Patents by Inventor Ronan Heffernan

Ronan Heffernan 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: 20240070714
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus to group advertisements by advertisement campaign are disclosed. An example apparatus includes memory; instructions in the apparatus; and processor circuitry to execute the instructions to determine pixel color values from a reference advertisement of an advertisement campaign; remove bits from the pixel color values associated with the reference advertisement; determine a first color proportion corresponding the reference advertisement based on the pixel color values; associate the first color proportion with the advertisement campaign; and identify a second advertisement as associated with the advertisement campaign based on a second color proportion of the second advertisement relative to the first color proportion, the second advertisement different than the reference advertisement.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 2, 2023
    Publication date: February 29, 2024
    Inventors: Ronan Heffernan, Chad A. Hage, Ayaz Hemani
  • Publication number: 20230412856
    Abstract: Methods, apparatus, systems and articles of manufacture are disclosed for identification of local commercial insertion opportunities. Example apparatus for identification of local commercial insertion opportunities include a media comparator to compare respective instances of media conveyed in respective ones of a plurality of broadcast signals associated with affiliates of a national broadcaster to identify a broadcast interval having different media conveyed among at least some of the broadcast signals. The example apparatus also include an insertion opportunity identifier to determine whether the broadcast interval is associated with a local advertisement insertion opportunity based on a characteristic of the broadcast interval.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 16, 2023
    Publication date: December 21, 2023
    Inventors: Justin Fahnestock, Ronan Heffernan
  • Patent number: 11829901
    Abstract: Methods, apparatus, systems and articles of manufacture are disclosed to identify publisher advertising behavior. An example disclosed method includes initiating a first probing effort of an Internet publisher of interest to establish a baseline advertising ratio for a plurality of advertisers, determining a first advertising deviation based on a difference between the baseline advertising and a local advertising associated with a first geography of interest, and establishing a first probing frequency for the first geography of interest based on the first advertising deviation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2023
    Assignee: The Nielsen Company (US), LLC
    Inventors: Ronan Heffernan, Chad A. Hage
  • Publication number: 20230319345
    Abstract: Example apparatus are to assign a first watermark to a first monitoring track and a second monitoring track, the first watermark detected in an audio stream of media. Example apparatus are also to, in response to at least a first threshold number of watermarks being assigned to the first monitoring track, group the first watermark with one or more other watermarks assigned to the first monitoring track to define a first media detection event. Example apparatus are also to, in response to at least a second threshold number of watermarks being assigned to the second monitoring track, group the first watermark with one or more other watermarks assigned to the second monitoring track to define a second media detection event. Example apparatus are further to cause transmission of the first media detection event and the second media detection event to a data collection facility.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 9, 2023
    Publication date: October 5, 2023
    Inventors: Justin Fahnestock, Ronan Heffernan, Muhammad Amir, Wes Kercher, Scott Barraclough, John Kistenmacher
  • Patent number: 11756069
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus to group advertisements by advertisement campaign are disclosed. An example apparatus includes memory; instructions in the apparatus; and processor circuitry to execute the instructions to determine pixel color values from a reference advertisement of an advertisement campaign; remove bits from the pixel color values associated with the reference advertisement; determine a first color proportion corresponding the reference advertisement based on the pixel color values; associate the first color proportion with the advertisement campaign; and identify a second advertisement as associated with the advertisement campaign based on a second color proportion of the second advertisement relative to the first color proportion, the second advertisement different than the reference advertisement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2023
    Assignee: The Nielsen Company (US), LLC
    Inventors: Ronan Heffernan, Chad A. Hage, Ayaz Hemani
  • Publication number: 20230254530
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus to detect commercial advertisements associated with media presentations are disclosed. An example method involves receiving a video frame and detecting a change in box-formatting between the video frame and a subsequent video frame. A transition between the video frame and the subsequent video frame is indicated as a commercial advertisement transition based on the detected change in box-formatting.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 16, 2023
    Publication date: August 10, 2023
    Inventors: David H. Wright, Scott Wilson, Ron Schwerer, Ronan Heffernan
  • Patent number: 11722709
    Abstract: Methods, apparatus, systems and articles of manufacture are disclosed for identification of local commercial insertion opportunities. Example apparatus for identification of local commercial insertion opportunities include a media comparator to compare respective instances of media conveyed in respective ones of a plurality of broadcast signals associated with affiliates of a national broadcaster to identify a broadcast interval having different media conveyed among at least some of the broadcast signals. The example apparatus also include an insertion opportunity identifier to determine whether the broadcast interval is associated with a local advertisement insertion opportunity based on a characteristic of the broadcast interval.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2023
    Assignee: The Nielsen Company (US), LLC
    Inventors: Justin Fahnestock, Ronan Heffernan
  • Patent number: 11716502
