Patents by Inventor Michael Sheppard

Michael Sheppard 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: 12602360
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus to estimate audience sizes using deduplication based on binomial sketch data are disclosed. An apparatus includes processor circuitry to instantiate coefficient analyzer circuitry to determine coefficient values of a polynomial based on (i) variances in values in the first sketch data and second sketch data, (ii) a first cardinality of the first sketch data, and (iii) a second cardinality of the second sketch data. The processor circuitry to instantiate overlap analyzer circuitry to determine a real root of the polynomial, the real root corresponding to the quantity of the second subscribers that are duplicates of the first subscribers. The processor circuitry to instantiate report generator circuitry to estimate a deduplicated audience size based on the estimate of the quantity of the second subscribers that are duplicates of the first subscribers and the first and second cardinalities.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2024
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2026
    Assignee: The Nielsen Company (US), LLC
    Inventors: Michael Sheppard, Jonathan L. Sullivan, Jake Ryan Dailey, Damien Forthomme, Jessica D. Brinson, Molly Poppie, Christie Nicole Summers, Diane Morovati Lopez
  • Patent number: 12602702
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus to estimate cardinality across multiple datasets represented using Bloom filter arrays are disclosed. Disclosed examples include processor circuitry to execute and/or instantiate instructions to determine an inclusion-exclusion expression that defines an audience size for a user group of interest. Terms in the inclusion-exclusion expression corresponding to either a first cardinality of a first one of at least three Bloom filter arrays or a second cardinality of a union of two or more of the Bloom filter arrays. Different ones of the Bloom filter arrays representative of different sets of users who accessed media. The at least one processor further to estimate, based on the inclusion-exclusion expression, the audience size of the user group of interest.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2023
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2026
    Assignee: The Nielsen Company (US), LLC
    Inventors: Michael Sheppard, Jonathan Sullivan, Diane Morovati Lopez, Jake Ryan Dailey, Christie Nicole Summers, Molly Poppie
  • Patent number: 12596714
    Abstract: A computer-implemented method for efficiently estimating the number of unique elements in a collection of elements comprises generating, via hash logic, hash values for each element of the collection of elements. The method further comprises specifying, in a sketch-frequency table, a set of discrete statistical values associated with the hash values and, for each discrete statistical value of the set of discrete statistical values, information indicative of a frequency at which binary representations of the hash values are associated with the discrete statistical value. The cardinality of the collection of elements is estimated based on the sketch-frequency table.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2024
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2026
    Assignee: The Nielsen Company (US), LLC
    Inventors: Michael Sheppard, Edward Murphy, Jonathan Sullivan
  • Publication number: 20260075271
    Abstract: Methods, apparatus, systems, and articles of manufacture are disclosed to determine a duration of media presentation based on tuning session duration. Example apparatus a receiver to obtain a first tuning session duration indicative of an amount of time between channel changes of a first media presentation device at a first media presentation location, a presentation session estimator to select a model from storage, the model selected based on a match of the first tuning session duration and a second tuning session duration, the model including a relation between the second tuning session duration and a first presentation session duration of media presented on a second media presentation device at a second media presentation location, and estimate a second presentation session duration of media presented within the first tuning session duration based on the model.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 12, 2025
    Publication date: March 12, 2026
    Inventors: Michael Sheppard, Jonathan Sullivan, Peter Lipa, Alejandro Terrazas
  • Publication number: 20260067516
    Abstract: An example method includes determining, for each of multiple digital media providers, respective estimated distributions of a characteristic for a television viewing area. The method also includes determining respective reach values based on a universe estimate for the television viewing area. In addition, the method includes determining a distribution of subscribers across overlapping combinations of the digital media providers. The method also includes determining, for each of the multiple digital media providers based on the distribution of subscribers, respective mixed provider fractions relative to a total provider fraction for the digital media provider. The method further includes determining, using a constrained optimization routine, target distributions of the characteristic for combinations of the digital media providers.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 24, 2025
    Publication date: March 5, 2026
