# US 2026/0101092 A1 · Scalable architectures for reference signature matching and updating > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2026/0101092 A1 - Document ID: US20260101092A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 19/414,197 - Filed: 2025-12-09 - Published: 2026-04-09 - Earliest claimed: 2016-12-09 - Assignees: The Nielsen Company (US), LLC - Applicants: The Nielsen Company (US), LLC - Inventors: Raghuram Ranganathan; Anand Jain; Venugopal Srinivasan - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20260101092A1 ## CPC - H04N 21/8358: involving watermark {(protecting executable software by watermarking G06F21/16; image watermarking in general G06T1/0021; watermarks inserted in still images for transmission purposes H04N1/32144; inserting watermarks during video coding H04N19/467)} - G06F 16/683: using metadata automatically derived from the content - G06F 16/783: using metadata automatically derived from the content - G06F 18/22: Matching criteria, e.g. proximity measures - G06V 10/40: Extraction of image or video features - G06V 10/761: {Proximity, similarity or dissimilarity measures} - G06V 10/955: {using specific electronic processors} - G06V 10/96: Management of image or video recognition tasks - G06F 16/122: {using management policies (point-in-time backing up or restoration of persistent data G06F11/1446; file migration policies for HSM systems G06F16/185)} - G06F 16/125: {characterised by the use of retention policies (retention policies for HSM systems G06F16/185)} - G06F 16/245: Query processing - G06F 16/634: {Query by example, e.g. query by humming} - G06F 2218/12: Classification; Matching - H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) - G06V: IMAGE OR VIDEO RECOGNITION OR UNDERSTANDING ## Abstract Methods, apparatus, systems and articles of manufacture are disclosed for scalable architectures for reference signature matching and updating. An example method for scalable architectures for reference signature matching and updating includes accessing site signatures to be compared to reference signatures from a first group of media sources. Determining if a first reference node is an owner of a first one of the site signatures. Comparing a neighborhood of site signatures including the first site signature to reference signatures in a first subset of reference signatures when the first reference node is the owner of the first site signature, the first subset of refences signatures stored in a first memory partition associated with the first reference node. Not comparing site signature to reference signatures when the first reference node is not the owner of the first one of the site signatures. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A computer system comprising: a processor; and a memory storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the system to perform operations comprising: providing a query representative of monitored media to a plurality of computer nodes; processing the query at each of the plurality of computer nodes to determine a target computer node based on an output generated by at least one computer node among the plurality of computer nodes, wherein the target computer node is configured to store reference data characterizing reference media, and wherein each computer node of the plurality of computer nodes is configured to process the query in parallel with each other node of the plurality of computer nodes; and identifying the monitored media based on the query and the reference data stored at the target computer node. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The computer system of claim 1, wherein the query comprises a site signature representative of monitored media. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The computer system of claim 1, wherein processing the query at each of the plurality of computer nodes comprises: simultaneously providing the query to each computer node of the plurality of computer nodes. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The computer system of claim 1, wherein the reference data characterizing the reference media comprises: i) a reference signature and ii) a timestamp. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The computer system of claim 1, wherein processing the query at each of the plurality of computer nodes to determine the target computer node comprises: performing a modulo operation on the query by taking a modulo of the query using a total number of the plurality of computer nodes to generate a site signature number; and determining the target computer node from among the plurality of computer nodes based on the site signature number. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The computer system of claim 5, wherein determining the target computer node from among the plurality of computer nodes based on the site signature number comprises: comparing the site signature number to a computer node number of each computer node of the plurality of computer nodes; and determining that a computer node having the computer node number that matches the site signature number is the target computer node. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The computer system of claim 1, wherein the query comprises a first site signature, and wherein at least one reference signature associated with the target computer node matches one or more site signatures in a neighborhood of site signatures that includes the first site signature. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The computer system of claim 1, wherein the target computer node comprises: i) a linear list of one or more reference signatures, and ii) a nested distributed map (NDMap). ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The computer system of claim 8, wherein the query comprises a site signature, and wherein the target computer node is configured to: query the NDMap using the site signature as a key to retrieve an inner map, wherein the inner map comprises locations of the one or more reference signatures corresponding to the site signature in the linear list, and compare the site signature to one or more reference signatures corresponding to the site signature in the linear list. ### Claim 10 A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions that, when executed, cause a processor to perform operations comprising: providing a query representative of monitored media to a plurality of computer nodes; processing the query at each of the plurality of computer nodes to determine a target computer node based on an output generated by at least one computer node among the plurality of computer nodes, wherein the target computer node is configured to store reference data characterizing reference media, and wherein each computer node of the plurality of computer nodes is configured to process the query in parallel with each other node of the plurality of computer nodes; and identifying the monitored media based on the query and the reference data stored at the target computer node. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the query comprises a site signature representative of monitored media. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein processing the query at each of the plurality of computer nodes comprises: simultaneously providing the query to each computer node of the plurality of computer nodes. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the reference data characterizing the reference media comprises: i) a reference signature and ii) a timestamp. ### Claim 14 (depends on 10) The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein processing the query at each of the plurality of computer nodes to determine the target computer node comprises: performing a modulo operation on the query by taking a modulo of the query using a total number of the plurality of computer nodes to generate a site signature number; and determining the target computer node from among the plurality of computer nodes based on the site signature number. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein determining the target computer node from among the plurality of computer nodes based on the site signature number comprises: comparing the site signature number to a computer node number of each computer node of the plurality of computer nodes; and determining that a computer node having the computer node number that matches the site signature number is the target computer node. ### Claim 16 (depends on 10) The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the query comprises a first site signature, and wherein at least one reference signature associated with the target computer node matches one or more site signatures in a neighborhood of site signatures that includes the first site signature. ### Claim 17 (depends on 10) The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the target computer node comprises: i) a linear list of one or more reference signatures, and ii) a nested distributed map (NDMap). ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the query comprises a site signature, and wherein the target computer node is configured to: query the NDMap using the site signature as a key to retrieve an inner map, wherein the inner map comprises locations of the one or more reference signatures corresponding to the site signature in the linear list, and compare the site signature to one or more reference signatures corresponding to the site signature in the linear list. ### Claim 19 A method comprising: providing a query representative of monitored media to a plurality of computer nodes; processing the query at each of the plurality of computer nodes to determine a target computer node based on an output generated by at least one computer node among the plurality of computer nodes, wherein the target computer node is configured to store reference data characterizing reference media, and wherein each computer node of the plurality of computer nodes is configured to process the query in parallel with each other node of the plurality of computer nodes; and identifying the monitored media based on the query and the reference data stored at the target computer node. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The method of claim 19, wherein the query comprises a site signature representative of monitored media.