Systems and methods for gathering audience measurement data

[0001] This application is a continuation of prior U.S. non-provisional patent application Ser. No. 10/205,808, filed Jul. 26, 2002, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,239,981 assigned to the assignee of the present invention and hereby incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

[0002] The present invention relates to techniques for gathering audience measurement data by detecting such data encoded in audio data.

[0003] There is considerable interest in measuring the usage of media accessed by an audience to provide market information to advertisers, media distributors and the like.

[0004] In the past there were relatively few alternatives for distributing media, such as analog radio and television, analog recordings, newspapers and magazines and relatively few media producers and distributors. Moreover, the marketplace for media distributed via one technology was distinct from the marketplace for media distributed in a different manner. The radio and television industries, for example, had their distinctly different media content and delivery methodologies. Recorded media was distributed and reproduced in distinctly different ways, although the content was often adapted for radio or television distribution.

[0005] Audience measurement has evolved in a similar manner tracking the market segmentation of the media distribution industry. Generally, audience measurement data has been gathered, processed and reported separately for each media distribution market segment

[0006] The development of techniques to efficiently process, store and communicate digital data has enabled numerous producers and distributors of media to enter the marketplace. Users of media now have a great many choices which did not exist only a few years ago. Established producers and distributors have responded with their own efforts to provide media in digital form to users. This trend is enhanced with each improvement in digital processing, storage and communications.

[0007] A result of these developments is a convergence of media distribution within the digital realm, especially through distribution via the Internet. Media is thus available to users not only through traditional distribution channels, but also via alternative digital communication pathways. For example, many radio stations now provide their programming via the Internet as well as over the air.

[0008] The emergence of multiple, overlapping media distribution pathways, as well as the wide variety of available user systems (e.g. PC's, PDA's, portable CD players, Internet, appliances, TV, radio, etc.) for accessing media, has greatly complicated the task of measuring media audiences. The development of commercially-viable techniques for encoding audio data with audience measurement data provides a crucial tool for measuring media usage across multiple media distribution pathways and user systems. Most notable among these techniques is the CBET methodology developed by Arbitron Inc., which is already providing useful audience estimates to numerous media distributors and advertisers.

[0009] However, the bandwidth for data encoded in audio is limited by the needs to maintaining inaudibility of the codes while ensuring that they are reliably detectable. Nevertheless, today more data is required for audience measurement than ever before. Not only is it necessary to detect the source of the data, but also to detect how it was distributed (e.g., over-the-air vs. Internet) and how it was reproduced (e.g. by a conventional radio, PC, etc., as well as the player software employed).

[0010] Accordingly, it is desired to provide data gathering techniques for audience measurement data capable of measuring media usage across multiple distribution paths and user systems.

[0011] It is also desired to provide such data gathering techniques which are likely to be adaptable to future media distribution paths and user systems which are presently unknown.

[0012] For this application, the following terms and definitions shall apply, both for the singular and plural forms of nouns and for all verb tenses:

[0013] The term “data” as used herein means any indicia, signals, marks, domains, symbols, symbol sets, representations, and any other physical form or forms representing information, whether permanent or temporary, whether visible, audible, acoustic, electric, magnetic, electromagnetic, or otherwise manifested. The term “data” as used to represent predetermined information in one physical form shall be deemed to encompass any and all representations of the same predetermined information in a different physical form or forms.

[0014] The term “audio data” as used herein means any data representing acoustic energy, including, but not limited to, audible sounds, regardless of the presence of any other data, or lack thereof, which accompanies, is appended to, is superimposed on, or is otherwise transmitted or able to be transmitted with the audio data.

[0015] The term “user system” as used herein means any software, devices, or combinations thereof which are useful for reproducing audio data as sound for an audience member, including, but not limited to, computers, televisions, radios, personal digital assistants, and internet appliances.

[0016] The term “network” as used herein means networks of all kinds, including both intra-networks and inter-networks, including, but not limited to, the Internet, and is not limited to any particular such network.

[0017] The term “source identification data” as used herein means any data that is indicative of a source of audio data, including, but not limited to, (a) persons or entities that create, produce, distribute, reproduce, communicate, have a possessory interest in, or are otherwise associated with the audio data, or (b) locations, whether physical or virtual, from which data is communicated, either originally or as an intermediary, and whether the audio data is created therein or prior thereto.

[0018] The terms “audience” and “audience member” as used herein mean a person or persons, as the case may be, who access audio data in any manner, whether alone or in one or more groups, whether in the same or various places, and whether at the same time or at various different times.

