Methods and apparatus to determine a unique audience for internet-based media

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12096058-B2
Application number	US-202318339327-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 22, 2023
Priority date	Jul 24, 2018
Publication date	Sep 17, 2024
Grant date	Sep 17, 2024

Abstract

An example apparatus disclosed herein includes at least one memory, instructions, and at least one processor to execute the instructions to: receive first HyperLogLog (HLL) data from a first server of a first database proprietor and second HyperLogLog (HLL) data from a second server of a second database proprietor, the first HLL data including obfuscated first user impression data and the second HLL data including obfuscated second user impression data; generate union HLL data based on the first HLL data from the first database proprietor and the second HLL data from the second database proprietor by performing a union of data sets of the obfuscated first user impression data represented in the first HLL data and the obfuscated second user impression data represented in the second HLL data; and determine a total number of deduplicated unique audience members based on the union HLL data generated by the vector analyzer.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method performed by an audience measurement computing system, the method comprising:
receiving, via a network interface, first hash data from a first server of a first database proprietor, the first hash data generated based on a shared salt and on first personally-identifiable information of first subscribers of the first database proprietor, wherein the first personally-identifiable information is associated with first impression data, wherein the first impression data is associated with media, and wherein the first hash data obfuscates the first personally-identifiable information;
generating unified hash data based on the first hash data and on second hash data, the second hash data generated based on the shared salt and on second personally-identifiable information, wherein the second personally-identifiable information is associated with second impression data, wherein the second impression data is associated with the media, and wherein the second hash data obfuscates the second personally-identifiable information; and
based on the unified hash data, generating a deduplicated audience size corresponding to the first impression data and the second impression data.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving, via the network interface, the second hash data from a second server of a second database proprietor.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
transmitting, via the network interface, to the first server, an encryption key for encrypting the shared salt.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the media is an advertisement; and
the shared salt is associated with a first advertisement campaign.

5. The method of claim 4 , further comprising:
transmitting, via the network interface, to the first server, instructions to replace the shared salt with a new shared salt associated with a second advertisement campaign, different from the first advertisement campaign.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the first hash data comprises first hash values, and
the second hash data comprises second hash values.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first personally-identifiable information or the second personally-identifiable information comprises one or more of email addresses or usernames.

8. An audience measurement computing system comprising:
a network interface;
a processor; and
a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, having stored thereon program instructions that, upon execution by the processor, cause performance of operations comprising:
receiving, via the network interface, first hash data from a first server of a first database proprietor, the first hash data generated based on a shared salt and on first personally-identifiable information of first subscribers of the first database proprietor, wherein the first personally-identifiable information is associated with first impression data, wherein the first impression data is associated with media, and wherein the first hash data obfuscates the first personally-identifiable information;
generating unified hash data based on the first hash data and on second hash data, the second hash data generated based on the shared salt and on second personally-identifiable information, wherein the second personally-identifiable information is associated with second impression data, wherein the second impression data is associated with the media, and wherein the second hash data obfuscates the second personally-identifiable information; and
based on the unified hash data, generating a deduplicated audience size corresponding to the first impression data and the second impression data.

9. The audience measurement computing system of claim 8 , the operations further comprising:
receiving, via the network interface, the second hash data from a second server of a second database proprietor.

10. The audience measurement computing system of claim 8 , the operations further comprising:
transmitting, via the network interface, to the first server, an encryption key for encrypting the shared salt.

11. The audience measurement computing system of claim 8 , wherein:
the media is an advertisement; and
the shared salt is associated with a first advertisement campaign.

12. The audience measurement computing system of claim 11 , the operations further comprising:
transmitting, via the network interface, to the first server, instructions to replace the shared salt with a new shared salt associated with a second advertisement campaign, different from the first advertisement campaign.

13. The audience measurement computing system of claim 8 , wherein:
the first hash data comprises first hash values, and
the second hash data comprises second hash values.

14. The audience measurement computing system of claim 8 , wherein at least one of the first personally-identifiable information or the second personally-identifiable information comprises one or more of email addresses or usernames.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, having stored thereon program instructions that, upon execution by a processor, cause performance of operations comprising:
receiving, via a network interface, first hash data from a first server of a first database proprietor, the first hash data generated based on a shared salt and on first personally-identifiable information of first subscribers of the first database proprietor, wherein the first personally-identifiable information is associated with first impression data, wherein the first impression data is associated with media, and wherein the first hash data obfuscates the first personally-identifiable information;
generating unified hash data based on the first hash data and on second hash data, the second hash data generated based on the shared salt and on second personally-identifiable information, wherein the second personally-identifiable information is associated with second impression data, wherein the second impression data is associated with the media, and wherein the second hash data obfuscates the second personally-identifiable information; and
based on the unified hash data, generating a deduplicated audience size corresponding to the first impression data and the second impression data.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15 , the operations further comprising:
receiving, via the network interface, the second hash data from a second server of a second database proprietor.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15 , the operations further comprising:
transmitting, via the network interface, to the first server, an encryption key for encrypting the shared salt.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15 , wherein:
the media is an advertisement; and
the shared salt is associated with a first advertisement campaign.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 18 , the operations further comprising:
transmitting, via the network interface, to the first server, instructions to replace the shared salt with a new shared salt associated with a second advertisement campaign, different from the first advertisement campaign.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15 , wherein:
the first hash data comprises first hash values, and
the second hash data comprises second hash values.

Assignees

• Nielsen Co Us Llc

Inventors

• Dailey Jake
• Hanif Furqan
• Morovati Lopez Diane
• Mortensen Jose
• Nicotra Chris
• Pierce Christine
• Vanlandeghem Matthew

Classifications

• G06F3/0641

  De-duplication techniques · CPC title

• G06F16/137

  Hash-based (content-based indexing of textual data G06F16/31) · CPC title

• G06F16/2255

  Hash tables · CPC title

• H04N21/2351

  involving encryption of additional data (arrangements using cryptography for the use of broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/23) · CPC title

• H04N21/26613

  for generating or managing keys in general (key distribution for secret or secure communication involving central third party, e.g. key distribution center [KDC] or trusted third party [TTP] H04L9/083; network support of key management H04L63/06; key management for network security in communication control or processing H04W12/04) · CPC title