Patents by Inventor Charles Clinton Conklin

Charles Clinton Conklin 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: 9398331
    Abstract: Power management methods, apparatus and articles of manufacture for audience measurement meters are disclosed. Example methods disclosed herein include obtaining presentation device state data representing an activation state of a media presentation device that is to present received media and is monitored by an audience measurement meter, the presentation device state data including time information. Such disclosed example methods also include determining whether to fault audience measurement data reported by the audience measurement meter based on the presentation device state data and power outage information determined from the audience measurement data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2016
    Assignee: The Nielsen Company (US), LLC
    Inventors: Charles Clinton Conklin, James J. Vitt, Cheuk Wan Chan, Min Zhang
  • Publication number: 20150143400
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus for identifying an operating state of an AV device are described. An example method includes extracting, at a first AV device, data communicated via a data bus coupling a processor of the first AV device to a HDMI interface, the HDMI interface coupled to a second AV device different than the first AV device; analyzing a temporal sequence of the extracted data to determine if additional information is needed from the second AV device to identify a current operating state of the second AV device; when the temporal sequence is missing an expected message related to the current operating state of the second AV device, causing an AV network controller of the first AV device to request information from the second AV device; and analyzing a response from the second AV device including the requested information to identify the current operating state of the second AV device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 27, 2015
    Publication date: May 21, 2015
    Inventors: Robert Joel Stokes, James J. Vitt, Charles Clinton Conklin
  • Publication number: 20150089525
    Abstract: Power management methods, apparatus and articles of manufacture for audience measurement meters are disclosed. Example methods disclosed herein include obtaining presentation device state data representing an activation state of a media presentation device that is to present received media and is monitored by an audience measurement meter, the presentation device state data including time information. Such disclosed example methods also include determining whether to fault audience measurement data reported by the audience measurement meter based on the presentation device state data and power outage information determined from the audience measurement data.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 4, 2014
    Publication date: March 26, 2015
    Inventors: Charles Clinton Conklin, James J. Vitt, Cheuk Wan Chan, Min Zhang
  • Patent number: 8959556
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus for identifying the operating state of an audio-video (AV) device are described. Example methods and apparatus include monitoring messages transmitted via a data bus in a first AV device, wherein the data bus is communicatively coupled to a processor and an AV network controller of the first AV device, and wherein the AV network controller is further communicatively coupled to a second AV device external to the first AV device. The example method also involves extracting messages associated with an operation of the second AV device from the monitored messages, analyzing the extracted messages for data associated with an operating state of the second AV device, and sending a command to the AV network controller to request data missing from the extracted messages and associated with the operating state of the second AV device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2015
    Assignee: The Nielsen Company (US), LLC
    Inventors: Robert Joel Stokes, James J. Vitt, Charles Clinton Conklin
  • Patent number: 8924994
    Abstract: Power management methods, apparatus and articles of manufacture for audience measurement meters are disclosed. An example method disclosed herein comprises determining an activation state of a media presentation device, and controlling activation of an audience measurement meter based on the activation state of the media presentation device, the audience measurement meter to monitor the media presentation device when the activation state is an active state. Another example method disclosed herein comprises obtaining presentation device state data representing an activation state of a media presentation device to be monitored by an audience measurement meter, the presentation device state data including time information, and determining whether to fault audience measurement data reported by the audience measurement meter based on the presentation device state data and outage information determined from the audience measurement data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2014
    Assignee: The Nielsen Company (US), LLC
    Inventors: Charles Clinton Conklin, James J. Vitt, Cheuk Wan Chan, Min Zhang
  • 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: 20130215006
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus are disclosed for automatic TV ON/OFF detection. An example method includes detecting a power state of an information presentation device. The method includes comparing, using a processor, a measurement indicative of an amount of power drawn by the information presentation device to a first threshold. The method also includes comparing the measurement to a second threshold. The method also includes storing an indication that the information presentation device is in an indeterminate state if the measurement is greater than the first threshold and less than the second threshold.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 16, 2012
    Publication date: August 22, 2013