    Abstract: Example apparatus disclosed herein are to detect a first watermark embedded in an audio stream associated with media, the first watermark embedded and detected based on a first watermarking technique; and detect a second watermark embedded in the audio stream, the second watermark embedded and detected based on a second watermarking technique. Disclosed example apparatus are also to assign the first watermark to a first monitoring track and to a second monitoring track, the first monitoring track limited to watermarks embedded in the audio stream based on the first watermarking technique, the second monitoring track limited to watermarks embedded in the audio stream based on any of the first or second watermarking techniques; group the first and second watermarks to form a media detection event when the second watermark is assigned to the second monitoring track; and cause transmission of the media detection event to a data collection facility.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2022
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2023
    Assignee: THE NIELSEN COMPANY (US), LLC
    Inventors: Justin Fahnestock, Ronan Heffernan, Muhammad Amir, Wes Kercher, Scott Barraclough, John Kistenmacher
  • Publication number: 20230196414
    Abstract: Disclosed examples access first impression data representative of first impressions collected by an impression monitor system, the first impressions corresponding to the media accessed at a plurality of client devices; generate a panelist impressions composition by removing at least one duplicate impression from second impression data, the second impression data representative of second impressions logged by meters installed at the client devices, the duplicate impression corresponding to one or more accesses to the media represented in both the first impression data and the second impression data for a same audience member; determine an error value for the media based on the panelist impressions composition and a database proprietor impression composition, the database proprietor impression composition provided by a database proprietor for the media; and determine an error-corrected impression composition based on the error value and the panelist impressions composition.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 13, 2023
    Publication date: June 22, 2023
    Inventors: Mainak Mazumdar, Kevin Geraghty, Ronan Heffernan, Mark Kalus, Ari Paparo, Steven J. Splaine, Alexandros Deliyannis
  • Patent number: 11682048
    Abstract: Disclosed examples include causing transmission of a first network communication to a first intermediary server based on a first priority of the first intermediary server, the first network communication indicative of access to media at a client device, the first intermediary server separate from a database proprietor server of a database proprietor that provides a service to registered users of the database proprietor; and cause transmission of a second network communication to a second intermediary server based on a second priority of the second intermediary server, the second network communication indicative of the access to the media at the client device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2023
    Assignee: The Nielsen Company (US), LLC
    Inventors: Ronan Heffernan, Kevin Geraghty, Mark Kalus, Mainak Mazumdar, Ari Paparo, Steven John Splaine
  • Publication number: 20230119783
    Abstract: Methods, apparatus, systems and articles of manufacture are disclosed to monitor a split screen media presentation. Example apparatus includes means for processing audio output from a media device to determine audio metering data to identify first media presented by the media device, means for generating one or more video signatures associated with video output from the media device, and means for identifying a first region-of-interest of a split screen presentation of the media device including the first media, the means for identifying to identify the first region-of-interest in response to a determination that the one or more generated video signatures do not match reference video signatures corresponding to the first media.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 19, 2022
    Publication date: April 20, 2023
    Inventors: Justin David Lee Fahnestock, John C. Kistenmacher, Ronan Heffernan, Scott Daniel Barraclough, John Wesley Kercher, IV
  • Patent number: 11580576
    Abstract: An example apparatus includes: at least one memory; instructions in the apparatus; and processor circuitry to execute the instructions to: access a cookie at a client device, the cookie including a priority listing indicative of an order in which beacon requests are to be sent to ones of a plurality of database proprietors; cause a first beacon request to be sent to a first database proprietor server, the first database proprietor server corresponding to a highest priority in the priority listing of the cookie, the first beacon request indicative of access to media at the client device; and cause a second beacon request to be sent to a second database proprietor server, the second database proprietor server corresponding to a lower priority than the highest priority in the priority listing of the cookie, the second beacon request indicative of the access to the media at the client device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2023
    Assignee: THE NIELSEN COMPANY (US), LLC
    Inventors: Mainak Mazumdar, Kevin Geraghty, Ronan Heffernan, Mark Kalus, Ari Paparo, Steven J. Splaine, Alexandros Deliyannis
  • Patent number: 11558659
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus to detect commercial advertisements associated with media presentations are disclosed. An example method involves receiving a video frame and detecting a change in box-formatting between the video frame and a subsequent video frame. A transition between the video frame and the subsequent video frame is indicated as a commercial advertisement transition based on the detected change in box-formatting.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2023
    Assignee: The Nielsen Company (US), LLC
    Inventors: David H. Wright, Scott Wilson, Ron Schwerer, Ronan Heffernan
  • Patent number: 11532159
    Abstract: Methods, apparatus, systems and articles of manufacture are disclosed to monitor a split screen media presentation. Example apparatus disclosed herein are to generate one or more video signatures associated with video output from a media device and determine whether the one or more video signatures correspond to first media identified based on audio output from the media device. Disclosed example apparatus are also to, in response to a determination that the one or more generated video signatures do not correspond to the first media, determine that the video corresponds to a split-screen presentation having a plurality of regions-of-interest, and identify a first one of the regions-of-interest of the split-screen presentation that includes the first media.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2022
