Patents by Inventor Christen V. Nielsen

Christen V. Nielsen 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: 11356747
    Abstract: Methods, apparatus, systems and articles of manufacture are disclosed for associating different watermarks detected in media. An example method disclosed herein includes determining whether a first watermark detected in a media signal is represented in a watermark data structure and associating the first watermark with a first media presentation record associated with a second watermark in response to the first watermark being associated in the watermark data structure with the second watermark. The example method further includes transmitting monitoring data including the first media presentation record to an audience measurement entity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2022
    Assignee: The Nielsen Company (US), LLC
    Inventors: Christen V. Nielsen, David Gish, Ken Joseph Frett, Timothy Scott Cooper, Alexander Topchy
  • Patent number: 11343592
    Abstract: Methods, apparatus, systems and articles of manufacture are disclosed to use station identification to enable confirmation of exposure to live media. Example apparatus disclosed herein include a watermark data segmenter to determine a media identifier conveyed by a watermark, a detection time determiner to determine a time at which a media meter detected the watermark from a media presentation by a media device, a reference identifier to query a library of reference signatures for a reference signature associated with the media identifier of the watermark and associated with a reference timestamp corresponding to the time at which the media meter detected the watermark, and a viewing type determiner to determine whether the media presentation is live or time-shifted based on whether a result of the query indicates the reference signature does not exist in the library of reference signatures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2022
    Assignee: THE NIELSEN COMPANY (US), LLC
    Inventors: Jeremey M. Davis, Christen V. Nielsen
  • Patent number: 11341519
    Abstract: Example metering apparatus and related methods are disclosed. An example apparatus disclosed herein includes a stencil and a housing having a display area. The display area has a recessed cavity defining a front surface of the display area. A front surface of the stencil is to be flush mounted relative to the front surface of the display area defined by the recessed cavity when the stencil is positioned in the display area of the housing. A cover is removably coupled to the housing to enable access to the display area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2022
    Assignee: The Nielsen Company (US), LLC
    Inventors: Timothy Scott Cooper, James Joseph Vitt, Douglas Brent Turnbow, Christen V. Nielsen, Marko Usaj, Andrej Barbis, Saso Vranek
  • Patent number: 11295327
    Abstract: Example metering apparatus and related methods are disclosed. An example apparatus disclosed herein includes a stencil and a housing having a display area. The display area has a first recessed cavity and a second recessed cavity adjacent the first recessed cavity. The first recessed cavity is offset relative to the second recessed cavity such that the second recessed cavity defines a front surface of the display area and a peripheral lip of a front side of the housing. A cover is removably coupled to the housing to enable access to the display area. The second recessed cavity of the housing is to receive the cover. The cover is received by the second recessed cavity such that an outer surface of the cover is substantially flush mounted relative to a peripheral lip of the housing, and wherein a perimeter of the cover is substantially similar to a perimeter of the peripheral lip.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2022
    Assignee: The Nielsen Company (US), LLC
    Inventors: Timothy Scott Cooper, James Joseph Vitt, Douglas Brent Turnbow, Christen V. Nielsen, Marko Usaj, Andrej Barbis, Saso Vranek
  • Patent number: 11297422
    Abstract: Methods, apparatus, systems and articles of manufacture are disclosed for wear noise audio signature suppression. An example method disclosed herein includes generating an audio signature based on a media audio signal during a first time period, collecting acceleration data during the first time period, determining whether the acceleration data corresponds to wear noise having occurred during the first time period, and in response to determining the acceleration data corresponds to wear noise during the first time period, inhibiting transmission of the audio signature to a central facility.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2022
    Assignee: The Nielsen Company (US), LLC
    Inventor: Christen V. Nielsen
  • Publication number: 20220051690
    Abstract: Examples are disclosed to perform signature matching using noise cancellation models to achieve consensus. Example apparatus disclosed herein include a signature matcher to compare a first stream of monitored media signatures to streams of reference signatures representative of corresponding reference media to determine a first signature match, and compare a second stream of monitored media signatures to the streams of reference signatures to determine a second signature match; a match selector to use at least one the first signature match or the second signature match to identify a first one of the reference media corresponding to the monitored media data; and a creditor interface to output identification data for the first one of the reference media identified with the at least one the first signature match or the second signature match, the identification data to be used to credit a media exposure corresponding to the monitored media.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 14, 2020
    Publication date: February 17, 2022
    Inventors: Jeremey M. Davis, Christen V. Nielsen, Kevin Keqiang Deng, Alexander Topchy
  • Patent number: 11245839
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus to capture images are disclosed. An example device disclosed herein includes an image sensor to observe a first image of a face and a logic circuit. The logic circuit is to determine whether the face in the first image is in a first orientation with respect to the image sensor. When the face in the first image is in the first orientation, the logic circuit is trigger the image sensor to capture a second image of the face, and perform a facial recognition process on the second image, but not on the first image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2022
    Assignee: The Nielsen Company (US), LLC
