Patents by Inventor Eugene L. Flanagan

Eugene L. Flanagan 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: 11832036
    Abstract: Systems and methods for gathering research data using multiple monitoring devices are provided. An example method includes accessing, at a first monitoring device and a second monitoring device, first timing data produced by an external source, the first monitoring device located remotely from the second monitoring device. The example method additionally includes adjusting second timing data generated by the first monitoring device based on the first timing data and adjusting third timing data generated by the second monitoring device based on the first timing data. The example method also includes accessing, at a processing facility, the first timing data and adjusting fourth timing data generated by the processing facility based on the first timing data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2022
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2023
    Assignee: The Nielsen Company (US), LLC
    Inventors: Joan G. FitzGerald, Carol J. Frost, Eugene L. Flanagan
  • Publication number: 20230376901
    Abstract: Example methods, apparatus, and articles of manufacture for monitoring use by a user of a portable research device in accordance with at least one predetermined use criterion are disclosed. The disclosed examples include passively gathering data for assessing an identity of a user of the portable research device, processing the passively gathered data to produce assessment data indicating a possibility that the user is not a predetermined correct user of the portable research device, based on the assessment data, displaying a message to the user requesting a response from which the user's identity may be determined, and processing a response to the message to produce data indicating whether the user is the predetermined correct user.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 14, 2023
    Publication date: November 23, 2023
    Applicant: The Nielsen Company (US), LLC
    Inventors: Alan R. Neuhauser, Jack C. Crystal, Jack K. Zhang, Eugene L. Flanagan
  • Patent number: 11741431
    Abstract: Example methods, apparatus, and articles of manufacture for monitoring use by a user of a portable research device in accordance with at least one predetermined use criterion are disclosed. The disclosed examples include passively gathering data for assessing an identity of a user of the portable research device, processing the passively gathered data to produce assessment data indicating a possibility that the user is not a predetermined correct user of the portable research device, based on the assessment data, displaying a message to the user requesting a response from which the user's identity may be determined, and processing a response to the message to produce data indicating whether the user is the predetermined correct user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2023
    Assignee: The Nielsen Company (US), LLC
    Inventors: Alan R. Neuhauser, Jack C. Crystal, Jack K. Zhang, Eugene L. Flanagan
  • Publication number: 20230262367
    Abstract: Systems and methods for gathering research data using multiple monitoring devices are provided. An example apparatus comprises interface circuitry to obtain, from a first computing device, a first indication of media output by the first computing device, the first indication including first metadata associated with the media; instructions; and processor circuitry to execute the instructions to: apply criteria to at least a portion of the first metadata; and cause storage of the first metadata associated with the media in a database.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 23, 2023
    Publication date: August 17, 2023
    Inventors: Joan G. FitzGerald, Carol J. Frost, Eugene L. Flanagan
  • Publication number: 20220256258
    Abstract: Systems and methods for gathering research data using multiple monitoring devices are provided. An example method includes accessing, at a first monitoring device and a second monitoring device, first timing data produced by an external source, the first monitoring device located remotely from the second monitoring device. The example method additionally includes adjusting second timing data generated by the first monitoring device based on the first timing data and adjusting third timing data generated by the second monitoring device based on the first timing data. The example method also includes accessing, at a processing facility, the first timing data and adjusting fourth timing data generated by the processing facility based on the first timing data.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 25, 2022
    Publication date: August 11, 2022
    Inventors: Joan G. FitzGerald, Carol J. Frost, Eugene L. Flanagan
  • Patent number: 11317175
    Abstract: Systems and methods for gathering research data using multiple monitoring devices are provided. The systems and methods include a processor to generate message data by supplementing first information collected by a first monitoring device with second information collected by a second monitoring device, the first information and the second information collected from media presented by a monitored device, and process the message data to determine a portion of the media that is encoded and a portion of the media that is unencoded. The example systems and methods also include a memory to store an indication that the message data is valid when the message data represents a code encoded in the media, and store data indicating the portion of the media that is encoded.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2022
    Assignee: THE NIELSEN COMPANY (US), LLC
    Inventors: Joan G. FitzGerald, Carol J. Frost, Eugene L. Flanagan
  • Publication number: 20190371462
