Patents by Inventor Brian Scott Mello

Brian Scott Mello 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).

  • Publication number: 20160210557
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus for determining whether a media presentation device is in an on state or an off state are disclosed. A disclosed example method comprises determining contribution values from at least one of a signal measured from a sensing device or an output signal accessed from the presentation device, wherein the contribution values are indicative of a state of a presentation device. Summing, via a logic circuit, a first plurality of the contribution values corresponding to a first measurement cycle to generate a first intermediate fuzzy score for the first measurement cycle. Storing the first intermediate fuzzy score in a buffer including a plurality of intermediate fuzzy scores corresponding to respective measurement cycles. Combining, via the logic circuit, the intermediate fuzzy scores corresponding to a first time period to form a final fuzzy score.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 28, 2016
    Publication date: July 21, 2016
    Inventors: Daniel J. Nelson, Brian Scott Mello, Luc Zio, David James Croy
  • Patent number: 9312973
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus for determining whether a media presentation device is in an on state or an off state are disclosed. A disclosed example method comprises determining first and second characteristics of a signature associated with a signal representative of media content presented via a media presentation device, evaluating the first and second characteristics to determine first and second fuzzy contribution values representing, respectively, degrees with which the first and second characteristics correspond to the media presentation device being in at least one of an on state or an off state, determining a third fuzzy contribution value based on a number of the first and second contribution values indicating the media presentation device is in one of the on or off states, and combining the first, second and third fuzzy contribution values for use in determining whether the media presentation device is in the on state or the off state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2016
    Assignee: THE NIELSEN COMPANY (US), LLC
    Inventors: Daniel J. Nelson, Brian Scott Mello, Luc Zio, David James Croy
  • Patent number: 8914819
    Abstract: Example methods, apparatus, and articles of manufacture to collect metering information associated with media presented by portable and computer media presentation devices are disclosed. A disclosed example apparatus includes a headset configured to be communicatively coupled to a media presentation device and a speaker coupled to the headset and configured to emit audio based on audio information received from the media presentation device. The example apparatus also includes a metering information generator coupled to the headset and configured to be communicatively coupled to the media presentation device to receive the audio information and generate metering information associated with the received audio information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 16, 2014
    Assignee: The Nielsen Company (US), LLC
    Inventors: Paul M. Mears, Robert A. Luff, Robert Joel Stokes, Arun Ramaswamy, Charles Clinton Conklin, Brian Scott Mello, Seth Alan Pelletier, Perry Joseph Fisch
  • Publication number: 20130291000
    Abstract: An example apparatus includes a meter to generate first information indicative of a media presentation mode of a media presentation application executed by a wireless communication device during a presentation of the media content received and presented via the wireless communication device, the media content comprising scheduled programming that is broadcasted or multicasted simultaneously to a plurality of other wireless communication devices during a pre-scheduled time; and generate second information indicative of the media content presented via the wireless communication device. A memory is to store the first information in association with the second information in the wireless communication device; and store third information in association with the first and second information. The third information is indicative of at least one of a location of a cell tower used to transmit the media content, an identifier of the cell tower, or an identifier of a wireless network access point.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 28, 2013
    Publication date: October 31, 2013
    Inventors: David H. Wright, Kamal Nasser, Jeff L. Herrmann, Arun Ramaswamy, Brian Scott Mello
  • Patent number: 8514907
    Abstract: Example methods, apparatus, systems, and articles of manufacture meter media content presented on a wireless communication device are disclosed. A disclosed example method receives media content via a wireless communication device. The media content is to be presented via the wireless communication device. First information is generated indicative of a media presentation mode of a media presentation application executed by the wireless communication device to present the media content. Second information is generated indicative of the media content presented via the wireless communication device. The first information is stored in association with the second information in the wireless communication device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2013
    Assignee: The Nielsen Company (US), LLC
    Inventors: David H. Wright, Kamal Nasser, Jeff L. Herrmann, Arun Ramaswamy, Brian Scott Mello
  • Publication number: 20120203731