    Inventors: Denis Voytenko, Keith Tirimba, Paul Chimenti, Michael Sheppard, Joshua Deragon, Horalia Armas
  • Patent number: 12566738
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus to estimate audience sizes using deduplication based on vector of counts sketch data are disclosed. A system includes hardware circuitry to instantiate: coefficient analyzer circuitry to determine coefficient values of a polynomial based on (i) variances in values in a first vector of counts and a second vector of counts, (ii) a first cardinality of the first vector of counts, and (iii) a second cardinality of the second vector of counts; and overlap analyzer circuitry to: determine a real root of the polynomial; and report generator circuitry to estimate a deduplicated audience size based on (i) the estimate of the quantity of the second subscribers that are duplicates of the first subscribers and (ii) the first and second cardinalities. The system includes communication circuitry to transmit a network communication to a third party entity, the second network communication including a report based on the deduplicated audience size.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2024
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2026
    Assignee: The Nielsen Company (US), LLC
    Inventors: Michael Sheppard, Jonathan L. Sullivan, Jake Ryan Dailey, Damien Forthomme, Jessica D. Brinson, Molly Poppie, Christie Nicole Summers, Diane Morovati Lopez
  • Patent number: 12554696
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus to estimate cardinality of users represented across multiple bloom filter arrays are disclosed. Examples includes processor circuitry to execute and/or instantiate instructions to generate a first composite Bloom filter array based on first and second Bloom filter arrays. The processor circuitry is to generate a final composite Bloom filter array based on the first composite Bloom filter array and a third Bloom filter array. Different ones of the first, second, and third Bloom filter arrays representative of different sets of users who accessed media. The first, second, and third Bloom filter arrays including differential privacy noise. The processor circuitry to estimate a cardinality of a union of the first, second, and third Bloom filter arrays based on the final composite Bloom filter array.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2024
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2026
    Assignee: The Nielsen Company (US), LLC
    Inventors: Michael Sheppard, Jonathan Sullivan, DongBo Cui, Jake Ryan Dailey, Christie Nicole Summers, Diane Morovati Lopez, Molly Poppie
  • Patent number: 12526476
    Abstract: Methods, apparatus, systems, and articles of manufacture are disclosed to estimate population reach from marginal ratings. An example apparatus includes means for iteratively converging on an output estimate of a reach of media for a total population audience and means for outputting the estimate of the reach for the total population audience.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2024
    Date of Patent: January 13, 2026
    Assignee: The Nielsen Company (US), LLC
    Inventors: Michael Sheppard, Jonathan Sullivan, Edward Murphy, Michael D. Morgan, Ludo Daemen
  • Patent number: 12501090
    Abstract: Methods, apparatus, systems, and articles of manufacture are disclosed to determine a duration of media presentation based on tuning session duration. Example apparatus a receiver to obtain a first tuning session duration indicative of an amount of time between channel changes of a first media presentation device at a first media presentation location, a presentation session estimator to select a model from storage, the model selected based on a match of the first tuning session duration and a second tuning session duration, the model including a relation between the second tuning session duration and a first presentation session duration of media presented on a second media presentation device at a second media presentation location, and estimate a second presentation session duration of media presented within the first tuning session duration based on the model.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2024
    Date of Patent: December 16, 2025
    Assignee: The Nielsen Company (US), LLC
    Inventors: Michael Sheppard, Jonathan Sullivan, Peter Lipa, Alejandro Terrazas
  • Patent number: 12443971
    Abstract: Methods, systems, apparatus, and articles of manufacture to determine causal effects are disclosed herein. An example apparatus includes a weighting engine to calculate a first set of weights corresponding to a first treatment dataset, a second set of weights corresponding to a second treatment dataset, and a third set of weights corresponding to a control dataset, the weighting engine to increase an operational efficiency of the apparatus by calculating the first set of weights, second set of weights, and third set of weights independently, a weighting response engine to calculate a first weighted response for the first treatment dataset, a second weighted response for the second treatment dataset, and determine a causal effect between the first treatment dataset and the second treatment dataset based on a difference between the first weighted response and the second weighted response, and a report generator to transmit a report to an audience measurement entity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2023
    Date of Patent: October 14, 2025
    Assignee: The Nielsen Company (US), LLC
    Inventors: Michael Sheppard, Ludo Daemen, Edward Murphy, Remy Spoentgen
