# US 12,367,318 B2 · Methods and apparatus to collect distributed user information for media impressions and search terms > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,367,318 B2 - Document ID: US12367318B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 18/663,591 - Filed: 2024-05-14 - Published: 2024-09-12 - Granted: 2025-07-22 - Earliest claimed: 2013-12-31 - Assignees: The Nielsen Company (US), LLC - Applicants: The Nielsen Company (US), LLC - Inventors: Alan N. Bosworth; Madhusudhan Reddy Alla; Steven J. Splaine; Brahmanand Reddy Shivampet; Kevin K. Gaynor - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12367318B2 ## CPC - G06F 21/6254: {by anonymising data, e.g. decorrelating personal data from the owner's identification} - G06Q 10/40: Business processes related to social networking or social networking services - G06Q 30/02: Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising - G06Q 30/0201: Market modelling; Market analysis; Collecting market data - G06Q 30/0203: Market surveys; Market polls - G06Q 30/0251: Targeted advertisements - H04L 9/32: including means for verifying the identity or authority of a user of the system {or for message authentication, e.g. authorization, entity authentication, data integrity or data verification, non-repudiation, key authentication or verification of credentials} - H04L 43/50: Testing arrangements - H04L 63/062: {for key distribution, e.g. centrally by trusted party (cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key distribution involving a central third party H04L9/0819)} - H04L 65/00: Network arrangements, protocols or services for supporting real-time applications in data packet communication (real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM] H04L51/04; selective video distribution H04N21/00) - H04L 67/306: User profiles - H04L 67/535: {Tracking the activity of the user (network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34)} - H04N 21/2351: {involving encryption of additional data (arrangements using cryptography for the use of broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/23)} - H04N 21/25808: {Management of client data (terminal profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/303)} - H04N 21/25866: {Management of end-user data (customer care in data networks H04L41/5077)} - H04N 21/42684: {Client identification by a unique number or address, e.g. serial number, MAC address, socket ID (network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming H04L61/00)} - H04N 21/44226: {on social networks} - 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)} - H04W 12/06: Authentication - H04L 63/04: {for providing a confidential data exchange among entities communicating through data packet networks} - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) - 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 and apparatus to collect distributed user information for media impressions and search terms are disclosed. An example method includes accessing, from a media device, a first identifier and a search term at a first server, the first identifier corresponding to at least one of the media device or a user of the media device, the search term associated with a search request, generating a second identifier based on the first identifier, sending the second identifier and the search term from the first server to a data collection server to facilitate the data collection server to logging the search request, and receiving user information associated with the search request from a database proprietor based on the second identifier. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A non-transitory computer readable storage medium comprising instructions that, when executed, cause at least one processor of a media device to perform operations comprising: encrypting a first identifier based on a first encryption key corresponding to a first database proprietor, wherein the first database proprietor stores first user information associated with the first identifier, and wherein the first identifier identifies at least one of the media device or a user of the media device to the first database proprietor; encrypting a second identifier based on a second encryption key corresponding to a second database proprietor, wherein the second database proprietor stores second user information associated with the second identifier, and wherein the second identifier identifies the at least one of the media device or the user of the media device to the second database proprietor; transmitting, via a network and to a first server associated with the first database proprietor, a first network communication comprising the encrypted first identifier and an impression identifier, wherein the impression identifier identifies an impression event of online media presented at the media device; transmitting, via the network and to a second server associated with the second database proprietor, a second network communication comprising the encrypted second identifier and the impression identifier; and transmitting, via the network and to a third server, a third network communication comprising the impression identifier. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the online media is presented at the media device by an application that does not employ cookies that are used to track online media impressions. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first identifier or the second identifier comprises a third-party identifier associated with a third-party entity that stores demographic information of users in association with the third-party identifier. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 1, the operations further comprising: determining a media identifier for the online media, wherein the third network communication further comprises the media identifier. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the third server comprises a server of an audience measurement entity. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the third server is associated with a collection entity, other than an audience measurement entity, and is configured to collect media identifiers. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the media device is a mobile phone. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the media device is a smart television. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein transmitting the third network communication comprises transmitting the third network communication to facilitate the third server (i) distinguishing the impression event from other impression events and (ii) determining a demographics-based audience exposure measurement for the online media based on the first user information and the second user information. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein transmitting the first network communication to the first server and transmitting the second network communication to the second server comprise transmitting the encrypted first identifier and the encrypted second identifier directly to the first database proprietor and the second database proprietor, respectively. ### Claim 11 A method performed by a computing system comprising at least one processor and a memory, the method comprising: encrypting a first identifier based on a first encryption key corresponding to a first database proprietor, wherein the first database proprietor stores first user information associated with the first identifier, and wherein the first identifier identifies at least one of a media device or a user of the media device to the first database proprietor; encrypting a second identifier based on a second encryption key corresponding to a second database proprietor, wherein the second database proprietor stores second user information associated with the second identifier, and wherein the second identifier identifies the at least one of the media device or the user of the media device to the second database proprietor; transmitting, via a network and to a first server associated with the first database proprietor, a first network communication comprising the encrypted first identifier and an impression identifier, wherein the impression identifier identifies an impression event of online media presented at the media device; transmitting, via the network and to a second server associated with the second database proprietor, a second network communication comprising the encrypted second identifier and the impression identifier; and transmitting, via the network and to a third server, a third network communication comprising the impression identifier. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein the online media is presented at the media device by an application that does not employ cookies that are used to track online media impressions. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein at least one of the first identifier or the second identifier comprises a third-party identifier associated with a third-party entity that stores demographic information of users in association with the third-party identifier. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, further comprising: determining a media identifier for the online media, wherein the third network communication further comprises the media identifier. ### Claim 15 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein the third server comprises a server of an audience measurement entity. ### Claim 16 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein the third server is associated with a collection entity, other than an audience measurement entity, and is configured to collect media identifiers. ### Claim 17 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein transmitting the third network communication comprises transmitting the third network communication to facilitate the third server (i) distinguishing the impression event from other impression events and (ii) determining a demographics-based audience exposure measurement for the online media based on the first user information and the second user information. ### Claim 18 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein transmitting the first network communication to the first server and transmitting the second network communication to the second server comprise transmitting the encrypted first identifier and the encrypted second identifier directly to the first database proprietor and the second database proprietor, respectively. ### Claim 19 A system comprising: at least one processor; and memory comprising instructions that, when executed, cause the at least one processor to perform operations comprising: encrypting a first identifier based on a first encryption key corresponding to a first database proprietor, wherein the first database proprietor stores first user information associated with the first identifier, and wherein the first identifier identifies at least one of a media device or a user of the media device to the first database proprietor; encrypting a second identifier based on a second encryption key corresponding to a second database proprietor, wherein the second database proprietor stores second user information associated with the second identifier, and wherein the second identifier identifies the at least one of the media device or the user of the media device to the second database proprietor; transmitting, via a network and to a first server associated with the first database proprietor, a first network communication comprising the encrypted first identifier and an impression identifier, wherein the impression identifier identifies an impression event of online media presented at the media device; transmitting, via the network and to a second server associated with the second database proprietor, a second network communication comprising the encrypted second identifier and the impression identifier; and transmitting, via the network and to a third server, a third network communication comprising the impression identifier. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The system of claim 19, wherein the online media is presented at the media device by an application that does not employ cookies that are used to track online media impressions.