[0019] The term “audience measurement data” as used herein means data wheresoever originating which comprises source identification data or which otherwise characterizes or provides information about audio data, or else concerns (a) a user system that requests, communicates, receives, or presents audio data, (b) a network that requests, receives, or presents audio data for a user, user system, or another network, or (c) an audience or audience member, including, but not limited to, user demographic data.

[0020] The term “processor” as used herein means data processing devices, apparatus, programs, circuits, systems, and subsystems, whether implemented in hardware, software, or both.

[0021] The terms “communicate” and “communicating” as used herein include both conveying data from a source to a destination, as well as delivering data to a communications medium, system or link to be conveyed to a destination. The term “communication” as used herein means the act of communicating or the data communicated, as appropriate.

[0022] The terms “coupled”, “coupled to”, and “coupled with” shall each mean a relationship between or among two or more devices, apparatus, files, programs, media, components, networks, systems, subsystems, and/or means, constituting any one or more of (a) a connection, whether direct or through one or more other devices, apparatus, files, programs, media, components, networks, systems, subsystems, or means, (b) a communications relationship, whether direct or through one or more other devices, apparatus, files, programs, media, components, networks, systems, subsystems, or means, or (c) a functional relationship in which the operation of any one or more of the relevant devices, apparatus, files, programs, media, components, networks, systems, subsystems, or means depends, in whole or in part, on the operation of any one or more others thereof.

[0023] In accordance with an aspect of the present invention, a method is provided for gathering audience measurement data relating to the exposure of an audience member to audio data. The method comprises receiving the audio data in a user system adapted to reproduce the audio data as sound; encoding the audio data in the user system with audience measurement data to produce encoded audio data; reproducing the encoded audio data as encoded sound by means of the user system; receiving the encoded sound in a monitor device to produce received audio data; and decoding the audience measurement data from the received audio data.

[0024] In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, a system is provided for gathering audience measurement data relating to exposure of an audience member to audio data reproduced by a user system. The system comprises an encoder coupled with the user system to encode audio data which has been received in the user system with audience measurement data to produce encoded audio data; and a decoder device having an input to receive the encoded audio data for decoding the audience measurement data encoded therein.

[0025] In accordance with a further aspect of the present invention, a method is provided for gathering data relating to exposure of an audience member to streaming media reproduced by a user system. The method comprises receiving streaming media including audio data in a user system; encoding the audio data received in the user system with audience measurement data; reproducing the encoded audio data as encoded acoustic energy; receiving the encoded acoustic energy in a portable monitor carried on the person of an audience member; and decoding the audience measurement data in the encoded acoustic energy received in the portable monitor.

[0026] In accordance with still another aspect of the present invention, a system is provided for gathering audience measurement data relating to exposure of an audience member to streaming media in the form of audio data reproduced by a user system. The system comprises an encoder coupled with the user system to encode audio data which has been received in the user system as streaming media with audience measurement data and to supply the encoded audio data to be reproduced by the user system; a portable monitor adapted to be carried on the person of an audience member to transduce the encoded audio data reproduced by the user system; and a decoder coupled with the portable monitor to receive the transduced encoded audio data and to decode the audience measurement data in the transduced encoded audio data.

[0027] In accordance with yet another aspect of the present invention, a method is provided for gathering data relating to exposure of an audience member to streaming media. The method comprises receiving streaming media in a user system, the streaming media including audio data and source identification data for the audio data and separate therefrom; encoding the audio data in the user system with the source identification data to form encoded audio data; reproducing the encoded audio data as encoded acoustic energy; receiving the encoded acoustic energy in a portable monitor carried on the person of an audience member; and decoding the source identification data encoded in the encoded acoustic energy received by the portable monitor.

[0028] In accordance with still another aspect of the present invention, a method is provided for gathering audience measurement data. The method comprises encoding audio data in a user system with first audience measurement data, the user system being arranged to reproduce the audio data as sound; and decoding the first audience measurement data in the encoded audio data.