  • Patent number: 12436952
    Abstract: A computer-implemented method for efficiently estimating the number of unique elements in a collection of elements comprises generating, via hash logic, hash values associated with the elements. The hash values specify bit positions within an array of bits. Hash values output from the hash logic conform to a geometric distribution such that bit positions of the array of bits corresponding to lower orders bits are more likely to be generated than bit positions corresponding to higher-order bits. Bits of the array of bits corresponding to the bit positions are set. The number of bits of the array of bits that are set is counted. Estimation logic estimates the number of unique elements of the collection of elements as a function of the number of bits of the array of bits that are set.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2024
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2025
    Assignee: The Nielsen Company (US), LLC
    Inventors: Michael Sheppard, Edward Murphy, Jonathan Sullivan
  • Patent number: 12423717
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus to apply household-level weights to audience measurement data at a household-member level are disclosed. An example method to determine demographics of populations to measure media audiences of populations includes determining demographics for members of a first household of a sub-population. First demographics of a first member of the first household are different than second demographics of a second member of the first household. The example method includes calculating a first household-level weight for the first household based on a demographics distribution of the sub-population and aggregate demographics of a population.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2023
    Date of Patent: September 23, 2025
    Assignee: The Nielsen Company (US), LLC
    Inventors: Michael Sheppard, Jonathan Sullivan, Peter Lipa, Alejandro Terrazas
  • Publication number: 20250294202
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus to determine probabilistic media viewing metrics are disclosed herein. An example apparatus includes memory including machine reachable instructions; and processor circuitry to execute the instructions to calculate a first probability for respective ones of a plurality of panelists as having viewed media based on viewing data, the viewing data including incomplete viewing data for one or more of the panelists relative to the media; identify respective ones of a plurality of panelists as included in a demographic subgroup based on demographic data for the panelists; assign a sampling weight to the respective ones of the plurality of panelists based on the demographic data; and calculate a second probability of the demographic subgroup having viewed the media based on the first probabilities and the sampling weights for the respective ones of the plurality of panelists in the demographic subgroup.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 30, 2025
    Publication date: September 18, 2025
    Inventors: Michael Sheppard, Jonathan Sullivan, Peter C. Doe
  • Publication number: 20250260855
    Abstract: Example methods, apparatus, systems and articles of manufacture (e.g., physical storage media) to assign respondents to geographic locations for audience measurement are disclosed. Example apparatus disclosed herein are to determine a set of constraints based on aggregate values of demographic features associated with respective ones of the geographic locations. Disclosed example apparatus are also to construct a model to return probabilities that respective ones the respondents are associated with the respective ones of the geographic locations, the model to have a set of parameters, respective ones of the parameters to be associated with respective ones of the constraints. Disclosed example apparatus are further to evaluate the model based on values of the set of parameters and values of the demographic features for a first one of the respondents to determine a set of probabilities that the first respondent is to be assigned to respective ones of the geographic locations.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 15, 2025
    Publication date: August 14, 2025
    Inventors: Michael Sheppard, Edward Murphy, Chris Samuel Redino, Michael D. Morgan, Jonathan Sullivan
  • Patent number: 12361439
    Abstract: Methods, apparatus, systems, and articles of manufacture are disclosed to estimate an audience population. An example apparatus includes processor circuitry; characteristic identifier instructions to be executed by the processor circuitry to determine whether respective ones of respondents are associated with a characteristic; recapture probability estimator instructions to be executed by the processor circuitry to select a recapture probability of the respective ones of respondents; and population estimator instructions to be executed by the processor circuitry to in response to the recapture probability satisfying a recapture threshold, determine a population estimate having the characteristics based on a first model; and in response to the recapture probability not satisfying the recapture threshold, determine the population estimate having the characteristics based on a second model, the second model different than the first model.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2023
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2025
    Assignee: The Nielsen Company (US), LLC
    Inventors: Michael Sheppard, Edward Murphy, Molly Poppie, Ludo Daemen
