Patents by Inventor Jonathan Sullivan

Jonathan Sullivan 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: 20200007919
    Abstract: Processor systems to estimate audience sizes and impression counts for different frequency intervals are disclosed. An example processor system includes a memory management unit (MMU) to assign requests from computing devices indicative of accesses to media to a first block of memory, a total count of the requests corresponding to a total number of census impressions. The MMU to assign user-identified impression data corresponding to user-identified impressions to a second block of memory, the user-identified impressions associated with user-identified individuals for whom first demographic information is stored by a database proprietor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 2, 2018
    Publication date: January 2, 2020
    Inventors: Michael Sheppard, Ludo Daemen, PengFei Yi, Jonathan Sullivan, Rachel Worth Olson
  • Publication number: 20200007935
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus to model on/off states of media presentation devices based on return path data are disclosed. An apparatus includes a distribution generator to: generate a first cumulative probability distribution indicative of actual durations of panel tuning segments; and generate a second cumulative probability distribution indicative of modeled durations of modeled tuning segments, the modeled tuning segments corresponding to modified lengths of the panel tuning segments. The apparatus also includes an RPD tuning information analyzer to analyze RPD tuning information reported from an RPD device. The apparatus further includes a set-on time calculator to estimate a set-on time for a media set associated with the RPD device, the set-on time indicative of a period of time when the media set is powered on, the set-on time estimated based on the RPD tuning information and the first and second cumulative probability distributions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 10, 2019
    Publication date: January 2, 2020
    Inventors: Jonathan Sullivan, Katya Sotiris, Neung Soo Ha, Balachander Shankar
  • Publication number: 20190394536
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus to calculate granular data of a region based on another region for media audience measurement are disclosed. An example method for calculating, via a processor, granular data of a region includes determining aggregate behavioral data associated with a media audience measurement of a target region. The example method includes determining, via the processor, aggregate demographics data of the target region. The example method includes determining, via the processor, granular data of a source region. The example method includes calculating, via the processor, granular data of the target region to measure a media audience of the target region by apportioning the aggregate demographics data and the aggregate behavioral data of the target region based on the granular data of the source region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 28, 2019
    Publication date: December 26, 2019
    Inventors: Jonathan Sullivan, Michael Sheppard, Peter Lipa
  • Publication number: 20190385072
    Abstract: Methods, apparatus, systems and articles of manufacture are disclosed to improve decision tree execution. An example method includes retrieving, with a processor, a decision tree logic expression in a sum-of-products (SOP) form, the decision tree logic expression consuming a first duration to evaluate a dataset, eliminating, with the processor, redundant variables of the decision tree logic expression by transforming the decision tree logic expression into a product-of-sums (POS) form, and evaluating, with the processor, the data set with the decision tree logic expression in the POS form, the decision tree logic expression in the POS form consuming a second duration to evaluate the data set that is less than the first duration.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 30, 2019
    Publication date: December 19, 2019
    Inventors: Jonathan Sullivan, Michael Sheppard, Peter Lipa
  • Publication number: 20190378177
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus to adjust media impressions based on media impression notification loss rates in network communications are disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 24, 2019
    Publication date: December 12, 2019
    Inventors: Jonathan Sullivan, Michael Sheppard, Albert Ronald Perez, Alejandro Terrazas
  • Publication number: 20190379935
    Abstract: Example apparatus disclosed herein include a return path data classifier to classify a first viewing period associated with segments of return path data received from a set top box into tuning classifications based on the segments of the return path data; calculate a total reported tuning duration for the first viewing period when the first viewing period is classified as live or playback tuning; and compare the total reported tuning duration to a duration threshold to determine whether the segments of return path data associated with the first viewing period are valid. The example apparatus also includes a return path data rectifier to rectify missing tuning data associated with a second viewing period based on tuning data included in the segments of return path data associated with the first viewing period when the segments of the return path data associated with the first viewing period are determined to be valid.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 4, 2018
    Publication date: December 12, 2019
    Inventors: Balachander Shankar, Jonathan Sullivan, Molly Poppie, John Charles Coughlin, Paul Chimenti, Rachel Worth Olson, Samantha M. Mowrer, David J. Kurzynski, Remy Spoentgen, Christine Heiss, Shuangxing Chen
