Digital data insertion apparatus and methods for use with compressed audio/video data

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9900633-B2
Application number	US-201514822608-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 10, 2015
Priority date	Oct 23, 2002
Publication date	Feb 20, 2018
Grant date	Feb 20, 2018

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for inserting data a compressed data bitstream are disclosed. An example method includes inserting audience measurement data in a compressed bitstream by eliminating a first type of data within the compressed data bitstream, packing a second type of data to occupy a location within the compressed data bitstream from which the first type of data is eliminated, and inserting the audience measurement data in a predetermined location within the compressed data bitstream that is expanded as a result of the packing of the second type of data to form a modified compressed data bitstream. The example method also includes generating the ratings information based on the modified compressed data bitstream.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of generating ratings information, the method comprising:
inserting audience measurement data in a compressed bitstream by:
eliminating a first type of data within the compressed data bitstream;
packing a second type of data to occupy a location within the compressed data bitstream from which the first type of data is eliminated; and
inserting the audience measurement data in a predetermined location within the compressed data bitstream that is expanded as a result of the packing of the second type of data to form a modified compressed data bitstream; and

generating the ratings information based on the modified compressed data bitstream.

2. A method as defined in claim 1 , wherein generating the ratings information based on the modified compressed data bitstream includes:
generating program lineup information based on audience measurement data extracted at a first location;
generating consumption information based on audience measurement data at a second location; and
comparing the program lineup information to the consumption information to generate the ratings information.

3. A method as defined in claim 1 , wherein the compressed data bitstream includes at least an audio program or a video program.

4. A method as defined in claim 1 , wherein the first type of data includes a skip byte and the predetermined location is an auxiliary data field.

5. A method as defined in claim 1 , wherein the second type of data includes compressed audio content or compressed video content.

6. A method as defined in claim 1 , wherein the compressed data bitstream is AC-3 compliant.

7. A method as defined in claim 6 , further including re-computing cyclical redundancy check values for each AC-3 frame of the compressed data bitstream after inserting the audience measurement data in the predetermined location.

8. A system for generating ratings information, the system comprising:
a memory; and
a processor coupled to the memory, the processor to:
insert audience measurement data in a compressed bitstream by:
eliminating a first type of data within the compressed data bitstream;
packing a second type of data to occupy a location within the compressed data bitstream from which the first type of data is eliminated; and
inserting the audience measurement data in a predetermined location within the compressed data bitstream that is expanded as a result of the packing of the second type of data to form a modified compressed data bitstream; and

generate the ratings information based on the modified compressed data bitstream.

9. A system as defined in claim 8 , wherein the processor is to generate the ratings information based on the modified compressed data bitstream by:
generating program lineup information based on audience measurement data extracted at a first location;
generating consumption information based on audience measurement data at a second location; and
comparing the program lineup information to the consumption information to generate the ratings information.

10. A system as defined in claim 8 , wherein the compressed data bitstream includes at least an audio program or a video program.

11. A system as defined in claim 8 , wherein the first type of data includes a skip byte and the predetermined location is an auxiliary data field.

12. A system as defined in claim 8 , wherein the second type of data includes compressed audio content or compressed video content.

13. A system as defined in claim 8 , wherein the compressed data bitstream is AC-3 compliant.

14. A system as defined in claim 13 , wherein the processor is to re-compute cyclical redundancy check values for each AC-3 frame of the compressed data bitstream after inserting the audience measurement data in the predetermined location.

15. A machine readable storage device or storage disk comprising instructions that, when executed, cause a machine to at least:
insert audience measurement data in a compressed bitstream by:
eliminating a first type of data within the compressed data bitstream;
packing a second type of data to occupy a location within the compressed data bitstream from which the first type of data is eliminated; and
inserting the audience measurement data in a predetermined location within the compressed data bitstream that is expanded as a result of the packing of the second type of data to form a modified compressed data bitstream; and

generate the ratings information based on the modified compressed data bitstream.

16. A machine readable storage device or storage disk as defined in claim 15 , wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the machine to generate the ratings information based on the modified compressed data bitstream by:
generating program lineup information based on audience measurement data extracted at a first location;
generating consumption information based on audience measurement data at a second location; and
comparing the program lineup information to the consumption information to generate the ratings information.

17. A machine readable storage device or storage disk as defined in claim 15 , wherein the compressed data bitstream includes at least an audio program or a video program.

18. A machine readable storage device or storage disk as defined in claim 15 , wherein the first type of data includes a skip byte, the second type of data includes compressed audio content or compressed video content and the predetermined location is an auxiliary data field.

19. A machine readable storage device or storage disk as defined in claim 15 , wherein the compressed data bitstream is AC-3 compliant.

20. A machine readable storage device or storage disk as defined in claim 19 , wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the machine to re-compute cyclical redundancy check values for each AC-3 frame of the compressed data bitstream after inserting the audience measurement data in the predetermined location.

Assignees

• Nielsen Co Us Llc

Inventors

• Ramaswamy Arun
• Srinivasan Venugopal

Classifications

• H04N21/235

  Processing of additional data, e.g. scrambling of additional data or processing content descriptors · CPC title

• H04N21/236 Primary

  Assembling of a multiplex stream, e.g. transport stream, by combining a video stream with other content or additional data, e.g. inserting a URL [Uniform Resource Locator] into a video stream, multiplexing software data into a video stream; Remultiplexing of multiplex streams; Insertion of stuffing bits into the multiplex stream, e.g. to obtain a constant bit-rate; Assembling of a packetised elementary stream {(multiplexing of data packets for data networks, e.g. RTP/UDP H04L65/00)} · CPC title

• H04H60/43

  for identifying broadcast channels · CPC title

• H04N21/6582

  Data stored in the client, e.g. viewing habits, hardware capabilities, credit card number (arrangements where receivers interact with the broadcast H04H20/38) · CPC title

• H04N7/173

  with two-way working, e.g. subscriber sending a programme selection signal · CPC title