    Assignee: The Nielsen Company (US), LLC
    Inventors: Justin David Lee Fahnestock, John C. Kistenmacher, Ronan Heffernan, Scott Daniel Barraclough, John Wesley Kercher, IV
  • Patent number: 11425452
    Abstract: Example methods and apparatus to detect audio engineering problems using identification of isolated watermarks are disclosed herein. Disclosed example methods include identifying, by executing an instruction with a processor, isolated watermarks in a first set of detected watermarks obtained from first media monitored at a first site. Disclosed example methods further include determining, by executing an instruction with the processor, a problem has been detected with the first media associated with the first set of detected watermarks in response to a first number of isolated watermarks identified in the first set of detected watermarks satisfying a first threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 3, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2022
    Assignee: The Nielsen Company (US), LLC
    Inventor: Ronan Heffernan
  • Publication number: 20220264175
    Abstract: Example apparatus disclosed herein are to detect a first watermark embedded in an audio stream associated with media, the first watermark embedded and detected based on a first watermarking technique; and detect a second watermark embedded in the audio stream, the second watermark embedded and detected based on a second watermarking technique. Disclosed example apparatus are also to assign the first watermark to a first monitoring track and to a second monitoring track, the first monitoring track limited to watermarks embedded in the audio stream based on the first watermarking technique, the second monitoring track limited to watermarks embedded in the audio stream based on any of the first or second watermarking techniques; group the first and second watermarks to form a media detection event when the second watermark is assigned to the second monitoring track; and cause transmission of the media detection event to a data collection facility.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 9, 2022
    Publication date: August 18, 2022
    Inventors: Justin Fahnestock, Ronan Heffernan, Muhammad Amir, Wes Kercher, Scott Barraclough, John Kistenmacher
  • Patent number: 11330328
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus to identify media based on watermarks across different audio streams and/or different watermarking techniques are disclosed. Example apparatus disclosed herein include a watermark detector to detect a first watermark embedded in a first audio stream, the first watermark including a first source identifier and a first timing identifier, and detect a second watermark embedded in a second audio stream, the second watermark including a second source identifier and a second timing identifier. The disclosed example apparatus also include a controller to associate the first and second watermarks with a media detection event when both (1) the first and second source identifiers match and (2) the first and second timing identifiers are chronologically congruent. The disclosed example apparatus further include a transmitter to transmit the media detection event to a data collection facility.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2022
    Assignee: The Nielsen Company (US), LLC
    Inventors: Justin Fahnestock, Ronan Heffernan, Muhammad Amir, Wes Kercher, Scott Barraclough, John Kistenmacher
  • Publication number: 20220132185
    Abstract: Methods, apparatus, systems and articles of manufacture are disclosed for identification of local commercial insertion opportunities. Example apparatus for identification of local commercial insertion opportunities include a media comparator to compare respective instances of media conveyed in respective ones of a plurality of broadcast signals associated with affiliates of a national broadcaster to identify a broadcast interval having different media conveyed among at least some of the broadcast signals. The example apparatus also include an insertion opportunity identifier to determine whether the broadcast interval is associated with a local advertisement insertion opportunity based on a characteristic of the broadcast interval.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 1, 2021
    Publication date: April 28, 2022
    Inventors: Justin Fahnestock, Ronan Heffernan
  • Publication number: 20220103646
    Abstract: An example apparatus includes message generator circuitry to generate a first message for a first server of a first Internet domain in response to detecting a login event at a client device, the login event associated with an Internet-based service of a second Internet domain, the second Internet domain outside the first Internet domain, and a communication interface to receive a second message from the first server, the second message including a global unique identifier (GUID) and a login timestamp, the GUID identifying at least one of the client device or a user of the client device to the first Internet domain, the message generator circuitry to generate a third message including (a) the GUID, (b) a cookie identifier associated with the second Internet domain, and (c) the login timestamp, the third message to cause generation of an identifier-to-cookie map at a second server of the second Internet domain.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 8, 2021
    Publication date: March 31, 2022
    Inventors: Ronan Heffernan, Steven John Splaine, Mark Kalus, Ari Paparo, Kevin Geraghty
  • Publication number: 20220092632
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus to group advertisements by advertisement campaign are disclosed. An example apparatus includes memory; instructions in the apparatus; and processor circuitry to execute the instructions to determine pixel color values from a reference advertisement of an advertisement campaign; remove bits from the pixel color values associated with the reference advertisement; determine a first color proportion corresponding the reference advertisement based on the pixel color values; associate the first color proportion with the advertisement campaign; and identify a second advertisement as associated with the advertisement campaign based on a second color proportion of the second advertisement relative to the first color proportion, the second advertisement different than the reference advertisement.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 6, 2021
    Publication date: March 24, 2022
    Inventors: Ronan Heffernan, Chad A. Hage, Ayaz Hemani