[0029] The invention and its particular features and advantages will become more apparent from the following detailed description considered with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0032] FIG. 1 illustrates an embodiment of a system 10 for encoding and reproducing audio data by means of a user system 20, an encoder 25, and an acoustic reproducing device 30. The source of the audio data may be a satellite receiver 40, an antenna 50 and/or a network 60 such as a cable television system or the Internet. The source of the audio data may also be any one or more of a web site, a broadcast channel, a content channel, an online channel, a radio station, a television station, a media organization, and/or a storage medium. The user system 20 is coupled with the audio data source in any available manner including but not limited to over-the-air (wireless), cable, satellite, telephone, DSL (Direct Subscriber Line), LAN (Local Area Network), WAN (Wide Area Network), Intranet, and/or the Internet. The invention is particularly useful for monitoring exposure to streaming media delivered via the Internet

[0033] The user system 10 includes one or more coupled devices that serve, among other things, to supply the audio data to the acoustic reproducing device 30 for reproduction as acoustic energy 80. In certain embodiments, the user system 20 is a computer, a radio, a television, a cable converter, a satellite television system, a game playing system, a VCR, a DVD player, a portable audio player, an internet appliance, a PDA (personal digital assistant), a cell phone, a home theater system, a component stereo system, and/or an electronic book. In one embodiment, the acoustic reproducing device 30 is a speaker. In another embodiment, the acoustic reproducing device 30 is a speaker system. In other embodiments, the acoustic reproducing device 30 is any device capable of producing acoustic energy 80.

[0034] In certain embodiments, the encoder 25 present in the user system 20 embeds audience measurement data in the audio data. In certain embodiments, the encoder comprises software running on the user system 20, including embodiments in which the encoding software is integrated or coupled with a player running on the user system 20. In other embodiments, the encoder 25 comprises a device coupled with the user system 20 such as a peripheral device, or a board, such as a soundboard. In certain embodiments, the board is plugged into an expansion slot of the user system. In certain embodiments, the encoder 25 is programmable such that it is provided with encoding software prior to coupling with the user system or after coupling with the user system. In these embodiments, the encoding software is loaded from a storage device or from the audio source or another source, or via another communication system or medium.

[0035] In certain embodiments, the encoder 25 encodes the audience measurement data as a further encoded layer in already-encoded audio data, so that two or more layers of embedded data are simultaneously present in the audio data. The layers are arranged with sufficiently diverse frequency characteristics so that they may be separately detected. In certain of these embodiments the code is superimposed on the audio data asynchronously. In other embodiments, the code is added synchronously with the preexisting audio data. In certain ones of such synchronous encoding embodiments data is encoded in portions of the audio data which have not previously been encoded. At times the user system receives both audio data (such as streaming media) and audience measurement data (such as source identification data) which, as received, is not encoded in the audio data but is separate therefrom. In certain embodiments, the user system 220 supplies such audience measurement data to the encoder 200 which serves to encode the audio data therewith.

[0036] In certain embodiments the audience measurement data is source identification data, content identification code, data that provides information about the received audio data, demographic data regarding the user, and/or data describing the user system or some aspect thereof, such as the user agent (e.g. player or browser type), operating system, sound card, etc. In one embodiment, the audience measurement data is an identification code. In certain embodiments for measuring exposure of any audience member to audio data obtained from the Internet, such as streaming media, the audience measurement data comprises data indicating that the audio data was obtained from the Internet, the type of player and/or source identification data.

[0037] Several advantageous and suitable techniques for encoding audience measurement data in audio data are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,764,763 to James M. Jensen, et al., which is assigned to the assignee of the present application, and which is incorporated by reference herein. Other appropriate encoding techniques are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,579,124 to Aijala, et al., U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,574,962, 5,581,800 and 5,787,334 to Fardeau, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,450,490 to Jensen, et al., and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/318,045, in the names of Neuhauser, et al., each of which is assigned to the assignee of the present application and all of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0038] Still other suitable encoding techniques are the subject of PCT Publication WO 00/04662 to Srinivasan, U.S. Pat. No. 5,319,735 to Preuss, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,175,627 to Petrovich, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,828,325 to Wolosewicz, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,154,484 to Lee, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,945,932 to Smith, et al., PCT Publication WO 99/59275 to Lu, et al., PCT Publication WO 98/26529 to Lu, et al., and PCT Publication WO 96/27264 to Lu, et al, all of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0039] In certain embodiments, the encoder 25 forms a data set of frequency-domain data from the audio data and the encoder processes the frequency-domain data in the data set to embed the encoded data therein. Where the codes have been formed as in the Jensen, et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,764,763 or U.S. Pat. No. 5,450,490, the frequency-domain data is processed by the encoder 25 to embed the encoded data in the form of frequency components with predetermined frequencies. Where the codes have been formed as in the Srinivasan PCT Publication WO 00/04662, in certain embodiments the encoder processes the frequency-domain data to embed code components distributed according to a frequency-hopping pattern. In certain embodiments, the code components comprise pairs of frequency components modified in amplitude to encode information. In certain other embodiments, the code components comprise pairs of frequency components modified in phase to encode information. Where the codes have been formed as spread spectrum codes, as in the Aijala, et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,579,124 or the Preuss, et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,319,735, the encoder comprises an appropriate spread spectrum encoder.

