# US 12,217,285 B2 · Methods and apparatus to expand panelist enrollment > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,217,285 B2 - Document ID: US12217285B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 18/501,891 - Filed: 2023-11-03 - Published: 2024-02-22 - Granted: 2025-02-04 - Earliest claimed: 2016-12-22 - Assignees: The Nielsen Company (US), LLC - Applicants: The Nielsen Company (US), LLC - Inventors: Achilleas Papakostas; Susan Cimino - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12217285B2 ## CPC - G06Q 30/0269: {based on user profile or attribute} - G06Q 30/0201: Market modelling; Market analysis; Collecting market data - H04L 63/0876: {based on the identity of the terminal or configuration, e.g. MAC address, hardware or software configuration or device fingerprint} - H04L 67/535: {Tracking the activity of the user (network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34)} - H04N 21/258: Client or end-user data management, e.g. managing client capabilities, user preferences or demographics, processing of multiple end-users preferences to derive collaborative data {(arrangements for services using the result on the distributing side of broadcast systems H04H60/66; profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/30)} - H04N 21/44213: {Monitoring of end-user related data (arrangements for monitoring the users' behaviour or opinions in broadcast systems H04H60/33)} - H04N 21/44227: {Monitoring of local network, e.g. connection or bandwidth variations; Detecting new devices in the local network (configuring of peripheral devices in general G06F9/4411; monitoring connectivity in data switched networks H04L43/0811)} - H04W 84/12: WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks] - 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 - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) - H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION - H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72) ## Abstract Methods, apparatus, systems and articles of manufacture to expand panelist enrollment are disclosed. An example first media device includes processor circuitry to at least one of instantiate or execute the machine readable instructions to scan at least one local area network to which the first media device is connected, store an identification of a second media device connected to the at least one local area network, in response to scan of the at least one local area network indicating that the second media device is commonly connected to the at least one local area network with the first media device, add the identification of the second media device to a fingerprint, and transmit the fingerprint to a central facility. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An audience measurement computing system comprising: at least one processor; memory having stored therein computer readable instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the audience measurement computing system to: obtain first media monitoring data and a first network signature generated by a media presentation device during a first period, the first media monitoring data indicative of media presented by the media presentation device during the first period and the first network signature indicative of one or more first network devices sharing a first local area network with the media presentation device during the first period; obtain second media monitoring data and a second network signature generated by the media presentation device during a second period, the second media monitoring data indicative of media presented by the media presentation device during the second period and the second network signature indicative of one or more second network devices sharing a second local area network with the media presentation device during the second period, wherein the one or more second network devices are different from the one or more first network devices; determine, based on the first network signature, a first location of the media presentation device during the first period, and associate the first location with the first media monitoring data; and determine, based on the second network signature, a second location of the media presentation device during the second period, and associate the second location with the second monitoring data. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The audience measurement computing system of claim 1, wherein the computer readable instructions further cause, when executed by the at least one processor, the audience measurement computing system to cause the media presentation device to generate the first network signature by the media presentation device scanning the first local area network to obtain identifying information corresponding to the one or more first network devices sharing the first local area network. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The audience measurement computing system of claim 2, wherein the identifying information includes hardware identifiers corresponding to respective ones of the one or more first network devices. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The audience measurement computing system of claim 1, wherein the instructions further cause, when executed by the at least one processor, the audience measurement computing system to cause the media presentation device to generate the first network signature by the media presentation device: identifying network addresses in use on the first local area network; transmitting, to a given one of the identified network addresses, a message to prompt a response from any device using the given one of the identified network addresses; responsive to transmitting the message to prompt a response, receiving a response from at least one of the one or more first network devices; based on receiving the response from the at least one of the one or more first network devices, interrogating the at least one of the one or more first network devices to obtain identifying information for the at least one of the one or more first network devices; and including the obtained identifying information for the at least one of the one or more first network devices in the first network signature. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The audience measurement computing system of claim 1, wherein the instructions further cause, when executed by the at least one processor, the audience measurement computing system to: obtain third media monitoring data and a third network signature generated by another media presentation device during a third period, the third media monitoring data indicative of media presented by the other media presentation device during the third period and the third network signature indicative of the one or more first network devices sharing the first local area network with the other media presentation device during the third period; and determine, based on the third network signature and the first network signature, that a location of the other media presentation device during the third period was the first location, and associate the first location with the third media monitoring data. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The audience measurement computing system of claim 5, wherein the first period and the third period at least partially overlap in time. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The audience measurement computing system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first location or the second location is a private home location and at least one of the first location or the second location is a public location. