# US 10,321,171 B2 · Reducing signature matching uncertainty in media monitoring systems > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,321,171 B2 - Document ID: US10321171B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/894,671 - Filed: 2018-02-12 - Published: 2018-06-14 - Granted: 2019-06-11 - Earliest claimed: 2015-08-14 - Assignees: The Nielsen Company (US), LLC - Applicants: The Nielsen Company (US), LLC - Inventors: Venugopal Srinivasan - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10321171B2 ## CPC - H04N 21/2407: {Monitoring of transmitted content, e.g. distribution time, number of downloads (arrangements for monitoring programmes for broadcast or for distribution combined with broadcast H04H20/14)} - H04N 21/23418: {involving operations for analysing video streams, e.g. detecting features or characteristics (television picture signal circuitry for scene change detection H04N5/147; filtering for image enhancement G06T5/00; methods or arrangements for recognising scenes G06V20/00; arrangements characterised by components specially adapted for monitoring, identification or recognition of video in broadcast systems H04H60/59)} - H04N 21/251: {Learning process for intelligent management, e.g. learning user preferences for recommending movies (details of learning user preferences for the retrieval of video data in a video database G06F16/739; computer systems using learning methods G06N3/08)} - H04N 21/8547: involving timestamps for synchronizing content - H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION ## Abstract Methods, apparatus, systems and articles of manufacture to reduce signature matching uncertainty in media monitoring systems are disclosed. Disclosed example apparatus include a signature comparator to compare first neighborhoods of monitored signatures with second neighborhoods of reference signatures to determine a first sequence of successive signature matching results, the first and second neighborhoods having respective neighborhood sizes spanning a first duration. Disclosed example apparatus also include a results selector to select between outputting the first sequence or a second sequence of successive signature matching results for an observation period based on whether discontinuous timestamps are included in the first sequence of successive signature matching results, the second sequence of successive signature matching results determined from comparisons of third neighborhoods of monitored signatures with fourth neighborhoods of reference signatures, the third and fourth neighborhoods having respective neighborhood sizes spanning a second duration of time larger than the first duration of time. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An apparatus comprising: a signature comparator to compare first neighborhoods of monitored signatures representative of monitored media with second neighborhoods of reference signatures representative of respective reference media to determine a first sequence of successive signature matching results, the first and second neighborhoods having respective neighborhood sizes spanning a first duration of time; and a results selector to select between outputting the first sequence or a second sequence of successive signature matching results for an observation period based on whether discontinuous timestamps are included in the first sequence of successive signature matching results, the second sequence of successive signature matching results determined from comparisons of third neighborhoods of monitored signatures with fourth neighborhoods of reference signatures, the third and fourth neighborhoods having respective neighborhood sizes spanning a second duration of time larger than the first duration of time. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the results selector is to select to output the second sequence of successive signature matching results instead of the first sequence of successive signature matching results in response to determining discontinuous timestamps are included in the first sequence of successive signature matching results. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the results selector is further to: determine whether the first sequence of successive signature matching results includes different reference media identifiers over the observation period; and select to output the second sequence of successive signature matching results instead of the first sequence of successive signature matching results in response to determining different reference media identifiers are included in the first sequence of successive signature matching results. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the signature comparator is to compare the third neighborhoods of monitored signatures with the fourth neighborhoods of reference signatures in response to the results selector determining discontinuous timestamps are included in the first sequence of successive signature matching results. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the signature comparator is a first signature comparator, and further including a second signature comparator to compare the third neighborhoods of monitored signatures with the fourth neighborhoods in parallel with the first signature comparator comparing the first neighborhoods of monitored signatures with the second neighborhoods of reference signatures. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the results selector is to determine the first sequence of successive signature matching results includes discontinuous timestamps when successive timestamps in the first sequence of successive signature matching results do not increment continuously over the observation period by amounts within a range based on a time resolution. