Patents by Inventor Fred Martensen

Fred Martensen 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: 9288268
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus to monitor shoppers in a retail environment are disclosed herein. In a disclosed example method, a first signal is transmitted via a first device in a first direction to a second device and a second signal is transmitted via the first device in a second direction to a third device associated with a shopper. A direction of travel of the third device is determined based on the first signal and a path of travel of the third device through a monitored establishment is determined based on the second signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2016
    Assignee: The Nielsen Company (US), LLC
    Inventors: Arun Ramaswamy, Rafael E. Alonso, Fred A. Martensen
  • Patent number: 9185457
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus for multi-purpose metering are disclosed. An example method includes determining whether a portable device is within a vicinity of a household monitoring system based on detecting an identifier via a first radio frequency (RF) signal, when the identifier from the first RF signal is associated with the portable device, determining whether a second acoustic signal includes the identifier associated with the portable device, deactivating a media detection circuit of the portable device when the identifier is detected via both the first RF signal and the second acoustic signal, and activating the media detection circuit of the portable device when the identifier is detected from the first RF signal and the second acoustic signal is absent.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2015
    Assignee: The Nielsen Company (US), LLC
    Inventors: Arun Ramaswamy, Charles C. Conklin, Wayne A. Olmsted, Karin Johnson, Fred Martensen, Daniel Nelson, Alexander Topchy, Paul M. Mears
  • Publication number: 20150271549
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus for multi-purpose metering are disclosed. An example method includes determining whether a portable device is within a vicinity of a household monitoring system based on detecting an identifier via a first radio frequency (RF) signal, when the identifier from the first RF signal is associated with the portable device, determining whether a second acoustic signal includes the identifier associated with the portable device, deactivating a media detection circuit of the portable device when the identifier is detected via both the first RF signal and the second acoustic signal, and activating the media detection circuit of the portable device when the identifier is detected from the first RF signal and the second acoustic signal is absent.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 8, 2015
    Publication date: September 24, 2015
    Inventors: Arun Ramaswamy, Charles C. Conklin, Wayne A. Olmsted, Karin Johnson, Fred Martensen, Daniel Nelson, Alexander Topchy, Paul M. Mears
  • Patent number: 9055336
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus for multi-purpose metering are disclosed. An example method includes transmitting a first discovery inquiry message in response to a wakeup timer expiration signal, disabling a media detection circuit of the portable device when a base unit responds to the discovery inquiry message, and enabling the media detection circuit of the portable device when the base unit response to the discovery inquiry message is absent.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2015
    Assignee: The Nielsen Company (US), LLC
    Inventors: Arun Ramaswamy, Charles C. Conklin, Wayne A. Olmsted, Karin Johnson, Fred Martensen, Daniel Nelson, Alexander Topchy, Paul M. Mears
  • Publication number: 20140259033
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus for multi-purpose metering are disclosed. An example method includes transmitting a first discovery inquiry message in response to a wakeup timer expiration signal, disabling a media detection circuit of the portable device when a base unit responds to the discovery inquiry message, and enabling the media detection circuit of the portable device when the base unit response to the discovery inquiry message is absent.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 19, 2014
    Publication date: September 11, 2014
    Applicant: The Nielsen Company (US), LLC
    Inventors: Arun Ramaswamy, Charles C. Conklin, Wayne A. Olmsted, Karin Johnson, Fred Martensen, Daniel Nelson, Alexander Topchy, Paul M. Mears
  • Patent number: 8752081
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus for multi-purpose metering are disclosed. An example method includes acquiring a rate of data transfer to/from the monitored location and comparing the acquired rate of data transfer to a threshold. The example method also includes setting at least one media monitoring device in a first bandwidth mode when the acquired rate of data transfer exceeds the threshold, and setting the at least one media monitoring device in a second bandwidth mode when the acquired rate of data transfer is below the threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2014
    Assignee: The Nielsen Company (US), LLC.