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The audience measurement computing system of claim 1, wherein the instructions further cause, when executed by the at least one processor, the audience measurement computing system to: obtain third media monitoring data and a third network signature generated by the media presentation device during a third period, the third media monitoring data indicative of media presented by the media presentation device during the third period and the third network signature indicative of the one or more first network devices sharing the first local area network with the media presentation device during the third period; and determine, based on the third network signature and the first network signature, that a location of the media presentation device during the third period was the first location, and associate the first location with the third media monitoring data. ### Claim 9 A computer implemented method comprising: obtaining first media monitoring data and a first network signature generated by a media presentation device during a first period, the first media monitoring data indicative of media presented by the media presentation device during the first period and the first network signature indicative of one or more first network devices sharing a first local area network with the media presentation device during the first period; obtaining second media monitoring data and a second network signature generated by the media presentation device during a second period, the second media monitoring data indicative of media presented by the media presentation device during the second period and the second network signature indicative of one or more second network devices sharing a second local area network with the media presentation device during the second period, wherein the one or more second network devices are different from the one or more first network devices; determining, based on the first network signature, a first location of the media presentation device during the first period, and associating the first location with the first media monitoring data; and determining, based on the second network signature, a second location of the media presentation device during the second period, and associating the second location with the second monitoring data. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The computer implemented method of claim 9, further comprising: obtaining third media monitoring data and a third network signature generated by another media presentation device during a third period, the third media monitoring data indicative of media presented by the other media presentation device during the third period and the third network signature indicative of the one or more first network devices sharing the first local area network with the other media presentation device during the third period; and determining, based on the third network signature and the first network signature, that a location of the other media presentation device during the third period was the first location, and associating the first location with the third media monitoring data. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The computer implemented method of claim 9, further comprising: obtaining third media monitoring data and a third network signature generated by the media presentation device during a third period, the third media monitoring data indicative of media presented by the media presentation device during the third period and the third network signature indicative of the one or more first network devices sharing the first local area network with the media presentation device during the third period; and determining, based on the third network signature and the first network signature, that a location of the media presentation device during the third period was the first location, and associating the first location with the third media monitoring data. ### Claim 12 (depends on 9) The computer implemented method of claim 9, wherein the first network signature is generated by the media presentation device scanning the first local area network to obtain identifying information corresponding to the one or more first network devices sharing the first local area network. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The computer implemented method of claim 12, wherein the identifying information includes hardware identifiers corresponding to respective ones of the one or more first network devices. ### Claim 14 (depends on 9) The computer implemented method of claim 9, wherein at least one of the first location or the second location is a private home location and at least one of the first location or the second location is a public location. ### Claim 15 A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored therein instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause performance of a set of operations, the set of operations comprising: obtaining first media monitoring data and a first network signature generated by a media presentation device during a first period, the first media monitoring data indicative of media presented by the media presentation device during the first period and the first network signature indicative of one or more first network devices sharing a first local area network with the media presentation device during the first period; obtaining second media monitoring data and a second network signature generated by the media presentation device during a second period, the second media monitoring data indicative of media presented by the media presentation device during the second period and the second network signature indicative of one or more second network devices sharing a second local area network with the media presentation device during the second period, wherein the one or more second network devices are different from the one or more first network devices; determining, based on the first network signature, a first location of the media presentation device during the first period, and associating the first location with the first media monitoring data; and determining, based on the second network signature, a second location of the media presentation device during the second period, and associating the second location with the second monitoring data. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the set of operations further include: obtaining third media monitoring data and a third network signature generated by another media presentation device during a third period, the third media monitoring data indicative of media presented by the other media presentation device during the third period and the third network signature indicative of the one or more first network devices sharing the first local area network with the other media presentation device during the third period; and determining, based on the third network signature and the first network signature, that a location of the other media presentation device during the third period was the first location, and associating the first location with the third media monitoring data. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the set of operations further include: obtaining third media monitoring data and a third network signature generated by the media presentation device during a third period, the third media monitoring data indicative of media presented by the media presentation device during the third period and the third network signature indicative of the one or more first network devices sharing the first local area network with the media presentation device during the third period; and determining, based on the third network signature and the first network signature, that a location of the media presentation device during the third period was the first location, and associating the first location with the third media monitoring data. ### Claim 18 (depends on 15) The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the set of operations further include causing the media presentation device to generate the first network signature by the media presentation device scanning the first local area network to obtain identifying information corresponding to the one or more first network devices sharing the first local area network. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 18, wherein the identifying information includes hardware identifiers corresponding to respective ones of the one or more first network devices. ### Claim 20 (depends on 15) The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein at least one of the first location or the second location is a private home location and at least one of the first location or the second location is a public location.