Levitating metering apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11564006-B2
Application number	US-202117452542-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 27, 2021
Priority date	Sep 9, 2019
Publication date	Jan 24, 2023
Grant date	Jan 24, 2023

Abstract

Example levitating meter apparatus are disclosed. An example metering system includes a meter having a display to present indicia associated with a panelist. The meter has a microphone to receive audio output from a media device and circuitry to perform media monitoring. A base includes a cavity to receive at least a portion of the meter. The meter to magnetically levitate relative to the base to decouple the meter from the base. The base and the meter structured to fix a rotational position of the meter relative to the base when the at least the portion of the meter is received by the cavity of the base and the meter levitates relative to the base.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A metering system comprising:
a meter having a display to present indicia associated with a panelist, the meter having a microphone to receive audio output from a media device and circuitry to perform media monitoring; and
a base including a cavity to receive at least a portion of the meter, the meter to magnetically levitate relative to the base to decouple the meter from the base, the base and the meter structured to fix a rotational position of the meter relative to the base when the at least the portion of the meter is received by the cavity of the base and the meter levitates relative to the base.

2. The metering system of claim 1 , wherein the meter is to detach entirely from the base when the meter levitates relative to the base to isolate the microphone from the base to reduce degradation of an audio signal received by the microphone when the cavity of the base receives a lower housing of the meter.

3. The metering system of claim 1 , wherein meter nests within the cavity of the base to maintain the meter aligned relative to the base when the meter levitates relative to the base.

4. The metering system of claim 1 , wherein the meter structured to decouple from the base in response to moving the meter away from the base.

5. The metering system of claim 1 , wherein the meter includes a plurality of housing magnets and the base includes a plurality of base magnets, respective ones of the housing magnets align with respective ones of the base magnets, the housing magnets to repel the base magnets to cause the meter to levitate relative to the base.

6. The metering system of claim 5 , wherein the meter and the base form a gap therebetween when the meter levitates relative to the base.

7. The metering system of claim 6 , wherein the gap between the meter and the base provides an insulator to dampen vibrations imparted to the base to prevent the microphone from sensing noise generated from the vibrations.

8. The metering system of claim 1 , wherein the meter including an upper housing and a lower housing, the lower housing having a plurality of lower housing side walls, the lower housing side walls each taper towards a longitudinal axis of the lower housing, the meter including a first lower housing side wall, a second lower housing side wall, a third lower housing side wall, a fourth lower housing side wall, and a lower housing bottom wall.

9. The metering system of claim 8 , wherein the base includes a plurality of base inner side walls defining the cavity, the base inner side walls includes a first base inner side wall, a second base inner side wall, a third base inner side wall, a fourth base inner side wall, and a base inner bottom wall, wherein the first base inner side wall is oriented toward the first lower housing side wall, the second base inner side wall is oriented toward the second lower housing side wall, the third base inner side wall is oriented toward the third lower housing side wall, the fourth base inner side wall is oriented toward the fourth lower housing side wall, and the base inner bottom wall is oriented toward the lower housing bottom wall.

10. The metering system of claim 9 , wherein the first base inner side wall is substantially parallel relative to the first lower housing side wall, the second base inner side wall is substantially parallel relative to the second lower housing side wall, the third base inner side wall is substantially parallel relative to the third lower housing side wall, and the fourth base inner side wall is substantially parallel relative to the fourth lower housing side wall, and the base inner bottom wall is substantially parallel relative to the lower housing bottom wall.

11. A metering system comprising:
a meter defining a housing that includes circuitry to perform media monitoring;
a microphone within the housing of the meter to receive audio from a media device;
a base separate from the meter and defining a cavity;
a plurality of housing magnets carried by the meter; and
a plurality of base magnets carried by the base and oriented toward the cavity, the housing magnets of the meter to align with corresponding base magnets of the base when the meter is located in the cavity of the base, the base magnets to repel the housing magnets, the housing magnets to cause the housing to levitate relative to the base to form an air gap therebetween, the base and the meter structured to restrict rotation of the meter relative to the base when the meter is levitated relative to the base, the meter being capable of instantaneous removal from the base.

12. The metering system of claim 11 , wherein the housing magnets are positioned about a perimeter of the housing, and wherein the base magnets are positioned about a perimeter of the base.

13. The metering system of claim 11 , wherein the housing includes a lower housing portion and an upper housing portion, the lower housing portion having a convex shape defined by a plurality of housing walls.

14. The metering system of claim 13 , wherein the lower housing portion includes at least one of a first housing wall, a second housing wall, a third housing wall, and a fourth housing wall, the first housing wall is oriented opposite the second housing wall, the third housing wall is oriented opposite the fourth housing wall, and wherein the first housing wall includes a first housing magnet and a second housing magnet, the second housing wall includes a third housing magnet and a fourth housing magnet, the third housing wall includes a fifth housing magnet and the fourth housing wall includes a sixth housing magnet.

15. The metering system of claim 14 , wherein the base includes a plurality of inner base walls that define the cavity, the cavity having a concave shape, the inner base walls including at least a first base wall, a second base wall, a third base wall and a fourth base wall, the first base wall is oriented opposite the second base wall, and the third base wall is oriented opposite the fourth base wall, and wherein the first base wall includes a first base magnet and a second base magnet, the second base wall includes a third base magnet and a fourth base magnet, the third base wall includes a fifth base magnet, and fourth base wall includes a sixth base magnet.

16. The metering system of claim 15 , wherein when the meter is coupled to the base, the first housing wall is oriented toward the first base wall, the second housing wall is oriented toward the second base wall, the third housing wall is oriented toward the third base wall, and the fourth housing wall is oriented toward the fourth base wall.

17. A metering system for monitoring a media device, the metering system comprising:
a meter having a display to present indicia associated with a panelist, the meter having a microphone to receive audio output from the media device and circuitry to perform media monitoring, the meter having a housing defining a projection; and
a base defining a cavity to receive the projection of the meter, the meter to magnetically levitate relative to the base to decouple the meter from the base and isolate the microphone from the base to reduce degradation of an audio signal received by the microphone when the projection of the meter is received by the base, the base and the meter structured to fix a rotational position of the meter relative to the base in response to at least one of the meter coupled to the base or the meter levitating relative to the base.

18. The metering system of claim 17 , wherein the meter includes a plurality of housing magnets and the base i

Assignees

• Nielsen Co Us Llc

Inventors

• Barbis Andrej
• Arh Joze
• Panger Marko
• Usaj Marko
• Vranek Saso

Classifications

• H02N15/00

  Holding or levitation devices using magnetic attraction or repulsion, not otherwise provided for (electric or magnetic devices for holding work on machine tools B23Q3/15 {; monorail vehicle propulsion or suspension B60L13/00}; sliding or levitation devices for railway systems B61B13/08; material handling devices associated with conveyors incorporating devices with electrostatic or magnetic grippers B65G47/92; separating thin or filamentary articles from piles using magnetic force B65H3/16; delivering thin or filamentary articles from magnetic holders by air blast or suction B65H29/24; bearings using magnetic or electric supporting means F16C32/04; relieving bearing loads using magnetic means F16C39/06; magnets H01F7/00; dynamo-electric clutches or brakes H02K49/00 {; electric furnaces with simultaneous levitation and heating H05B6/32}) · CPC title

• G06Q30/0272

  Period of advertisement exposure · CPC title

• G06Q30/0201 Primary

  Market modelling; Market analysis; Collecting market data · CPC title

• H04N21/812

  involving advertisement data (advertising per se G06Q30/02) · CPC title

• H04H60/33

  Arrangements for monitoring the users' behaviour or opinions · CPC title