# US 12,003,800 B2 · Methods and apparatus to determine headphone adjustment for portable people meter listening to encoded audio streams

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- Number: US 12,003,800 B2
- Document ID: US12003800B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 18/179,323
- Filed: 2023-03-06
- Published: 2023-06-29
- Granted: 2024-06-04
- Earliest claimed: 2020-06-15
- Applicants: The Nielsen Company (US), LLC
- Inventors: Kelly Dixon; Francis C. Fasinski; Robin J. Gentry; Edward Murphy; Jacob Martin; Colin King; Emily Neuhoff; Katherine T. Williams; Christopher Heider; Rachel Szabo; Khaldoon Abu-Hakmeh
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12003800B2

## CPC

- H04N 21/25883: {being end-user demographical data, e.g. age, family status or address (arrangements for identifying locations of users in broadcast systems H04H60/52)}
- H04N 21/8106: {involving special audio data, e.g. different tracks for different languages}
- G06Q 30/0201: Market modelling; Market analysis; Collecting market data
- H04H 60/31: Arrangements for monitoring the use made of the broadcast services
- H04N 21/25891: {being end-user preferences (retrieval of video data in a video database based on user preferences G06F16/739; arrangements for recognizing users' preferences H04H60/46; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18)}
- 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 21/44218: {Detecting physical presence or behaviour of the user, e.g. using sensors to detect if the user is leaving the room or changes his face expression during a TV programme (methods or arrangements for recognising human body or animal bodies or body parts G06V40/10; methods or arrangements for acquiring or recognising human faces, facial parts, facial sketches, facial expressions G06V40/16; methods or arrangements for recognising movements or behaviour G06V40/20; arrangements for identifying users in broadcast systems H04H60/45)}
- H04N 21/4852: {for modifying audio parameters, e.g. switching between mono and stereo}
- 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)}
- H04H 60/64: for providing detail information
- H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
- 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
- H04H: BROADCAST COMMUNICATION (multiplex communication H04J; pictorial communication aspects of broadcast systems H04N)

## Abstract

Methods, apparatus, systems and articles of manufacture to determine headphone adjustment for portable people meter listening to encoded audio streams are disclosed. An example system disclosed herein includes meter data analyzer circuitry to determine an audience estimate for streaming media based on media data measured by a media meter, the media meter to measure the streaming media based on an identification of the streaming media in ambient audio collected by a microphone of the media meter, and data analyzer circuitry to calculate at least one headphone adjustment factor based on a first determined proportion of an audience that listens to streaming media via headphones and a second determined proportion of the audience that listens to streaming media without headphones.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A system comprising:
a processor;
memory having stored thereon computer readable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the system to perform operations including:
determining an audience estimate for streaming media based on media data measured by a media meter, the media meter to measure the streaming media based on an identification of the streaming media in ambient audio collected by a microphone of the media meter;
calculating at least one headphone adjustment factor based on a first determined proportion of an audience that listens to streaming media via headphones and a second determined proportion of the audience that listens to streaming media without headphones;
applying the at least one headphone adjustment factor to the audience estimate for streaming media, wherein application of the at least one headphone adjustment factor generates a headphone-use-adjusted audience estimate that accounts for presentation of the streaming media that is not accounted for by the media meter collection of ambient audio due to headphone usage; and
reporting the headphone-use-adjusted audience estimate.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the operations further include calculating multiple demographic-specific headphone adjustment factors for a plurality of unique demographic adjustment groups, wherein the multiple demographic-specific headphone adjustment factors are constrained by the at least one headphone adjustment factor.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The system of claim 2, wherein respective ones of the multiple demographic-specific headphone adjustment factors are applied to respective audience members in the audience estimate that are associated with respective ones of the plurality of unique demographic adjustment groups.

### Claim 4 (depends on 2)

The system of claim 2, wherein the operations further include identifying the plurality of unique demographic adjustment groups from a plurality of demographic groups by determining that statistical significance values for a given one of the plurality of unique demographic adjustment groups satisfies a threshold, wherein the threshold is associated with one of the plurality of demographic groups.

### Claim 5 (depends on 2)

The system of claim 2, wherein the operations further include determining a plurality of demographic groups by aggregating neighboring demographic segments into respective ones of the plurality of demographic groups based on a sample size, wherein the unique demographic adjustment groups are based on the plurality of demographic groups.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The system of claim 5, wherein aggregating neighboring demographic segments into respective ones of the plurality of demographic groups includes aggregating the neighboring demographic segments until the sample size satisfies a threshold.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the operations further include sampling a former audience associated with the media data measured by the media meter by performing an online survey of the former audience, the online survey providing information to use as a basis to determine the first determined proportion and the second determined proportion, the online survey including demographic information of the former audience.

