Patents by Inventor Daozheng Lu
Daozheng Lu 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).
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Patent number: 7644422Abstract: A metering system meters usage of on-line and off-line services by way of interactive service devices. Interactive service devices may include personal computers and non-personal-computers. Non-personal-computers may include network computers, gaming devices, Internet televisions, Internet telephones, and the like. The on-line service usage may include Internet usage such as which home pages, advertisements, and other Internet resources are accessed by a user. The off-line service usage may include application program usage such as which application programs are executed by a user.Type: GrantFiled: October 31, 2002Date of Patent: January 5, 2010Assignee: The Nielsen Company (US), LLCInventors: Daozheng Lu, David H. Harkness, Manish Bhatia, Jerome Samson, William A. Feininger
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Patent number: 7607147Abstract: A metering system meters usage of on-line and off-line services by way of interactive service devices. Interactive service devices may include personal computers and non-personal-computers. Non-personal-computers may include network computers, gaming devices, Internet televisions, Internet telephones, and the like. The on-line service usage may include Internet usage such as which home pages, advertisements, and other Internet resources are accessed by a user. The off-line service usage may include application program usage such as which application programs are executed by a user.Type: GrantFiled: December 11, 1996Date of Patent: October 20, 2009Assignee: The Nielsen Company (US), LLCInventors: Daozheng Lu, David H. Harkness, Manish Bhatia, Jerome Samson, William A. Feininger
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Patent number: 7587728Abstract: Methods and apparatus to monitor reception of programs and content by broadcast receivers are disclosed. An example method disclosed herein to monitor reception of a broadcast program by a broadcast receiver located in a statistically selected site comprises retrieving an audience measurement data packet from the broadcast receiver in order to identify the broadcast program, detecting a code embedded in the broadcast program in order to identify the broadcast program, extracting a signature from the broadcast program in order to identify the broadcast program, identifying the broadcast program through use of a software agent, and selecting at least one of the audience measurement data packet, the embedded code, the extracted signature or the software agent to identify the received program.Type: GrantFiled: January 25, 2006Date of Patent: September 8, 2009Assignee: The Nielsen Company (US), LLCInventors: Henry B. Wheeler, Daozheng Lu, Paul C. Kempter, William A. Feininger
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Publication number: 20080288972Abstract: An audience measurement system identifies a program which is broadcast from a signal source and to which a receiver is tuned. The audience measurement system includes a code reader for reading an ancillary code of the program to which the receiver is tuned, a channel status detector for determining channel status relating to channels to which the receiver is tuned, a memory for storing ancillary codes read by the code reading means and for storing channel status determined by the channel status determining means if ancillary codes are not readable by the code reading means, and a communicator for communicating the ancillary code and/or the channel status to a central office computer.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 22, 2008Publication date: November 20, 2008Inventors: Daozheng Lu, David H. Harkness
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Publication number: 20080282303Abstract: A detection apparatus includes a tuner tuned to the program and a meter coupled to the tuner and arranged to detect content ancillary information from the program tuned by the tuner. The content ancillary information may be a media link, closed captioning information, or the like. The meter may also be arranged to extract a broadcast signature from the program. A comparator compares the broadcast signature to a reference signature selected from a library of reference signatures based upon the content ancillary information. Broadcast signatures from unknown programs may be clustered at least partially on the basis of the content ancillary information.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 29, 2008Publication date: November 13, 2008Inventors: David H. Harkness, Daozheng Lu, William A. Feininger, Craig M. Smithpeters
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Patent number: 7421723Abstract: A detection apparatus includes a tuner tuned to the program and a meter coupled to the tuner and arranged to detect content ancillary information from the program tuned by the tuner. The content ancillary information may be a media link, closed captioning information, or the like. The meter may also be arranged to extract a broadcast signature from the program. A comparator compares the broadcast signature to a reference signature selected from a library of reference signatures based upon the content ancillary information. Broadcast signatures from unknown programs may be clustered at least partially on the basis of the content ancillary information.Type: GrantFiled: September 19, 2001Date of Patent: September 2, 2008Assignee: Nielsen Media Research, Inc.Inventors: David H. Harkness, Daozheng Lu, William A. Feininger, Craig M. Smithpeters
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Publication number: 20070055987Abstract: A television audience measurement system measures viewing of a television program viewed on digital television located in a statistically selected site by (i) retrieving an audience measurement data packet from a television set in order to identify the television program, (ii) detecting an audio code embedded in the television program in order to identify the television program, (iii) extracting an audio signature from the television program in order to identify the television program, (iv) identifying the television program through use of a software agent, and (v) selecting at least one of the retrieving means, the detecting means, the extracting means, and the software agent in order to identify the television program.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 9, 2006Publication date: March 8, 2007Inventors: Daozheng Lu, Paul Kempter, William Feininger
