Patents by Inventor Alejandro Terrazas

Alejandro Terrazas has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 10992985
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus to determine engagement levels of audience members are disclosed. An example method includes capturing, with a sensor, image data depicting an environment in which a first media device is to present media. Analyzing the image data to determine whether the environment includes a second media device emanating a glow. When the environment includes the second media device emanating the glow, calculating an engagement for a person in the environment with respect to the first media device, the engagement being calculated based on a characteristic of the second media device emanating the glow.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2021
    Assignee: THE NIELSEN COMPANY (US), LLC
    Inventor: Alejandro Terrazas
  • Publication number: 20210049618
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus to solve for a minimum variance solution for a constrained weight problem in a scalable and memory efficient manner are disclosed. An example instructions cause a machine to at least store a constraint matrix and a population matrix into a memory, the constraint matrix representing demographics associated with a plurality of panelists in a population, the population matrix representing second demographics of the population; determine a linear system based on a set of constraints including the constraint matrix and the population matrix; determine a solution to the linear system by determining an inverse of a first matrix of the linear system; and output a resultant set of weights based on the solution, the resultant set of weights satisfying the set of constraints.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 2, 2020
    Publication date: February 18, 2021
    Inventors: Michael Sheppard, Jonathan Sullivan, Peter Lipa, Alejandro Terrazas, Matt Reid, Paul Donato
  • Patent number: 10924791
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus to estimate demographics of a household are disclosed. An example method to determine demographics for non-panelist households includes calculating a first demographic constraint average and a second demographic constraint average based on a first demographic distribution of a first tuning event of a household and a second demographic distribution of a second tuning event of the household. The household is a non-panelist household. The example method also includes, based on the first demographic constraint average, determining a first likelihood of the household being associated with a first demographic constraint. The example method also includes, based on the second demographic constraint average, determining a second likelihood of the household being associated with a second demographic constraint. The example method also includes estimating a household characteristic of the household based on the first likelihood and the second likelihood.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2021
    Assignee: The Nielsen Company (US), LLC
    Inventors: Jonathan Sullivan, Peter Lipa, Michael Sheppard, Alejandro Terrazas
  • Publication number: 20210044849
    Abstract: Methods, apparatus, systems and articles of manufacture are disclosed to identify co-relationships between media using social media. An example apparatus includes an audience estimator to: estimate a first audience of first media based on a first set of media-exposure social media messages corresponding to client devices referencing the first media, and estimate a second audience of second media based on a second set of media-exposure social media messages corresponding to the client devices referencing the second media.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 26, 2020
    Publication date: February 11, 2021
    Inventors: Michael Sheppard, Matthew B. Reid, Alejandro Terrazas, Jonathan Sullivan, Peter Lipa
  • Patent number: 10885097
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus to generate data for geographic areas are disclosed. An example method includes identifying a first geographic area for which a database does not include a model, determining a first data element of the first geographic area, identifying a first trained model corresponding to a second geographic area with the first data element, identifying a second trained model corresponding to a third geographic area with the first data element, mixing the first trained model and the second trained model to generate a composite model, and using the composite model to represent the first geographic area in the database.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2021
    Assignee: THE NIELSEN COMPANY (US), LLC
    Inventors: Alejandro Terrazas, Peter Lipa, Jonathan Sullivan, Michael Sheppard, Wei Xie
  • Patent number: 10861031
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus to facilitate dynamic classification for market research are disclosed. Example disclosed methods include constructing, using a programmed processor based on data for a sample population and a first set of input variables, a self-organizing map classifying the sample population according to a plurality of classes defined in the map using fuzzy class membership. Example disclosed methods include extracting the fuzzy class membership for the sample population from the map. Example disclosed methods include correlating fuzzy class membership with behavior data for the sample population to determine a likely class behavior for the plurality of classes. Example disclosed methods include using fuzzy class membership and the likely class behavior to provide a predictive market output in response to a query.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2020
    Assignee: The Nielsen Company (US), LLC
    Inventors: Jonathan Sullivan, Michael Sheppard, Peter Lipa, Alejandro Terrazas, John Charles Torres
  • Publication number: 20200380251
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus to monitor environments are disclosed. Example audience measurement devices disclosed herein execute, in connection with a first frame of data, a three-dimensional recognition analysis on an object detected in an environment within a threshold distance from a sensor. Disclosed example audience measurement devices also detect that the object has moved outside the threshold distance from the sensor in a second frame subsequent to the first frame. Disclosed example audience measurement devices further execute a two-dimensional recognition analysis on the object in the second frame.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 15, 2020
