Methods and apparatus to identify streaming media sources

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11558661-B2
Application number	US-202117181988-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 22, 2021
Priority date	Mar 23, 2017
Publication date	Jan 17, 2023
Grant date	Jan 17, 2023

Abstract

Methods, apparatus, systems and articles of manufacture to identify media sources are disclosed. Example apparatus disclosed herein include an exclusivity determiner, a unique asset identifier, and a signature matcher. The exclusivity determiner is to determine whether media is exclusive to a provider. The unique asset identifier is to associate a first signature of the media with the provider if the media is exclusive to the provider. The signature matcher is to identify the provider based on a second signature, the second signature matching the first signature, the second signature extracted from media presented at a media presentation location.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus comprising:
at least one memory;
computer readable instructions; and
processor circuitry to execute the computer readable instructions to at least:
determine whether first media is exclusive to a provider;

in response to a determination that the first media is exclusive to the provider, mark, in a database, a first signature of the first media to identify the first signature is associated with a unique asset exclusive to the provider;
compare a second signature associated with second media presented at a media presentation location with the first signature;
in response to a determination that the second signature matches the first signature, retrieve an identification of the provider from the database; and
credit presentation of the second media to the provider.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processor circuitry is to:
identify the first media based on source data collected from a reference generator; and
identify the provider based on the source data.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the source data includes at least one of a universal resource locator, metadata of the first media, or provider-supplied media data.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the processor circuitry is to parse the source data and search for separating characters or phrases to determine the provider.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processor circuitry is to determine whether the first media is exclusive to the provider by comparing media information corresponding to the first media with an exclusive media database of entries publicly known to be exclusive.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the second signature is generated by a media presentation meter.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the second signature is extracted during presentation of the second media at the media presentation location.

8. An apparatus comprising:
means for determining whether first media is exclusive to a provider,
means for marking, in a database, a first signature of the first media to identify the first signature is associated with a unique asset exclusive to the provider in response to a determination the first media is exclusive to the provider;
signature matching means for:
comparing a second signature associated with second media presented at a media presentation location with the first signature; and
retrieving an identification of the provider from the database in response to a determination that the second signature matches the first signature; and

means for crediting presentation of the second media to the provider.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 further including:
means for identifying the first media based on source data collected from a reference generator; and
means for identifying the provider based on the source data.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the means for identifying the first media based on source data collected from a reference generator is to further parse the source data and search for separating characters or phrases to determine the provider.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the means for determining whether the first media is exclusive to the provider is to compare media information corresponding to the first media with an exclusive media database of entries publicly known to be exclusive.

12. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the second signature is generated by a media presentation meter.

13. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the second signature is extracted during presentation of the second media at the media presentation location.

14. At least one non-transitory computer readable storage medium comprising instructions that, when executed, cause at least one processor to at least:
determine whether first media is exclusive to a provider;
in response to a determination that the first media is exclusive to the provider, mark, in a database, a first signature of the first media to identify the first signature is associated with a unique asset exclusive to the provider;
compare a second signature associated with second media presented at a media presentation location with the first signature;
in response to determining a determination that the second signature matches the first signature, retrieve an identification of the provider from the database; and
credit presentation of the second media to the provider.

15. The at least one computer readable storage medium of claim 14 , wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the at least one processor to identify the first media based on source data collected from a reference generator and identify the provider based on the source data.

16. The at least one computer readable storage medium of claim 15 , wherein the source data includes at least one of a universal resource locator, metadata of the first media, or provider-supplied media data.

17. The at least one computer readable storage medium of claim 16 , wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the at least one processor to parse the source data and search for separating characters or phrases to determine the provider.

18. The at least one computer readable storage medium of claim 14 , wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the at least one processor to determine whether the first media is exclusive to the provider by comparing media information corresponding to the first media with an exclusive media database of entries publicly known to be exclusive.

Assignees

• Nielsen Co Us Llc

Inventors

• Tapse Sandeep
• Olmsted Jason
• Petro James
• Borawski Albert T
• Fuhrer Brian

Classifications

• H04N21/23109

  by placing content in organized collections, e.g. EPG data repository (details of retrieval of video data and associated meta data in video databases G06F16/739) · CPC title

• H04N21/8352

  involving content or source identification data, e.g. Unique Material Identifier [UMID] · CPC title

• H04N21/44224 Primary

  Monitoring of user activity on external systems, e.g. Internet browsing · CPC title

• H04N21/84

  Generation or processing of descriptive data, e.g. content descriptors {(systems specially adapted for using meta-information in broadcast systems H04H60/73)} · CPC title

• H04L65/61

  for supporting one-way streaming services, e.g. Internet radio · CPC title