Patents by Inventor John Stavropoulos

John Stavropoulos 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: 11094309
    Abstract: Example methods, apparatus and articles of manufacture to determine semantic information for audio are disclosed. Example apparatus disclosed herein are to process an audio signal obtained by a media device to determine values of a plurality of features that are characteristic of the audio signal, compare the values of the plurality of features to a first template having corresponding first ranges of the plurality of features to determine a first score, the first template associated with first semantic information, compare the values of the plurality of features to a second template having corresponding second ranges of the plurality of features to determine a second score, the second template associated with second semantic information, and associate the audio signal with at least one of the first semantic information or the second semantic information based on the first score and the second score.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2021
    Assignee: The Nielsen Company (US), LLC
    Inventors: Alan Neuhauser, John Stavropoulos
  • Patent number: 11087726
    Abstract: Example articles of manufacture and apparatus for producing supplemental information for audio signature data are disclosed herein. An example apparatus includes memory including computer readable instructions. The example apparatus also includes a processor to execute the instructions to at least obtain first audio signature data associated with a first time period of media, obtain first semantic signature data associated with the first time period of the media and second semantic signature data associated with a second time period of the media, and when second audio signature data associated with the second time period of the media is unavailable, identify the media based on the first audio signature data associated with the first time period of media when the second semantic signature data associated with the second time period matches the first semantic signature data associated with the first time period of the media.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2021
    Assignee: THE NIELSEN COMPANY (US), LLC
    Inventors: Alan Neuhauser, John Stavropoulos
  • Patent number: 11064423
    Abstract: Example systems, methods, apparatus and articles of manufacture for wirelessly modifying detection characteristics of portable devices are disclosed herein. Example portable devices disclosed here include a microphone and radio frequency circuitry to scan for a radio frequency beacon at a first scanning rate. Disclosed example apparatus also include a processor to trigger activation of audio monitoring, in the portable device, of an audio signal obtained via the microphone. In some disclosed examples, the audio monitoring is to be triggered in response to a first connection being made via the radio frequency circuitry with a first transmitter of the radio frequency beacon. In some disclosed examples, the audio monitoring is to collect research data from the audio signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2021
    Assignee: The Nielsen Company (US), LLC
    Inventors: Anand Jain, John Stavropoulos, Alan Neuhauser, Wendell Lynch, Vladimir Kuznetsov, Jack Crystal, David Gish
  • Patent number: 11047876
    Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for identifying portable devices carried by the same person. An example system includes receiving media exposure data over a data network from at least one of a plurality of portable computing devices, motion strings to be received over the data network respectively from each of the plurality of portable computing devices, each of the strings including a successive binary representation of motion over a first period of time, the first period of time divided into a plurality of sub-periods of time, and comparing the motion strings to determine if at least two motion strings match within a predetermined threshold, and identify the devices that produced matching motion strings as being physically carried by a same person.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2021
    Assignee: THE NIELSEN COMPANY (US), LLC
    Inventors: Anand Jain, John Stavropoulos, Alan Neuhauser, Wendell Lynch, Vladimir Kuznetsov, Jack Crystal
  • Publication number: 20210134320
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus to dynamically generate audio signatures adaptive to circumstances associated with media being monitored are disclosed. An example apparatus includes a media content analyzer to detect a watermark encoded in media monitored by a meter. The apparatus includes a media environment analyzer to estimate an amount of background noise in an environment in which the media is monitored by the meter. The apparatus further includes a signature scheme selector to select a first signature scheme from among a plurality of signature schemes to generate monitored signatures of the media. The first signature scheme is selected based on the amount of background noise. The apparatus also includes a signature generator to generate a first monitored signature of the media based on the first signature scheme.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 11, 2021
    Publication date: May 6, 2021
    Inventors: Arun Ramaswamy, Anand Jain, John Stavropoulos
  • Publication number: 20210063556
    Abstract: Methods, apparatus, systems and articles of manufacture are disclosed for multimodal audience detection and identification. An example apparatus disclosed herein includes a signal strength value selector to select a portion of a set of signal strength values associated with advertising packets from a device associated with a user, the advertising packets captured by a multi-axis receiver on a plurality of different signal polarizations, a signal strength calculator to calculate a first representative signal strength value based on the selected portion of signal strength values, and a presence determiner to determine a presence of the user based on whether the first representative signal strength value satisfies a threshold.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 28, 2019
    Publication date: March 4, 2021
    Inventors: Marko Usaj, Andrej Barbis, Joze Arh, John Stavropoulos
  • Patent number: 10891971
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus to dynamically generate audio signatures adaptive to circumstances associated with media being monitored are disclosed. An example apparatus includes a signal selector to select a first signature scheme from among a plurality of signature schemes to generate monitored signatures for media being monitored by a meter. The first signature scheme is selected based on a circumstance associated with the media. The apparatus includes a signal generator to generate a first monitored signature from the media based on the first signature scheme. The apparatus further includes a communications interface to transmit the first monitored signature to a data collection facility.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 12, 2021