    Publication date: December 3, 2020
    Inventors: Morris Lee, Alejandro Terrazas
  • Patent number: 10853824
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus to apply household-level weights to audience measurement data at a household-member level are disclosed. An example method to determine demographics of populations to measure media audiences of populations includes determining demographics for members of a first household of a sub-population. First demographics of a first member of the first household are different than second demographics of a second member of the first household. The example method includes calculating a first household-level weight for the first household based on a demographics distribution of the sub-population and aggregate demographics of a population.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2020
    Assignee: The Nielsen Company (US), LLC
    Inventors: Michael Sheppard, Jonathan Sullivan, Peter Lipa, Alejandro Terrazas
  • Publication number: 20200372526
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus to determine ratings data from population sample data having unreliable demographic classifications are disclosed. An example method includes receiving, at an audience measurement entity (AME), a first request sent from a first type of device via a communications network; sending a request for demographic information corresponding to requests received at the AME from the first type of device, the requests including the first request; obtaining a misattribution matrix; generating a multinomial distribution from the misattribution matrix; generating samples of the multinomial distribution; converting the samples to misattribution matrices; and applying a vector to the plurality of misattribution matrices to estimate a first number of audience members who are attributable to the second demographic group, the vector representing a second number of audience members who are associated with the first demographic group based on the demographic information.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 8, 2020
    Publication date: November 26, 2020
    Inventors: Michael Sheppard, Jonathan Sullivan, Peter Lipa, Alejandro Terrazas, Paul Donato
  • Publication number: 20200372527
    Abstract: Examples apparatus disclosed herein are to determine a plurality of weights based on a data structure having elements corresponding to pairings of ones of a plurality of demographic partition statistics and ones of a plurality of baseline demographic statistics obtained for a target population, the demographic partition statistics corresponding to a plurality of demographic partitions of a sample population, a first element of the data structure to combine a first one of the demographic partition statistics with a first one of the baseline demographic statistics of the target population based on a first value corresponding to a numerator term of an expression and a second value corresponding to a denominator term of the expression, the weights corresponding respectively to the demographic partitions of the sample population. Disclosed example apparatus are also to adjust the attribute data based on the weights to determine ratings data for the target population.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 10, 2020
    Publication date: November 26, 2020
    Inventors: Michael Sheppard, Jonathan Sullivan, Alejandro Terrazas, Peter Lipa, Albert Ronald Perez
  • Patent number: 10825030
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus to solve for a minimum variance solution for a constrained weight problem in a scalable and memory efficient manner are disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 3, 2020
    Assignee: The Nielsen Company (US), LLC
    Inventors: Michael Sheppard, Jonathan Sullivan, Peter Lipa, Alejandro Terrazas, Matt Reid, Paul Donato
  • Patent number: 10820026
    Abstract: Methods, apparatus, systems and articles of manufacture are disclosed to identify co-relationships between media using social media. An example apparatus includes an audience estimator to: estimate a first audience of first media based on a first set of media-exposure social media messages corresponding to client devices referencing the first media, and estimate a second audience of second media based on a second set of media-exposure social media messages corresponding to the client devices referencing the second media.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2020
    Assignee: The Nielsen Company (US), LLC
    Inventors: Michael Sheppard, Matthew B. Reid, Alejandro Terrazas, Jonathan Sullivan, Peter Lipa
  • Publication number: 20200260133
    Abstract: Methods, apparatus, systems and articles of manufacture are disclosed to determine a duration of media presentation based on tuning session duration. Example apparatus a receiver to obtain a first tuning session duration indicative of an amount of time between channel changes of a first media presentation device at a first media presentation location, a presentation session estimator to select a model from storage, the model selected based on a match of the first tuning session duration and a second tuning session duration, the model including a relation between the second tuning session duration and a first presentation session duration of media presented on a second media presentation device at a second media presentation location, and estimate a second presentation session duration of media presented within the first tuning session duration based on the model.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 27, 2020
    Publication date: August 13, 2020
    Inventors: Michael Sheppard, Jonathan Sullivan, Peter Lipa, Alejandro Terrazas
  • Patent number: 10740774
