Methods and apparatus for monitoring video games

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11115721-B2
Application number	US-201916555878-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 29, 2019
Priority date	Feb 17, 2004
Publication date	Sep 7, 2021
Grant date	Sep 7, 2021

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for monitoring video games are disclosed. Example video game monitors disclosed herein include a network analyzer to communicatively couple with a communication interface of a video game console, the network analyzer to detect communication packets transferred over the communication interface of the video game console. Disclosed example video game monitors also include a processor to decode the communication packets detected by the network analyzer to determine an identity of a game being played by the video game console, and report the identity of the game to a data collection facility.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A video game monitor comprising:
a network analyzer to communicatively couple with a communication interface of a video game console, the network analyzer to detect communication packets transferred over the communication interface of the video game console; and
a processor to:
decode the communication packets detected by the network analyzer to determine an identity of a game being played by the video game console;
determine, based on the communication packets detected by the network analyzer, whether game content has been downloaded from a source external from the video game console; and
report the identity of the game to a data collection facility.

2. The video game monitor of claim 1 , wherein the processor is to:
decode data from the communication packets detected by the network analyzer; and
determine the identity of the game based on the data decoded from the communication packets.

3. The video game monitor of claim 2 , wherein the data includes text data, and the processor is to identify a title of the game based on the text data.

4. The video game monitor of claim 2 , wherein the processor is further to:
identify active game content based on the data decoded from the communication packets; and
report the identified active game content to the data collection facility.

5. The video game monitor of claim 2 , wherein processor is to identify at least one of an active game level or an active game map based on the data decoded from the communication packets.

6. The video game monitor of claim 1 , wherein the video game console is a first video game console, and the processor is to:
decode the communication packets to determine a first network identity of the first video game console and a second network identity of a second video game console in communication with the first video game console via the communication interface of the video game console; and
report the first network identity and the second network identity to the data collection facility.

7. A video game monitor comprising:
means for communicatively coupling with a communication interface of a first video game console to detect communication packets on the communication interface of the first video game console, the communication interface to communicatively couple the first video game console with at least one of a second video game console or a network; and
means for decoding the communication packets detected on the communication interface of the first video game console to determine an identity of a game being played by the first video game console, the means for decoding to report the identity of the game to a data collection facility, the means for decoding to determine, based on the communication packets detected on the communication interface of the first video game console, whether game content has been downloaded from a source external from the first video game console.

8. The video game monitor of claim 7 , wherein the means for decoding is to:
decode data from the communication packets detected on the communication interface of the first video game console; and
determine the identity of the game based on the data decoded from the communication packets.

9. The video game monitor of claim 8 , wherein the data includes text data, and the means for decoding is to identify a title of the game based on the text data.

10. The video game monitor of claim 8 , wherein the means for decoding is further to:
identify active game content based on the data decoded from the communication packets; and
report the identified active game content to the data collection facility.

11. The video game monitor of claim 8 , wherein the means for decoding is to identify at least one of an active game level or an active game map based on the data decoded from the communication packets.

12. The video game monitor of claim 7 , wherein the means for decoding is to:
decode the communication packets to determine a first network identity of the first video game console and a second network identity of the second video game console in communication with the first video game console via the communication interface of the video game console; and
report the first network identity and the second network identity to the data collection facility.

13. A storage device or storage disk comprising computer readable instructions that, when executed, cause a processor to at least:
access communication packets detected on a communication interface of a first video game console, the communication interface to communicatively couple the first video game console with at least one of a second video game console or a network, the communication packets detected by a network analyzer communicatively coupled with the communication interface of the first video game console;
decode the detected communication packets to determine an identity of a game being played by the first video game console;
determine, based on the detected communication packets, whether game content has been downloaded from a source external from the first video game console; and
report the identity of the game to a data collection facility.

14. The storage device or storage disk of claim 13 , wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the processor to:
decode data from the communication packets detected on the communication interface of the first video game console; and
determine the identity of the game based on the data decoded from the communication packets.

15. The storage device or storage disk of claim 14 , wherein the data includes text data, and the instructions, when executed, cause the processor to identify a title of the game based on the text data.

16. The storage device or storage disk of claim 14 , wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the processor further to:
identify active game content based on the data decoded from the communication packets, the active game content including at least one of an active game level or an active game map; and
report the identified active game content to the data collection facility.

17. The storage device or storage disk of claim 13 , wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the processor to;
decode the communication packets to determine a first network identity of the first video game console and a second network identity of the second video game console in communication with the first video game console via the communication interface of the video game console; and
report the first network identity and the second network identity to the data collection facility.

Assignees

• Nielsen Co Us Llc

Inventors

• Wright David Howell
• Lawrence Bradley R
• Ramaswamy Arun

Classifications

• A63F13/10

  Human Necessities · mapped topic

• A63F13/12

  Human Necessities · mapped topic

• A63F13/25

  Output arrangements for video game devices · CPC title

• H04N21/44204

  Monitoring of content usage, e.g. the number of times a movie has been viewed, copied or the amount which has been watched (monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; protecting generic digital content where the protection is independent of the precise nature of the content G06F21/10; arrangements for monitoring the use made of the broadcast services in broadcast systems H04H60/31) · CPC title

• A63F2300/535

  for monitoring, e.g. of user parameters, terminal parameters, application parameters, network parameters · CPC title