[0040] The acoustic energy 80 produced by the acoustic reproducing device 30 is detected by a transducer 90 coupled to a portable monitor 100. The transducer 90 translates the acoustic energy 80 into detected audio data. In certain embodiments, the portable monitor 100 has an internal decoder 110 which serves to decode the encoded audience measurement data present in the detected audio data. The decoded audience measurement data is either stored in an internal storage device 120 to be communicated at a later time or else communicated from the monitor 100 once decoded. In other embodiments, the portable monitor 100 provides the detected audio data or a compressed version thereof to a storage device 120 for decoding elsewhere. The storage device 120 may be internal to the portable monitor 100 as depicted in FIG. 1, or the storage device may be external to the portable monitor 100 and coupled therewith to receive the data to be recorded. In still further embodiments, the portable monitor 100 receives and communicates audio data or a compressed version thereof to another device for subsequent decoding. In certain embodiments, the audio data is compressed by forming signal-to-noise ratios representing possible code components, such as in U.S. Pat. No. 5,450,490 or U.S. Pat. No. 5,764,763 both of which are assigned to the assignee of the present invention and are incorporated herein by reference.

[0041] The audience measurement data to be decoded in certain embodiments includes data already encoded in the audio data when received by the user system, data encoded in the audio data by the user system, or both.

[0042] There are several possible embodiments of decoding techniques that can be implemented for use in the present invention. Several advantageous techniques for detecting encoded audience measurement data are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,764,763 to James M. Jensen, et al., which is assigned to the assignee of the present application, and which is incorporated by reference herein. Other appropriate decoding techniques are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,579,124 to Aijala, et al., U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,574,962, 5,581,800 and 5,787,334 to Fardeau, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,450,490 to Jensen, et al., and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/318,045, in the names of Neuhauser, et al., each of which is assigned to the assignee of the present application and all of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0043] Still other suitable decoding techniques are the subject of PCT Publication WO 00/04662 to Srinivasan, U.S. Pat. No. 5,319,735 to Preuss, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,175,627 to Petrovich, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,828,325 to Wolosewicz, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,154,484 to Lee, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,945,932 to Smith, et al., PCT Publication WO 99/59275 to Lu, et al., PCT Publication WO 98/26529 to Lu, et al., and PCT Publication WO 96/27264 to Lu, et al., all of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0044] In certain embodiments, decoding is carried out by forming a data set from the audio data collected by the portable monitor 100 and processing the data set to extract the audience measurement data encoded therein. Where the encoded data has been formed as in U.S. Pat. No. 5,764,763 or U.S. Pat. No. 5,450,490, the data set is processed to transform the audio data to the frequency domain. The frequency domain data is processed to extract code components with predetermined frequencies. Where the encoded data has been formed as in the Srinivasan PCT Publication WO 00/04662, in certain embodiments the remote processor 160 processes the frequency domain data to detect code components distributed according to a frequency-hopping pattern. In certain embodiments, the code components comprise pairs of frequency components modified in amplitude to encode information which are processed to detect such amplitude modifications. In certain other embodiments, the code components comprise pairs of frequency components modified in phase to encode information and are processed to detect such phase modifications. Where the codes have been formed as spread spectrum codes, as in the Aijala, et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,579,124 or the Preuss, et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,319,735, an appropriate spread spectrum decoder is employed to decode the audience measurement data.

[0045] In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1, the portable monitor 100 is coupled with a base station 150 from time to time to download the detected audio data or decoded audience measurement data from the portable monitor 100. The base station 150 communicates this data to a remote processor 160 or a remote storage system 170 for producing audience measurement reports. The detected audio data or decoded audience measurement data is downloaded to the base station in either compressed or uncompressed form, depending on the embodiment. In one embodiment, the data is communicated from the base station 150 via the PSTN (public switched telephone network), accessed through a phone jack or via a cellular telephone. In another embodiment, the data is communicated via another network, such as the Internet. In yet another embodiment, the data is communicated via a satellite system or other wireless communications link.

[0046] In certain embodiments, the data is communicated from the base station 150 to a hub (not shown for purposes of simplicity and clarity) that collects such data from multiple base stations within a household, or directly from one or more portable monitors or both from one or more base stations and one or more portable monitors. The hub then communicates the collected data to the remote processor 160 or the remote storage system 170.

[0047] In certain embodiments, the base station 150 can also recharge an internal battery 115 on the portable monitor 100. In certain embodiments, the portable monitor 100 and base station 150 are implemented as in U.S. Pat. No. 5,483,276 assigned to the assignee of the present invention and incorporated herein by reference.