    Abstract: Example methods, apparatus, and articles of manufacture for monitoring use by a user of a portable research device in accordance with at least one predetermined use criterion are disclosed. The disclosed examples include passively gathering data for assessing an identity of a user of the portable research device, processing the passively gathered data to produce assessment data indicating a possibility that the user is not a predetermined correct user of the portable research device, based on the assessment data, displaying a message to the user requesting a response from which the user's identity may be determined, and processing a response to the message to produce data indicating whether the user is the predetermined correct user.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 19, 2019
    Publication date: December 5, 2019
    Inventors: Alan R. Neuhauser, Jack C. Crystal, Jack K. Zhang, Eugene L. Flanagan
  • Patent number: 10387618
    Abstract: Example methods, apparatus, and articles of manufacture for monitoring use of a research device is disclosed. The disclosed example includes producing monitored data by monitoring at least one of the user's heart activity, the user's breathing activity, the user's borborygmus (gastrointestinal noise), the user's vascular pattern, the user's facial and/or ear patterns, the user's fingerprint and/or handprint, and the user's retinal and/or iris pattern, and determining the user's compliance with a predetermined criterion for use of the portable research device based on the monitored data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2019
    Assignee: The Nielsen Company (US), LLC
    Inventors: Alan R. Neuhauser, Jack C. Crystal, Jack K. Zhang, Eugene L. Flanagan, III
  • Publication number: 20190174209
    Abstract: Systems and methods for gathering research data using multiple monitoring devices are provided. The systems and methods include a processor to generate message data by supplementing first information collected by a first monitoring device with second information collected by a second monitoring device, the first information and the second information collected from media presented by a monitored device, and process the message data to determine a portion of the media that is encoded and a portion of the media that is unencoded. The example systems and methods also include a memory to store an indication that the message data is valid when the message data represents a code encoded in the media, and store data indicating the portion of the media that is encoded.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 4, 2019
    Publication date: June 6, 2019
    Inventors: Joan G. FitzGerald, Carol J. Frost, Eugene L. Flanagan
  • Patent number: 10200769
    Abstract: Systems and methods for gathering research data using multiple monitoring devices are provided. The systems and methods include obtaining, with a processor, first data recorded with a first monitoring device, the first data including first research data and omitting first omitted data, the first data recorded at a first time. Obtaining, with the processor, second data recorded with a second monitoring device, the second data including second research data that includes the first omitted data, the second data recorded at the first time. Obtaining, with the processor, proximity data from at least one of the first or second monitoring devices. When the proximity data indicates that the first and the second monitoring devices are proximate to each other at the first time, augmenting, with the processor, the first research data with the first omitted data from the second research data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2019
    Assignee: THE NIELSEN COMPANY (US), LLC
    Inventors: Joan G. FitzGerald, Carol J. Frost, Eugene L. Flanagan, III
  • Publication number: 20170039337
    Abstract: Example methods, apparatus, and articles of manufacture for monitoring use of a research device is disclosed. The disclosed example includes producing monitored data by monitoring at least one of the user's heart activity, the user's breathing activity, the user's borborygmus (gastrointestinal noise), the user's vascular pattern, the user's facial and/or ear patterns, the user's fingerprint and/or handprint, and the user's retinal and/or iris pattern, and determining the user's compliance with a predetermined criterion for use of the portable research device based on the monitored data.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 21, 2016
    Publication date: February 9, 2017
    Inventors: Alan R. Neuhauser, Jack C. Crystal, Jack K. Zhang, Eugene L. Flanagan, III
  • Patent number: 9489640
    Abstract: Methods and systems are disclosed for monitoring use by a user of a portable research device based on one or more kinds of monitored data. Methods and systems are disclosed for monitoring use by a user of a portable research device in accordance with at least one predetermined use criterion using actively and/or passively gathered data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2016
    Assignee: THE NIELSEN COMPANY (US), LLC
    Inventors: Alan R. Neuhauser, Jack C. Crystal, Jack K. Zhang, Eugene L. Flanagan, III
  • Patent number: 9317865
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus for research data gathering with a portable monitor and a stationary device are described. An example method includes gathering, via a stationary monitoring system, first data concerning exposure to media output by a media receiver, wherein gathering the first data comprises collecting a first code encoded in the media, gathering second data concerning exposure to the media output by the media receiver with a portable monitor carried on the person of a user, wherein the second data comprises a second code encoded in the media, gathering, via the portable monitor, location data encoded in the media by the stationary monitoring system, the location data providing information on a physical location of the portable monitor, and producing the audience measurement data concerning exposure to the media output by the receiver from the first data, the second data, and the location data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2016
    Assignee: THE NIELSEN COMPANY (US), LLC
