Methods and apparatus to determine audio source impact on an audience of media

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11350164-B2
Application number	US-202117170480-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 8, 2021
Priority date	Apr 20, 2018
Publication date	May 31, 2022
Grant date	May 31, 2022

Abstract

Methods, apparatus, systems and articles of manufacture to determine audio source impact on an audience of media are disclosed. A disclosed example method includes dividing monitored audio into successive audio segments including a first audio segment and a second audio segment. The example method also includes generating a first confidence value from the first audio segment and a second confidence value from the second audio segment, the first confidence value associated with a presence of a first audio source in the first audio segment, the second confidence value associated with a presence of the first audio source in the second audio segment. The example method includes identifying whether the monitored audio is associated with a presentation of first media based on the first confidence value and the second confidence value.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus comprising:
an audio segmenter to divide monitored audio into successive audio segments including a first audio segment and a second audio segment, the first audio segment associated with a first quantity of audience members exposed to the monitored audio during the first audio segment, the second audio segment associated with a second quantity of audience members exposed to the monitored audio during the second audio segment;
a speaker evaluator to generate a first confidence value from the first audio segment of the successive audio segments and a second confidence value from the second audio segment, the first confidence value associated with a presence of a first audio source in the first audio segment, the second confidence value associated with a presence of the first audio source in the second audio segment; and
a media verifier to identify whether the monitored audio is associated with a presentation of first media based on the first confidence value and the second confidence value.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the speaker evaluator includes:
a speech pattern generator to generate a pattern from the first audio segment; and
a pattern comparator to compare the generated pattern to a set of reference patterns to generate the first confidence value, the set of reference patterns associated with the first audio source.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the pattern comparator is to compare the generated pattern to the set of reference patterns based on linear regression.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the speaker evaluator is further to generate a third confidence value for the first audio segment, the third confidence value associated with a presence of a second audio source in the first audio segment, and further including a dominant speaker identifier to compare the first confidence value and the third confidence value to determine a dominant audio source in the first audio segment.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the media verifier is to compare the first confidence value and the second confidence value to a list of audio sources associated with the first media to generate a probability that the monitored audio is associated with the first media.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the first media corresponds to at least one of a movie or a television program, and the list of audio sources is a cast list associated with the first media.

7. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the probability is a first probability, and the media verifier is to generate a second probability that the monitored audio is associated with a presentation of second media, the second probability based on the first confidence value and the second confidence value, the second media different from the first media.

8. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising instructions that, when executed, cause a processor to at least:
divide monitored audio into successive audio segments including a first audio segment and a second audio segment, the first audio segment associated with a first quantity of audience members exposed to the monitored audio during the first audio segment, the second audio segment associated with a second quantity of audience members exposed to the monitored audio during the second audio segment;
generate a first confidence value from the first audio segment and a second confidence value from the second audio segment, the first confidence value associated with a presence of a first audio source in the first audio segment, the second confidence value associated with a presence of the first audio source in the second audio segment; and
identify whether the monitored audio is associated with a presentation of first media based on the first confidence value and the second confidence value.

9. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 8 , wherein the instructions cause the processor to:
generate a pattern from the first audio segment; and
compare the generated pattern to a set of reference patterns to generate the first confidence value, the set of reference patterns associated with the first audio source.

10. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 9 , wherein the instructions cause the processor to compare the generated pattern to the set of reference patterns based on linear regression.

11. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 8 , wherein the instructions cause the processor to:
generate a third confidence value for the first audio segment, the third confidence value associated with a presence of a second audio source in the first audio segment; and
compare the first confidence value and the third confidence value to determine a dominant audio source in the first audio segment.

12. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 8 , wherein the instructions cause the processor to compare the first confidence value and the second confidence value to a list of audio sources associated with the first media to generate a probability that the monitored audio is associated with the first media.

13. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 12 , wherein the first media corresponds to at least one of movie presentation or a television presentation, and the list of audio sources is a cast list associated with the first media.

14. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 12 , wherein the instructions cause the processor to generate a second probability that the monitored audio is associated with a presentation of second media based on the first confidence value and the second confidence value.

15. An apparatus comprising:
memory including instructions; and
a processor to execute the instructions to:
divide monitored audio into successive audio segments including a first audio segment and a second audio segment, the first audio segment associated with a first quantity of audience members exposed to the monitored audio during the first audio segment, the second audio segment associated with a second quantity of audience members exposed to the monitored audio during the second audio segment;
generate a first confidence value from the first audio segment and a second confidence value from the second audio segment, the first confidence value associated with a presence of a first audio source in the first audio segment, the second confidence value associated with a presence of the first audio source in the second audio segment; and
identify whether the monitored audio is associated with a presentation of first media based on the first confidence value and the second confidence value.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the processor is further to:
generate a pattern from the first audio segment; and
compare the generated pattern to a set of reference patterns to generate the first confidence value, the set of reference patterns associated with the first audio source.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the processor is to comprise the generated pattern to the set of reference patterns based on linear regression.

18. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the processor is to:
generate a third confidence value for the first audio segment, the third confidence value associated with a presence of a second audio source in the first audio segment; and
compare the first confidence value and the third confidence value to determine a dominant audio source in the first audio segment.

19. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the processor compare the first confidence value and the second confidence value to a

Assignees

• Nielsen Co Us Llc

Inventors

• Milavsky Joseph Gregory
• Alsaket Hashem
• Bartelme James
• Besehanic Jan
• Stembler Edward

Classifications

• H04N21/42203

  sound input device, e.g. microphone · CPC title

• H04H60/29 Primary

  Arrangements for monitoring broadcast services or broadcast-related services · CPC title

• H04N21/44226 Primary

  on social networks · CPC title

• G10L15/22

  Procedures used during a speech recognition process, e.g. man-machine dialogue · 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