[0048] In an alternative embodiment, a stationary monitor receives the acoustic energy from the acoustic reproducing device 30 and provides the functionality provided by the portable monitor in other embodiments described herein above. In certain ones of such embodiments, the stationary monitor is integrated with the base station in order to communicate the data in accordance with the embodiments disclosed above. In another embodiment, the stationary monitor receives the acoustic energy from the acoustic reproducing device and provides the functionality provided by both the portable monitor and the base station in other embodiments described herein; thus, here there is no separate base station as all functions of the base station are performed by the stationary monitor.

[0049] In certain embodiments, encoded audio from the user system is output as an electrical signal through a device, such as an output jack, for reproduction by headphones or by a system such as a stereo, surround sound, or home theater system. In some such embodiments, the encoded audio is supplied in electrical form for monitoring and to gather audience measurement data by means of a portable monitor, and in others by means of a stationary monitor.

[0050] FIG. 2 illustrates various embodiments of a system 180 for encoding and reproducing audio data including a user system 220, an encoder 200 and an acoustic reproducing device 235. The user system 220 receives audio data, with or without associated data in other forms (such as video data, graphical data and/or textual data) as indicated at 222. The data may be supplied from any source, such as one or more of the audio data sources identified above in connection with FIG. 1. Moreover, as indicated at 224, the audio data at times will be encoded with audience measurement data, while at other times it may not be so encoded. As in the case of the embodiments described in connection with FIG. 1, encoder 200 is coupled with user system 220 to encode audience measurement data in the audio data 224 received in user system 220, and may be implemented by software running on user system 220 or as a device coupled with the user system 220 such as a peripheral device, or a board, such as a soundboard.

[0051] In certain embodiments, this audience measurement data is demographic data about the user. In other embodiments, this data is information about the user system or some portion thereof. In still other embodiments, this data is information about the audio data, such as its content or source. In still other embodiments, the data is qualitative data about the audience member or members. Further embodiments encode all or some of the above mentioned types of data in the audio data.

[0052] In one embodiment the user system 220 includes a player 230, and a browser 240 running on the user system 220. In certain embodiments, the player is capable of processing audio and/or video data for presentation. In other embodiments, the browser is capable of processing various types of received data for presentation, sending and receiving data, encrypting and decrypting data, linking to other information sources, transmitting audio data, launching player applications and file viewers, and navigating a file system.

[0053] In certain embodiments, the user system 220 gathers demographic data about a user or a set of users and encoder 200 encodes this data into the audio data. The demographic data may include data on some or all of the user's age, sex, race, interests, occupation, profession, income, etc. In certain embodiments, the demographic data gathered from a particular user is associated with a user ID that is also encoded into the audio data. The demographic data may be gathered from direct user input, user agents, software tracking history and user system usage, an examination of files on the user system or user profile data on the user system or elsewhere. In some embodiments, the user agent automates an action, such as demographic data gathering. In other embodiments, the user inputs demographic data via a keyboard 280, a pointing device 285, and/or other kinds of user input devices (e.g. touch screens, microphones, key pads, voice recognition software, etc.).

[0054] In certain embodiments, the encoder 200 encodes system data about the content being presented from the player or the browser, information about the player type, information about the browser type, information about the operating system type, information about the user, and/or information about a URL, a channel, or a source associated with the source of the audio data. The system data may be gathered from operating system messages, metalevel program interactions, network level messages, direct user input, user agents, software tracking history and user system usage, and examination of files on the user system or user profile data on the user system or elsewhere. In some embodiments, the user agent automates an action, such as system data gathering. In other embodiments, the user inputs system data via keyboard 280, pointing device 285, and/or other kinds of user input devices (e.g. touch screens, microphones, key pads, voice recognition software, etc.) In still further embodiments, software embedded in the encoder gathers system data.

[0055] FIG. 2 further illustrates a portable monitor 250 to be carried on the person of an audience member and including an acoustic transducer 260. Portable monitor 260 is coupled with a docking station 270 to download data as well as recharge batteries within monitor 260. Docking station 270 communicates with a remote processor or storage system 290 to provide data thereto for producing audience measurement reports. The monitor 250, transducer 260, docking station 270 and remote processor 290 may take any of the forms described above for comparable devices and substitutes in connection with FIG. 1.

[0056] Although the invention has been described with reference to particular arrangements and embodiments of services, systems, processors, devices, features and the like, these are not intended to exhaust all possible arrangements or embodiments, and indeed many other modifications and variations will be ascertainable to those of skill in the art.