    Inventors: Jack C. Crystal, James M. Jensen, William K. Krug, Wendell D. Lynch, Alan R. Neuhauser, Eugene L. Flanagan, III
  • Publication number: 20150326954
    Abstract: Systems and methods for gathering research data using multiple monitoring devices are provided. The systems and methods include obtaining, with a processor, first data recorded with a first monitoring device, the first data including first research data and omitting first omitted data, the first data recorded at a first time. Obtaining, with the processor, second data recorded with a second monitoring device, the second data including second research data that includes the first omitted data, the second data recorded at the first time. Obtaining, with the processor, proximity data from at least one of the first or second monitoring devices. When the proximity data indicates that the first and the second monitoring devices are proximate to each other at the first time, augmenting, with the processor, the first research data with the first omitted data from the second research data.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 21, 2015
    Publication date: November 12, 2015
    Inventors: Joan G. FitzGerald, Carol J. Frost, Eugene L. Flanagan, III
  • Patent number: 9124378
    Abstract: Systems and methods for gathering research data using multiple monitoring devices are provided. At least a pair of the monitoring devices each read ancillary codes contained within media data and which represents research data. The decoded data read by at least one of the pair is associated with a further set of data offering a correspondence between each of the sets of decoded data. Such correspondence allows a determination that the data decoded by each of the pair of monitoring devices is the same.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2015
    Assignee: THE NIELSEN COMPANY (US), LLC
    Inventors: Joan G. FitzGerald, Carol J. Frost, Eugene L. Flanagan
  • Patent number: 8849182
    Abstract: Methods and systems for measuring and gathering data relating to publication usage by participants in publication readership studies. Some methods and systems employ portable monitors carried by participants of the studies along with publications fitted with various devices, such as piezoelectric transducers, RFID tags and others devices and circuits.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 30, 2014
    Assignee: The Nielsen Company (US), LLC
    Inventors: Alan R. Neuhauser, James M. Jensen, Jack C. Crystal, Jack K. Zhang, Daniel W. Pugh, Douglas J. Visnius, Eugene L. Flanagan, III
  • Publication number: 20140229232
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus for research data gathering with a portable monitor and a stationary device are described. An example method includes gathering, via a stationary monitoring system, first data concerning exposure to media output by a media receiver, wherein gathering the first data comprises collecting a first code encoded in the media, gathering second data concerning exposure to the media output by the media receiver with a portable monitor carried on the person of a user, wherein the second data comprises a second code encoded in the media, gathering, via the portable monitor, location data encoded in the media by the stationary monitoring system, the location data providing information on a physical location of the portable monitor, and producing the audience measurement data concerning exposure to the media output by the receiver from the first data, the second data, and the location data.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 15, 2014
    Publication date: August 14, 2014
    Applicant: THE NIELSEN COMPANY (US), LLC
    Inventors: Jack C. Crystal, James M. Jensen, William K. Krug, Wendell D. Lynch, Alan R. Neuhauser, Eugene L. Flanagan, III
  • Patent number: 8799054
    Abstract: Methods and systems for initiating participation of a user of a portable device (PUA) in a research operation using a respective one of a plurality of PUA's providing communication services pursuant to a single agreement with a communication service provider. Data identifying the PUA user is associated with data identifying a group of persons receiving communication services pursuant to the single agreement, and demographic data of the PUA user is associated with the data identifying the PUA user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 5, 2014
    Assignee: The Nielsen Company (US), LLC
    Inventors: Alan R. Neuhauser, Vijoy K. Gopalakrishnan, Jack C. Crystal, Jack K. Zhang, Eugene L. Flanagan, III
  • Patent number: 8738763
    Abstract: Methods of gathering data concerning a location of an audience member proximate to a content presentation are provided. A stationary device is proximate to the content presentation. A portable monitor is carried by or with the person of an audience member. Location data is obtained by communicating data from the portable monitor to the stationary device, or from the stationary device to the portable monitor, or by comparing data gathered by both the stationary device and the portable monitor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2014
    Assignee: The Nielsen Company (US), LLC
    Inventors: Jack C. Crystal, James M. Jensen, William K. Krug, Wendell D. Lynch, Alan R. Neuhauser, Eugene L. Flanagan, III
  • Publication number: 20130346149
    Abstract: Methods and systems for initiating participation of a user of a portable device (PUA) in a research operation using a respective one of a plurality of PUA's providing communication services pursuant to a single agreement with a communication service provider. Data identifying the PUA user is associated with data identifying a group of persons receiving communication services pursuant to the single agreement, and demographic data of the PUA user is associated with the data identifying the PUA user.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 30, 2013
    Publication date: December 26, 2013
    Applicant: Arbitron Inc.
    Inventors: Alan R. Neuhauser, Vijoy K. Gopalakrishnan, Jack C. Crystal, Jack K. Zhang, Eugene L. Flanagan, III