# US 2021/0345015 A1 · Systems, methods, and apparatus to identify linear and non-linear media presentations > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2021/0345015 A1 - Document ID: US20210345015A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 17/378,272 - Filed: 2021-07-16 - Published: 2021-11-04 - Earliest claimed: 2013-03-15 - Assignees: The Nielsen Company (US), LLC - Applicants: The Nielsen Company (US), LLC - Inventors: F. Gavin McMillan - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20210345015A1 ## CPC - H04N 21/8352: involving content or source identification data, e.g. Unique Material Identifier [UMID] - 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 21/44213: {Monitoring of end-user related data (arrangements for monitoring the users' behaviour or opinions in broadcast systems H04H60/33)} - H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION ## Abstract Systems, methods, and apparatus to identify linear and non-linear media presentations are disclosed. An example method to determine whether a media presentation is a linear or a non-linear media presentation comprises generating a reference log comprising a first media identifier of first media and a time at which the first media was presented, accessing a media presentation log comprising a second media identifier of second media and a time at which the second media was presented, and determining whether the second media correspond to a linear media presentation or a non-linear media presentation by comparing the media presentation log to the reference log. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An apparatus to automatically determine whether a media presentation is a linear media presentation or a non-linear media presentation, the apparatus comprising: at least one memory; instructions in the apparatus; and processor circuitry to execute the instructions to: obtain at least one of an audio fingerprint or a watermark code generated by a media monitoring device electronically monitoring the media presentation of first media; identify first media identifiers of the first media from the at least one of the audio fingerprint or the watermark code by comparing the at least one of the audio fingerprint or the watermark code to a reference audio fingerprint or a reference watermark code; generate a media presentation log for the media presentation of the first media, the media presentation log including first media identifiers of the first media and first times at which the first media was presented; generate a reference log including second media identifiers of second media and second times at which the second media was presented as a linear media presentation; compare the media presentation log to the reference log to determine a duration associated with matches between ones of the first media identifiers and ones of the second media identifiers, the matches between the ones of the first media identifiers and the ones of the second media identifiers being in a same order in the media presentation log and the reference log, the duration based on at least one of the first times or the second times; and classify the media presentation of the first media as a linear media presentation when the duration satisfies a threshold. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the processor circuitry is to execute the instructions to classify the media presentation of the first media as a non-linear media presentation when the duration does not satisfy the threshold. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the first media includes first program media and first non-program media, and the second media includes second program media and second non-program media. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the media presentation log includes an identification of a first portion of the first media as program media and a second portion of the first media as non-program media. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The apparatus as defined in claim 4, wherein the media presentation log includes the identification of the first portion of the first media as program media in response to a code present in the first portion of the first media matching a reference code associated with reference program media. ### Claim 6 (depends on 4) The apparatus as defined in claim 4, wherein the media presentation log includes the identification of the first portion of the first media as program media in response to a signature generated based on the first portion of the first media matching a reference signature associated with reference program media. ### Claim 7 (depends on 4) The apparatus as defined in claim 4, wherein the media presentation log includes the identification of the second portion of the first media as non-program media in response to presentation of the second portion of the first media following a blank frame present in the first media. ### Claim 8 (depends on 4) The apparatus as defined in claim 4, wherein the media presentation log includes the identification of the second portion of the first media as non-program media in response to presentation of the second portion of the first media following a cue tone present in the first media. ### Claim 9 (depends on 4) The apparatus as defined in claim 4, wherein the media presentation log includes the identification of the first portion of the first media as program media in response to detection of a logo in the first portion of the first media. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the audio fingerprint is based on an audio characteristic of the first media electronically measured at discrete times by the media monitoring device. ### Claim 11 An apparatus to automatically determine whether a media presentation is a linear media presentation or a non-linear media presentation, the apparatus comprising: at least one memory; instructions in the apparatus; and processor circuitry to execute the instructions to: obtain at least one of an audio fingerprint or a watermark code generated by a media monitoring device electronically monitoring the media presentation of first media; identify first media identifiers of the first media from the at least one of the audio fingerprint or the watermark code by comparing the at least one of the audio fingerprint or the watermark code to a reference audio fingerprint or a reference watermark code; generate a media presentation log for the media presentation of the first media, the media presentation log including first media identifiers of the first media and first times at which the first media was presented; generate a reference log including second media identifiers of second media and second times at which the second media was presented as a linear media presentation; compare the media presentation log to the reference log to determine a number of matches between ones of the first media identifiers and ones of the second media identifiers, the matches between the ones of the first media identifiers and the ones of the second media identifiers being in a same order in the media presentation log and the reference log; and classify the media presentation of the first media as a linear media presentation when the number of matches satisfies a threshold. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The apparatus as defined in claim 11, wherein the processor circuitry is to execute the instructions to classify the media presentation of the first media as a non-linear media presentation when the number of matches does not satisfy the threshold. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The apparatus as defined in claim 11, wherein the first media includes first program media and first non-program media, and the second media includes second program media and second non-program media. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The apparatus as defined in claim 11, wherein the media presentation log includes an identification of a first portion of the first media as program media and a second portion of the first media as non-program media. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The apparatus as defined in claim 14, wherein the media presentation log includes the identification of the first portion of the first media as program media in response to a code present in the first portion of the first media matching a reference code associated with reference program media. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The apparatus as defined in claim 14, wherein the media presentation log includes the identification of the first portion of the first media as program media in response to a signature generated based on the first portion of the first media matching a reference signature associated with reference program media. ### Claim 17 (depends on 14) The apparatus as defined in claim 14, wherein the media presentation log includes the identification of the second portion of the first media as non-program media in response to presentation of the second portion of the first media following a blank frame present in the first media. ### Claim 18 (depends on 14) The apparatus defined in claim 14, wherein the media presentation log includes the identification of the second portion of the first media as non-program media in response to presentation of the second portion of the first media following a cue tone present in the first media. ### Claim 19 (depends on 14) The apparatus as defined in claim 14, wherein the media presentation log includes the identification of the first portion of the first media as program media in response to detection of a logo in the first portion of the first media. ### Claim 20 (depends on 11) The apparatus as defined in claim 11, wherein the audio fingerprint is based on an audio characteristic of the first media electronically measured at discrete times by the media monitoring device.