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second duration of time is a multiple of the first duration of time. ### Claim 8 A system comprising: comparison means for comparing first neighborhoods of monitored signatures representative of monitored media with second neighborhoods of reference signatures representative of respective reference media to determine a first sequence of successive signature matching results, the first and second neighborhoods having respective neighborhood sizes spanning a first duration of time; and selections means for selecting between outputting the first sequence or a second sequence of successive signature matching results for an observation period based on whether discontinuous timestamps are included in the first sequence of successive signature matching results, the second sequence of successive signature matching results determined from comparisons of third neighborhoods of monitored signatures with fourth neighborhoods of reference signatures, the third and fourth neighborhoods having respective neighborhood sizes spanning a second duration of time larger than the first duration of time. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The system of claim 8, wherein the selection means is to select to output the second sequence of successive signature matching results instead of the first sequence of successive signature matching results in response to determining discontinuous timestamps are included in the first sequence of successive signature matching results. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The system of claim 9, wherein the selection means is further to: determine whether the first sequence of successive signature matching results includes different reference media identifiers over the observation period; and select to output the second sequence of successive signature matching results instead of the first sequence of successive signature matching results in response to determining different reference media identifiers are included in the first sequence of successive signature matching results. ### Claim 11 (depends on 8) The system of claim 8, wherein the comparison means is to compare the third neighborhoods of monitored signatures with the fourth neighborhoods of reference signatures in response to the selection means determining discontinuous timestamps are included in the first sequence of successive signature matching results. ### Claim 12 (depends on 8) The system of claim 8, wherein the comparison means is a first comparison means, and further including a second comparison means for comparing the third neighborhoods of monitored signatures with the fourth neighborhoods in parallel with the first comparison means comparing the first neighborhoods of monitored signatures with the second neighborhoods of reference signatures. ### Claim 13 (depends on 8) The system of claim 8, wherein the selection means is to determine the first sequence of successive signature matching results includes discontinuous timestamps when successive timestamps in the first sequence of successive signature matching results do not increment continuously over the observation period by amounts within a range based on a time resolution. ### Claim 14 (depends on 8) The system of claim 8, wherein the second duration of time is a multiple of the first duration of time. ### Claim 15 A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising computer readable instructions that, when executed, cause a processor to at least: compare first neighborhoods of monitored signatures representative of monitored media with second neighborhoods of reference signatures representative of respective reference media to determine a first sequence of successive signature matching results, the first and second neighborhoods having respective neighborhood sizes spanning a first duration of time; and select between outputting the first sequence or a second sequence of successive signature matching results for an observation period based on whether discontinuous timestamps are included in the first sequence of successive signature matching results, the second sequence of successive signature matching results determined from comparisons of third neighborhoods of monitored signatures with fourth neighborhoods of reference signatures, the third and fourth neighborhoods having respective neighborhood sizes spanning a second duration of time larger than the first duration of time. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the instructions cause the processor to select to output the second sequence of successive signature matching results instead of the first sequence of successive signature matching results in response to determining discontinuous timestamps are included in the first sequence of successive signature matching results. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to: determine whether the first sequence of successive signature matching results includes different reference media identifiers over the observation period; and select to output the second sequence of successive signature matching results instead of the first sequence of successive signature matching results in response to determining different reference media identifiers are included in the first sequence of successive signature matching results. ### Claim 18 (depends on 15) The computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the instructions cause the processor to compare the third neighborhoods of monitored signatures with the fourth neighborhoods of reference signatures in response to the results selector determining discontinuous timestamps are included in the first sequence of successive signature matching results. ### Claim 19 (depends on 15) The computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the instructions cause the processor to compare the third neighborhoods of monitored signatures with the fourth neighborhoods in parallel with the first neighborhoods of monitored signatures being compared with the second neighborhoods of reference signatures. ### Claim 20 (depends on 15) The computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the instructions cause the processor to determine the first sequence of successive signature matching results includes discontinuous timestamps when successive timestamps in the first sequence of successive signature matching results do not increment continuously over the observation period by amounts within a range based on a time resolution.