  • Patent number: 10504138
    Abstract: Methods, apparatus, systems and articles of manufacture are disclosed to improve reach calculation efficiency. An example method includes estimating, with a processor, a sample distribution of marketing data to generate a maximum entropy distribution, generating, with the processor, a geometric distribution based on estimating a minimum cross entropy of (a) the maximum entropy distribution and (b) the sample distribution of marketing data, and improving calculation efficiency of the public reach of the sample distribution of marketing data by generating, with the processor, conserved quantity expressions of the geometric distribution.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2019
    Assignee: THE NIELSEN COMPANY (US), LLC
    Inventors: Michael Sheppard, Jonathan Sullivan, Peter Lipa, Peter Campbell Doe, Paul Donato
  • 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
  • Publication number: 20190349620
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus to estimate demographics of a household are disclosed. An example method to determine demographics for non-panelist households includes calculating a first demographic constraint average and a second demographic constraint average based on a first demographic distribution of a first tuning event of a household and a second demographic distribution of a second tuning event of the household. The household is a non-panelist household. The example method also includes, based on the first demographic constraint average, determining a first likelihood of the household being associated with a first demographic constraint. The example method also includes, based on the second demographic constraint average, determining a second likelihood of the household being associated with a second demographic constraint. The example method also includes estimating a household characteristic of the household based on the first likelihood and the second likelihood.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 18, 2019
    Publication date: November 14, 2019
    Inventors: Jonathan Sullivan, Peter Lipa, Michael Sheppard, Alejandro Terrazas
  • Publication number: 20190325457
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus to solve for a minimum variance solution for a constrained weight problem in a scalable and memory efficient manner are disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 1, 2019
    Publication date: October 24, 2019
    Inventors: Michael Sheppard, Jonathan Sullivan, Peter Lipa, Alejandro Terrazas, Matt Reid, Paul Donato
  • Publication number: 20190320214
    Abstract: Methods, apparatus, systems and articles of manufacture to perform identity matching across audience measurement systems are disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 25, 2019
    Publication date: October 17, 2019
    Inventors: Jonathan Sullivan, Peter Campbell Doe, Edmond Wong
  • Patent number: 10448108
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus to model on/off states of media presentation devices based on return path data are disclosed. An example method includes generating a modelled tuning segment distribution indicative of modelled durations of modelled tuning segments. The modelled tuning segments is based on panel tuning segments during which panelists were exposed to first media. The example method further includes obtaining return path data (RPD) tuning information reported from an RPD device. The RPD tuning information is indicative of a reported RPD tuning segment during which the RPD device was accessing second media. The example method also includes estimating a set-on time for a media set associated with the RPD device based on the RPD tuning information and the modelled tuning segment distribution. The set-on time is indicative of a period of time when the media set is powered on.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2019
    Assignee: The Nielsen Company (US), LLC
    Inventors: Jonathan Sullivan, Katya Sotiris, Neung Soo Ha, Balachander Shankar
  • Patent number: 10448074
    Abstract: Example methods, apparatus, systems and articles of manufacture (e.g., physical storage media) to assign synthetic respondents to geographic locations for audience measurement are disclosed. Example apparatus disclosed herein include a constraint identifier to determine a set of constraints based on aggregate values of demographic features associated with the geographic locations. Disclosed example apparatus also include a parameter evaluator to determine a set of parameters of a model that is to return probabilities that respective ones of the respondents are associated with respective ones of the geographic locations, respective ones of the parameters being associated with respective ones of the constraints.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2019
    Assignee: The Nielsen Company (US), LLC
    Inventors: Michael Sheppard, Edward Murphy, Chris Samuel Redino, Michael D. Morgan, Jonathan Sullivan
  • Publication number: 20190304205
    Abstract: Processor systems to estimate audience sizes and impression counts for different frequency intervals are disclosed. An example processor system includes a memory management unit (MMU) to assign requests from computing devices indicative of accesses to media to a first block of memory and to assign user-identified impression data corresponding to user-identified impressions to a second block of memory. The processor system including an arithmetic logic unit (ALU) to determine multipliers relating a first probability distribution for the user-identified impressions to a second probability distribution for census impressions. The multipliers based on probability constraints defined by weighted probabilities associated with the second probability distribution, where different ones of the probabilities weighted based on estimated populations for corresponding ones of the different demographics.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 2, 2019
