Patents by Inventor Arun Ramaswamy

Arun Ramaswamy 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: 9936234
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus to adaptively gather audience information data are disclosed. The disclosed methods and apparatus monitor system factor(s) and select one or more sensors from a plurality of sensors positioned to gather audience measurement data based on the monitored factor(s). Thus, the disclosed methods and apparatus adapt to the conditions they face by selecting an amount and/or type of audience measurement data they gather.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2018
    Assignee: The Nielsen Company (US), LLC
    Inventors: Paul M. Mears, Arun Ramaswamy
  • Publication number: 20180084313
    Abstract: Methods, apparatus, systems, and articles of manufacture to monitor media are disclosed. An example apparatus includes a network interface to obtain media monitoring information from a content publisher. The apparatus further includes a media identifier to determine a first media identifier based on the obtained media monitoring information corresponding to media presented at a media device, map the first media identifier to a second media identifier in a look-up table, the second media identifier based on an audience measurement entity (AME) media analyzer obtaining the media before the media device accessed the media, and credit the presentation of the media to the media device based on the mapping. The apparatus further includes a report generator to generate a media crediting report based on the crediting.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 19, 2017
    Publication date: March 22, 2018
    Inventors: Steven J. Splaine, Arun Ramaswamy, Kevin K. Gaynor, Chris G. Nicotra, Alan N. Bosworth
  • Publication number: 20180077528
    Abstract: Methods, apparatus, systems and articles of manufacture are disclosed to associate geographic locations with user devices. An example apparatus includes a beacon handler to: extract source identifying information from a beacon transmitted from a user device to an audience measurement entity in response to the user device accessing a webpage, and extract media identifying information from the beacon; a location identifier to, in response to detecting that the source identifying information indicates that the beacon was received from a mobile network query a location service of a provider of the mobile network to retrieve a location associated with the user device; and a location mapper to store the location in association with the media identifying information to credit an impression of the media identifying information to the location.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 20, 2017
    Publication date: March 15, 2018
    Inventors: Steven J. Splaine, Arun Ramaswamy
  • Patent number: 9900652
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus for transcoding metadata are disclosed. Example apparatus disclosed herein include means for accessing first metadata accompanying media to be presented by a media device, the first metadata in a first format not detectable by a meter collecting audience measurement data associated with the media device. The example apparatus also include means for transcoding the first metadata into second metadata having a second format different from the first format, the second metadata detectable by the meter and supported by an application programming interface (API) provided by the media device and accessible by the meter. The example apparatus further include means for communicating the second metadata in a second transmission for receipt by the meter via the API provided by the media device, the second transmission being separate from a first transmission communicating the media and the first metadata, but not communicating the second metadata, to the media device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2018
    Assignee: The Nielsen Company (US), LLC
    Inventors: Arun Ramaswamy, William A. Feininger
  • Patent number: 9900633
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus for inserting data a compressed data bitstream are disclosed. An example method includes inserting audience measurement data in a compressed bitstream by eliminating a first type of data within the compressed data bitstream, packing a second type of data to occupy a location within the compressed data bitstream from which the first type of data is eliminated, and inserting the audience measurement data in a predetermined location within the compressed data bitstream that is expanded as a result of the packing of the second type of data to form a modified compressed data bitstream. The example method also includes generating the ratings information based on the modified compressed data bitstream.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2018
    Assignee: The Nielsen Company (US), LLC
    Inventors: Arun Ramaswamy, Venugopal Srinivasan
  • Publication number: 20180035141
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus for crediting a media presentation device are disclosed. An example method includes detecting whether encoded information is present in audio obtained from a media device during a time period. Determining an on/off state of the media device based on a gain level applied by an automatic gain controller during collection of the audio. Crediting the media device with presenting media during the time period when the encoded information is detected irrespective of the on/off state determined for the media device, and not crediting the media device with presenting the media during the time period when the encoded information is not detected and the on/off state determined for the media device is an off state.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 10, 2017
    Publication date: February 1, 2018
    Inventors: Robert Stokes, Venugopal Srinivasan, Arun Ramaswamy, Daniel Nelson
  • Patent number: 9838281
    Abstract: Methods, apparatus and articles of manufacture to monitor streaming media are disclosed. Example methods disclosed herein include combining first metering data extracted from first media included in a transport stream being sent to a media device with second metering data obtained independently of the first media to form combined metering data, the combined metering data not being decodable by a meter associated with the media device. Disclosed example methods also include transcoding the combined metering data to form transcoded metering data having a format decodable by the meter associated with the media device. Disclosed example methods further include encoding the transcoded metering data as metadata associated with the transport stream.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2017