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Publication number: 20060195857Abstract: Methods and apparatus to monitor reception of programs and content by broadcast receivers are disclosed. An example method disclosed herein to monitor reception of a broadcast program by a broadcast receiver located in a statistically selected site comprises retrieving an audience measurement data packet from the broadcast receiver in order to identify the broadcast program, detecting a code embedded in the broadcast program in order to identify the broadcast program, extracting a signature from the broadcast program in order to identify the broadcast program, identifying the broadcast program through use of a software agent, and selecting at least one of the audience measurement data packet, the embedded code, the extracted signature or the software agent to identify the received program.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 25, 2006Publication date: August 31, 2006Inventors: Henry Wheeler, Daozheng Lu, Paul Kempter, William Feininger
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Publication number: 20050232411Abstract: A signature is extracted from the audio of a program received by a tunable receiver such that the signature characterizes the program. In order to extract the signature, blocks of the audio are converted to corresponding spectral moments. At least one of the spectral moments is then converted to the signature. Also, a test audio signal from a receiver is correlated to a reference audio signal by converting the test audio signal and the reference audio signal to corresponding test and reference spectra, determining test slopes corresponding to coefficients of the test spectrum and reference slopes corresponding to coefficients of the reference spectrum, and comparing the test slopes to the reference slopes in order to determine a match between the test audio signal and the reference audio signal.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 2, 2005Publication date: October 20, 2005Inventors: Venugopal Srinivasan, Keqiang Deng, Daozheng Lu
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Publication number: 20040210922Abstract: Method and apparatus for identifying broadcast digital audio signals include structure and/or function whereby the digital audio signal is provided to processing structure which is configured to (i) identify a program-identifying code in the received digital audio signal, (ii) identify a program-identifying code in a decompressed received digital audio signal, (iii) identify a feature signature in the received digital audio signal, and (iv) identify a feature signature in the decompressed received digital audio signal. Preferably, such processing structure is disposed in a dwelling or a monitoring site in an audience measurement system, such as the Nielsen TV ratings system.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 12, 2004Publication date: October 21, 2004Inventors: John C. Peiffer, Michael A. Hicks, David H. Wright, Paul M. Mears, Venugopal Srinivasan, Daozheng Lu, Paul C. Kempter
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Publication number: 20040181799Abstract: An apparatus identifies a program selected for reception on a monitored receiver. The monitored receiver has a receiver output, and the selected program is one of a plurality of receivable programs. The apparatus includes a tuner and demodulator arranged to receive a predetermined one of the programs. A first feature extractor extracts a first set of characteristic features from the receiver output. A second feature extractor extracts a second set of characteristic features from the predetermined program. A comparator compares the first and the second sets of characteristic features. A code extractor extracts a program identifying code from the predetermined program if the first and the second sets of characteristic features match.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 29, 2004Publication date: September 16, 2004Applicant: Nielsen Media Research, Inc.Inventors: Daozheng Lu, Keqiang Deng
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Publication number: 20040088721Abstract: A system identifies which of first and second signal sources is supplying a program signal to a monitored receiver. The first and second signal sources and the monitored receiver are located in a household. The system extracts a reference program signature representative of an output of the monitored receiver and first and second source program signatures representative of an output of the first and second signal sources. The system identifies which of the first and second signal sources is a source of the program signal in response to the reference program signature and the first and second source program signatures.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 24, 2003Publication date: May 6, 2004Applicant: Nielsen Media Research, Inc.Inventors: Henry B. Wheeler, Daozheng Lu
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Publication number: 20040058675Abstract: An audience measurement system identifies a program which is broadcast from a signal source and to which a receiver is tuned. The audience measurement system includes a code reader for reading an ancillary code of the program to which the receiver is tuned, a channel status detector for determining channel status relating to channels to which the receiver is tuned, a memory for storing ancillary codes read by the code reading means and for storing channel status determined by the channel status determining means if ancillary codes are not readable by the code reading means, and a communicator for communicating the ancillary code and/or the channel status to a central office computer.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 22, 2003Publication date: March 25, 2004Applicant: Nielsen Media Research, Inc.Inventors: Daozheng Lu, David H. Harkness