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus for determining whether a media presentation device is in an on state or an off state are disclosed. A disclosed example method comprises determining first and second characteristics of a signature associated with a signal representative of media content presented via a media presentation device, evaluating the first and second characteristics to determine first and second fuzzy contribution values representing, respectively, degrees with which the first and second characteristics correspond to the media presentation device being in at least one of an on state or an off state, determining a third fuzzy contribution value based on a number of the first and second contribution values indicating the media presentation device is in one of the on or off states, and combining the first, second and third fuzzy contribution values for use in determining whether the media presentation device is in the on state or the off state.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 11, 2012
    Publication date: August 9, 2012
    Inventors: Daniel J. Nelson, Brian Scott Mello, Luc Zio, David James Croy
  • Patent number: 8180712
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus for determining whether a media presentation device is in an on state or an off state are disclosed. A disclosed example method comprises determining first and second characteristics of a signature associated with a signal representative of media content presented via a media presentation device, evaluating the first and second characteristics to determine first and second fuzzy contribution values representing, respectively, degrees with which the first and second characteristics correspond to the media presentation device being in at least one of an on state or an off state, determining a third fuzzy contribution value based on a number of the first and second contribution values indicating the media presentation device is in one of the on or off states, and combining the first, second and third fuzzy contribution values for use in determining whether the media presentation device is in the on state or the off state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2012
    Assignee: The Nielsen Company (US), LLC
    Inventors: Daniel J. Nelson, Brian Scott Mello, Luc Zio, David James Croy
  • Publication number: 20100083299
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus for determining whether a media presentation device is in an on state or an off state are disclosed. A disclosed example method comprises determining first and second characteristics of a signature associated with a signal representative of media content presented via a media presentation device, evaluating the first and second characteristics to determine first and second fuzzy contribution values representing, respectively, degrees with which the first and second characteristics correspond to the media presentation device being in at least one of an on state or an off state, determining a third fuzzy contribution value based on a number of the first and second contribution values indicating the media presentation device is in one of the on or off states, and combining the first, second and third fuzzy contribution values for use in determining whether the media presentation device is in the on state or the off state.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 30, 2008
    Publication date: April 1, 2010
    Inventors: Daniel J. Nelson, Brian Scott Mello, Luc Zio, David James Croy
  • Publication number: 20080263579
    Abstract: Example methods, apparatus, and articles of manufacture to collect metering information associated with media presented by portable and computer media presentation devices are disclosed. A disclosed example method accesses a first data structure including metering information generated by at least one of first media presentation software executed by a personal computer or second media presentation software executed by a portable media presentation device. The metering information is associated with media presented by at least one of the first or second media presentation software. At least some of the metering information is then extracted from the first data structure and stored in a second data structure. The at least some of the metering information is then communicated from the second data structure to a data collection facility.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 18, 2008
    Publication date: October 23, 2008
    Inventors: Paul M. Mears, Robert A. Luff, Robert Joel Stokes, Arun Ramaswamy, Charles Clinton Conklin, Brian Scott Mello, Seth Alan Pelletier, Perry Joseph Fisch
  • Publication number: 20080140479
    Abstract: Example methods, apparatus, systems, and articles of manufacture to monitor consumer behavior associated with location-based web services are disclosed. A disclosed example method involves receiving a query from a mobile device including a query criterion and a first location identifier. A second location identifier is retrieved from a database that associates the second location identifier with an advertisement identifier indicative of an advertisement at a fixed location. The advertisement indicated by the advertisement identifier is credited as having been exposed to a user of the mobile device in response to the first location identifier matching the second location identifier or the first location identifier indicating a first location within a distance of a second location indicated by the second location identifier.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 23, 2007
    Publication date: June 12, 2008
    Inventors: Brian Scott Mello, Arun Ramaswamy, David H. Wright
  • Publication number: 20080126420
    Abstract: Example methods, apparatus, systems, and articles of manufacture meter media content presented on a wireless communication device are disclosed. A disclosed example method receives media content via a wireless communication device. The media content is to be presented via the wireless communication device. First information is generated indicative of a media presentation mode of a media presentation application executed by the wireless communication device to present the media content. Second information is generated indicative of the media content presented via the wireless communication device. The first information is stored in association with the second information in the wireless communication device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 23, 2007
    Publication date: May 29, 2008
    Inventors: David H. Wright, Kamal Nasser, Jeff L. Herrmann, Arun Ramaswamy, Brian Scott Mello