    Inventor: Christen V. Nielsen
  • Publication number: 20220030327
    Abstract: Methods, apparatus, systems and articles of manufacture are disclosed to use station identification to enable confirmation of exposure to live media. Example apparatus disclosed herein include a watermark data segmenter to determine a media identifier conveyed by a watermark, a detection time determiner to determine a time at which a media meter detected the watermark from a media presentation by a media device, a reference identifier to query a library of reference signatures for a reference signature associated with the media identifier of the watermark and associated with a reference timestamp corresponding to the time at which the media meter detected the watermark, and a viewing type determiner to determine whether the media presentation is live or time-shifted based on whether a result of the query indicates the reference signature does not exist in the library of reference signatures.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 23, 2020
    Publication date: January 27, 2022
    Inventors: Jeremey M. Davis, Christen V. Nielsen
  • Publication number: 20210377604
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus to identify streaming sessions are disclosed. A disclosed apparatus for identifying streaming sessions includes an encoder to generate an identifier corresponding to a media file of an advertisement, a detector to determine a presence of the identifier in the advertisement presented at a media presentation device, a timing analyzer to determine a time at which the advertisement was presented, and an associator. The associator is to compare the identifier and the time to a streaming session log from a streaming service provider, identify a streaming session in which the advertisement associated with the identifier was presented at the time based on the comparison, and associate a panelist identifier corresponding to the media presentation device with a streaming session identifier corresponding to the streaming session.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 26, 2021
    Publication date: December 2, 2021
    Inventors: Alexander Topchy, Jeremey M. Davis, Christen V. Nielsen
  • Publication number: 20210343297
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus are disclosed for supplementing partially readable and/or inaccurate codes. An example apparatus includes a watermark analyzer to select a first watermark and a second watermark decoded from media; a comparator to compare a first decoded timestamp of the first watermark to a second decoded timestamp of the second watermark; and a timestamp adjuster to adjust the second decoded timestamp based on the first decoded timestamp of the second watermark when at least a threshold number of symbols of the second decoded timestamp match corresponding symbols of the first decoded timestamp.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 30, 2020
    Publication date: November 4, 2021
    Inventors: David Gish, Jeremey M. Davis, Wendell D. Lynch, Christen V. Nielsen
  • Publication number: 20210281926
    Abstract: A method and system for adding overtly human-perceptible supplemental audio content into a media stream to help mask audio effects of an audio watermark in the media stream. A method involves receiving a media stream that defines a sequence of audio content presentable by a content presentation device, modifying the media stream to produce a modified media stream that defines the sequence of audio content, and outputting the modified media stream for presentation by the content presentation device. The modified media stream includes an audio watermark that is machine-detectable to trigger an interactive event. Further, the act of modifying the media stream involves adding into the media stream supplemental audio content coincident with the audio watermark, to help mask the audio watermark in the modified media stream during presentation of the modified media stream by the content presentation device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 16, 2021
    Publication date: September 9, 2021
    Inventor: Christen V. Nielsen
  • Publication number: 20210274247
    Abstract: Apparatus, systems, articles of manufacture, and methods to identify and credit media using ratios of media characteristics are disclosed herein. Example apparatus to identify media include at least one memory, instructions, and at least one processor to execute the instructions to: determine a first ratio based on a first time interval and a second time interval of a monitored media signal; determine a second ratio based on the second time interval and a third time interval of the monitored media signal; generate a first ratio signature based on the first and second ratios; and initiate transmission of the first ratio signature to a recipient that is to compare the first signature with a second ratio signature to identify the media.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 17, 2021
    Publication date: September 2, 2021
    Inventors: Christen V. Nielsen, David H. Wright, Charles C. Conklin, Daniel Nelson
  • Publication number: 20210258566
    Abstract: Display device ON/OFF detection methods and apparatus are disclosed. Example display activity detectors disclosed herein are to extract regions from respective ones of captured video frames, the regions corresponding to a depiction of a display of a monitored media device Disclosed example display activity detectors are also to compute a distance metric that is to represent an amount a first one of the regions of a first one of the captured video frames differs from a corresponding second one of the regions of a second one of the captured video frames. Disclosed example display activity detectors are further to compare the distance metric to a threshold to determine whether the monitored media device is ON or OFF.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 1, 2021
    Publication date: August 19, 2021
    Inventors: Christen V. Nielsen, Dan Nelson
  • Publication number: 20210201432
    Abstract: An example symbol-based watermark detection method disclosed herein includes, in response to a comparison of a first count of occurrences of a first potential symbol value corresponding to a first symbol within a watermark and a second count of occurrences of a second potential symbol value corresponding to the first symbol, (i) determining a first accumulated signal to noise ratio value corresponding to the occurrences of the first potential symbol value, (ii) determining a second accumulated signal to noise ratio value corresponding to the occurrences of the second potential symbol value, and (iii) selecting one of the first or the second potential symbol value having a greatest accumulated signal to noise ratio value as a likely symbol value for the first symbol. The example method also includes concatenating the likely symbol value with other likely symbol values corresponding to other symbols of the watermark to detect the watermark.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 9, 2020
