Patents by Inventor Frank Downing

Frank Downing 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: 20230379537
    Abstract: Methods, apparatus, systems, and articles of manufacture are disclosed to generate synthetic respondent level data. Example apparatus disclosed herein include means for generating a synthetic panel corresponding to a duration of time, the means for generating the synthetic panel to: generate a transition matrix corresponding to a first sub-duration of the duration of time and a second sub-duration of the duration of time; generate, based on the transition matrix, a plurality of synthetic panelists and associated viewing data; remove first ones of the synthetic panelists associated with one or more weights that do not satisfy a threshold to generate the synthetic panel corresponding to the duration of time, the synthetic panel representative of audiences of media presented by a plurality of media devices during the duration of time; and generate synthetic respondent level data based on the viewing data associated with remaining second ones of the synthetic panelists.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 11, 2023
    Publication date: November 23, 2023
    Applicant: The Nielsen Company (US), LLC
    Inventors: Michael Sheppard, Jonathan Sullivan, Michael D. Morgan, Balachander Shankar, Edward Murphy, Frank Downing
  • Patent number: 11758229
    Abstract: Methods, apparatus, systems, and articles of manufacture are disclosed to generate synthetic respondent level data. An example apparatus includes at least one memory; processor circuitry to execute instructions to: identify locations corresponding to monitored panelists; when a location of the identified locations corresponds to two or more affiliates, sum tuning minutes of the two or more affiliates; generate an affiliate probability based on the sum; convert first data of households in the location to a candidate receivability session based on the affiliate probability; generate a seed panel, the seed panel to include at least one of the monitored panelists selected based on a population associated with return path data; and donate second data associated with a donor pool of first panelists to second panelists included in the seed panel when the second panelists are included in the seed panel, the second panelists corresponds to faulty media monitoring equipment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 2022
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2023
    Assignee: The Nielsen Company (US), LLC
    Inventors: Jonathan Sullivan, Michael D. Morgan, Balachander Shankar, Edward Murphy, Michael Sheppard, Frank Downing
  • Patent number: 11716509
    Abstract: Methods, apparatus, systems, and articles of manufacture are disclosed to generate synthetic respondent level data. Example apparatus disclosed herein include means for generating a synthetic panel corresponding to a duration of time, the means for generating the synthetic panel to: generate a transition matrix corresponding to a first sub-duration of the duration of time and a second sub-duration of the duration of time; generate, based on the transition matrix, a plurality of synthetic panelists and associated viewing data; remove first ones of the synthetic panelists associated with one or more weights that do not satisfy a threshold to generate the synthetic panel corresponding to the duration of time, the synthetic panel representative of audiences of media presented by a plurality of media devices during the duration of time; and generate synthetic respondent level data based on the viewing data associated with remaining second ones of the synthetic panelists.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2023
    Assignee: The Nielsen Company (US), LLC
    Inventors: Michael Sheppard, Jonathan Sullivan, Michael D. Morgan, Balachander Shankar, Edward Murphy, Frank Downing
  • Publication number: 20230070980
    Abstract: Methods, apparatus, systems, and articles of manufacture are disclosed to generate synthetic respondent level data. An example apparatus includes at least one memory; processor circuitry to execute instructions to: identify locations corresponding to monitored panelists; when a location of the identified locations corresponds to two or more affiliates, sum tuning minutes of the two or more affiliates; generate an affiliate probability based on the sum; convert first data of households in the location to a candidate receivability session based on the affiliate probability; generate a seed panel, the seed panel to include at least one of the monitored panelists selected based on a population associated with return path data; and donate second data associated with a donor pool of first panelists to second panelists included in the seed panel when the second panelists are included in the seed panel, the second panelists corresponds to faulty media monitoring equipment.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 2, 2022
    Publication date: March 9, 2023
    Inventors: Jonathan Sullivan, Michael D. Morgan, Balachander Shankar, Edward Murphy, Michael Sheppard, Frank Downing
  • Patent number: 11438662
    Abstract: Methods, apparatus, systems, and articles of manufacture are disclosed to generate synthetic respondent level data. Example apparatus disclosed herein are to identify locations corresponding to monitored panelists, and when a first one of the identified locations corresponds to two or more affiliates, sum tuning minutes of the two or more affiliates. Disclosed example apparatus are also to generate an affiliate probability based on the sum, and convert first data of households in the first one of the locations to a candidate receivability session based on the affiliate probability. Disclosed apparatus are further to generate a seed panel, the seed panel to include at least one of the monitored panelists selected based on a population associated with return path data, and donate second data associated with a donor pool of first panelists to second panelists included in the seed panel, the second panelists associated with faulty media monitoring equipment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2022
