Patents by Inventor James J. Vitt

James J. Vitt 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: 20230336971
    Abstract: Methods, apparatus, systems and articles of manufacture to update audio sensor configuration are disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 24, 2023
    Publication date: October 19, 2023
    Inventors: Christen V. Nielsen, James J. Vitt, Timothy Scott Cooper, Douglas Brent Turnbow
  • Patent number: 11671821
    Abstract: Methods, apparatus, systems and articles of manufacture to update audio sensor configuration are disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2022
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2023
    Inventors: Christen V. Nielsen, James J. Vitt, Timothy Scott Cooper, Douglas Brent Turnbow
  • Publication number: 20220312186
    Abstract: Methods, apparatus, systems and articles of manufacture to update audio sensor configuration are disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 13, 2022
    Publication date: September 29, 2022
    Inventors: Christen V. Nielsen, James J. Vitt, Timothy Scott Cooper, Douglas Brent Turnbow
  • Patent number: 11363448
    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: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2022
    Assignee: The Nielsen Company (US), LLC
    Inventors: Christen V. Nielsen, James J. Vitt, Timothy Scott Cooper, Douglas Brent Turnbow, Kenneth Paul Braman
  • 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: 10750354
    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: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2020
    Assignee: The Nielsen Company (US), LLC
    Inventors: Christen V. Nielsen, James J. Vitt, Timothy Scott Cooper, Douglas Brent Turnbow
  • Publication number: 20190261162
    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: March 4, 2019
    Publication date: August 22, 2019
    Inventors: Christen V. Nielsen, James J. Vitt, Timothy Scott Cooper, Douglas Brent Turnbow
  • Patent number: 10225730
    Abstract: Methods, apparatus, systems and articles of manufacture to perform audio sensor selection in an audience metering device are disclosed. An example method includes identifying a plurality of audio sensor configurations supported by the audience metering device. A first quality metric of a first media identifier determined from first audio received via a first one of the audio sensor configurations is computed. A second quality metric of a second media identifier determined from second audio received via a second one of the audio sensor configurations is computed. One of the first one of the audio sensor configurations or the second one of the audio sensor configurations is selected based on a comparison of the first quality metric and the second quality metric. Media monitoring is performed at the audience metering device using the selected one of the audio sensor configurations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2019
    Assignee: THE NIELSEN COMPANY (US), LLC
    Inventors: Christen V. Nielsen, James J. Vitt, Timothy Scott Cooper, Douglas Brent Turnbow
  • Publication number: 20170374546
    Abstract: Methods, apparatus, systems and articles of manufacture to perform audio sensor selection in an audience metering device are disclosed. An example method includes identifying a plurality of audio sensor configurations supported by the audience metering device. A first quality metric of a first media identifier determined from first audio received via a first one of the audio sensor configurations is computed. A second quality metric of a second media identifier determined from second audio received via a second one of the audio sensor configurations is computed. One of the first one of the audio sensor configurations or the second one of the audio sensor configurations is selected based on a comparison of the first quality metric and the second quality metric. Media monitoring is performed at the audience metering device using the selected one of the audio sensor configurations.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 24, 2016
    Publication date: December 28, 2017
    Inventors: Christen V. Nielsen, James J. Vitt, Timothy Scott Cooper, Douglas Brent Turnbow
  • Patent number: 9681179
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus for identifying an operating state of an AV device are described. An example method includes extracting, at a first AV device, data communicated via a data bus coupling a processor of the first AV device to a HDMI interface, the HDMI interface coupled to a second AV device different than the first AV device; analyzing a temporal sequence of the extracted data to determine if additional information is needed from the second AV device to identify a current operating state of the second AV device; when the temporal sequence is missing an expected message related to the current operating state of the second AV device, causing an AV network controller of the first AV device to request information from the second AV device; and analyzing a response from the second AV device including the requested information to identify the current operating state of the second AV device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2017
    Assignee: The Nielsen Company (US), LLC
    Inventors: Robert Joel Stokes, James J. Vitt, Charles Clinton Conklin
  • Patent number: 9398331
    Abstract: Power management methods, apparatus and articles of manufacture for audience measurement meters are disclosed. Example methods disclosed herein include obtaining presentation device state data representing an activation state of a media presentation device that is to present received media and is monitored by an audience measurement meter, the presentation device state data including time information. Such disclosed example methods also include determining whether to fault audience measurement data reported by the audience measurement meter based on the presentation device state data and power outage information determined from the audience measurement data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2016
    Assignee: The Nielsen Company (US), LLC
    Inventors: Charles Clinton Conklin, James J. Vitt, Cheuk Wan Chan, Min Zhang
  • Publication number: 20150143400
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus for identifying an operating state of an AV device are described. An example method includes extracting, at a first AV device, data communicated via a data bus coupling a processor of the first AV device to a HDMI interface, the HDMI interface coupled to a second AV device different than the first AV device; analyzing a temporal sequence of the extracted data to determine if additional information is needed from the second AV device to identify a current operating state of the second AV device; when the temporal sequence is missing an expected message related to the current operating state of the second AV device, causing an AV network controller of the first AV device to request information from the second AV device; and analyzing a response from the second AV device including the requested information to identify the current operating state of the second AV device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 27, 2015
