Patents by Inventor Joan G. FITZGERALD

Joan G. FITZGERALD 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: 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: 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: 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
  • Publication number: 20090292587
    Abstract: Processes and systems for use in media and market research are provided. In certain embodiments, media usage activities relating to interactivity between two or more media are measured and correlated to produce a metric for rating the interactivity.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 16, 2009
    Publication date: November 26, 2009
    Applicant: Arbitron, Inc.
    Inventor: Joan G. FITZGERALD
  • Publication number: 20090193052
    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: Application
    Filed: October 6, 2008
    Publication date: July 30, 2009
    Applicant: ARBITRON, INC.
    Inventors: Joan G. FitzGerald, Carol J. Frost, Eugene L. Flanagan
  • Publication number: 20030177488
    Abstract: The invention relates to systems and methods for use in carrying out media audience measurements. Media data and data gathering software are communicated to a user system from a content server. The user system communicates a media audience message to an audience surveying system which stores media audience data based on the media audience message.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 12, 2002
    Publication date: September 18, 2003
    Inventors: Geoff S. Smith, Eric Kestler, Joan G. FitzGerald, Martin Roth, Cheryl Mesnard, Hui Hu