# US 12,114,042 B2 · Use of doppler shift as a basis to determine area of focus > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,114,042 B2 - Document ID: US12114042B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 18/148,746 - Filed: 2022-12-30 - Published: 2024-07-04 - Granted: 2024-10-08 - Earliest claimed: 2022-12-30 - Assignees: The Nielsen Company (US), LLC - Applicants: The Nielsen Company (US), LLC - Inventors: John Thomas LiVoti; Stanley Wellington Woodruff - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12114042B2 ## CPC - 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)} - G01S 15/586: {using transmission of continuous unmodulated waves, amplitude-, frequency-, or phase-modulated waves and based upon the Doppler effect resulting from movement of targets} - G10L 19/018: Audio watermarking, i.e. embedding inaudible data in the audio signal - 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: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION - G01S: RADIO DIRECTION-FINDING; RADIO NAVIGATION; DETERMINING DISTANCE OR VELOCITY BY USE OF RADIO WAVES; LOCATING OR PRESENCE-DETECTING BY USE OF THE REFLECTION OR RERADIATION OF RADIO WAVES; ANALOGOUS ARRANGEMENTS USING OTHER WAVES - G10L: SPEECH ANALYSIS TECHNIQUES OR SPEECH SYNTHESIS; SPEECH RECOGNITION; SPEECH OR VOICE PROCESSING TECHNIQUES; SPEECH OR AUDIO CODING OR DECODING ## Abstract A method system for use of Doppler shift as a basis to detect user focus, such as to detect that a user was attracted to audio media and/or to an associated object. A portable processing device carried by the user receives audio media emitted from an audio source at a fixed location, the audio media having periodic watermarking encoded at a baseline frequency. The portable processing device detects a change in frequency of the periodic watermarking over time, such as the frequency progressing from at least being higher than the baseline frequency to being the baseline frequency for at least a predefined threshold period of time. Based on the detected change in frequency of the periodic watermarking over time, the portable device then provides a report indicating that the user was attracted to the audio media and/or to an object (e.g., a commercial object) collocated with the audio source. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for use of Doppler shift as a basis to detect user focus, the method comprising: receiving, into a portable processing device carried by a user, audio media emitted from an audio source at a fixed location, wherein the audio media emitted by the audio source has periodic watermarking encoded in the audio media at a baseline frequency; detecting, by the portable processing device, a change in frequency of the periodic watermarking over time; and outputting, by the portable processing device, based on the detected change in frequency of the periodic watermarking over time, a report indicating that the user was attracted to at least one item selected from the group consisting of (i) the audio media and (ii) an object collocated with the audio source. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the object collocated with the audio source is a commercial object, and wherein the report indicates that the user was attracted to the commercial object. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein the periodic watermarking indicates identification information associated with the commercial object, the method further comprising ascertaining the identification information from the periodic watermarking, wherein the report indicates that the user was attracted to the commercial object at least in part by indicating the ascertained identification information. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the periodic watermarking carries identification data identifying the audio media, the method further comprising: determining, by the portable processing device, based on the identification data carried by the periodic watermarking, an identity of the audio media; and including, by the portable processing device, in the report, the determined identity of the audio media. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the report indicates that the user was attracted to the at least one item at least in part by indicating that the portable processing device, carried by the user, was attracted to the at least one item. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein detecting the change in frequency of the periodic watermarking over time comprises detecting the frequency of the periodic watermarking progressively from at least (a) being higher than the baseline frequency to (b) being the baseline frequency for at least a predefined threshold period of time. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, wherein the predefined threshold period of time is a first threshold period of time, and wherein detecting the frequency of the periodic watermarking progressively from at least (a) being higher than the baseline frequency to (b) being the baseline frequency for at least a predefined threshold period of time comprises: detecting the frequency of the periodic watermarking progressively from (i) being higher than the baseline frequency to (ii) being lower than the baseline frequency for no more than a second predefined threshold period of time to (iii) being the baseline frequency for at least the first threshold period of time. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, wherein detecting the change in frequency of the periodic watermarking over time comprises detecting the frequency of the periodic watermarking progressively from at least (a) being higher than the baseline frequency to (b) being the baseline frequency for at least the predefined threshold period of time to (c) being lower than the baseline frequency. ### Claim 9 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, wherein, based on Doppler shift, detecting the frequency of the periodic watermarking being the baseline frequency for at least the predefined threshold period of time indicates that the portable processing device was stationary in relation to the fixed location of the audio source. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the periodic watermarking being encoded in the audio media at the baseline frequency comprises the periodic watermarking being modulated on the baseline frequency. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the periodic watermarking being encoded in the audio media at the baseline frequency comprises the periodic watermarking occurring in the audio media with a periodicity defining the baseline frequency. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein outputting the report comprises providing the report to a ratings system. ### Claim 13 A portable processing device comprising: a microphone configured to receive audio; a processor; non-transitory data storage; and program instructions stored in the non-transitory data storage and executable by the processor to cause the portable processing device to carry out operations when the microphone receives audio media emitted from an audio source at a fixed location, wherein the audio media emitted by the audio source has periodic watermarking encoded in the audio media at a baseline frequency, the operations including: detecting a change in frequency of the periodic watermarking over time, and outputting, based on the detected change in frequency of the periodic watermarking over time, a report indicating that a user of the portable processing device was attracted to at least one item selected from the group consisting of (i) the audio media and (ii) an object collocated with the audio source. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The portable processing device of claim 13, wherein the object collocated with the audio source is a commercial object, and wherein the report indicates that the user was attracted to the commercial object, wherein the periodic watermarking indicates identification information associated with the commercial object, and wherein the operations further include: ascertaining the identification information from the periodic watermarking, wherein the report indicates that the user was attracted to the commercial object at least in part by indicating the ascertained identification information. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The portable processing device of claim 13, wherein the periodic watermarking carries identification data identifying the audio media, and wherein the operations further include: determining, based on the identification data carried by the periodic watermarking, an identity of the audio media; and including, in the report, the determined identity of the audio media. ### Claim 16 (depends on 13) The portable processing device of claim 13, wherein the report indicates that the user was attracted to the at least one item at least in part by indicating that the portable processing device, carried by the user, was attracted to the at least one item. ### Claim 17 A non-transitory computer-readable medium embodying instructions executable by a processor in a portable processing device to cause the portable processing device to carry out operations when the portable processing device receives audio media emitted from an audio source at a fixed location, wherein the audio media emitted by the audio source has periodic watermarking encoded in the audio media at a baseline frequency, the operations comprising: detecting a change in frequency of the periodic watermarking over time, and outputting, based on the detected change in frequency of the periodic watermarking over time, a report indicating that a user of the portable processing device was attracted to at least one item selected from the group consisting of (i) the audio media and (ii) an object collocated with the audio source. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the object collocated with the audio source is a commercial object, and wherein the report indicates that the user was attracted to the commercial object, wherein the periodic watermarking indicates identification information associated with the commercial object, and wherein the operations further include: ascertaining the identification information from the periodic watermarking, wherein the report indicates that the user was attracted to the commercial object at least in part by indicating the ascertained identification information. ### Claim 19 (depends on 17) The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the periodic watermarking carries identification data identifying the audio media, and wherein the operations further include: determining, based on the identification data carried by the periodic watermarking, an identity of the audio media; and including, in the report, the determined identity of the audio media. ### Claim 20 (depends on 17) The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the report indicates that the user was attracted to the at least one item at least in part by indicating that the portable processing device, carried by the user, was attracted to the at least one item.