Patents by Inventor Mark Cave

Mark Cave 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: 20240056631
    Abstract: Methods, apparatus, systems, and articles of manufacture are disclosed to measure audience exposure to media streams with a wireless isochronous data link. In one example, an apparatus includes a datastore, a network interface circuitry, and processor circuitry. The network interface circuitry obtains a first copy of audio data from a first wireless data link, the audio data transmitted from an audio source device, wherein a second copy of the audio data is transmitted, synchronously to the first copy of the audio data, to an audio sink device over a second wireless data link. The processor circuitry to instantiate data parsing circuitry to parse a media stream identifier from the first copy of the audio data and media identification assignment circuitry to assign the media stream identifier to an audio data log for the audio sink device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 12, 2022
    Publication date: February 15, 2024
    Inventor: Mark Cave
  • Patent number: 11861656
    Abstract: A disclosed example apparatus to monitor a media device includes: an input to obtain a signal at a universal serial bus port of the media device; and a bit rate comparator to: determine the media device is involved in a data transfer if a bit rate of the signal exceeds a threshold; and determine the media device is not involved in the data transfer if the bit rate of the signal does not exceed the threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2024
    Assignee: The Nielsen Company (US), LLC
    Inventors: Mark Cave, Joseph Volpatti
  • Publication number: 20230421406
    Abstract: An apparatus and method to automatically determine the location of unknown media devices is disclosed. An example apparatus includes a media device detector to detect an unknown media device identified in monitoring data collected by an audience measurement device at a location determined to have an “on” status, a media transmission detector to detect a media transmission associated with a device address and an association storer to store an association of the device address, the unknown media device and the location. A probability determiner determines a probability that the unknown media device is located at the location.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 19, 2023
    Publication date: December 28, 2023
    Inventors: Mark Cave, Joseph Kerkes
  • Publication number: 20230410145
    Abstract: An audience measurement computing system for monitoring a media presentation device in a monitored environment is described and includes a network interface, at least one processor, and a non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions executable by the processor(s). The computing system is configured to obtain, via a cable connected to an input port of the media presentation device, a voltage signal generated by the media presentation device based on an operational state of the media presentation device; compare voltage indicated by the voltage signal to a threshold; based on the comparing, generate timestamped operational state data comprising a record indicative of when the media presentation device is in an on-state; obtain audience measurement data representing one or more media signals communicated to the media presentation device; and transmit, via the network interface over a network and to a central facility, the timestamped operational state data and the audience measurement data.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 6, 2023
    Publication date: December 21, 2023
    Inventors: Mark Cave, Joseph Volpatti
  • Patent number: 11756074
    Abstract: An audience measurement computing system for monitoring a media presentation device in a monitored environment is described and includes a network interface, at least one processor, and a non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions executable by the processor(s). The computing system is configured to obtain, via a cable connected to an input port of the media presentation device, a voltage signal generated by the media presentation device based on an operational state of the media presentation device; compare voltage indicated by the voltage signal to a threshold; based on the comparing, generate timestamped operational state data comprising a record indicative of when the media presentation device is in an on-state; obtain audience measurement data representing one or more media signals communicated to the media presentation device; and transmit, via the network interface over a network and to a central facility, the timestamped operational state data and the audience measurement data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2023
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2023
    Assignee: The Nielsen Company (US), LLC
    Inventors: Mark Cave, Joseph Volpatti
  • Publication number: 20230222541
    Abstract: An audience measurement computing system for monitoring a media presentation device in a monitored environment is described and includes a network interface, at least one processor, and a non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions executable by the processor(s). The computing system is configured to obtain, via a cable connected to an input port of the media presentation device, a voltage signal generated by the media presentation device based on an operational state of the media presentation device; compare voltage indicated by the voltage signal to a threshold; based on the comparing, generate timestamped operational state data comprising a record indicative of when the media presentation device is in an on-state; obtain audience measurement data representing one or more media signals communicated to the media presentation device; and transmit, via the network interface over a network and to a central facility, the timestamped operational state data and the audience measurement data.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 16, 2023
    Publication date: July 13, 2023
    Inventors: Mark Cave, Joseph Volpatti
  • Patent number: 11683193
    Abstract: An apparatus and method to automatically determine the location of unknown media devices is disclosed. An example apparatus includes a media device detector to detect an unknown media device identified in monitoring data collected by an audience measurement device at a location determined to have an “on” status, a media transmission detector to detect a media transmission associated with a device address and an association storer to store an association of the device address, the unknown media device and the location. A probability determiner determines a probability that the unknown media device is located at the location.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2023
    Assignee: The Nielsen Company (US), LLC
    Inventors: Mark Cave, Joseph Kerkes
  • Publication number: 20230073849