    Inventors: Michael Jordan Liss, Richard Lee Horner, Charles Clinton Conklin, James Joseph Vitt
  • Publication number: 20120311620
    Abstract: Power management methods, apparatus and articles of manufacture for audience measurement meters are disclosed. An example method disclosed herein comprises determining an activation state of a media presentation device, and controlling activation of an audience measurement meter based on the activation state of the media presentation device, the audience measurement meter to monitor the media presentation device when the activation state is an active state. Another example method disclosed herein comprises obtaining presentation device state data representing an activation state of a media presentation device to be monitored by an audience measurement meter, the presentation device state data including time information, and determining whether to fault audience measurement data reported by the audience measurement meter based on the presentation device state data and outage information determined from the audience measurement data.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 31, 2011
    Publication date: December 6, 2012
    Inventors: Charles Clinton Conklin, James J. Vitt, Cheuk Wan Chan, Min Zhang
  • Patent number: 8204353
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus for tracking a sequence of events associated with a digital recording device are disclosed. Example methods and apparatus read first information transmitted on a data bus in communication with a mass storage device associated with the digital recording device and identify a set of digital information to be stored on the mass storage device based at least in part on the first information. The example methods and apparatus read second information transmitted on the data bus to derive storage location information associated with the set of digital information. Additionally, the example methods and apparatus store time information together with the storage location information to generate a sequence of events record corresponding to the sequence of events associated with the digital recording device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2012
    Assignee: The Nielsen Company (US), LLC
    Inventor: Charles Clinton Conklin
  • Patent number: 8181848
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus for metering printed media are disclosed. A disclosed example apparatus comprises a first radio frequency identification (RFID) tag to adhere to a first leaflet of a printed media at a first location; a second RFID tag to adhere to a second leaflet of the printed media at a second location of the second leaflet, the first and second locations being substantially a same location; and a first RFID absorber to adhere to a third leaflet of the printed media such that, when the printed media is positioned to expose the first and the third leaflets, the second RFID tag is inactive, and such that, when the printed media is positioned to expose the second and the third leaflets, the first RFID tag is inactive.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2012
    Assignee: The Nielsen Company (US), LLC
    Inventors: Wayne Asa Olmsted, Charles Clinton Conklin, Michael Alan Hicks, Robert A. Luff
  • Publication number: 20100079597
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus for identifying the operating state of an audio-video (AV) device are described. Example methods and apparatus include monitoring messages transmitted via a data bus in a first AV device, wherein the data bus is communicatively coupled to a processor and an AV network controller of the first AV device, and wherein the AV network controller is further communicatively coupled to a second AV device external to the first AV device. The example method also involves extracting messages associated with an operation of the second AV device from the monitored messages, analyzing the extracted messages for data associated with an operating state of the second AV device, and sending a command to the AV network controller to request data missing from the extracted messages and associated with the operating state of the second AV device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 29, 2008
    Publication date: April 1, 2010
    Inventors: Robert Joel Stokes, James J. Vitt, Charles Clinton Conklin
  • Publication number: 20090201132
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus for metering printed media are disclosed. A disclosed example apparatus comprises a first radio frequency identification (RFID) tag to adhere to a first leaflet of a printed media at a first location; a second RFID tag to adhere to a second leaflet of the printed media at a second location of the second leaflet, the first and second locations being substantially a same location; and a first RFID absorber to adhere to a third leaflet of the printed media such that, when the printed media is positioned to expose the first and the third leaflets, the second RFID tag is inactive, and such that, when the printed media is positioned to expose the second and the third leaflets, the first RFID tag is inactive.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 1, 2006
    Publication date: August 13, 2009
    Inventors: Wayne Asa Olmsted, Charles Clinton Conklin, Michael Alan Hicks, Robert A. Luff
  • 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: 20080253748
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus for tracking a sequence of events associated with a digital recording device are disclosed. An example method involves monitoring data conveyed via a data bus communicatively coupled to a processor and a data storage device associated with the digital media device. The example method also involves identifying event information associated with the digital media device based on the data and identifying the viewing information based on the event information.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 24, 2008
    Publication date: October 16, 2008
    Inventor: Charles Clinton Conklin