Abstract: The systems and methods discussed herein are directed to presence detection of portable devices of audience measurement panel members, and include a first audience measurement device in proximity to a media device, and a second audience measurement device in the form of a remote control for controlling the media device. The second audience measurement device may receive broadcast identification codes from the portable device of a panel member, and may transmit indicators of received signal strength to the first audience measurement device. The first audience measurement device may similar measure received broadcast signal strength from the portable device, and compare the local measurement and remote measurement to thresholds to determine whether the panel member's portable device is likely in proximity, and thus that the panel member is likely consuming media from the media device.

Abstract: The invention relates to detecting and tracking objects in a sequence of images. In particular, a method, software and system for tracking a non-rigid object in a plurality of images. Initially, a first set of parameters for a parameterized shape model are generated (410) based on a first image. Then a second set of parameters are generated (415) for the parameterized shape model by fitting the parameterized shape model to the object in a second image of the plurality of images. This fitting is according to (i) the one or more constraints defined independently of the object or (ii) the first set of parameters. Also, the first and second sets of parameters define a tracking of the non-rigid object between the first and second images.

Abstract: Systems and methods permit generation of a digital scan of a user's face such as for obtaining of a patient respiratory mask, or component(s) thereof, based on the digital scan. The method may include: receiving video data comprising a plurality of video frames of the user's face taken from a plurality of angles relative to the user's face, generating a three-dimensional representation of a surface of the user's face based on the plurality of video frames, receiving scale estimation data associated with the received video data, the scale estimation data indicative of a relative size of the user's face, and scaling the digital three-dimensional representation of the user's face based on the scale estimation data. In some aspects, the scale estimation data may be derived from motion information collected by the same device that collects the scan of the user's face.

Abstract: A method for remotely recording Web usage by a panelist includes receiving at a remote processor, a command from a local client to display a Web page; identifying the local client and the panelist operating the local client; accessing the Web page; rendering the Web page in a remote browser; sending an image of the Web page to a local browser of the local client; and recording Web usage metrics associated with a display of the image on the local browser.

Abstract: A processor-implemented method meters IP video streams. The processor implements a meter. The method includes detecting, by the processor, a video watch page; harvesting, by the processor, data from the video watch page; storing, by the processor, the harvested data as current page data; detecting, by the processor, a video play button operation indicating a video playing; and inferring, by the processor, the video playing correlates to a video referenced in the current page data.

Abstract: A method for conducting a media consumption study, includes at a processor of a position marker placed in a study site in a vicinity of a fixed media device; receiving a signal broadcast from a personal measurement device; determining signal information of the received broadcast signal, the signal information including identification information of the personal measurement device, and one or more signal characteristics; comparing the one or more signal characteristics to threshold values; and based on the comparison, determining the personal measurement device is in proximity to the fixed media device.

Abstract: To provide audience measurement services without requiring broadcasters to install additional watermarking equipment, a small video capture device may receive a video signal viewed by an audience member, the signal including embedded closed captioning data, and may decode and transmit the closed captioning data to an audience measurement server. The measurement server may receive the data and compare the received data to a database of closed captioning text to identify matches. The database may be populated via one or more additional capture devices receiving local or national broadcast signals, or with data separately provided by broadcasters. When a match is found, the measurement server may determine that the audience member is watching a program having the corresponding closed captioning. Dynamically generated confidence scores may allow for reliable identification of audience members of content, even with very short closed captioning data lengths.

Abstract: A personal identification process executed by a processor includes receiving personal identification data; encoding, by the processor, the received personal identification information; sending the encoded personal identification information to a data element; receiving a comparison result executed by the data element of the sent encoded personal identification information and corresponding personal identification information stored on the data element; and providing the comparison result to a remote server.

Abstract: An audience measurement service may monitor broadcasts in a region, ingesting closed captioning data, metadata, displayed text or logos, performing facial recognition on people, and/or generating audio/video fingerprints of broadcast content to create a database of content and associated keywords, along with times at which the content was broadcast. The audience measurement service may receive user search queries from a search provider and detect “spiking” queries. The audience measurement service may determine whether the spiking queries are related, contextually and temporally, to an item of content identified in the database, and infer that users generating the queries likely viewed the item of content. If or when the media is subsequently rebroadcast, media-related search queries may be detected and corresponding users identified as likely audience members for the rebroadcast, such that they may be targeted to receive additional media-related content.

Abstract: The systems and methods discussed herein are directed to presence detection of portable devices of audience measurement panel members, and include a first audience measurement device in proximity to a media device, and a second audience measurement device in the form of a remote control for controlling the media device. The second audience measurement device may receive broadcast identification codes from the portable device of a panel member, and may transmit indicators of received signal strength to the first audience measurement device. The first audience measurement device may similar measure received broadcast signal strength from the portable device, and compare the local measurement and remote measurement to thresholds to determine whether the panel member's portable device is likely in proximity, and thus that the panel member is likely consuming media from the media device.