    Abstract: A disclosed example apparatus to monitor a media device includes: an input to obtain a signal at a universal serial bus port of the media device; and a bit rate comparator to: determine the media device is involved in a data transfer if a bit rate of the signal exceeds a threshold; and determine the media device is not involved in the data transfer if the bit rate of the signal does not exceed the threshold.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 24, 2022
    Publication date: March 9, 2023
    Inventors: Mark Cave, Joseph Volpatti
  • Patent number: 11481801
    Abstract: Methods and systems are disclosed to monitor a media device via a universal serial bus (“USB”) port. An example method includes obtaining a voltage output by a UBS port of the media device and determining if the voltage exceeds a threshold. If the voltage exceeds the threshold, the example method includes determining the media device is in an on state. If the voltage does not exceed the threshold, the example method includes determining the media device is in an off state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2022
    Assignee: The Nielsen Company (US), LLC
    Inventors: Mark Cave, Joseph Volpatti
  • Publication number: 20220030077
    Abstract: An apparatus and method to automatically determine the location of unknown media devices is disclosed. An example apparatus includes a media device detector to detect an unknown media device identified in monitoring data collected by an audience measurement device at a location determined to have an “on” status, a media transmission detector to detect a media transmission associated with a device address and an association storer to store an association of the device address, the unknown media device and the location. A probability determiner determines a probability that the unknown media device is located at the location.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 11, 2021
    Publication date: January 27, 2022
    Inventors: Mark Cave, Joseph Kerkes
  • Patent number: 11146414
    Abstract: An apparatus and method to automatically determine the location of unknown media devices is disclosed. An example apparatus includes a media device detector to detect an unknown media device identified in monitoring data collected by an audience measurement device at a location determined to have an “on” status, a media transmission detector to detect a media transmission associated with a device address and an association storer to store an association of the device address, the unknown media device and the location. A probability determiner determines a probability that the unknown media device is located at the location.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2021
    Inventors: Mark Cave, Joseph Kerkes
  • Publication number: 20210125218
    Abstract: Methods and systems are disclosed to monitor a media device via a universal serial bus (“USB”) port. An example method includes obtaining a voltage output by a UBS port of the media device and determining if the voltage exceeds a threshold. If the voltage exceeds the threshold, the example method includes determining the media device is in an on state. If the voltage does not exceed the threshold, the example method includes determining the media device is in an off state.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 10, 2020
    Publication date: April 29, 2021
    Inventors: Mark Cave, Joseph Volpatti
  • Patent number: 10740787
    Abstract: Methods and systems are disclosed to monitor a media device via a universal serial bus (“USB”) port. An example method includes obtaining a voltage output by a UBS port of the media device and determining if the voltage exceeds a threshold. If the voltage exceeds the threshold, the example method includes determining the media device is in an on state. If the voltage does not exceed the threshold, the example method includes determining the media device is in an off state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2020
    Assignee: The Nielsen Company (US), LLC
    Inventors: Mark Cave, Joseph Volpatti
  • Publication number: 20180331915
    Abstract: An apparatus and method to automatically determine the location of unknown media devices is disclosed. An example apparatus includes a media device detector to detect an unknown media device identified in monitoring data collected by an audience measurement device at a location determined to have an “on” status, a media transmission detector to detect a media transmission associated with a device address and an association storer to store an association of the device address, the unknown media device and the location. A probability determiner determines a probability that the unknown media device is located at the location.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 15, 2017
    Publication date: November 15, 2018
    Inventors: Mark Cave, Joseph Kerkes
  • Publication number: 20180108034
    Abstract: Methods and systems are disclosed to monitor a media device via a universal serial bus (“USB”) port. An example method includes obtaining a voltage output by a UBS port of the media device and determining if the voltage exceeds a threshold. If the voltage exceeds the threshold, the example method includes determining the media device is in an on state. If the voltage does not exceed the threshold, the example method includes determining the media device is in an off state.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 20, 2017
    Publication date: April 19, 2018
    Inventors: Mark Cave, Joseph Volpatti
  • Publication number: 20130159560
    Abstract: Methods and systems are disclosed to monitor a media device via a universal serial bus (“USB”) port. An example method includes obtaining a voltage output by a UBS port of the media device and determining if the voltage exceeds a threshold. If the voltage exceeds the threshold, the example method includes determining the media device is in an on state. If the voltage does not exceed the threshold, the example method includes determining the media device is in an off state.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 16, 2011
    Publication date: June 20, 2013
    Inventors: Mark Cave, Joseph Volpatti
  • Publication number: 20070083882
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus to export tuning data collected in a receiving device are disclosed. An example method of collecting audience measurement data comprises collecting tuning data within a receiving device, and modulating an LED associated with the receiving device to export the collected tuning data from the receiving device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 25, 2006
    Publication date: April 12, 2007
    Inventors: Christen Nielsen, Mark Cave
  • Patent number: 5941598
    Abstract: A drive mechanism for an automotive vehicle sunroof assembly employs a moving cam and a stationary cam, both of which are engaged by a sunroof pane supporting carriage with cam followers. The specific camming surfaces cause the carriage and pane to move between closed, vent and open position. A method of operating a sunroof assembly is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 1997
    Date of Patent: August 24, 1999
    Assignee: ASC Incorporated
    Inventors: Mark A. Cave, Robert J. Boutin