    Assignee: The Nielsen Company (US), LLC
    Inventors: Jan Besehanic, Arun Ramaswamy
  • Patent number: 9832496
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus for crediting a media presentation device are disclosed. An example method includes detecting whether encoded information is present in audio obtained from a media device during a time period. Determining an on/off state of the media device based on a gain level applied by an automatic gain controller during collection of the audio. Crediting the media device with presenting media during the time period when the encoded information is detected irrespective of the on/off state determined for the media device, and not crediting the media device with presenting the media during the time period when the encoded information is not detected and the on/off state determined for the media device is an off state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2017
    Assignee: The Nielsen Company (US), LLC
    Inventors: Robert Stokes, Venugopal Srinivasan, Arun Ramaswamy, Daniel Nelson
  • Patent number: 9826359
    Abstract: Methods, apparatus, systems and articles of manufacture are disclosed to associate geographic locations with user devices. An example method includes receiving, at a server, a request including source identifying information and monitoring information, the monitoring information sent by a device in response to accessing media, the source identifying information associated with a router connecting a private network to a public network. The example method also includes identifying a location identifier of the device based on the source identifying information and the monitoring information. The example method also includes attributing a geographic location to the device based on the location identifier.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2017
    Assignee: THE NIELSEN COMPANY (US), LLC
    Inventors: Steven J. Splaine, Arun Ramaswamy
  • Publication number: 20170300947
    Abstract: Methods, apparatus, systems and articles of manufacture to monitor media are disclosed. An example method includes installing a monitoring enabled application on a media device. Configuration information to instruct the monitoring enabled application to enable monitoring functionality is accessed. A media presentation event is identified within the monitoring enabled application. A media identifier corresponding to the media presentation event when the monitoring functionality is enabled is determined. At least one of a user identifier or a device identifier associated with the media device is determined when the monitoring functionality is enabled. A record is transmitted including the media identifier and the at least one of the user identifier or the device identifier to the audience measurement entity when the monitoring functionality is enabled.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 28, 2017
    Publication date: October 19, 2017
    Inventors: Madhusudhan Reddy Alla, Arun Ramaswamy
  • Patent number: 9779426
    Abstract: Methods, apparatus, and articles of manufacture to share media are disclosed. An example system includes a first device to capture, via a sensor, a representation of media being presented by a media presentation device separate from the first device. The first device to send a first user identifier of a first user of the first device, a second user identifier of a second user, different from the first user, and the representation of media to a media share facility. In response to the sending of the first user identifier, the second user identifier and the representation of media to the media share facility, receiving access to the media for the second user. When the access to the media is provided to the second user, crediting the media content with audience-interest credit based on the first user identifier.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2017
    Assignee: THE NIELSEN COMPANY (US), LLC
    Inventors: Arun Ramaswamy, Alan Nguyen Bosworth
  • Patent number: 9781455
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus for metering media feeds in a market are disclosed. An example method includes extracting a primary code from metering data received from a media presentation location. Extracting a breakout code, different than the primary code, from the metering data. Identifying, by executing an instruction with a processor, first media associated with the primary code. Identifying, by executing an instruction with the processor, a first regional network associated with the breakout code. Storing, by executing an instruction with the processor, information indicating that the first media was presented on the first regional network.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2017
    Assignee: THE NIELSEN COMPANY (US), LLC
    Inventors: Arun Ramaswamy, Douglas B. Turnbow
  • Publication number: 20170264952
    Abstract: Methods, apparatus and articles of manufacture for signature retrieval and matching for media monitoring are disclosed. An example apparatus includes a hash table populator to store hash keys of reference signatures included in a reference signature block associated with reference media in entries of a hash table, and store qualifier data in the entry of the hash table, the qualifier data including a timestamp, an offset, and an identifier associated with the reference signature of the hash key. The apparatus further including a block table populator to store a block table key corresponding to the reference signature block in the entry of a block table, the block table key including the timestamp and the identifier, and store the reference signature block, a preceding reference signature block and a subsequent reference signature block in the first entry of the block table.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 26, 2017
    Publication date: September 14, 2017
    Inventors: Daniel Nelson, Venugopal Srinivasan, Arun Ramaswamy, Raghuram Ranganathan, Kenneth William McArthur
  • Patent number: 9760898
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus to detect engagement with media presented on a wearable media device are disclosed. An example method includes determining a degree of opacity of a media presentation displayed on a wearable media device; and calculating an engagement score for media presented via the media presentation based on the degree of opacity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2017
    Assignee: The Nielsen Company (US), LLC
