Systems, methods, and apparatus to identify media devices
AssigneeThe Nielsen Company (US), LLC
InventorJan Besehanic
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Systems, methods, and apparatus to identify media devices are disclosed. An example network communications monitor includes network interface circuitry, computer readable instructions, and processor circuitry. The processor circuitry is to execute the computer readable instructions to detect, via the network interface circuitry, multiple network communications transmitted on a home network within the household, access panelist data that associates a panelist of the household with a panelist device of the panelist, determine, based on the panelist data, that one or more of the multiple network communications are associated with the panelist device, and cause storage of data identifying the one or more network communications in association with the panelist.
Claims20
A computing system comprising:
- a server;
- and
- a network communications monitor for monitoring a local area network in a panelist household, the network communications monitor comprising:
- a network interface for connecting the network communications monitor to a router in the panelist household,
- at least one processor, and
- a non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored therein instructions that, upon execution by the at least one processor, cause the network communications monitor to perform operations comprising:
- detecting, via the network interface of the network communications monitor, a media device that is connected to the local area network and separate from the network communications monitor, wherein the media device is configured for receiving media from a media provider for presentation at the panelist household;
- identifying a media access control (MAC) address of the media device;
- and
- transmitting data indicative of the MAC address to the server,
- wherein the server is configured to detect, based on the data indicative of the MAC address, that the media device is a new device that has been added to the local area network.
A method comprising:
- detecting, by a network communications monitor in a panelist household, a media device that is connected to a local area network and separate from the network communications monitor, wherein the network communications monitor comprises a network interface for connecting the network communications monitor to a router in the panelist household, and wherein the media device is configured for receiving media from a media provider for presentation at the panelist household;
- identifying, by the network communications monitor, a media access control (MAC) address of the media device;
- and
- detecting, based on the MAC address, that the media device is a new device that has been added to the local area network,
- wherein detecting that the media device is a new device enables an audience measurement entity to contact a panelist of the panelist household to inquire about the new device.
A network communications monitor comprising:
- a network interface for connecting the network communications monitor to a router in a panelist household;
- at least one processor;
- and
- a non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored therein instructions that, upon execution by the at least one processor, cause the network communications monitor to perform operations comprising:
- detecting, via the network interface of the network communications monitor, a media device that is connected to a local area network and separate from the network communications monitor, wherein the media device is configured for receiving media from a media provider for presentation at the panelist household,
- identifying a media access control (MAC) address of the media device, and
- transmitting data indicative of the MAC address to a server, wherein the server is configured to detect, based on the data indicative of the MAC address, that the media device is a new device that has been added to the local area network.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.