# US 9,437,214 B2 · Distributed audience measurement systems and methods > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,437,214 B2 - Document ID: US9437214B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 14/628,533 - Filed: 2015-02-23 - Published: 2015-06-18 - Granted: 2016-09-06 - Earliest claimed: 2009-10-30 - Assignees: The Nielsen Company (US), LLC - Applicants: The Nielsen Company (US), LLC - Inventors: Wendell Lynch; Alan Neuhauser; Taymoor Arshi; Anand Jain - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9437214B2 ## CPC - H04H 60/31: Arrangements for monitoring the use made of the broadcast services - G06Q 30/0201: Market modelling; Market analysis; Collecting market data - G06Q 30/0203: Market surveys; Market polls - G06Q 30/0204: Market segmentation - G10L 19/018: Audio watermarking, i.e. embedding inaudible data in the audio signal - G10L 25/48: specially adapted for particular use - G10L 25/51: for comparison or discrimination - G10L 25/72: for transmitting results of analysis - G10L 25/81: for discriminating voice from music - H04H 60/33: Arrangements for monitoring the users' behaviour or opinions - H04H 60/58: of audio {(determination or detection of speech characteristics in general G10L25/00; speech recognition in general G10L15/00)} - H04H 60/46: for recognising users' preferences - Y02D 30/70: in wireless communication networks - H04H: BROADCAST COMMUNICATION (multiplex communication H04J; pictorial communication aspects of broadcast systems H04N) - 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 - G10L: SPEECH ANALYSIS TECHNIQUES OR SPEECH SYNTHESIS; SPEECH RECOGNITION; SPEECH OR VOICE PROCESSING TECHNIQUES; SPEECH OR AUDIO CODING OR DECODING - Y02D: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES [ICT], I.E. INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES AIMING AT THE REDUCTION OF THEIR OWN ENERGY USE ## Abstract Systems and methods are disclosed for customizing, distributing and processing audio fingerprint data. An example method includes receiving, at a first device, an activation signal and a first audio fingerprint via first wireless communications between the first device and a communications network, the receiving occurring while the first device is not recording audio via a microphone of the first device; based on the activation signal, recording audio using the microphone during a first time period; generating a second audio fingerprint representative of the recorded audio; determining whether the second audio fingerprint matches the first audio fingerprint; and sending an indication of whether the second audio fingerprint matches the first audio fingerprint to an audience measurement entity via second wireless communications between the first device and the communications network. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method, comprising: receiving, at a first device, an activation signal and a first audio fingerprint via first wireless communications between the first device and a communications network, the receiving occurring while the first device is not recording audio via a microphone of the first device; based on the activation signal, recording audio using the microphone during a first time period corresponding to the first audio fingerprint; generating, at the first device, a second audio fingerprint representative of the recorded audio; deactivating the microphone at the end of the first time period corresponding to the first audio fingerprint; determining, at the first device, whether the second audio fingerprint matches the first audio fingerprint; and sending an indication of whether the second audio fingerprint matches the first audio fingerprint from the first device to an audience measurement entity via second wireless communications between the first device and the communications network. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method as defined in claim 1, further including transmitting, from the first device, an acknowledgment signal to the audience measurement entity via a third wireless communication between the first device and the communications network in response to the activation signal. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method as defined in claim 1, further including: receiving, at the first device, machine readable instructions via the first wireless communications; and executing the machine readable instructions at the first device to form the second audio fingerprint on the first device. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the first device is a smart phone or a computer. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the first audio fingerprint is representative of a commercial, an announcement, or a song. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method as defined in claim 1, further including sending at least one of identification information of the first device or identification of audio corresponding to the second audio fingerprint to the audience measurement entity via the second wireless communications or via third wireless communications between the first device and the communications network. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the receiving of the first audio fingerprint occurs simultaneously with the receiving of the activation signal or after the receiving of the activation signal. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the receiving of the activation signal includes receiving executable content included in the activation signal, the method further including executing the executable content with the first device to cause the first device to wake up from an inactive state. ### Claim 9 A portable device, comprising: a microphone; a communication interface to receive an activation signal and a first audio fingerprint via first wireless communication via a communications network; and a processing circuit to: in response to the activation signal, record audio via the microphone during a first time period corresponding to the first audio fingerprint; generate a second audio fingerprint representative of the recorded audio; deactivate the microphone at the end of the first time period corresponding to the first audio fingerprint; and determine whether the second audio fingerprint matches the first audio fingerprint, the communication interface to send an indication of whether the second audio fingerprint matches the first audio fingerprint to an audience measurement entity via a second wireless communication. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The portable device as defined in claim 9, wherein the communication interface is to transmit an acknowledgment signal to the audience measurement entity via a third wireless communication in response to the activation signal. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The portable device as defined in claim 9, wherein the communication interface is to receive machine readable instructions via the first wireless communication, the processing circuit to execute the machine readable instructions to form the second audio fingerprint on the portable device. ### Claim 12 (depends on 9) The portable device as defined in claim 9, wherein the portable device is a smart phone or a computer. ### Claim 13 (depends on 9) The portable device as defined in claim 9, wherein the first audio fingerprint is representative of a commercial, an announcement, or a song. ### Claim 14 (depends on 9) The portable device as defined in claim 9, wherein the communication interface is to send at least one of identification information of the portable device or identification of audio corresponding to the second audio fingerprint to the audience measurement entity. ### Claim 15 A tangible machine readable hardware storage device or storage disk comprising first machine readable instructions which, when executed by a processor of a portable device, cause the processor to at least: access an activation signal received via first wireless communications with a communications network, the activation signal and a first audio fingerprint being received when the portable device is not recording audio via a microphone; based on the activation signal, record audio using the microphone during a first time period corresponding to the first audio fingerprint; generate a second audio fingerprint representative of the recorded audio; deactivate the microphone at the end of the first time period corresponding to the first audio fingerprint; determine whether the second audio fingerprint matches the first audio fingerprint; and send an indication of whether the second audio fingerprint matches the first audio fingerprint to an audience measurement entity via second wireless communications with the communications network. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The hardware storage device or storage disk as defined in claim 15, wherein the first machine readable instructions are further to cause the processor to: access second machine readable instructions received via the first wireless communications; and execute the second machine readable instructions to form the second audio fingerprint. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The hardware storage device or storage disk as defined in claim 15, wherein the first machine readable instructions are further to cause the processor to send at least one of identification information of the portable device or identification of audio corresponding to the second audio fingerprint to the audience measurement entity via the second wireless communications or via third wireless communications with the communications network. ### Claim 18 (depends on 15) The hardware storage device or storage disk as defined in claim 15, wherein the first machine readable instructions are further to cause the processor to transmit an acknowledgment signal to the audience measurement entity via third wireless communications with the communications network in response to the activation signal. ### Claim 19 (depends on 15) The hardware storage device or storage disk as defined in claim 15, wherein the first audio fingerprint is representative of a commercial, an announcement, or a song.