Real-time audience measurement system

A method comprising:

• receiving, through a network at a digital video recorder (DVR), a broadcast instant message originating from a service comprising message information that identifies a video program and that indicates a specified amount of time to (a) add to a playing time of the video program or scheduled recording time of the video program, or (b) subtract from a playing time of the video program or scheduled recording time of the video program, the broadcast instant message being simultaneously sent to a plurality of DVRs by an instant messaging server, wherein the broadcast instant message is sent over an SSL connection that is continuously maintained between the service and the DVR, and wherein the SSL connection is automatically reconnected if the connection is dropped;
• and
• determining, by the DVR, whether the video program is playing on the DVR or the DVR is scheduled to record the video program;
• in response to determining whether the video program is playing on the DVR or the DVR is scheduled to record the video program, performing either of:
• adding, in real-time, the amount of time specified in the broadcast instant message to the playing time of the video program playing on the DVR or to the scheduled beginning or ending recording time of the video program scheduled to record on the DVR;
• or
• subtracting, in real-time, the amount of time specified in the broadcast instant message from the playing time of the video program playing on the DVR or from the scheduled beginning or ending recording time of the video program scheduled to record on the DVR.

A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing one or more sequences of instructions, which instructions, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to carry out:

• receiving, at a server, an instant message comprising television viewer data, the instant message being autonomously sent by a client system in response to user client operational command input received by the client system while the client system is causing display of a media content, the television viewer data including the user client operational command input and an identity of the media content and specifying the server as recipient of the instant message, the user client operational command input affecting presentation of the media content on the client system or causing a recording of the media content or other media content, wherein the instant message is sent over an SSL connection that is continuously maintained between the server and the client system, and wherein the SSL connection is automatically reconnected if the connection is dropped;
• analyzing data from the television viewer data;
• and
• generating output information using the analyzed data, the data from the television viewer data comprising user client operational command input, an identity of media content related to the user client operational command input, and an identity of a particular segment within the media content;
• and a segment of the media content is one of a plurality of different and separate segments of the media content.

A non-transitory computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions, which instructions, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to carry out:

• receiving, through a network at a digital video recorder (DVR), a broadcast instant message originating from a service comprising message information that identifies a video program and that indicates a specified amount of time to (a) add to a playing time of the video program or scheduled recording time of the video program, or (b) subtract from a playing time of the video program or scheduled recording time of the video program, the broadcast instant message being simultaneously sent to a plurality of DVRs by an instant messaging server, wherein the broadcast instant message is sent over an SSL connection that is continuously maintained between the service and the DVR, and wherein the SSL connection is automatically reconnected if the connection is dropped;
• and
• determining, by the DVR, whether the video program is playing on the DVR or the DVR is scheduled to record the video program;
• in response to determining whether the video program is playing on the DVR or the DVR is scheduled to record the video program, performing either of:
• adding, in real-time, the amount of time specified in the broadcast instant message to the playing time of the video program playing on the DVR or to the scheduled beginning or ending recording time of the video program scheduled to record on the DVR;
• or
• subtracting, in real-time, the amount of time specified in the broadcast instant message from the playing time of the video program playing on the DVR or from the scheduled beginning or ending recording time of the video program scheduled to record on the DVR.

An apparatus comprising:

• a receiver for receiving at a server, an instant message comprising television viewer data, the instant message being autonomously sent by the client system in response to user client operational command input received by a client system while the client system is causing display of a media content, the television viewer data including the user client operational command input and an identity of the media content and specifying the server as recipient of the instant message, the user client operational command input affecting presentation of the media content on the client system or causing a recording of the media content or other media content, wherein the instant message is sent over an SSL connection that is continuously maintained between the server and the client system, and wherein the SSL connection is automatically reconnected if the connection is dropped;
• an analyzer for analyzing data from the television viewer data;
• and
• an output generator for generating output information using the analyzed data, the data from the television viewer data comprising user client operational command input, an identity of media content related to the user client operational command input, and an identity of a particular segment within the media content;
• and a segment of the media content is one of a plurality of different and separate segments of the media content.

An apparatus comprising:

• a receiver for receiving, through a network at a digital video recorder (DVR), a broadcast instant message originating from a service comprising message information that identifies a video program and that indicates a specified amount of time to (a) add to a playing time of the video program or scheduled recording time of the video program, or (b) subtract from a playing time of the video program or scheduled recording time of the video program, the broadcast instant message being simultaneously sent to a plurality of DVRs by an instant messaging server, wherein the instant message is sent over an SSL connection that is continuously maintained between the service and the DVR, and wherein the SSL connection is automatically reconnected if the connection is dropped;
• and
• a processor, at the DVR, that determines whether the video program is playing on the DVR or the DVR is scheduled to record the video program;
• the processor, in response to determining whether the video program is playing on the DVR or the DVR is scheduled to record the video program, performs either of:
• adding, in real-time, the amount of time specified in the broadcast instant message to the playing time of the video program playing on the DVR or to the scheduled beginning or ending recording time of the video program scheduled to record on the DVR;
• or
• subtracting, in real-time, the amount of time specified in the broadcast instant message from the playing time of the video program playing on the DVR or from the scheduled beginning or ending recording time of the video program scheduled to record on the DVR.