    Assignee: The Nielsen Company (US), LLC
    Inventors: Jonathan Sullivan, Michael D. Morgan, Balachander Shankar, Edward Murphy, Michael Sheppard, Frank Downing
  • Publication number: 20220038781
    Abstract: Methods, apparatus, systems, and articles of manufacture are disclosed to generate synthetic respondent level data. Example apparatus disclosed herein are to identify locations corresponding to monitored panelists, and when a first one of the identified locations corresponds to two or more affiliates, sum tuning minutes of the two or more affiliates. Disclosed example apparatus are also to generate an affiliate probability based on the sum, and convert first data of households in the first one of the locations to a candidate receivability session based on the affiliate probability. Disclosed apparatus are further to generate a seed panel, the seed panel to include at least one of the monitored panelists selected based on a population associated with return path data, and donate second data associated with a donor pool of first panelists to second panelists included in the seed panel, the second panelists associated with faulty media monitoring equipment.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 4, 2021
    Publication date: February 3, 2022
    Inventors: Jonathan Sullivan, Michael D. Morgan, Balachander Shankar, Edward Murphy, Michael Sheppard, Frank Downing
  • Publication number: 20210400341
    Abstract: Methods, apparatus, systems, and articles of manufacture are disclosed to generate synthetic respondent level data. Example apparatus disclosed herein include means for generating a synthetic panel corresponding to a duration of time, the means for generating the synthetic panel to: generate a transition matrix corresponding to a first sub-duration of the duration of time and a second sub-duration of the duration of time,; generate, based on the transition matrix, a plurality of synthetic panelists and associated viewing data; remove first ones of the synthetic panelists associated with one or more weights that do not satisfy a threshold to generate the synthetic panel corresponding to the duration of time, the synthetic panel representative of audiences of media presented by a plurality of media devices during the duration of time; and generate synthetic respondent level data based on the viewing data associated with remaining second ones of the synthetic panelists.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 2, 2021
    Publication date: December 23, 2021
    Inventors: Michael Sheppard, Jonathan Sullivan, Michael D. Morgan, Balachander Shankar, Edward Murphy, Frank Downing
  • Patent number: 11140449
    Abstract: Methods, apparatus, systems, and articles of manufacture are disclosed to generate synthetic respondent level data. An example apparatus includes: a comparator to compare a target rating to a computed rating to determine a comparison result, the computed rating determined based on a seed panel, the seed panel including monitored panelists associated with return path data; a seed panelist data adjuster to adjust the seed panel based on the comparison result to reduce an error between the target rating and the computed rating; and a household data adjuster to add tuning without viewing data to households of the adjusted seed panel, the tuning without viewing data for a first one of the households to represent monitored data corresponding to a media presentation device of the first one of the households being on while a media output device in communication with the media presentation device is off.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 5, 2021
    Assignee: The Nielsen Company (US), LLC
    Inventors: Jonathan Sullivan, Michael D. Morgan, Balachander Shankar, Edward Murphy, Michael Sheppard, Frank Downing
  • Patent number: 11115710
    Abstract: Methods, apparatus, systems, and articles of manufacture are disclosed to generate synthetic respondent level data. Example apparatus disclosed herein include a synthetic panel generator to (i) generate a synthetic panel corresponding to a duration of time, the synthetic panel to be generated based on (a) a seed panel and (b) duration constraints based on return path data reported by a plurality of media devices, the synthetic panel representative of audiences of media presented by the plurality of media devices during the duration of time, and (ii) generate synthetic respondent level data based on viewing data of synthetic panelists in the synthetic panel. Disclosed example apparatus also include an output file generator to generate an output file based on the synthetic respondent level data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2021
    Assignee: The Nielsen Company (US), LLC
    Inventors: Michael Sheppard, Jonathan Sullivan, Michael D. Morgan, Balachander Shankar, Edward Murphy, Frank Downing
  • Publication number: 20200204863
    Abstract: Methods, apparatus, systems, and articles of manufacture are disclosed to generate synthetic respondent level data. An example apparatus includes: a comparator to compare a target rating to a computed rating to determine a comparison result, the computed rating determined based on a seed panel, the seed panel including monitored panelists associated with return path data; a seed panelist data adjuster to adjust the seed panel based on the comparison result to reduce an error between the target rating and the computed rating; and a household data adjuster to add tuning without viewing data to households of the adjusted seed panel, the tuning without viewing data for a first one of the households to represent monitored data corresponding to a media presentation device of the first one of the households being on while a media output device in communication with the media presentation device is off.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 28, 2020
    Publication date: June 25, 2020
    Inventors: Jonathan Sullivan, Michael D. Morgan, Balachander Shankar, Edward Murphy, Michael Sheppard, Frank Downing
  • Patent number: 10602224
