# US 10,484,277 B2 · Methods and apparatus to measure market statistics

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- Number: US 10,484,277 B2
- Document ID: US10484277B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 14/845,608
- Filed: 2015-09-04
- Published: 2015-12-31
- Granted: 2019-11-19
- Earliest claimed: 2009-01-29
- Assignees: The Nielsen Company (US), LLC
- Applicants: The Nielsen Company (US), LLC
- Inventors: Albert Perez; Shi Lu; Michael F. Younge
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10484277B2

## CPC

- H04L 45/74: Address processing for routing
- G06Q 30/02: Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
- G06Q 30/0201: Market modelling; Market analysis; Collecting market data
- G06Q 30/0202: Market predictions or forecasting for commercial activities
- H04L 49/557: {Error correction, e.g. fault recovery or fault tolerance}
- G06F 15/173: using an interconnection network, e.g. matrix, shuffle, pyramid, star, snowflake
- G06Q 10/00: Administration; Management
- H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M)
- G06Q: INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N)

## Abstract

Example methods and apparatus to measure market statistics are disclosed. A disclosed example method includes identifying, by executing an instruction with a processor, a household including self reported data stored in a data source, retrieving, by executing an instruction with the processor, an Internet protocol (IP) address from the household, identifying, by executing an instruction with the processor, a hostname label based on a reverse resolve of the IP address, determining whether the hostname label matches the self reported data, with the processor, and when the hostname label matches the self reported data, correcting, by executing an instruction with the processor, an error metric of the data source by adjusting a weight value associated with the self reported data.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method to correct data source error, comprising:
identifying, by executing an instruction with a processor, a first hostname label based on a reverse resolve of an Internet protocol (IP) address corresponding to a household;
parsing the first hostname label to identify a service provider name;
invoking a trace route of the IP address corresponding to the household, the trace route originating from two or more originating IP addresses to identify second and third hostname labels associated with corresponding router last hops, the two or more originating IP addresses different from each other and targeting the same IP address corresponding to the household;
when the second and third hostname labels include a matching location indicator, confirming the service provider name is valid; and
when the first hostname label service provider name matches a service provider name in self reported data, correcting, by executing an instruction with the processor, an error metric of a data source storing the self reported data by adjusting a weight value associated with the self reported data.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the matching location indicator includes at least one of a city name or a state name.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

A method as defined in claim 1, wherein adjusting the weight value further includes increasing the weight value in response to identifying a match between the first hostname label service provider name from the reverse resolve and the service provider name in the self reported data.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

A method as defined in claim 1, wherein adjusting the weight value further includes decreasing the weight value in response to identifying a dissimilarity between the first hostname label service provider name from the reverse resolve and the service provider name in the self reported data.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

A method as defined in claim 1, further including calculating a service provider flow share based on the adjusted weight value and a service penetration value from a managed data source.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

A method as defined in claim 1, further including identifying a household service provider change by comparing the first hostname label at a first time with a fourth hostname label based on a second reverse resolve of the IP address at a second time.

### Claim 7

An apparatus to correct data source error, comprising:
a hostname resolver to:
identify a first hostname label based on a reverse resolve of an Internet protocol (IP) address corresponding to a household;
parse the first hostname label to identify a service provider name;
invoke a trace route of the IP address corresponding to the household, the trace route originating from two or more originating IP addresses to identify second and third hostname labels with corresponding router last hops, the two or more originating IP addresses different from each other and targeting the same IP address corresponding to the household; and
when the second and third hostname labels include a matching location indicator, confirm the service provider name is valid; and
a data source weight calculator to, when the first hostname label service provider name matches a service provider name in self reported data, correct an error metric of a data source storing the self reported data by adjusting a weight value associated with the self reported data.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

An apparatus as defined in claim 7, wherein the matching location indicator includes at least one of a city name or a state name.

### Claim 9 (depends on 7)

An apparatus as defined in claim 7, wherein the data source weight calculator is to, when adjusting the weight value, increase the weight value in response to identifying a match between the first hostname label service provider name from the reverse resolve and the service provider name in the self reported data.

### Claim 10 (depends on 7)

An apparatus as defined in claim 7, wherein the data source weight calculator is to, when adjusting the weight value, decrease the weight value in response to identifying a dissimilarity between the first hostname label service provider name from the reverse resolve and the service provider name in the self reported data.

### Claim 11 (depends on 7)

An apparatus as defined in claim 7, further including a test manager to calculate a service provider flow share based on the adjusted weight value and a service penetration value from a managed data source.

### Claim 12

A computer readable storage device or storage disk comprising computer readable instructions that, when executed, cause a processor to at least:
identify a first hostname label based on a reverse resolve of an Internet protocol (IP) address corresponding to a household;
parse the first hostname label to identify a service provider name;
invoke a trace route of the IP address corresponding to the household, the trace route originating from two or more originating IP addresses to identify second and third hostname labels associated with corresponding router last hops, the two or more originating IP addresses different from each other and targeting the same IP address corresponding to the household;
when the second and third hostname labels include a matching location indicator, confirm the service provider name is valid; and
when the first hostname label service provider name matches a service provider name in self reported data, correct an error metric of a data source storing the self reported data by adjusting a weight value associated with the self reported data.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

A computer readable storage device or storage disk as defined in claim 12, wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the processor to calculate a service provider flow share based on the adjusted weight value and a service penetration value from a managed data source.

### Claim 14 (depends on 12)

A computer readable storage device or storage disk as defined in claim 12, wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the processor to identify a household service provider change by comparing the first hostname label at a first time with a fourth hostname label based on a second reverse resolve of the IP address at a second time.

### Claim 15 (depends on 1)

A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the second and third hostname labels include two or more matching location indicators.

### Claim 16 (depends on 1)

A method as defined in claim 1, further including determining whether the IP address from the household is active or inactive.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

A method as defined in claim 16, wherein determining that the IP address is active includes:
transmitting an echo request packet to the IP address; and
in response to receiving a reply message from the IP address, determining that the IP address is active.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

A method as defined in claim 17, wherein when the IP address blocks the echo request packet, determining the IP address is active by scanning one or more ports of a machine associated with the IP address.

### Claim 19 (depends on 7)

An apparatus as defined in claim 7, wherein the second and third hostname labels include two or more matching location indicators.

### Claim 20 (depends on 7)

An apparatus as defined in claim 7, further including a ping manager to determine whether the IP address from the household is active or inactive.

### Claim 21 (depends on 20)

An apparatus as defined in claim 20, wherein to determine that the IP address is active, the ping manager is to:
transmit an echo request packet to the IP address; and
in response to receiving a reply message from the IP address, determine that the IP address is active.

### Claim 22 (depends on 21)

An apparatus as defined in claim 21, wherein when the echo request packet is blocked, the ping manager is to scan one or more ports of a machine associated with the IP address to determine the IP address is active.

### Claim 23 (depends on 12)

A computer readable storage device or storage disk as defined in claim 12, wherein the second and third hostname labels include two or more matching location indicators.

### Claim 24 (depends on 12)

A computer readable storage device or storage disk as defined in claim 12, wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the processor to determine whether the IP address from the household is active or inactive.

### Claim 25 (depends on 24)

A computer readable storage device or storage disk as defined in claim 24, wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the processor to:
transmit an echo request packet to the IP address; and
in response to receiving a reply message from the IP address, determine that the IP address is active.

### Claim 26 (depends on 25)

A computer readable storage device or storage disk as defined in claim 25, wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the processor to, when the IP address blocks the echo request packet, scan one or more ports of a machine associated with the IP address to determine the IP address is active.