    Publication date: October 3, 2019
    Inventors: Michael Sheppard, Ludo Daemen, PengFei Yi, Jonathan Sullivan, Rachel Worth Olson
  • Patent number: 10433008
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus to utilize a minimum cross entropy to calculate granular data of a region based on another region for media audience measurement. An example method for calculating granular data of a region for media audience measurement includes determining, by executing first instructions via a processor, aggregate behavioral data associated with a measurement of a media audience of a target region; determining, by executing second instructions via the processor, aggregate demographics data of the target region; and determining, by executing third instructions via the processor, granular data of a source region. The example method includes calculating, by executing fourth instructions via the processor, granular data of the media audience of the target region by utilizing minimum cross entropy to apportion the aggregate demographics data and the aggregate behavioral data of the target region based on the granular data of the source region to determine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2019
    Assignee: The Nielsen Company (US), LLC
    Inventors: Michael Sheppard, Jonathan Sullivan, Peter Lipa, Alejandro Terrazas
  • Publication number: 20190287123
    Abstract: Methods, apparatus, and articles of manufacture are disclosed to correct age misattribution. Example disclosed apparatus includes a model validator to determine respective broad scores and respective targeted scores for respective ones of a plurality of candidate models based on audience member records. A demographic retriever is to access a media impression received in a network communication from a first server, the media impression including a reported age of a user associated with the media impression. An age corrector is to determine a predicted age of the user with the selected age-correction model, and when an age misattribution error is non-zero, correct the age misattribution error in a reported age by assigning the predicted age to the media impression.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 15, 2019
    Publication date: September 19, 2019
    Inventors: Jonathan Sullivan, Diahanna Post, David Wong, Jonathon Wells, Oana Dan
  • Patent number: 10402735
    Abstract: Methods, apparatus, systems and articles of manufacture are disclosed to improve decision tree execution. An example method includes retrieving, with a processor, a decision tree logic expression in a sum-of-products (SOP) form, the decision tree logic expression consuming a first duration to evaluate a dataset, eliminating, with the processor, redundant variables of the decision tree logic expression by transforming the decision tree logic expression into a product-of-sums (POS) form, and evaluating, with the processor, the data set with the decision tree logic expression in the POS form, the decision tree logic expression in the POS form consuming a second duration to evaluate the data set that is less than the first duration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2019
    Assignee: THE NIELSEN COMPANY (US), LLC
    Inventors: Jonathan Sullivan, Michael Sheppard, Peter Lipa
  • 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: 20190245760
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus for determining a unique audience exposed to media while reducing memory resources of a computing device are disclosed herein. Example instructions cause a machine to at least, based on impression requests from a plurality of client devices via a network, log a plurality of impressions corresponding to media accessed at the client devices; obtain a count of demographic impressions logged by a database proprietor; obtain a count of registered users of the database proprietor exposed to the media; and execute a process to determine a unique audience size by multiplying a count of the plurality of impressions by a square of the count of the registered users to generate a product; dividing the product by the count of the demographic impressions to generate a quotient; and determining the unique audience size based on a square root of the quotient.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 18, 2019
    Publication date: August 8, 2019
    Inventors: Michael R. Sheppard, Jonathan Sullivan, Peter Lipa, Matthew B. Reid, Peter C. Doe, Peng Fei Yi
  • Publication number: 20190238941
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus to calibrate media ratings based on return path data are disclosed. An apparatus includes a processor and memory including instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to: determine an initial rating for the media provided in a first geographic area based on return path data (RPD) tuning information obtained from RPD devices in subscriber households in the first geographic area; determine a first panelist rating for the media provided in a second geographic area based on first panel tuning information obtained from first metering devices in a first subset of panelist households in the second geographic area; determine a nonsubscriber calibration factor based on the first panelist rating; and determine a final rating for the media in the first geographic area by modifying the initial rating based on the nonsubscriber calibration factor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 12, 2019
    Publication date: August 1, 2019
    Inventors: Anthony P. Venetucci, David J. Kurzynski, Molly Poppie, Jonathan Sullivan, Bruce Hoynoski, Christine Pierce