# US 11,910,046 B2 · Methods and apparatus to verify and/or correct media lineup information

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- Number: US 11,910,046 B2
- Document ID: US11910046B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/883,510
- Filed: 2022-08-08
- Published: 2022-12-01
- Granted: 2024-02-20
- Earliest claimed: 2013-12-19
- Assignees: The Nielsen Company (US), LLC
- Applicants: The Nielsen Company (US), LLC
- Inventors: F. Gavin McMillan
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11910046B2

## CPC

- H04N 21/2668: Creating a channel for a dedicated end-user group, e.g. insertion of targeted commercials based on end-user profiles {(information retrieval from the Internet by querying with filtering and personalisation G06F16/9535; arrangements for replacing or switching information during the broadcast H04H20/10; push services over packet-switching network H04L12/1859; adaptation of message content in packet-switching networks H04L51/063)}
- G06F 16/245: Query processing
- H04H 60/31: Arrangements for monitoring the use made of the broadcast services
- H04H 60/44: for identifying broadcast stations
- H04H 60/56: Arrangements characterised by components specially adapted for monitoring, identification or recognition covered by groups H04H60/29-H04H60/54
- H04H 60/66: for using the result on distributors' side
- H04N 21/233: Processing of audio elementary streams {(monitoring, identification or recognition of audio in broadcast systems H04H60/58)}
- 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 21/2407: {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 21/4383: {Accessing a communication channel}
- H04N 21/4394: {involving operations for analysing the audio stream, e.g. detecting features or characteristics in audio streams (arrangements characterised by components specially adapted for monitoring, identification or recognition of audio in broadcast systems H04H60/58)}
- H04N 21/44008: {involving operations for analysing video streams, e.g. detecting features or characteristics in the video stream (arrangements characterised by components specially adapted for monitoring, identification or recognition of video in broadcast systems H04H60/59)}
- H04N 21/44224: {Monitoring of user activity on external systems, e.g. Internet browsing}
- H04N 21/443: OS processes, e.g. booting an STB, implementing a Java virtual machine in an STB or power management in an STB
- H04N 21/4524: {involving the geographical location of the client (retrieval from the Internet by querying based on geographical locations G06F16/9537; systems specially adapted for using geographical information in broadcast systems H04H60/70; protocols in which the network application is adapted for the location of the user terminal in communication control or processing H04L67/52; services making use of the location of users or terminals in wireless networks H04W4/02; locating users or terminals in wireless networks H04W64/00)}
- H04N 21/6543: for forcing some client operations, e.g. recording {(remote booting in general G06F9/4416)}
- 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)}
- H04N 21/8456: {by decomposing the content in the time domain, e.g. in time segments}
- H04H 2201/50: characterised by the use of watermarks
- H04H 2201/90: characterised by the use of signatures
- H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
- G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N)
- H04H: BROADCAST COMMUNICATION (multiplex communication H04J; pictorial communication aspects of broadcast systems H04N)

## Abstract

Methods and apparatus to verify and/or correct media lineup information are disclosed. Disclosed example apparatus include means for determining reference media, the means for determining reference media to identify a plurality of first signatures in a database that matches a plurality of second signatures included in media presentation data representative of media output by a media device in response to a mismatch between the media presentation data and reference data associated with first reference media corresponding to a first station, the plurality of second signatures generated from the media output by the media device; and determine second reference media corresponding to the plurality of first signatures; and means for storing the media presentation data.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An apparatus to build a channel lineup, the apparatus comprising:
means for executing a script from an audience measurement entity, the means for executing to:
access the script, the script including set top box commands to access a plurality of channels; and
execute the script to cause a device to transmit the set top box commands to a set top box to cause the set top box to access a first channel of the plurality of channels;
means for sensing a media signal associated with the first channel of the plurality of channels; and
means for transmitting media presentation data generate the media presentation including an association of the first channel of the plurality of channels with at least one of a watermark extracted from the media signal or a signature generated from the media signal, the means for transmitting to transmit the media presentation data to the audience measurement entity to correct a channel map based on the association.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the plurality of channels include the first channel and a second channel, the media signal corresponds to a first media signal, and:
the means for executing is to execute a first command of the script to tune the set top box to the first channel;
the means for sensing is to receive the first media signal while the set top box is tuned to the first channel;
the means for executing is to execute a second command of the script to tune the set top box to the second channel; and
the means for sensing is to receive a second media signal while the set top box is tuned to the second channel.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, further including means for extracting the watermark from the media signal, the watermark corresponding to the first channel, wherein: the means for sensing is to generate a timestamp; and the means for extracting is to generate the media presentation data based on the watermark, the timestamp, and the first channel.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, further including means for generating the signature from the media signal, the signature corresponding to the first channel, wherein:
the means for sensing is to generate a timestamp; and
the means for generating is to generate the media presentation data based on the signature, the timestamp, and the first channel.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, further including means for instructing the device to tune the set top box to respective ones of the plurality of channels.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the device is a remote control device.

### Claim 7

An apparatus to build a channel lineup, the apparatus comprising:
memory;
computer readable instructions; and
processor circuitry to execute the computer readable instruction to:
access a script from an audience measurement entity, the script including set top box commands to access a plurality of channels;
execute the script to cause a device to transmit the set top box commands to a set top box to cause the set top box to access a first channel of the plurality of channels;
sense a media signal associated with the first channel of the plurality of channels; and
transmit media presentation data to the audience measurement entity to correct a channel map based on an association of (a) the first channel of the plurality of channels and (b) at least one of a watermark extracted from the media signal or a signature generated from the media signal.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the plurality of channels include the first channel and a second channel, the media signal corresponds to a first media signal, the processor circuitry to:
execute a first command of the script to tune the set top box to the first channel;
receive the first media signal while the set top box is tuned to the first channel;
execute a second command of the script to tune the set top box to the second channel; and
receive a second media signal while the set top box is tuned to the second channel.

### Claim 9 (depends on 7)

The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the processor circuitry is to:
extract the watermark from the media signal, the watermark corresponding to the first channel;
sense is to generate a timestamp; and
extract is to generate the media presentation data based on the watermark, the timestamp, and the first channel.

### Claim 10 (depends on 7)

The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the processor circuitry is to:
generate the signature from the media signal, the signature corresponding to the first channel;
generate a timestamp; and
generate the media presentation data based on the signature, the timestamp, and the first channel.

### Claim 11 (depends on 7)

The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the processor circuitry is to instruct the device to tune the set top box to respective ones of the plurality of channels.

### Claim 12 (depends on 7)

The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the device is a remote control device.