    Assignee: THE NIELSEN COMPANY (US), LLC
    Inventors: Arun Ramaswamy, Anand Jain, John Stavropoulos
  • Publication number: 20200341026
    Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for identifying portable devices carried by the same person. An example system includes means for receiving input to receive media exposure data over a data network from at least one of a plurality of portable computing devices, the means for receiving input to receive motion strings over the data network respectively from each of the plurality of portable computing devices, each of the strings including a successive binary representation of motion over a first period of time, the first period of time divided into a plurality of sub-periods of time, and means for processing, operatively coupled to the means for receiving input, being configured to compare the motion strings to determine if at least two motion strings match within a predetermined threshold, and identify the devices that produced matching motion strings as being physically carried by a same person.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 13, 2020
    Publication date: October 29, 2020
    Inventors: Anand Jain, John Stavropoulos, Alan Neuhauser, Wendell Lynch, Vladimir Kuznetsov, Jack Crystal
  • Publication number: 20200245225
    Abstract: Example systems, methods, apparatus and articles of manufacture for wirelessly modifying detection characteristics of portable devices are disclosed herein. Example portable devices disclosed here include a microphone and radio frequency circuitry to scan for a radio frequency beacon at a first scanning rate. Disclosed example apparatus also include a processor to trigger activation of audio monitoring, in the portable device, of an audio signal obtained via the microphone. In some disclosed examples, the audio monitoring is to be triggered in response to a first connection being made via the radio frequency circuitry with a first transmitter of the radio frequency beacon. In some disclosed examples, the audio monitoring is to collect research data from the audio signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 17, 2020
    Publication date: July 30, 2020
    Inventors: Anand Jain, John Stavropoulos, Alan Neuhauser, Wendell Lynch, Vladimir Kuznetsov, Jack Crystal, David Gish
  • Patent number: 10712361
    Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for identifying portable devices carried by the same person. An example method includes receiving media exposure data from one of a plurality of portable computing devices. Receiving segmented accelerometer data from the plurality of portable computing devices. Forming accelerometer classification data for the plurality of portable computing devices based on features extracted from the segmented accelerometer data. Comparing the accelerometer classification data for the first portable computing device to accelerometer classification data for the plurality of portable computing devices, to determine if the accelerometer classification data for the first portable computing device is sufficiently similar to a second portable computing devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2020
    Assignee: The Nielsen Company
    Inventors: Anand Jain, John Stavropoulos, Alan Neuhauser, Wendell Lynch, Vladimir Kuznetsov, Jack Crystal
  • Patent number: 10631231
    Abstract: Example systems, methods, apparatus and articles of manufacture for wirelessly modifying detection characteristics of portable devices are disclosed herein. Example portable devices disclosed here include a microphone and radio frequency circuitry to scan for a radio frequency beacon at a first scanning rate. Disclosed example apparatus also include a processor to trigger activation of audio monitoring, in the portable device, of an audio signal obtained via the microphone. In some disclosed examples, the audio monitoring is to be triggered in response to a first connection being made via the radio frequency circuitry with a first transmitter of the radio frequency beacon. In some disclosed examples, the audio monitoring is to collect research data from the audio signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 4, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2020
    Assignee: The Nielsen Company (US), LLC
    Inventors: Anand Jain, John Stavropoulos, Alan Neuhauser, Wendell Lynch, Vladimir Kuznetsov, Jack Crystal, David Gish
  • Publication number: 20190371357
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus to dynamically generate audio signatures adaptive to circumstances associated with media being monitored are disclosed. An example apparatus includes a signal selector to select a first signature scheme from among a plurality of signature schemes to generate monitored signatures for media being monitored by a meter. The first signature scheme is selected based on a circumstance associated with the media. The apparatus includes a signal generator to generate a first monitored signature from the media based on the first signature scheme. The apparatus further includes a communications interface to transmit the first monitored signature to a data collection facility.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 4, 2018
    Publication date: December 5, 2019
    Inventors: Arun Ramaswamy, Anand Jain, John Stavropoulos
  • Publication number: 20190348016
    Abstract: Example methods, apparatus and articles of manufacture to determine semantic information for audio are disclosed. Example apparatus disclosed herein are to process an audio signal obtained by a media device to determine values of a plurality of features that are characteristic of the audio signal, compare the values of the plurality of features to a first template having corresponding first ranges of the plurality of features to determine a first score, the first template associated with first semantic information, compare the values of the plurality of features to a second template having corresponding second ranges of the plurality of features to determine a second score, the second template associated with second semantic information, and associate the audio signal with at least one of the first semantic information or the second semantic information based on the first score and the second score.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 26, 2019
    Publication date: November 14, 2019
    Inventors: Alan Neuhauser, John Stavropoulos