### Claim 8

A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising instructions that, when executed by a computing system, cause the computing system to at least:
determine an audience estimate for streaming media based on media data measured by a media meter, the media meter to measure the streaming media based on an identification of the streaming media in ambient audio collected by a microphone of the media meter;
calculate at least one headphone adjustment factor based on a first determined proportion of an audience that listens to streaming media via headphones and a second determined proportion of the audience that listens to streaming media without headphones;
apply the at least one headphone adjustment factor to the audience estimate for streaming media, wherein application of the at least one headphone adjustment factor generates a headphone-use-adjusted audience estimate that accounts for presentation of the streaming media that is not accounted for by the media meter collection of ambient audio due to headphone usage; and
report the headphone-use-adjusted audience estimate.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 8, wherein the instructions, when executed by the computing system, further cause the computing system to calculate multiple demographic-specific headphone adjustment factors for a plurality of unique demographic adjustment groups, wherein the multiple demographic-specific headphone adjustment factors are constrained by the at least one headphone adjustment factor.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 9, wherein respective ones of the multiple demographic-specific headphone adjustment factors are applied to respective audience members in the audience estimate that are associated with respective ones of the plurality of unique demographic adjustment groups.

### Claim 11 (depends on 9)

The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 9, wherein the instructions, when executed by the computing system, further cause the computing system to identify the plurality of unique demographic adjustment groups from a plurality of demographic groups by determining that statistical significance values for a given one of the plurality of unique demographic adjustment groups satisfies a threshold, wherein the threshold is associated with one of the plurality of demographic groups.

### Claim 12 (depends on 9)

The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 9, wherein the instructions, when executed by the computing system, further cause the computing system to determine a plurality of demographic groups by aggregating neighboring demographic segments into respective ones of the plurality of demographic groups based on a sample size, wherein the unique demographic adjustment groups are based on the plurality of demographic groups.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 12, wherein aggregating neighboring demographic segments into respective ones of the plurality of demographic groups includes aggregating the neighboring demographic segments until the sample size satisfies a threshold.

### Claim 14 (depends on 8)

The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 8, wherein the instructions, when executed by the computing system, further cause the computing system to sample a former audience associated with the media data measured by the media meter by performing an online survey of the former audience, the online survey providing information to use as a basis to determine the first determined proportion and the second determined proportion, the online survey including demographic information of the former audience.

### Claim 15

A method comprising:
determining an audience estimate for streaming media based on media data measured by a media meter, the media meter to measure the streaming media based on an identification of the streaming media in ambient audio collected by a microphone of the media meter;
calculating at least one headphone adjustment factor based on a first determined proportion of an audience that listens to streaming media via headphones and a second determined proportion of the audience that listens to streaming media without headphones;
applying the at least one headphone adjustment factor to the audience estimate for streaming media, application of the at least one headphone adjustment factor generates a headphone-use-adjusted audience estimate that accounts for presentation of the streaming media that is not accounted for by the media meter collection of ambient audio due to headphone usage; and
reporting the headphone-use-adjusted audience estimate.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The method of claim 15, further including calculating multiple demographic-specific headphone adjustment factors for a plurality of unique demographic adjustment groups, wherein the multiple demographic-specific headphone adjustment factors are constrained by the at least one headphone adjustment factor.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The method of claim 16, wherein respective ones of the multiple demographic-specific headphone adjustment factors are applied to respective audience members in the audience estimate that are associated with respective ones of the plurality of unique demographic adjustment groups.

### Claim 18 (depends on 16)

The method of claim 16, further including identifying the plurality of unique demographic adjustment groups from a plurality of demographic groups by determining that statistical significance values for a given one of the plurality of unique demographic adjustment groups satisfies a threshold, wherein the threshold is associated with one of the plurality of demographic groups.

### Claim 19 (depends on 16)

The method of claim 16, further including determining a plurality of demographic groups by aggregating neighboring demographic segments into respective ones of the plurality of demographic groups based on a sample size, wherein the unique demographic adjustment groups are based on the plurality of demographic groups.

### Claim 20 (depends on 15)

The method of claim 15, further including sampling a former audience associated with the media data measured by the media meter by performing an online survey of the former audience, the online survey providing information to use as a basis to determine the first determined proportion and the second determined proportion, the online survey including demographic information of the former audience.