    Abstract: Methods, apparatus, systems and articles of manufacture to correct for bias in ratings data are disclosed. Example methods disclosed herein include accessing information specifying a set of population strata having corresponding strata demographic statistics capable of being combined to determine a first set of baseline demographic statistics for a sample population that corresponds to a second set of baseline demographic statistics for a target population. Disclosed example methods also include determining a set of weights corresponding respectively to the set of population strata that reduces bias between the second set of baseline demographic statistics for the target population and the first set of baseline demographic statistics for the sample population when the set of weights is applied to the strata demographic statistics to determine the first set of baseline demographic statistics for the sample population.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2020
    Assignee: The Nielsen Company (US), LLC
    Inventors: Michael Sheppard, Jonathan Sullivan, Alejandro Terrazas, Peter Lipa, Albert Ronald Perez
  • Publication number: 20200219117
    Abstract: Methods, apparatus, systems and articles of manufacture are disclosed to correct segmentation errors. An example disclosed method includes identifying, with a processor, a segment group comprising observation data associated with two or more segments, respective ones of the two or more segments having a similar first characteristic and a dissimilar second characteristic, identifying first portions of the observation data having errors, generating a first matrix of binary indicators associated with the observation data, the binary indicators associating the first portions of the observation data with a first correction factor, and generating a value for the first correction factor by minimizing a residual sum of squares of the segment group observation data associated with the first matrix of binary indicators.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 10, 2019
    Publication date: July 9, 2020
    Inventors: Michael Sheppard, Peter Lipa, Alejandro Terrazas, Wei Xie, Matthew Reid
  • Patent number: 10685221
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus to monitor environments are disclosed. Example audience measurement devices disclosed herein include means for executing a first recognition analysis on three-dimensional data representative of a first object within a threshold distance from a three-dimensional sensor. Disclosed example audience measurement devices also include means for executing a second recognition analysis on two-dimensional data representative of a second object outside the threshold distance from the three-dimensional sensor. Disclosed example audience measurement devices further include means for combining a first detection of a first person provided by the first recognition analysis and a second detection of a second person provided by the second recognition analysis to generate a people count for an environment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 16, 2020
    Assignee: The Nielsen Company (US), LLC
    Inventors: Morris Lee, Alejandro Terrazas
  • Patent number: 10638177
    Abstract: Methods, apparatus, systems and articles of manufacture are disclosed to determine a duration of media presentation based on tuning session duration. Example apparatus include a tuning session determiner to determine a first tuning session based on a period of time between channel changes of a first media presentation device; a presentation session determiner to determine first presentation session data within the determined first tuning session; a modeler to determine a model by relating the first tuning session with the first presentation session data; a receiver to determine a second tuning session for tuning data from a second media presentation device; and a presentation session estimator to: select the model for the second tuning session, based on a match of a first duration of the second tuning session and a second duration associated with the model, and estimate second presentation session data for the second tuning session based on the model.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2020
    Assignee: The Nielsen Company (US), LLC
    Inventors: Michael Sheppard, Jonathan Sullivan, Peter Lipa, Alejandro Terrazas
  • Patent number: 10565601
    Abstract: Methods, apparatus, systems and articles of manufacture are disclosed to identify non-traditional asset-bundles for purchasing groups using social media. An example method includes identifying an asset-bundle in a social media message and generating a profile for a user associated with the social media message. The example method also includes identifying a plurality of social media messages posted by cohorts of the user based on the generated profile and classifying the asset-bundle based on occurrences of the asset-bundle in the plurality of social media messages.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2020
    Assignee: The Nielsen Company (US), LLC
    Inventors: Lauren Elizabeth Lubeck, Michael Richard Sheppard, Alejandro Terrazas, Samantha Dawson Edds
  • Publication number: 20190378177
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus to adjust media impressions based on media impression notification loss rates in network communications are disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 24, 2019
    Publication date: December 12, 2019
    Inventors: Jonathan Sullivan, Michael Sheppard, Albert Ronald Perez, Alejandro Terrazas
  • Publication number: 20190379629
    Abstract: Methods, apparatus, systems and articles of manufacture are disclosed to estimate demographics of users employing social media. An example method disclosed herein includes (1) identifying a social media message regarding an asset, the social media message associated with a user identifier associated with the user, (2) determining demographics associated with a group of people exposed to the asset, (3) associating the user identifier with the asset, and (4) repeating (1) to (3). The example method also includes (5) combining demographics associated with two or more different groups of people with which the user identifier is associated to estimate a demographic profile for the user.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 24, 2019
    Publication date: December 12, 2019
    Inventors: Michael Richard Sheppard, Matthew B. Reid, Alejandro Terrazas, Peter Otto Robert Lipa, Brian George Schiller