Patents by Inventor F. Gavin McMillan

F. Gavin McMillan 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: 11910046
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus to verify and/or correct media lineup information are disclosed. Disclosed example apparatus include means for determining reference media, the means for determining reference media to identify a plurality of first signatures in a database that matches a plurality of second signatures included in media presentation data representative of media output by a media device in response to a mismatch between the media presentation data and reference data associated with first reference media corresponding to a first station, the plurality of second signatures generated from the media output by the media device; and determine second reference media corresponding to the plurality of first signatures; and means for storing the media presentation data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2024
    Assignee: The Nielsen Company (US), LLC
    Inventor: F. Gavin McMillan
  • Patent number: 11825140
    Abstract: Methods, apparatus, and systems are disclosed to correlate census measurement data with panel data. An example system includes accessing means to access a message sent from a requesting device in response to accessing media that includes a tag causing the requesting device to send the message to a monitoring entity with an identification of a geographic location of the requesting device and media identifying information. The example system also includes identification means to determine locations of a plurality of panelist homes and compare the geographic location of the requesting device with the locations of the panelist homes. The example system also includes associating means to identify a user of the requesting device as a panelist residing at the first panelist home and associate the media identifying information with panelist data associated with the first one of the panelist homes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2023
    Assignee: The Nielsen Company (US), LLC
    Inventor: F. Gavin McMillan
  • Publication number: 20220385963
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus to verify and/or correct media lineup information are disclosed. Disclosed example apparatus include means for determining reference media, the means for determining reference media to identify a plurality of first signatures in a database that matches a plurality of second signatures included in media presentation data representative of media output by a media device in response to a mismatch between the media presentation data and reference data associated with first reference media corresponding to a first station, the plurality of second signatures generated from the media output by the media device; and determine second reference media corresponding to the plurality of first signatures; and means for storing the media presentation data.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 8, 2022
    Publication date: December 1, 2022
    Inventor: F. Gavin McMillan
  • Patent number: 11412286
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus to verify and/or correct media lineup information are disclosed. Disclosed example apparatus include a signature comparator to, when media presentation data representative of media output by a media device does not correspond to reference data associated with first reference media corresponding to a first station: identify a plurality of first signatures in a database that matches a plurality of second signatures included in the media presentation data, the plurality of first signatures including at least one of first audio signatures or first video signatures, the plurality of second signatures including at least one of second audio signatures or second video signatures generated from the media output by the media device; and determine second reference media corresponding to the plurality of first signatures; and memory to store the media presentation data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2022
    Assignee: The Nielsen Company (US), LLC
    Inventor: F. Gavin McMillan
  • Patent number: 11368765
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and apparatus to identify linear and non-linear media presentations are disclosed. An example method to determine whether a media presentation is a linear or a non-linear media presentation comprises generating a reference log comprising a first media identifier of first media and a time at which the first media was presented, accessing a media presentation log comprising a second media identifier of second media and a time at which the second media was presented, and determining whether the second media correspond to a linear media presentation or a non-linear media presentation by comparing the media presentation log to the reference log.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2022
    Assignee: THE NIELSEN COMPANY (US), LLC
    Inventor: F. Gavin McMillan
  • Publication number: 20210345015
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and apparatus to identify linear and non-linear media presentations are disclosed. An example method to determine whether a media presentation is a linear or a non-linear media presentation comprises generating a reference log comprising a first media identifier of first media and a time at which the first media was presented, accessing a media presentation log comprising a second media identifier of second media and a time at which the second media was presented, and determining whether the second media correspond to a linear media presentation or a non-linear media presentation by comparing the media presentation log to the reference log.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 16, 2021
    Publication date: November 4, 2021
    Inventor: F. Gavin McMillan
  • Publication number: 20210281900
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus to verify and/or correct media lineup information are disclosed. Disclosed example apparatus include a signature comparator to, when media presentation data representative of media output by a media device does not correspond to reference data associated with first reference media corresponding to a first station: identify a plurality of first signatures in a database that matches a plurality of second signatures included in the media presentation data, the plurality of first signatures including at least one of first audio signatures or first video signatures, the plurality of second signatures including at least one of second audio signatures or second video signatures generated from the media output by the media device; and determine second reference media corresponding to the plurality of first signatures; and memory to store the media presentation data.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 24, 2021
