Systems and methods for wirelessly modifying detection characteristics of portable devices

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11064423-B2
Application number	US-202016852097-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 17, 2020
Priority date	Oct 22, 2012
Publication date	Jul 13, 2021
Grant date	Jul 13, 2021

Abstract

Example systems, methods, apparatus and articles of manufacture for wirelessly modifying detection characteristics of portable devices are disclosed herein. Example portable devices disclosed here include a microphone and radio frequency circuitry to scan for a radio frequency beacon at a first scanning rate. Disclosed example apparatus also include a processor to trigger activation of audio monitoring, in the portable device, of an audio signal obtained via the microphone. In some disclosed examples, the audio monitoring is to be triggered in response to a first connection being made via the radio frequency circuitry with a first transmitter of the radio frequency beacon. In some disclosed examples, the audio monitoring is to collect research data from the audio signal.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A portable device comprising:
a microphone;
radio frequency circuitry to:
scan for radio frequency beacons at a first scanning rate prior to establishment of a first connection with a first radio frequency beacon;
scan for radio frequency beacons at a second scanning rate different from the first scanning rate after the establishment of the first connection with the first radio frequency beacon; and
scan for radio frequency beacons at a third scanning rate different from the second scanning rate after establishment of a second connection with a second radio frequency beacon; and

a processor to:
trigger activation of audio monitoring via the microphone in response to the establishment of the first connection via the radio frequency circuitry with the first radio frequency beacon, the audio monitoring to at least one of detect an audio code or generate an audio signature; and
update the audio monitoring in response to at least one of (i) the establishment of the second connection via the radio frequency circuitry with the second radio frequency beacon, or (ii) loss of the first connection with the first radio frequency beacon.

2. The portable device of claim 1 , wherein to update the audio monitoring, the processor is to turn off the audio monitoring.

3. The portable device of claim 1 , wherein the processor is to activate the audio monitoring to have a first configuration, and the processor is to update the audio monitoring to have a second configuration different from the first configuration.

4. The portable device of claim 3 , wherein the first configuration is to specify at least one of a first type of code detection or a first type of signature generation to be performed on an output of the microphone, and the second configuration is to specify at least one of a second type of code detection or a second type of signature generation to be performed on the output of the microphone, the second type of code detection different from the first type of code detection, the second type of signature generation different from the first type of signature generation.

5. The portable device of claim 4 , wherein the first type of code detection is based on a first plurality of signal frequencies, and the second type of code detection is based on a second plurality of signal frequencies.

6. A portable apparatus comprising:
means for sensing audio;
means for scanning for radio frequency beacons, the means for scanning to:
scan for radio frequency beacons at a first scanning rate prior to establishment of a first connection with a first radio frequency beacon;
scan for radio frequency beacons at a second scanning rate different from the first scanning rate after the establishment of the first connection with the first radio frequency beacon; and
scan for radio frequency beacons at a third scanning rate different from the second scanning rate after establishment of a second connection with a second radio frequency beacon; and

means for performing audio monitoring based on an output of the means for sensing audio, the audio monitoring to at least one of detect an audio code or generate an audio signature, the means for performing audio monitoring to:
trigger activation of the audio monitoring in response to the establishment of the first connection with the first radio frequency beacon; and
update the audio monitoring in response to at least one of (i) the establishment of the second connection with the second radio frequency beacon, or (ii) loss of the first connection with the first radio frequency beacon.

7. The portable apparatus of claim 6 , wherein to update the audio monitoring, the means for performing audio monitoring is to turn off the audio monitoring.

8. The portable apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the means for performing audio monitoring is to activate the audio monitoring to have a first configuration, and the means for performing audio monitoring is to update the audio monitoring to have a second configuration different from the first configuration.

9. The portable apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the first configuration is to specify at least one of a first type of code detection or a first type of signature generation to be performed on the audio, and the second configuration is to specify at least one of a second type of code detection or a second type of signature generation to be performed on the audio, the second type of code detection different from the first type of code detection, the second type of signature generation different from the first type of signature generation.

10. The portable apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the first type of code detection is based on a first plurality of signal frequencies, and the second type of code detection is based on a second plurality of signal frequencies.

11. An article of manufacture comprising computer readable instructions that, when executed, cause at least one processor of a portable device to at least:
configure radio frequency circuitry of the portable device to scan for radio frequency beacons at a first scanning rate prior to establishment of a first connection with a first radio frequency beacon;
configure the radio frequency circuitry of the portable device to scan for radio frequency beacons at a second scanning rate different from the first scanning rate after the establishment of the first connection with the first radio frequency beacon;
configure the radio frequency circuitry of the portable device to scan for radio frequency beacons at a third scanning rate different from the second scanning rate after establishment of a second connection with a second radio frequency beacon;
trigger, in the portable device, activation of audio monitoring of an output of a microphone of the portable device in response to the establishment of the first connection via the radio frequency circuitry with the first radio frequency beacon, the audio monitoring to at least one of detect an audio code or generate an audio signature; and
update the audio monitoring in response to at least one of (i) the establishment of the second connection via the radio frequency circuitry with the second radio frequency beacon, or (ii) loss of the first connection with the first radio frequency beacon.

12. The article of manufacture of claim 11 , wherein to update the audio monitoring, the instructions cause the at least one processor to turn off the audio monitoring.

13. The article of manufacture of claim 11 , wherein the instructions cause the at least one processor to activate the audio monitoring to have a first configuration, and the processor is to update the audio monitoring to have a second configuration different from the first configuration.

14. The article of manufacture of claim 13 , wherein the first configuration is to specify at least one of a first type of code detection or a first type of signature generation to be performed on the output of the microphone, and the second configuration is to specify at least one of a second type of code detection or a second type of signature generation to be performed on the output of the microphone, the second type of code detection different from the first type of code detection, the second type of signature generation different from the first type of signature generation.

15. The article of manufacture of claim 14 , wherein the first type of code detection is based on a first plurality of signal frequencies, and the second type of code detection is based on a second plurality of signal frequencies.

Assignees

• Nielsen Co Us Llc

Inventors

• Jain Anand
• Stavropoulos John
• Neuhauser Alan
• Lynch Wendell
• Kuznetsov Vladimir
• Crystal Jack
• Gish David

Classifications

• G06Q30/02

  Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising · CPC title

• H04M1/72412

  using two-way short-range wireless interfaces · CPC title

• H04W48/04 Primary

  based on user or terminal location or mobility data, e.g. moving direction, speed · CPC title

• H04N21/00

  Selective content distribution, e.g. interactive television or video on demand [VOD] (real-time bi-directional transmission of motion video data H04N7/14 {; broadcast or conference over packet switching networks H04L12/18}) · CPC title

• H04M1/6008

  in the transmitter circuit · CPC title