    Publication date: July 1, 2021
    Inventor: Christen V. Nielsen
  • Patent number: 11012745
    Abstract: Apparatus, systems, articles of manufacture, and methods to identify and credit media using ratios of media characteristics are disclosed herein. Example methods disclosed herein include determining a first ratio based on a first time interval and a second time interval of a plurality of time intervals of a reference media signature, the reference media signature based on a media signal associated with reference media, respective ones of the plurality of time intervals corresponding to respective adjacent characteristics identified in the media signal. Disclosed example methods also include determining a second ratio based on a third time interval and a fourth time interval of the plurality of time intervals of the reference media signature. Disclosed example methods further include generating a reference ratio signature based on the first and second ratios, the reference ratio signature used to identify the reference media.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2021
    Assignee: The Nielsen Company (US), LLC
    Inventors: Christen V. Nielsen, David H. Wright, Charles C. Conklin, Daniel Nelson
  • Patent number: 11012757
    Abstract: A method and system for adding overtly human-perceptible supplemental audio content into a media stream to help mask audio effects of an audio watermark in the media stream. A method involves receiving a media stream that defines a sequence of audio content presentable by a content presentation device, modifying the media stream to produce a modified media stream that defines the sequence of audio content, and outputting the modified media stream for presentation by the content presentation device. The modified media stream includes an audio watermark that is machine-detectable to trigger an interactive event. Further, the act of modifying the media stream involves adding into the media stream supplemental audio content coincident with the audio watermark, to help mask the audio watermark in the modified media stream during presentation of the modified media stream by the content presentation device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2021
    Assignee: The Nielsen Company (US), LLC
    Inventor: Christen V. Nielsen
  • Publication number: 20210037376
    Abstract: Methods, apparatus, systems and articles of manufacture to perform audio sensor selection in an audience metering device are disclosed. An example apparatus includes at least two audio sensors to receive audio at an audience metering device and a selection tester to identify a plurality of audio sensor configurations supported by the audience metering device, the plurality of audio sensor configurations identifying respective gain values to be applied to the plurality of audio sensors. The selection tester is further to select one of the first one of the audio sensor configurations or the second one of the audio sensor configurations based on a comparison of a first quality metric and a second quality metric. The example apparatus further includes a media identifier to identify audio received at the audience metering device using the selected one of the audio sensor configurations.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 17, 2020
    Publication date: February 4, 2021
    Inventors: Christen V. Nielsen, James J. Vitt, Timothy Scott Cooper, Douglas Brent Turnbow
  • Patent number: 10911749
    Abstract: Display device ON/OFF detection methods and apparatus are disclosed. Example display activity detectors disclosed herein are to extract regions from respective ones of captured video frames, the regions corresponding to a depiction of a display of a monitored media device Disclosed example display activity detectors are also to compute a distance metric that is to represent an amount a first one of the regions of a first one of the captured video frames differs from a corresponding second one of the regions of a second one of the captured video frames. Disclosed example display activity detectors are further to compare the distance metric to a threshold to determine whether the monitored media device is ON or OFF.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2021
    Assignee: The Nielsen Company (US), LLC
    Inventors: Christen V. Nielsen, Dan Nelson
  • Publication number: 20210006860
    Abstract: Apparatus, systems, articles of manufacture, and methods to identify and credit media using ratios of media characteristics are disclosed herein. Example methods disclosed herein include determining a first ratio based on a first time interval and a second time interval of a plurality of time intervals of a reference media signature, the reference media signature based on a media signal associated with reference media, respective ones of the plurality of time intervals corresponding to respective adjacent characteristics identified in the media signal. Disclosed example methods also include determining a second ratio based on a third time interval and a fourth time interval of the plurality of time intervals of the reference media signature. Disclosed example methods further include generating a reference ratio signature based on the first and second ratios, the reference ratio signature used to identify the reference media.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 21, 2020
    Publication date: January 7, 2021
    Inventors: Christen V. Nielsen, David H. Wright, Charles C. Conklin, Daniel Nelson
  • Patent number: 10887689
    Abstract: Methods, apparatus, systems and articles of manufacture are disclosed for wear noise audio signature suppression. An example method disclosed herein includes generating an audio signature based on a media audio signal during a first time period, collecting acceleration data during the first time period, determining whether the acceleration data corresponds to wear noise having occurred during the first time period, and in response to determining the acceleration data corresponds to wear noise during the first time period, inhibiting transmission of the audio signature to a central facility.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2021
    Assignee: The Nielsen Company (US), LLC
    Inventor: Christen V. Nielsen