    Publication date: September 9, 2021
    Inventor: F. Gavin McMillan
  • Patent number: 11102557
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and apparatus to identify linear and non-linear media presentations are disclosed. An example method to determine whether a media presentation is a linear or a non-linear media presentation comprises generating a reference log comprising a first media identifier of first media and a time at which the first media was presented, accessing a media presentation log comprising a second media identifier of second media and a time at which the second media was presented, and determining whether the second media correspond to a linear media presentation or a non-linear media presentation by comparing the media presentation log to the reference log.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2021
    Assignee: THE NIELSEN COMPANY (US), LLC
    Inventor: F. Gavin McMillan
  • Publication number: 20210176511
    Abstract: Methods, apparatus, and systems are disclosed to correlate census measurement data with panel data. An example system includes accessing means to access a message sent from a requesting device in response to accessing media that includes a tag causing the requesting device to send the message to a monitoring entity with an identification of a geographic location of the requesting device and media identifying information. The example system also includes identification means to determine locations of a plurality of panelist homes and compare the geographic location of the requesting device with the locations of the panelist homes. The example system also includes associating means to identify a user of the requesting device as a panelist residing at the first panelist home and associate the media identifying information with panelist data associated with the first one of the panelist homes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 14, 2020
    Publication date: June 10, 2021
    Inventor: F. Gavin McMillan
  • Patent number: 11019386
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus to verify and/or correct media lineup information are disclosed. Disclosed example apparatus include a comparator to compare media presentation data representative of media output by a set top box to reference data corresponding to a first station to determine whether the media presentation data corresponds to the reference data, the media presentation data collected while the set top box was tuned to a first channel number. The comparator is also to determine a second station that corresponds to the media presentation data when the media presentation data does not correspond to the reference data, and relate the first channel number to the second station to create a second channel map to replace a first channel map that related the first channel number to the first station based on channel lineup information for the set top box.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2021
    Assignee: The Nielsen Company (US), LLC
    Inventor: F. Gavin McMillan
  • Patent number: 10869075
    Abstract: Methods, apparatus, and systems are disclosed to correlate census measurement data with panel data. An example system includes accessing means to access a message sent from a requesting device in response to accessing media that includes a tag causing the requesting device to send the message to a monitoring entity with an identification of a geographic location of the requesting device and media identifying information. The example system also includes identification means to determine locations of a plurality of panelist homes and compare the geographic location of the requesting device with the locations of the panelist homes. The example system also includes associating means to identify a user of the requesting device as a panelist residing at the first panelist home and associate the media identifying information with panelist data associated with the first one of the panelist homes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2020
    Assignee: THE NIELSEN COMPANY (US), LLC
    Inventor: F. Gavin McMillan
  • Publication number: 20200366969
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and apparatus to identify linear and non-linear media presentations are disclosed. An example method to determine whether a media presentation is a linear or a non-linear media presentation comprises generating a reference log comprising a first media identifier of first media and a time at which the first media was presented, accessing a media presentation log comprising a second media identifier of second media and a time at which the second media was presented, and determining whether the second media correspond to a linear media presentation or a non-linear media presentation by comparing the media presentation log to the reference log.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 31, 2020
    Publication date: November 19, 2020
    Inventor: F. Gavin McMillan
  • Patent number: 10771862
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and apparatus to identify linear and non-linear media presentations are disclosed. An example method to determine whether a media presentation is a linear or a non-linear media presentation comprises generating a reference log comprising a first media identifier of first media and a time at which the first media was presented, accessing a media presentation log comprising a second media identifier of second media and a time at which the second media was presented, and determining whether the second media correspond to a linear media presentation or a non-linear media presentation by comparing the media presentation log to the reference log.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2020
    Assignee: THE NIELSEN COMPANY (US), LLC
    Inventor: F. Gavin McMillan
  • Publication number: 20200154177
