# US 11,310,326 B2 · Methods and apparatus to facilitate meter to meter matching for media identification > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,310,326 B2 - Document ID: US11310326B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/027,265 - Filed: 2020-09-21 - Published: 2021-05-13 - Granted: 2022-04-19 - Earliest claimed: 2017-01-05 - Assignees: The Nielsen Company (US), LLC - Applicants: The Nielsen Company (US), LLC - Inventors: Sandeep Tapse; Daniel Nelson - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11310326B2 ## CPC - H04L 67/535: {Tracking the activity of the user (network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34)} - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) ## Abstract Example methods, apparatus, systems and articles of manufacture are disclosed to facilitate meter to meter matching for media identification. Example apparatus disclosed herein include an unknown signature comparer, a stack counter, and a reference database updater. The unknown signature comparer is to select a candidate unknown signature segment meeting a threshold length from a set of unknown signature segments collected at a first audience measurement location and to compare individual signatures of the candidate unknown signature segment with a collection of unknown signature segments collected at a second audience measurement location. The stack counter is to count a number of times that the candidate unknown signature segment matches unknown signature segments in the collection and to identify the candidate unknown signature segment as a matched signature segment when the number of times meets a counter threshold. The reference database updater is to store the matched signature segment in a signature reference database. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An apparatus comprising: memory; and at least one processor to execute computer readable instructions to: access a matched group of candidate signature segments, the candidate signature segments from a plurality of meters, respective ones of the meters to monitor respective media presentations by corresponding ones of a plurality of media devices; compare signature timestamps associated with signature values of a first one of the group of candidate signature segments to respective network timestamps associated with corresponding uniform resource locators (URLs) accessed by a first one of the plurality of media devices; and in response to a determination that at least one of the signature timestamps of the first one of the group of candidate signature segments matched a first network timestamp associated a the first one of the URLs, credit ones of the group of candidate signature segments to respective presentations, by the corresponding ones of the plurality of media devices, of first media associated with the first one of the URLs. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is to compare the signature timestamps to the respective network timestamps in response to a determination that a quantity of the candidate signature segments in the group satisfies a threshold. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein respective lengths of the candidate signature segments in the group satisfy a threshold, and the at least one processor is to: access an input candidate signature segment obtained from a first one of the plurality of meters; determine whether a length of the input candidate signature segment satisfies the threshold; and discard the input candidate signature segment in response to a determination that the length of the input candidate signature segment does not satisfy the threshold. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the threshold is a first threshold, and the at least one processor is to: determine a quantity of signature values of the candidate signature segment that match corresponding signature values of the first one of the group of candidate signature segments; and associate the input candidate signature segment with the group of candidate signature segments in response to a determination that the quantity of signature values satisfies a second threshold. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the second threshold is equal to the first threshold. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the plurality of meters is a plurality of first meters to monitor the respective media presentations by the corresponding ones of the plurality of media devices, the first one of the URLs is obtained from a second meter that is to monitor the URLs accessed by the first one of the plurality of media devices, the second meter is different from the plurality of first meters, and the first one of the group of candidate signature segments is from one of the plurality of first meters that is to monitor a second one of the plurality of media devices different from the first one of the plurality of media devices. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is to determine that the ones of the group of candidate signature segments do not match any reference signatures included in a reference signature database. ### Claim 8 A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising computer readable instructions that, when executed, cause at least processor to at least: access a matched group of candidate signature segments, the candidate signature segments from a plurality of meters, respective ones of the meters to monitor respective media presentations by corresponding ones of a plurality of media devices; compare signature timestamps associated with signature values of a first one of the group of candidate signature segments to respective network timestamps associated with corresponding uniform resource locators (URLs) accessed by a first one of the plurality of media devices; and in response to a determination that at least one of the signature timestamps of the first one of the group of candidate signature segments matched a first network timestamp associated with a first one of the URLs, credit ones of the group of candidate signature segments to respective presentations, by the corresponding ones of the plurality of media devices, of first media associated with first first one of the URLs. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 8, wherein the instructions cause the at least one processor to compare the signature timestamps to the respective network timestamps in response to a determination that a quantity of the candidate signature segments in the group satisfies a threshold. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 8, wherein respective lengths of the candidate signature segments in the group satisfy a threshold, and the instructions cause the at least one processor to: access an input candidate signature segment obtained from a first one of the plurality of meters; determine whether a length of the input candidate signature segment satisfies the threshold; and discard the input candidate signature segment in response to a determination that the length of the input candidate signature segment does not satisfy the threshold. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 10, wherein the threshold is a first threshold, and the instructions cause the at least one processor to: determine a quantity of signature values of the candidate signature segment that match corresponding signature values of the first one of the group of candidate signature segments; and associate the input candidate signature segment with the group of candidate signature segments in response to a determination that the quantity of signature values satisfies a second threshold. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein the second threshold is equal to the first threshold. ### Claim 13 (depends on 8) The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 8, wherein the plurality of meters is a plurality of first meters to monitor the respective media presentations by the corresponding ones of the plurality of media devices, the first one of the URLs is obtained from a second meter that is to monitor the URLs accessed by the first one of the plurality of media devices, the second meter is different from the plurality of first meters, and the first one of the group of candidate signature segments is obtained from one of the plurality of first meters that is to monitor a second one of the plurality of media devices different from the first one of the plurality of media devices. ### Claim 14 (depends on 8) The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 8, wherein the instructions cause the at least one processor to determine that the ones of the group of candidate signature segments do not match any reference signatures included in a reference signature database. ### Claim 15 A method comprising: accessing a matched group of candidate signature segments, the candidate signature segments obtained from a plurality of meters, respective ones of the meters to monitor respective media presentations by corresponding ones of a plurality of media devices, ones of the group of candidate signature segments not matching reference signatures included in a reference signature database; comparing, by executing an instruction with at least one processor, signature timestamps associated with signature values of a first one of the group of candidate signature segments to respective network timestamps associated with corresponding uniform resource locators (URLs) accessed by a first one of the plurality of media devices; and in response to determining that at least one of the signature timestamps of the first one of the group of candidate signature segments matched a first network timestamp associated with a first one of the URLs, crediting, by executing an instruction with the at least one processor, the ones of the group of candidate signature segments with respective presentations, by the corresponding ones of the plurality of media devices, of first media associated with the first one of the URLs. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein the comparing of the signature timestamps to the respective network timestamps is in response to determining that a quantity of the candidate signature segments in the group satisfies a threshold. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein respective lengths of the candidate signature segments in the group satisfy a threshold, and further including: accessing an input candidate signature segment obtained from a first one of the plurality of meters; determining whether a length of the input candidate signature segment satisfies the threshold; and discarding the input candidate signature segment in response to a determination that the length of the input candidate signature segment does not satisfy the threshold. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17, wherein the threshold is a first threshold, and further including: determining a quantity of signature values of the candidate signature segment that match corresponding signature values of the first one of the group of candidate signature segments; and associating the input candidate signature segment with the group of candidate signature segments in response to determining that the quantity of signature values satisfies a second threshold. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The method of claim 18, wherein the second threshold is equal to the first threshold. ### Claim 20 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein the plurality of meters is a plurality of first meters to monitor the respective media presentations by the corresponding ones of the plurality of media devices, the first one of the URLs is obtained from a second meter that is to monitor the URLs accessed by the first one of the plurality of media devices, the second meter is different from the plurality of first meters, and the first one of the group of candidate signature segments is obtained from one of the plurality of first meters that is to monitor a second one of the plurality of media devices different from the first one of the plurality of media devices.