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Patent number: 6675383Abstract: A system identifies which of first and second signal sources is supplying a program signal to a monitored receiver. The first and second signal sources and the monitored receiver are located in a household. The system extracts a reference program signature representative of an output of the monitored receiver and first and second source program signatures representative of an output of the first and second signal sources. The system identifies which of the first and second signal sources is a source of the program signal in response to the reference program signature and the first and second source program signatures.Type: GrantFiled: January 22, 1997Date of Patent: January 6, 2004Assignee: Nielsen Media Research, Inc.Inventors: Henry B. Wheeler, Daozheng Lu
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Patent number: 6647548Abstract: An audience measurement system identifies a program which is broadcast from a signal source and to which a receiver is tuned. The audience measurement system includes a code reader for reading an ancillary code of the program to which the receiver is tuned, a channel status detector for determining channel status relating to channels to which the receiver is tuned, a memory for storing ancillary codes read by the code reading means and for storing channel status determined by the channel status determining means if ancillary codes are not readable by the code reading means, and a communicator for communicating the ancillary code and/or the channel status to a central office computer.Type: GrantFiled: September 6, 1996Date of Patent: November 11, 2003Assignee: Nielsen Media Research, Inc.Inventors: Daozheng Lu, David H. Harkness
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Publication number: 20030131350Abstract: Method and apparatus for identifying broadcast digital audio signals include structure and/or function whereby the digital audio signal is provided to processing structure which is configured to (i) identify a program-identifying code in the received digital audio signal, (ii) identify a program-identifying code in a decompressed received digital audio signal, (iii) identify a feature signature in the received digital audio signal, and (iv) identify a feature signature in the decompressed received digital audio signal. Preferably, such processing structure is disposed in a dwelling or a monitoring site in an audience measurement system, such as the Nielsen TV ratings system.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 8, 2002Publication date: July 10, 2003Inventors: John C. Peiffer, Michael A. Hicks, David Howell Wright, Paul Mark Mears, Venugopal Srinivasan, Daozheng Lu, Paul C. Kempter
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Publication number: 20030110485Abstract: A metering system meters usage of on-line and off-line services by way of interactive service devices. Interactive service devices may include personal computers and non-personal-computers. Non-personal-computers may include network computers, gaming devices, Internet televisions, Internet telephones, and the like. The on-line service usage may include Internet usage such as which home pages, advertisements, and other Internet resources are accessed by a user. The off-line service usage may include application program usage such as which application programs are executed by a user.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 31, 2002Publication date: June 12, 2003Inventors: Daozheng Lu, David H. Harkness, Manish Bhatia, Jerome Samson, William A. Feininger
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Patent number: 6513161Abstract: A system determines an operating mode of a recording/playing device. The device generates a recording indicating signal during recording and operates in conjunction with a receiver. The system includes a tuning means for tuning to a program signal; four signal acquiring means for acquiring four signals; and determining means coupled to all four signal acquiring means for determining an operating mode of the device, based on the four acquired signals. The first of the four signals is acquired from an output of the device. The second signal is acquired from an output of the tuner. The third signal is acquired from an output of the receiver. The fourth signal is the recording indicating signal.Type: GrantFiled: May 17, 2001Date of Patent: January 28, 2003Assignee: Nielsen Media Research, Inc.Inventors: Henry B. Wheeler, Daozheng Lu
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Patent number: 6467089Abstract: An audience measurement system for a receiver comprises monitoring equipment, such as a decoder, ON/OFF detector and transmitter, coupled to the receiver. The decoder reads program codes embedded in a program received by the receiver. The system also comprises a base unit and a mobile unit, such as a telephone handset. The handset receives the program codes transmitted from the decoder and prompts (via a visual display or audio tone) an audience member to enter personal data (i.e. who the audience member is) via a keypad or voice input. The program data (from the decoder) and personal data (input by the audience member) is provided to the base unit, where it is time stamped and stored. The base unit includes telephone circuitry to transmit the stored data to a data collection central facility via a public switched telephone network.Type: GrantFiled: December 23, 1997Date of Patent: October 15, 2002Assignee: Nielsen Media Research, Inc.Inventors: Edgar W. Aust, Daozheng Lu
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Publication number: 20020114299Abstract: An apparatus identifies a program selected for reception on a monitored receiver. The monitored receiver has a receiver output, and the selected program is one of a plurality of receivable programs. The apparatus includes a tuner and demodulator arranged to receive a predetermined one of the programs. A first feature extractor extracts a first set of characteristic features from the receiver output. A second feature extractor extracts a second set of characteristic features from the predetermined program. A comparator compares the first and the second sets of characteristic features. A code extractor extracts a program identifying code from the predetermined program if the first and the second sets of characteristic features match.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 27, 2000Publication date: August 22, 2002Inventors: Daozheng Lu, Keqiang Deng