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and apparatus to identify linear and non-linear media presentations are disclosed. An example method to determine whether a media presentation is a linear or a non-linear media presentation comprises generating a reference log comprising a first media identifier of first media and a time at which the first media was presented, accessing a media presentation log comprising a second media identifier of second media and a time at which the second media was presented, and determining whether the second media correspond to a linear media presentation or a non-linear media presentation by comparing the media presentation log to the reference log.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 13, 2020
    Publication date: May 14, 2020
    Inventor: F. Gavin McMillan
  • Patent number: 10567849
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and apparatus to identify linear and non-linear media presentations are disclosed. An example method to determine whether a media presentation is a linear or a non-linear media presentation comprises generating a reference log comprising a first media identifier of first media and a time at which the first media was presented, accessing a media presentation log comprising a second media identifier of second media and a time at which the second media was presented, and determining whether the second media correspond to a linear media presentation or a non-linear media presentation by comparing the media presentation log to the reference log.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2020
    Assignee: THE NIELSEN COMPANY (US), LLC
    Inventor: F. Gavin McMillan
  • Publication number: 20190124415
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and apparatus to identify linear and non-linear media presentations are disclosed. An example method to determine whether a media presentation is a linear or a non-linear media presentation comprises generating a reference log comprising a first media identifier of first media and a time at which the first media was presented, accessing a media presentation log comprising a second media identifier of second media and a time at which the second media was presented, and determining whether the second media correspond to a linear media presentation or a non-linear media presentation by comparing the media presentation log to the reference log.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 21, 2018
    Publication date: April 25, 2019
    Inventor: F. Gavin McMillan
  • Publication number: 20190058911
    Abstract: Methods, apparatus, and systems are disclosed to correlate census measurement data with panel data. An example system includes accessing means to access a message sent from a requesting device in response to accessing media that includes a tag causing the requesting device to send the message to a monitoring entity with an identification of a geographic location of the requesting device and media identifying information. The example system also includes identification means to determine locations of a plurality of panelist homes and compare the geographic location of the requesting device with the locations of the panelist homes. The example system also includes associating means to identify a user of the requesting device as a panelist residing at the first panelist home and associate the media identifying information with panelist data associated with the first one of the panelist homes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 22, 2018
    Publication date: February 21, 2019
    Inventor: F. Gavin McMillan
  • Patent number: 10194217
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and apparatus to identify linear and non-linear media presentations are disclosed An example method to determine whether a media presentation is a linear or a non-linear media presentation comprises generating a reference log comprising a first media identifier of first media and a time at which the first media was presented, accessing a media presentation log comprising a second media identifier of second media and a time at which the second media was presented, and determining whether the second media correspond to a linear media presentation or a non-linear media presentation by comparing the media presentation log to the reference log.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2019
    Assignee: THE NIELSEN COMPANY (US), LLC
    Inventor: F. Gavin McMillan
  • Publication number: 20180376188
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus to verify and/or correct media lineup information are disclosed. Disclosed example apparatus include a comparator to compare media presentation data representative of media output by a set top box to reference data corresponding to a first station to determine whether the media presentation data corresponds to the reference data, the media presentation data collected while the set top box was tuned to a first channel number. The comparator is also to determine a second station that corresponds to the media presentation data when the media presentation data does not correspond to the reference data, and relate the first channel number to the second station to create a second channel map to replace a first channel map that related the first channel number to the first station based on channel lineup information for the set top box.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 30, 2018
    Publication date: December 27, 2018
    Inventor: F. Gavin McMillan
  • Patent number: 10148987
    Abstract: Methods, apparatus, and systems are disclosed to correlate census measurement data with panel data. An example method includes accessing a message sent from a requesting device in response to accessing media that includes a tag causing the requesting device to send the message to a monitoring entity with an identification of a geographic location of the requesting device and media identifying information. The example method also includes determining locations of a plurality of panelist homes and comparing the geographic location of the requesting device with the locations of the panelist homes. When the geographic location of the requesting device is within a threshold distance of a first one of the panelist homes, identifying a user of the requesting device as a panelist residing at the first panelist home, and associating the media identifying information with panelist data associated with the first one of the panelist homes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2018
    Assignee: THE NIELSEN COMPANY (US), LLC
    Inventor: F. Gavin McMillan