    Abstract: Methods, apparatus, systems, and articles of manufacture are disclosed to generate synthetic respondent level data. An example method includes generating, by executing an instruction with a processor, a seed panel, the seed panel including monitored panelists selected based on a population associated with return path data; comparing, by executing an instruction with the processor, a target rating to a current rating corresponding to the seed panel; and adjusting, by executing an instruction with the processor, the seed panel based on the comparison.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2020
    Assignee: The Nielsen Company (US), LLC
    Inventors: Jonathan Sullivan, Michael D. Morgan, Balachander Shankar, Edward Murphy, Michael Sheppard, Frank Downing
  • Publication number: 20190356950
    Abstract: Methods, apparatus, systems, and articles of manufacture are disclosed to generate synthetic respondent level data. Example apparatus disclosed herein include a synthetic panel generator to (i) generate a synthetic panel corresponding to a duration of time, the synthetic panel to be generated based on (a) a seed panel and (b) duration constraints based on return path data reported by a plurality of media devices, the synthetic panel representative of audiences of media presented by the plurality of media devices during the duration of time, and (ii) generate synthetic respondent level data based on viewing data of synthetic panelists in the synthetic panel. Disclosed example apparatus also include an output file generator to generate an output file based on the synthetic respondent level data.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 30, 2019
    Publication date: November 21, 2019
    Inventors: Michael Sheppard, Jonathan Sullivan, Michael D. Morgan, Balachander Shankar, Edward Murphy, Frank Downing
  • Patent number: 10382818
    Abstract: Methods, apparatus, systems, and articles of manufacture are disclosed to generate synthetic respondent level data. An example method includes generating a first and second synthetic panel corresponding to a first duration of time based on a seed panel and first duration constraints; generating synthetic respondent level data corresponding to a second duration of time by linking synthetic panelists from the first synthetic panel to the second synthetic panel; and generating an output file based on the synthetic respondent level data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2019
    Assignee: The Nielson Company (US), LLC
    Inventors: Michael Sheppard, Jonathan Sullivan, Michael D. Morgan, Balachander Shankar, Edward Murphy, Frank Downing
  • Publication number: 20180376198
    Abstract: Methods, apparatus, systems, and articles of manufacture are disclosed to generate synthetic respondent level data. An example method includes generating a first and second synthetic panel corresponding to a first duration of time based on a seed panel and first duration constraints; generating synthetic respondent level data corresponding to a second duration of time by linking synthetic panelists from the first synthetic panel to the second synthetic panel; and generating an output file based on the synthetic respondent level data.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 27, 2017
    Publication date: December 27, 2018
    Inventors: Michael Sheppard, Jonathan Sullivan, Michael D. Morgan, Balachander Shankar, Edward Murphy, Frank Downing
  • Publication number: 20180249214
    Abstract: Methods, apparatus, systems, and articles of manufacture are disclosed to generate synthetic respondent level data.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 28, 2017
    Publication date: August 30, 2018
    Inventors: Jonathan Sullivan, Michael D. Morgan, Balachander Shankar, Edward Murphy, Michael Sheppard, Frank Downing
  • Patent number: 8223131
    Abstract: A disappearing interface system for a device, such as an appliance (e.g., a cooking range) having an interactive user interface, a light-emitting device (e.g., a LED), a microprocessor based LED fader electronic control system that uses a PWM signal to drive an A/D circuit to control the intensity (e.g., fade in/out) of the light-emitting device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2012
    Assignee: Electrolux Home Products, Inc.
    Inventors: John R. Rudolph, Gary Fisher, Frank Downing, Robert McCoy, Maureen Donoho, James Hughes
  • Publication number: 20090179864
    Abstract: A disappearing interface system for a device, such as an appliance (e.g., a cooking range) having an interactive user interface, a light-emitting device (e.g., a LED), a microprocessor based LED fader electronic control system that uses a PWM signal to drive an A/D circuit to control the intensity (e.g., fade in/out) of the light-emitting device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 23, 2009
    Publication date: July 16, 2009
    Applicant: Electrolux Home Products, Inc.
    Inventors: John R. Rudolph, Gary Fisher, Frank Downing, Robert McCoy, Maureen Donoho, James Hughes
  • Patent number: 7499003
    Abstract: A disappearing interface system for a device, such as an appliance (e.g., a cooking range) having an interactive user interface, a light-emitting device (e.g., a LED), a microprocessor based LED fader electronic control system that uses a PWM signal to drive an A/D circuit to control the intensity (e.g., fade in/out) of the light-emitting device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2009
    Assignee: Electrolux Home Products, Inc.
    Inventors: John R. Rudolph, Gary Fisher, Frank Downing, Robert McCoy, Maureen Donoho, James Hughes
  • Publication number: 20050237217
    Abstract: A disappearing interface system for a device, such as an appliance (e.g., a cooking range) having an interactive user interface, a light-emitting device (e.g., a LED), a microprocessor based LED fader electronic control system that uses a PWM signal to drive an A/D circuit to control the intensity (e.g., fade in/out) of the light-emitting device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 21, 2004
    Publication date: October 27, 2005
    Inventors: John Rudolph, Gary Fisher, Frank Downing, Robert McCoy, Maureen Donoho, James Hughes