  • Patent number: 12363365
    Abstract: Methods, apparatus, and articles of manufacture are disclosed to estimate population reach from marginal ratings with missing information. An example apparatus includes a pseudo universe calculator to (i) determine a first pseudo universe estimate for a first audience of media corresponding to a first union of first margins, the first margins corresponding to known audience totals, and (ii) determine a second pseudo universe estimate for a second audience of the media corresponding to a second union of second margins, the determination based on an audience constant, the second margins including a margin corresponding to an unknown audience total. The example apparatus also includes a reach calculator to (i) determine an estimate of the unknown audience total of the second audience based on the second pseudo universe estimate for the second audience, and (ii) determine a reach estimate for the second union based on the first and second pseudo universe estimates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2024
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2025
    Assignee: The Nielsen Company (US), LLC
    Inventors: Michael Sheppard, Dipti Shah, Ajete Junuzi, Molly Poppie
  • Patent number: 12356032
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus to determine probabilistic media viewing metrics are disclosed herein. An example apparatus includes memory including machine reachable instructions; and processor circuitry to execute the instructions to calculate a first probability for respective ones of a plurality of panelists as having viewed media based on viewing data, the viewing data including incomplete viewing data for one or more of the panelists relative to the media; identify respective ones of a plurality of panelists as included in a demographic subgroup based on demographic data for the panelists; assign a sampling weight to the respective ones of the plurality of panelists based on the demographic data; and calculate a second probability of the demographic subgroup having viewed the media based on the first probabilities and the sampling weights for the respective ones of the plurality of panelists in the demographic subgroup.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2023
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2025
    Assignee: The Nielsen Company (US), LLC
    Inventors: Michael Sheppard, Jonathan Sullivan, Peter C. Doe
  • Publication number: 20250217846
    Abstract: Methods, apparatus, systems, and articles of manufacture are disclosed to estimate population reach from marginals. An example apparatus includes memory including computer readable instructions; and a processor to execute the instructions to: iteratively converge on an output estimate of a pseudo universe estimate of a recorded audience of first media based on (A) a recorded reach for the recorded audience of the first media and (B) first marginal ratings for the recorded audience of the first media; determine a panel representation value based on the pseudo universe estimate of the recorded audience of the first media; and iteratively converge on an output estimate of a final reach of second media for a population audience based on the panel representation value and second marginal ratings for the population audience of the second media.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 21, 2025
    Publication date: July 3, 2025
    Inventors: Michael Sheppard, Ludo Daemen, Damien Forthomme, Jake Dailey
  • Patent number: 12346920
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus to correct for deterioration of a demographic model to associate demographic information with media impression information are disclosed. An example method includes estimating first and second ages of audience members based on demographic information; estimating a third age of an audience member who is not included in the audience members; applying a window function to the second ages to determine a distribution of ages based on the third age; multiplying window values by the first ages to determine corrected first age components; dividing a total of the corrected first age components by a sum of the window values to determine an estimated age of the audience member at a first time; and determining the corrected age of the audience member at a second time based on the estimated age of the audience member at the first time and a time difference between the first and second times.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2024
    Date of Patent: July 1, 2025
    Assignee: The Nielsen Company (US), LLC
    Inventors: Michael Sheppard, Jonathan Sullivan, Matthew B. Reid, Alejandro Terrazas
  • Publication number: 20250156887
    Abstract: Disclosed examples determine a unique audience exposed to media while reducing memory resources of a computing device. Example instructions program programmable circuitry to log a plurality of impressions corresponding to media accessed at client devices; generate a first value based on a count of the impressions and a count of users of a database proprietor that accessed the media; generate a second value based on the first value and a count of demographic impressions logged by the database proprietor; and determine a unique audience size based on the second value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 14, 2025
    Publication date: May 15, 2025
    Applicant: The Nielsen Company (US), LLC
    Inventors: Michael Sheppard, Jonathan Sullivan, Peter Lipa, Matthew B. Reid, Peter C. Doe, Peng Fei Yi