System and method for determining meter presence utilizing ambient fingerprints

US9332363B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• The Nielsen Company (US), LLC · US

Inventors

• Anand Jain · Ellicott City, US
• John Stavropoulos · Edison, US
• Alan Neuhauser · Silver Spring, US
• Wendell Lynch · East Lansing, US
• Vladimir Kuznetsov · Ellicott City, US
• Jack Crystal · Owings Mills, US
• David Gish · Riverdale, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Dec 27, 2012
• Grant date: May 3, 2016
• Expiry date: May 13, 2034

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G06Q30/02
• WIPO field: IT methods for management
• WIPO sector: Electrical engineering

Abstract

Systems and methods are disclosed for providing portable device presence utilizing environmental ambient audio fingerprints. Portable devices provide media exposure data and environmental ambient fingerprints to a processing device, where the environmental ambient signatures provide at least one characteristic of the ambient audio surrounding each portable device. The environmental ambient signatures are then processed to determine if they match. Portable devices associated with matching signatures are identified. Ambient fingerprints may also be used to establish a logical location where media exposure took place. The ambient signatures are alternately combined with monitored data to provide more robust data sets for contextual processing.