  • Publication number: 20190341011
    Abstract: Example articles of manufacture and apparatus for producing supplemental information for audio signature data are disclosed herein. An example apparatus includes memory including computer readable instructions. The example apparatus also includes a processor to execute the instructions to at least obtain first audio signature data associated with a first time period of media, obtain first semantic signature data associated with the first time period of the media and second semantic signature data associated with a second time period of the media, and when second audio signature data associated with the second time period of the media is unavailable, identify the media based on the first audio signature data associated with the first time period of media when the second semantic signature data associated with the second time period matches the first semantic signature data associated with the first time period of the media.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 22, 2019
    Publication date: November 7, 2019
    Inventors: Alan Neuhauser, John Stavropoulos
  • Patent number: 10366685
    Abstract: Example apparatus, articles of manufacture and methods to determine semantic audio information for audio are disclosed. Example methods include extracting a plurality of audio features from the audio, at least one of the plurality of audio features including at least one of a temporal feature, a spectral feature, a harmonic feature, or a rhythmic feature. Example methods also include comparing the plurality of audio features to a plurality of stored audio feature ranges having tags associated therewith. Example methods further include determining a set of ranges of the plurality of stored audio feature ranges having closest matches to the plurality of audio features, a tag associated with the set of ranges having the closest matches to be used to determine the semantic audio information for the audio.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 30, 2019
    Assignee: The Nielsen Company (US), LLC
    Inventors: Alan Neuhauser, John Stavropoulos
  • Patent number: 10360883
    Abstract: Example articles of manufacture and apparatus disclosed herein for producing supplemental information for audio signature data obtain the audio signature data of a first time period including data relating to at least one of time or frequency components representing a first characteristic of media. Disclosed examples also obtain first semantic audio signature data, for the first time period, that is a measure of generalized information representing characteristics of the media. Disclosed examples further store the audio signature data of the first time period in association with a second time period when it is determined that second semantic audio signature data for the second time period substantially matches the first semantic audio signature data for the first time period.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2019
    Assignee: The Nielsen Company (US)
    Inventors: Alan Neuhauser, John Stavropoulos
  • Publication number: 20180288677
    Abstract: Example systems, methods, apparatus and articles of manufacture for wirelessly modifying detection characteristics of portable devices are disclosed herein. Example portable devices disclosed here include a microphone and radio frequency circuitry to scan for a radio frequency beacon at a first scanning rate. Disclosed example apparatus also include a processor to trigger activation of audio monitoring, in the portable device, of an audio signal obtained via the microphone. In some disclosed examples, the audio monitoring is to be triggered in response to a first connection being made via the radio frequency circuitry with a first transmitter of the radio frequency beacon. In some disclosed examples, the audio monitoring is to collect research data from the audio signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 4, 2018
    Publication date: October 4, 2018
    Inventors: Anand Jain, John Stavropoulos, Alan Neuhauser, Wendell Lynch, Vladimir Kuznetsov, Jack Crystal, David Gish
  • Patent number: 10033793
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus for monitoring a portable device are disclosed herein. An example method includes connecting to a portable device using a shell. Whether the shell has an elevated privilege on the portable device is verified. In response to detecting that the shell does not have the elevated privilege, the elevated privilege is gained. A packet capturer is installed on the portable device using the elevated privilege, the packet capturer to capture packets to produce media exposure data, the elevated privileges to enable the packet capturer to capture packets after disconnection of the shell from the portable device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2018
    Assignee: The Nielsen Company (US), LLC
    Inventors: Tero Lindberg, Jason Browne, John Stavropoulos
  • Patent number: 9992729
    Abstract: A computer-implemented method for modifying operation of a portable processing device configured to scan for wireless signals under a first scan rate. As wireless signals are received in the portable processing device, characteristics of the wireless signals are analyzed, and if the characteristics match one or more characteristics, the operation of the portable processing device is modified. Under one exemplary embodiment, the first scan rate is modified to a second scan rate, where the second scan rate being different from the first. Under another exemplary embodiment, monitoring capabilities in the portable processing device are activated or modified to collect research data on media data. The characteristics may include identification information or messages/commands that are transmitted wirelessly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2018
    Assignee: The Nielsen Company (US), LLC
    Inventors: Anand Jain, John Stavropoulos, Alan Neuhauser, Wendell Lynch, Vladimir Kuznetsov, Jack Crystal, David Gish
  • Patent number: 9894171
    Abstract: Examples disclosed herein collect a cookie at a first device based on media accessed via a web page at the first device, obtain user information from a second device via communicative coupling between the first device and the second device, and in response to an instruction embedded in the media, send a hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP) request to a server, the HTTP request including the cookie, the user information, and information identifying exposure to the media.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2018
    Assignee: THE NIELSEN COMPANY (US), LLC
    Inventors: Anand Jain, John Stavropoulos, Alan Neuhauser, Wendell Lynch, Vladimir Kuznetsov, Jack Crystal