    Inventors: Arun Ramaswamy, Charles C. Conklin, Wayne A. Olmsted, Karin Anne Johnson, Fred Martensen, Daniel Nelson, Alexander Topchy, Paul M. Mears
  • Patent number: 8549552
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus to monitor media exposure in vehicles are disclosed. An example implementation includes collecting audience measurement data with a media monitoring device fixed in a vehicle and transmitting the audience measurement data from the media monitoring device to a shuttle located within the vehicle, the shuttle being incapable of collecting audience measurement data independent of the media monitoring device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2013
    Assignee: The Nielsen Company (US), LLC
    Inventors: Arun Ramaswamy, Fred Martensen, Robert A. Luff, Kendall Shirilla
  • Publication number: 20130174190
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus for multi-purpose metering are disclosed. An example method includes acquiring a rate of data transfer to/from the monitored location and comparing the acquired rate of data transfer to a threshold. The example method also includes setting at least one media monitoring device in a first bandwidth mode when the acquired rate of data transfer exceeds the threshold, and setting the at least one media monitoring device in a second bandwidth mode when the acquired rate of data transfer is below the threshold.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 30, 2012
    Publication date: July 4, 2013
    Inventors: Arun Ramaswamy, Charles C. Conklin, Wayne A. Olmsted, Karin Johnson, Fred Martensen, Daniel Nelson, Alexander Topchy, Paul M. Mears
  • Patent number: 8327396
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus for multi-purpose metering are disclosed. An example method includes acquiring a rate of data transfer to/from the monitored location and comparing the acquired rate of data transfer to a threshold. The example method also includes setting at least one media monitoring device in a first bandwidth mode when the acquired rate of data transfer exceeds the threshold, and setting the at least one media monitoring device in a second bandwidth mode when the acquired rate of data transfer is below the threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2012
    Assignee: The Nielsen Company (US), LLC
    Inventors: Arun Ramaswamy, Charles C. Conklin, Wayne A. Olmsted, Karin Johnson, Fred Martensen, Daniel Nelson, Alexander Topchy, Paul M. Mears
  • Publication number: 20110103595
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus to monitor media exposure in vehicles are disclosed. An example implementation includes collecting audience measurement data with a media monitoring device fixed in a vehicle and transmitting the audience measurement data from the media monitoring device to a shuttle located within the vehicle, the shuttle being incapable of collecting audience measurement data independent of the media monitoring device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 3, 2009
    Publication date: May 5, 2011
    Inventors: Arun Ramaswamy, Fred Martensen, Robert A. Luff, Kendall Shirilla
  • Publication number: 20090070797
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus for multi-purpose metering are disclosed. An example method includes acquiring a rate of data transfer to/from the monitored location and comparing the acquired rate of data transfer to a threshold. The example method also includes setting at least one media monitoring device in a first bandwidth mode when the acquired rate of data transfer exceeds the threshold, and setting the at least one media monitoring device in a second bandwidth mode when the acquired rate of data transfer is below the threshold.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 14, 2007
    Publication date: March 12, 2009
    Inventors: Arun Ramaswamy, Charles C. Conklin, Wayne A. Olmsted, Karin Johnson, Fred Martensen, Daniel Nelson, Alexander Topchy, Paul M. Mears
  • Patent number: RE45786
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus to monitor media exposure in vehicles are disclosed. An example implementation includes collecting audience measurement data with a media monitoring device fixed in a vehicle and transmitting the audience measurement data from the media monitoring device to a shuttle located within the vehicle, the shuttle being incapable of collecting audience measurement data independent of the media monitoring device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2015
    Assignee: THE NIELSEN COMPANY (US), LLC
    Inventors: Arun Ramaswamy, Fred Martensen, Robert A Luff, Kendall Shirilla
  • Patent number: RE46329
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus to monitor media exposure in vehicles are disclosed. An example implementation includes collecting audience measurement data with a media monitoring device fixed in a vehicle and transmitting the audience measurement data from the media monitoring device to a shuttle located within the vehicle, the shuttle being incapable of collecting audience measurement data independent of the media monitoring device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2017
    Assignee: The Nielsen Company (US), LLC
    Inventors: Arun Ramaswamy, Fred Martensen, Robert A. Luff, Kendall Shirilla