# US 11,115,721 B2 · Methods and apparatus for monitoring video games > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,115,721 B2 - Document ID: US11115721B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/555,878 - Filed: 2019-08-29 - Published: 2019-12-19 - Granted: 2021-09-07 - Earliest claimed: 2004-02-17 - Assignees: The Nielsen Company (US), LLC - Applicants: The Nielsen Company (US), LLC - Inventors: David Howell Wright; Bradley R. Lawrence; Arun Ramaswamy - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11115721B2 ## CPC - H04N 21/4781: {Games} - A63F 13/10 - A63F 13/12 - A63F 13/25: Output arrangements for video game devices - A63F 13/30: Interconnection arrangements between game servers and game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game servers - A63F 13/45: Controlling the progress of the video game - A63F 13/95: Storage media specially adapted for storing game information, e.g. video game cartridges - H04N 21/44204: {Monitoring of content usage, e.g. the number of times a movie has been viewed, copied or the amount which has been watched (monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; protecting generic digital content where the protection is independent of the precise nature of the content G06F21/10; arrangements for monitoring the use made of the broadcast services in broadcast systems H04H60/31)} - H04N 21/6582: {Data stored in the client, e.g. viewing habits, hardware capabilities, credit card number (arrangements where receivers interact with the broadcast H04H20/38)} - H04N 21/8358: involving watermark {(protecting executable software by watermarking G06F21/16; image watermarking in general G06T1/0021; watermarks inserted in still images for transmission purposes H04N1/32144; inserting watermarks during video coding H04N19/467)} - A63F 2300/206: Game information storage, e.g. cartridges, CD ROM's, DVD's, smart cards - A63F 2300/535: for monitoring, e.g. of user parameters, terminal parameters, application parameters, network parameters - H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION - A63F: CARD, BOARD, OR ROULETTE GAMES; INDOOR GAMES USING SMALL MOVING PLAYING BODIES; VIDEO GAMES; GAMES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR ## Abstract Methods and apparatus for monitoring video games are disclosed. Example video game monitors disclosed herein include a network analyzer to communicatively couple with a communication interface of a video game console, the network analyzer to detect communication packets transferred over the communication interface of the video game console. Disclosed example video game monitors also include a processor to decode the communication packets detected by the network analyzer to determine an identity of a game being played by the video game console, and report the identity of the game to a data collection facility. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A video game monitor comprising: a network analyzer to communicatively couple with a communication interface of a video game console, the network analyzer to detect communication packets transferred over the communication interface of the video game console; and a processor to: decode the communication packets detected by the network analyzer to determine an identity of a game being played by the video game console; determine, based on the communication packets detected by the network analyzer, whether game content has been downloaded from a source external from the video game console; and report the identity of the game to a data collection facility. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The video game monitor of claim 1, wherein the processor is to: decode data from the communication packets detected by the network analyzer; and determine the identity of the game based on the data decoded from the communication packets. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The video game monitor of claim 2, wherein the data includes text data, and the processor is to identify a title of the game based on the text data. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The video game monitor of claim 2, wherein the processor is further to: identify active game content based on the data decoded from the communication packets; and report the identified active game content to the data collection facility. ### Claim 5 (depends on 2) The video game monitor of claim 2, wherein processor is to identify at least one of an active game level or an active game map based on the data decoded from the communication packets. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The video game monitor of claim 1, wherein the video game console is a first video game console, and the processor is to: decode the communication packets to determine a first network identity of the first video game console and a second network identity of a second video game console in communication with the first video game console via the communication interface of the video game console; and report the first network identity and the second network identity to the data collection facility. ### Claim 7 A video game monitor comprising: means for communicatively coupling with a communication interface of a first video game console to detect communication packets on the communication interface of the first video game console, the communication interface to communicatively couple the first video game console with at least one of a second video game console or a network; and means for decoding the communication packets detected on the communication interface of the first video game console to determine an identity of a game being played by the first video game console, the means for decoding to report the identity of the game to a data collection facility, the means for decoding to determine, based on the communication packets detected on the communication interface of the first video game console, whether game content has been downloaded from a source external from the first video game console. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The video game monitor of claim 7, wherein the means for decoding is to: decode data from the communication packets detected on the communication interface of the first video game console; and determine the identity of the game based on the data decoded from the communication packets. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The video game monitor of claim 8, wherein the data includes text data, and the means for decoding is to identify a title of the game based on the text data. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The video game monitor of claim 8, wherein the means for decoding is further to: identify active game content based on the data decoded from the communication packets; and report the identified active game content to the data collection facility. ### Claim 11 (depends on 8) The video game monitor of claim 8, wherein the means for decoding is to identify at least one of an active game level or an active game map based on the data decoded from the communication packets. ### Claim 12 (depends on 7) The video game monitor of claim 7, wherein the means for decoding is to: decode the communication packets to determine a first network identity of the first video game console and a second network identity of the second video game console in communication with the first video game console via the communication interface of the video game console; and report the first network identity and the second network identity to the data collection facility. ### Claim 13 A storage device or storage disk comprising computer readable instructions that, when executed, cause a processor to at least: access communication packets detected on a communication interface of a first video game console, the communication interface to communicatively couple the first video game console with at least one of a second video game console or a network, the communication packets detected by a network analyzer communicatively coupled with the communication interface of the first video game console; decode the detected communication packets to determine an identity of a game being played by the first video game console; determine, based on the detected communication packets, whether game content has been downloaded from a source external from the first video game console; and report the identity of the game to a data collection facility. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The storage device or storage disk of claim 13, wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the processor to: decode data from the communication packets detected on the communication interface of the first video game console; and determine the identity of the game based on the data decoded from the communication packets. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The storage device or storage disk of claim 14, wherein the data includes text data, and the instructions, when executed, cause the processor to identify a title of the game based on the text data. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The storage device or storage disk of claim 14, wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the processor further to: identify active game content based on the data decoded from the communication packets, the active game content including at least one of an active game level or an active game map; and report the identified active game content to the data collection facility. ### Claim 17 (depends on 13) The storage device or storage disk of claim 13, wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the processor to; decode the communication packets to determine a first network identity of the first video game console and a second network identity of the second video game console in communication with the first video game console via the communication interface of the video game console; and report the first network identity and the second network identity to the data collection facility.