Methods and apparatus to dynamically generate audio signatures adaptive to circumstances associated with media being monitored

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11715488-B2
Application number	US-202117146247-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 11, 2021
Priority date	Jun 4, 2018
Publication date	Aug 1, 2023
Grant date	Aug 1, 2023

Abstract

Methods and apparatus to dynamically generate audio signatures adaptive to circumstances associated with media being monitored are disclosed. An example apparatus includes a media content analyzer to detect a watermark encoded in media monitored by a meter. The apparatus includes a media environment analyzer to estimate an amount of background noise in an environment in which the media is monitored by the meter. The apparatus further includes a signature scheme selector to select a first signature scheme from among a plurality of signature schemes to generate monitored signatures of the media. The first signature scheme is selected based on the amount of background noise. The apparatus also includes a signature generator to generate a first monitored signature of the media based on the first signature scheme.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus comprising:
memory;
instructions; and
processor circuitry to execute the instructions to:
detect a watermark encoded in media monitored by a meter;
determine a baseline noise for the media using the watermark;
estimate, based on the baseline noise, an amount of background noise in an environment in which the media is monitored by the meter;
select a first signature scheme from among a plurality of signature schemes to generate monitored signatures of the media, the first signature scheme selected based on the amount of background noise; and
generate a first monitored signature of the media based on the first signature scheme.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , further including a communications interface to transmit the first monitored signature to a data collection facility.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processor circuitry is to:
select the first signature scheme when the amount of background noise is above a threshold; and
select a second signature scheme from among the plurality of signature schemes when the amount of background noise is below the threshold, the second signature scheme different than the first signature scheme.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processor circuitry is to:
measure signal energy of an audio stream of the media; and
select the first signature scheme based on the signal energy of the audio stream.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processor circuitry is to:
determine a genre of the media; and
select the first signature scheme based on the genre of the media.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processor circuitry is to generate a scheme identifier to be associated with the first monitored signature, the scheme identifier to identify the first signature scheme and to identify a configuration of the first signature scheme.

7. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising instructions that, when executed, cause an audience measurement meter to at least:
detect a watermark encoded in media monitored by the audience measurement meter;
determine a baseline noise for the media using the watermark;
estimate, based on the baseline noise, an amount of background noise in an environment in which the media is monitored by the audience measurement meter;
select a first signature scheme from among a plurality of signature schemes to generate monitored signatures of the media, the first signature scheme selected based on the amount of background noise; and
generate a first monitored signature of the media based on the first signature scheme.

8. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 7 , wherein the instructions cause the audience measurement meter to transmit the first monitored signature to a data collection facility.

9. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 7 , wherein the instructions cause the audience measurement meter to:
select the first signature scheme when the amount of background noise is above a threshold; and
select a second signature scheme from among the plurality of signature schemes when the amount of background noise is below the threshold, the second signature scheme different than the first signature scheme.

10. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 7 , wherein the instructions cause the audience measurement meter to:
measure signal energy of an audio stream of the media; and
select the first signature scheme based on the signal energy of the audio stream.

11. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 7 , wherein the instructions cause the audience measurement meter to:
determine a genre of the media; and
select the first signature scheme based on the genre of the media.

12. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 7 , wherein the instructions cause the audience measurement meter to generate a scheme identifier to be associated with the first monitored signature, the scheme identifier to identify the first signature scheme and to identify a configuration of the first signature scheme.

13. A method comprising:
detecting a watermark encoded in media monitored by a meter;
determining a baseline noise for the media using the watermark;
estimating, based on the baseline noise by executing an instruction with at least one processor, an amount of background noise in an environment in which the media is monitored by the meter;
selecting, by executing an instruction with the at least one processor, a first signature scheme from among a plurality of signature schemes to generate monitored signatures of the media, the first signature scheme selected based on the amount of background noise; and
generating a first monitored signature of the media based on the first signature scheme.

14. The method of claim 13 , further including transmitting the first monitored signature to a data collection facility.

15. The method of claim 13 , further including:
selecting the first signature scheme when the amount of background noise is above a threshold; and
selecting a second signature scheme from among the plurality of signature schemes when the amount of background noise is below the threshold, the second signature scheme different than the first signature scheme.

16. The method of claim 13 , further including:
determining a genre of the media; and
selecting the first signature scheme based on the genre of the media.

17. The method of claim 13 , further including generating a scheme identifier to be associated with the first monitored signature, the scheme identifier to identify the first signature scheme and to identify a configuration of the first signature scheme.

18. The method of claim 13 , further including:
measuring signal energy of an audio stream of the media; and
selecting the first signature scheme based on the signal energy of the audio stream.

Assignees

• Nielsen Co Us Llc

Inventors

• Ramaswamy Arun
• Jain Anand
• Stavropoulos John

Classifications

• G10L25/78 Primary

  Detection of presence or absence of voice signals (switching of direction of transmission by voice frequency in two-way loud-speaking telephone systems H04M9/10) · CPC title

• H04H60/58

  of audio {(determination or detection of speech characteristics in general G10L25/00; speech recognition in general G10L15/00)} · CPC title

• H04N21/44218

  Detecting physical presence or behaviour of the user, e.g. using sensors to detect if the user is leaving the room or changes his face expression during a TV programme (methods or arrangements for recognising human body or animal bodies or body parts G06V40/10; methods or arrangements for acquiring or recognising human faces, facial parts, facial sketches, facial expressions G06V40/16; methods or arrangements for recognising movements or behaviour G06V40/20; arrangements for identifying users in broadcast systems H04H60/45) · CPC title

• H04N21/44222

  Analytics of user selections, e.g. selection of programmes or purchase activity (monitoring of user selections in data processing systems G06F11/34; arrangements for monitoring the user's behaviour or opinions in broadcast systems H04H60/33) · CPC title

• H04N21/25891 Primary

  being end-user preferences (retrieval of video data in a video database based on user preferences G06F16/739; arrangements for recognizing users' preferences H04H60/46; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18) · CPC title