and   credit the media exposure for the second evaluation period to none of the reference media assets when the count of the second identified ones of the reference media assets is greater than the media asset threshold.   
     
     
         26 . The apparatus of  claim 21 , wherein the at least one processor is to obtain the monitored media signatures from a meter via the network interface, the meter to monitor media presented by one or more media devices. 
     
     
         27 . The apparatus of  claim 21 , wherein the signature match threshold corresponds to a number of signature matches per second. 
     
     
         28 . At least one non-transitory computer readable medium comprising computer readable instructions to cause one or more processors to at least:
 compare monitored media signatures corresponding to an evaluation period to sequences of reference signatures representative of respective reference media assets to identify ones of the reference media assets associated with respective numbers of signature matches over the evaluation period that satisfy a signature match threshold; and   credit media exposure for the evaluation period based on comparison of a count of the identified ones of the reference media assets to a media asset threshold.   
     
     
         29 . The at least one non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 28 , wherein the computer readable instructions are to cause the one or more processors to:
 credit the media exposure for the evaluation period to the identified ones of the reference media assets when the count of the identified ones of the reference media assets is less than the media asset threshold; and   credit the media exposure for the evaluation period to none of the reference media assets when the count of the identified ones of the reference media assets is greater than the media asset threshold.   
     
     
         30 . The at least one non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 28 , wherein the evaluation period is a first evaluation period, and the computer readable instructions are to cause the one or more processors to segment a sequence of monitored media signatures into a plurality of temporally adjacent evaluation periods including the first evaluation period. 
     
     
         31 . The at least one non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 30 , wherein the monitored media signatures are first monitored media signatures of the sequence of monitored media signatures, the identified ones of the reference media assets are first identified ones of the reference media assets, and the computer readable instructions are to cause the one or more processors to:
 compare second monitored media signatures of the sequence of monitored media signatures to the sequences of reference signatures to identify second ones of the reference media assets associated with respective numbers of signature matches that satisfy the signature match threshold, the second monitored media signatures corresponding to a second evaluation period of the plurality of temporally adjacent evaluation periods; and   credit media exposure for the second evaluation period based on comparison of a count of the second identified ones of the reference media assets to the media asset threshold.   
     
     
         32 . The at least one non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 31 , wherein the computer readable instructions are to cause the one or more processors to:
 credit the media exposure for the second evaluation period to the second identified ones of the reference media assets when the count of the second identified ones of the reference media assets is less than the media asset threshold; and   credit the media exposure for the second evaluation period to none of the reference media assets when the count of the second identified ones of the reference media assets is greater than the media asset threshold.   
     
     
         33 . The at least one non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 28 , wherein the computer readable instructions are to cause the one or more processors to obtain the monitored media signatures from a meter, the meter to monitor media presented by one or more media devices. 
     
     
         34 . The at least one non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 28 , wherein the signature match threshold corresponds to a number of signature matches per second. 
     
     
         35 . A method comprising:
 comparing, by executing an instruction with at least one processor, monitored media signatures corresponding to an evaluation period to sequences of reference signatures representative of respective reference media assets to identify ones of the reference media assets associated with respective numbers of signature matches over the evaluation period that satisfy a signature match threshold; and   crediting, by executing an instruction with the at least one processor, media exposure for the evaluation period based on comparison of a count of the identified ones of the reference media assets to a media asset threshold.   
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 35 , wherein the crediting includes:
 crediting the media exposure for the evaluation period to the identified ones of the reference media assets when the count of the identified ones of the reference media assets is less than the media asset threshold; and   crediting the media exposure for the evaluation period to none of the reference media assets when the count of the identified ones of the reference media assets is greater than the media asset threshold.   
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 35 , wherein the evaluation period is a first evaluation period, and further including segmenting a sequence of monitored media signatures into a plurality of temporally adjacent evaluation periods including the first evaluation period. 
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 37 , wherein the monitored media signatures are first monitored media signatures of the sequence of monitored media signatures, the identified ones of the reference media assets are first identified ones of the reference media assets, and further including:
 comparing second monitored media signatures of the sequence of monitored media signatures to the sequences of reference signatures to identify second ones of the reference media assets associated with respective numbers of signature matches that satisfy the signature match threshold, the second monitored media signatures corresponding to a second evaluation period of the plurality of temporally adjacent evaluation periods; and   crediting media exposure for the second evaluation period based on comparison of a count of the second identified ones of the reference media assets to the media asset threshold.   
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 38 , wherein the crediting of the media exposure for the second evaluation period includes:
 crediting the media exposure for the second evaluation period to the second identified ones of the reference media assets when the count of the second identified ones of the reference media assets is less than the media asset threshold; and   crediting the media exposure for the second evaluation period to none of the reference media assets when the count of the second identified ones of the reference media assets is greater than the media asset threshold.   
     
     
         40 . The method of  claim 35 , wherein the signature match threshold corresponds to a number of signature matches per second.