    Publication date: May 21, 2015
    Inventors: Robert Joel Stokes, James J. Vitt, Charles Clinton Conklin
  • Publication number: 20150089525
    Abstract: Power management methods, apparatus and articles of manufacture for audience measurement meters are disclosed. Example methods disclosed herein include obtaining presentation device state data representing an activation state of a media presentation device that is to present received media and is monitored by an audience measurement meter, the presentation device state data including time information. Such disclosed example methods also include determining whether to fault audience measurement data reported by the audience measurement meter based on the presentation device state data and power outage information determined from the audience measurement data.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 4, 2014
    Publication date: March 26, 2015
    Inventors: Charles Clinton Conklin, James J. Vitt, Cheuk Wan Chan, Min Zhang
  • Patent number: 8959556
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus for identifying the operating state of an audio-video (AV) device are described. Example methods and apparatus include monitoring messages transmitted via a data bus in a first AV device, wherein the data bus is communicatively coupled to a processor and an AV network controller of the first AV device, and wherein the AV network controller is further communicatively coupled to a second AV device external to the first AV device. The example method also involves extracting messages associated with an operation of the second AV device from the monitored messages, analyzing the extracted messages for data associated with an operating state of the second AV device, and sending a command to the AV network controller to request data missing from the extracted messages and associated with the operating state of the second AV device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2015
    Assignee: The Nielsen Company (US), LLC
    Inventors: Robert Joel Stokes, James J. Vitt, Charles Clinton Conklin
  • Patent number: 8924994
    Abstract: Power management methods, apparatus and articles of manufacture for audience measurement meters are disclosed. An example method disclosed herein comprises determining an activation state of a media presentation device, and controlling activation of an audience measurement meter based on the activation state of the media presentation device, the audience measurement meter to monitor the media presentation device when the activation state is an active state. Another example method disclosed herein comprises obtaining presentation device state data representing an activation state of a media presentation device to be monitored by an audience measurement meter, the presentation device state data including time information, and determining whether to fault audience measurement data reported by the audience measurement meter based on the presentation device state data and outage information determined from the audience measurement data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2014
    Assignee: The Nielsen Company (US), LLC
    Inventors: Charles Clinton Conklin, James J. Vitt, Cheuk Wan Chan, Min Zhang
  • Publication number: 20120311620
    Abstract: Power management methods, apparatus and articles of manufacture for audience measurement meters are disclosed. An example method disclosed herein comprises determining an activation state of a media presentation device, and controlling activation of an audience measurement meter based on the activation state of the media presentation device, the audience measurement meter to monitor the media presentation device when the activation state is an active state. Another example method disclosed herein comprises obtaining presentation device state data representing an activation state of a media presentation device to be monitored by an audience measurement meter, the presentation device state data including time information, and determining whether to fault audience measurement data reported by the audience measurement meter based on the presentation device state data and outage information determined from the audience measurement data.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 31, 2011
    Publication date: December 6, 2012
    Inventors: Charles Clinton Conklin, James J. Vitt, Cheuk Wan Chan, Min Zhang
  • Publication number: 20100079597
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus for identifying the operating state of an audio-video (AV) device are described. Example methods and apparatus include monitoring messages transmitted via a data bus in a first AV device, wherein the data bus is communicatively coupled to a processor and an AV network controller of the first AV device, and wherein the AV network controller is further communicatively coupled to a second AV device external to the first AV device. The example method also involves extracting messages associated with an operation of the second AV device from the monitored messages, analyzing the extracted messages for data associated with an operating state of the second AV device, and sending a command to the AV network controller to request data missing from the extracted messages and associated with the operating state of the second AV device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 29, 2008
    Publication date: April 1, 2010
    Inventors: Robert Joel Stokes, James J. Vitt, Charles Clinton Conklin
  • Patent number: 5488408
    Abstract: An attachment is arranged to permit channel metering of any of a variety of receivers which incorporates serial data communication buses. The attachment includes a computer for reading channel information carried by the serial data communication bus of a monitored receiver, a field programmable gate array which may be programmed to customize the attachment to the serial data communication bus arrangement and to the data format of any of a wide variety of receivers, and an isolator to isolate the attachment from the monitored receiver.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 1994
    Date of Patent: January 30, 1996
    Assignee: A.C. Nielsen Company
    Inventors: Kenneth S. Maduzia, Kenneth J. Frett, James J. Vitt
  • Patent number: 5165069
    Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for identifying one of a plurality of operational modes of a monitored video cassette recorder (VCR). A sensor is positioned near the monitored VCR for detecting a radiated signal of the monitored VCR. The detected signal is appplied to a filter for filtering the detected signal and for providing a plurality of predetermined band-pass filtered signals. A neural network is used for processing the plurality of predetermined band-pass filtered signals to identify the operational mode of the VCR.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 1990
    Date of Patent: November 17, 1992
    Assignee: A. C. Nielsen Company
    Inventors: James J. Vitt, Allen L. Fulmer, Daozheng Lu