    Inventors: Jan Besehanic, Arun Ramaswamy
  • Patent number: 9721576
    Abstract: Apparatus, methods, and articles of manufacture for encoding a compressed media stream are disclosed. Example method of watermarking a digital media signal disclosed herein include copying compressed audio packets associated with an audio stream included in a transport stream of the digital media signal into respective frames of compressed audio data to be watermarked to include media identification information. Such example methods can also include determining whether a composition of the transport stream has changed during copying of the compressed audio packets into the respective frames of the compressed audio data. Such example methods can further include, if the composition of the transport stream has changed, writing the frames of the compressed audio data to an output stream corresponding to the digital media signal without applying a watermark to the frames of the compressed audio data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2017
    Assignee: The Nielsen Company (US), LLC
    Inventors: Lois Price, Arun Ramaswamy, Scott Cooper
  • Publication number: 20170208352
    Abstract: An example portable device disclosed herein includes means for halting execution of media metering software in response to determining the portable device is being used for a native purpose, the media metering software having been downloaded to the portable device. The example portable device also includes means, responsive to determining that the portable device is not being used for a native purpose, for executing the media metering software to monitor a media signal output by a media presentation device. The example portable device further includes means for determining whether an amount of available power is sufficient to continue execution of the media metering software, and means, responsive to determining that the amount of available power is insufficient, for causing execution of the media metering software to sleep for a first interval of time.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 31, 2017
    Publication date: July 20, 2017
    Inventors: David Howell Wright, Arun Ramaswamy, Dan Nelson, Glen Vilches
  • Publication number: 20170195716
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus for transcoding metadata are disclosed. Example apparatus disclosed herein include means for accessing first metadata accompanying media to be presented by a media device, the first metadata in a first format not detectable by a meter collecting audience measurement data associated with the media device. The example apparatus also include means for transcoding the first metadata into second metadata having a second format different from the first format, the second metadata detectable by the meter and supported by an application programming interface (API) provided by the media device and accessible by the meter. The example apparatus further include means for communicating the second metadata in a second transmission for receipt by the meter via the API provided by the media device, the second transmission being separate from a first transmission communicating the media and the first metadata, but not communicating the second metadata, to the media device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 22, 2017
    Publication date: July 6, 2017
    Inventors: Arun Ramaswamy, William A. Feininger
  • Patent number: 9697533
    Abstract: Methods, apparatus, systems and articles of manufacture to monitor media are disclosed. An example apparatus includes a software development kit provider to provide a software development kit to enable an application developer to create an application developer to create a monitoring enabled application. The example apparatus further includes a monitoring data receiver to receive data collected from a media device executing the monitoring enabled application, the data collected via the monitoring enabled application, the collected data including a media identifier and at least one of a device identifier or a user identifier. The example apparatus further includes a data store to store the collected data, and a database proprietor interface to request demographic information from a database proprietor, the database proprietor interface to store the demographic information in association with the media identifier in the data store.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2017
    Assignee: The Nielsen Company (US), LLC
    Inventors: Madhusudhan Reddy Alla, Arun Ramaswamy
  • Patent number: 9668020
    Abstract: Methods, apparatus, systems and articles of manufacture to perform signature retrieval and matching for media monitoring are disclosed. Example methods disclosed herein can include querying a first table using a first site signature obtained from a monitored site, the first table including hash keys corresponding to respective reference signatures, the first table further including respective qualifier data descriptive of respective ones of the reference signatures, Such example methods can also include querying a second table using first qualifier data obtained from querying the first table using the first site signature, the first qualifier data descriptive of a first reference signature corresponding to a first hash key determined to match the first site signature. Such example methods can further include comparing a first block of site signatures with a portion of a plurality of blocks of reference signatures obtained from querying the second table using the first qualifier data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2017
    Assignee: The Nielsen Company (US), LLC
    Inventors: Daniel Nelson, Venugopal Srinivasan, Arun Ramaswamy, Raghuram Ranganathan, Kenneth William McArthur
  • Patent number: 9615114
    Abstract: Portable multi-purpose audience measurement systems, apparatus and methods are disclosed. Example methods disclosed herein include executing media metering software downloaded onto a portable device. Such example methods also include halting execution of the media metering software in response to determining that the portable device is being used for a native purpose. Such example methods further include, in response to determining that the portable device is not being used for a native purpose, continuing execution of the media metering software to monitor a media signal output by a media presentation device separate from the portable device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2017
    Assignee: The Nielsen Company (US), LLC
    Inventors: David Howell Wright, Arun Ramaswamy, Dan Nelson, Glen Vilches