Abstract: A computer system for determining TV viewership information for one or more TV panelists is provided, the computer system having memory to store programs and one or more processors for executing the one or more programs. The programs include instructions for: receiving TV broadcast information from a TV metering device, wherein the TV broadcast information identifies a current status of a TV in a household and an associated timestamp; receiving TV panelist status information from a first login/logout device that is different from the TV metering device, wherein the TV panelist status information identifies a viewership status of the TV panelist and an associated timestamp; and correlating the TV broadcast information with the TV panelist status information in accordance with their respective timestamps to determine a relationship between the TV panelist and a respective TV program currently broadcasted by the TV in the household.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method for collecting and managing TV viewership data from multiple TV metering data providers is disclosed. The method includes: receiving an event log file at a distributed computer system that includes multiple computers; dynamically selecting one or more computers according to a predefined sharding function; at each of the selected computers: allocating a set of compressed event records, which corresponds to a subset of the event log file, at predetermined locations within the memory of the computer; and in accordance with a predefined schedule, replicating the compressed event records from a respective one of the selected computers to one or more other computers of the distributed system such that there are at least two replicas of any event record on at least two computers of the distributed computer system.

Abstract: A method for associating a web event with a member of a group of users is implemented at a first computing device. The method includes: receiving a data access request from a second computing device; determining whether the second computing device provides a user login service; if so, causing the second computing device to render the user login service so that the user can provide an instruction of whether or not to associate the data access request with the user of the second computing device; if not, identifying a third computing device that is physically proximate the second computing device; and causing the third computing device to output an alert signal prompting the user of the second computing device to respond; and in response to the user's response through the third computing device, generating a data record to associate the data access request with the user of the second computing device.

Abstract: The invention relates to a carriage cart, which comprises a chassis frame with a front end and a rear end; a pair of front wheels mounted on the front end of the chassis frame; a pair of rear wheels mounted on the rear end of the chassis frame. The carriage cart according to example embodiments of the present invention may improve the performance of obstacle overcoming for robotic system.

Abstract: A method for associating a web event with a member of a group of users is implemented at a first computing device. The method includes: receiving a data access request from a second computing device; determining whether the user has previously provided personal information and authorization to the first computing device through the second computing device; if the user's personal information and authorization are found: generating a record for the data access request; if the user's personal information is found but the user's authorization is not found: generating a record for the data access request; and if neither of the user's personal information and authorization is found: identifying one or more user identifiers that are associated with the second computing device; and returning personal information associated with the one or more user identifiers to the second computing device.

Abstract: A method, executed by a processor, for estimating media metrics from large population data includes formatting and storing panel data, the panel data comprising observed viewing data of a plurality of individual panelists and demographic data for the plurality of panelists, the panel being drawn from a large population; accessing the large population data, the large population data comprising household-level viewing data and household level demographics; training a model to estimate viewing audience size based on the observed panel data; estimating, using the trained model, audience size for each household in the large population data; estimating a viewing score for each individual viewer in a plurality of households in the large population data; and combining the estimates of audience size and viewing score to produce probabilities that each of the viewers in the household viewed a specific media event.

Abstract: A computer system for determining TV viewership information for one or more TV panelists is provided, the computer system having memory to store programs and one or more processors for executing the one or more programs. The programs include instructions for: receiving TV broadcast information from a TV metering device, wherein the TV broadcast information identifies a current status of a TV in a household and an associated timestamp; receiving TV panelist status information from a first login/logout device that is different from the TV metering device, wherein the TV panelist status information identifies a viewership status of the TV panelist and an associated timestamp; and correlating the TV broadcast information with the TV panelist status information in accordance with their respective timestamps to determine a relationship between the TV panelist and a respective TV program currently broadcasted by the TV in the household.

Abstract: A method for associating a web event with a member of a group of users is implemented at a first computing device. The method includes: receiving a data access request from a second computing device; determining whether the second computing device provides a user login service; if so, causing the second computing device to render the user login service so that the user can provide an instruction of whether or not to associate the data access request with the user of the second computing device; if not, identifying a third computing device that is physically proximate the second computing device; and causing the third computing device to output an alert signal prompting the user of the second computing device to respond; and in response to the user's response through the third computing device, generating a data record to associate the data access request with the user of the second computing device.

Abstract: A TV audience survey system for determining the TV viewing activities of a plurality of individuals in a household includes a master device and multiple tags, each tag assigned to an individual. After an individual logs into the system and starts watching the TV, the master device communicates with the corresponding tag repeatedly to accumulate data representing the individual's TV viewing activities. Such data can be used to determine when the individual stops watching the TV for an extended period of time without logging out of the system and when the household member remains watching the TV after logging or being logged out of the system. The master device then reports the accumulated data to a remote server, which uses the data to determine whether the individual complies with the logging protocol defined by the TV audience survey system and update the TV viewership data associated with this household.

Abstract: The invention relates to detecting and tracking objects in a sequence of images. In particular, a method, software and system for tracking a non-rigid object in a plurality of images. Initially, a first set of parameters for a parameterised shape model are generated (410) based on a first image. Then a second set of parameters are generated (415) for the parameterised shape model by fitting the parameterised shape model to the object in a second image of the plurality of images. This fitting is according to (i) the one or more constraints defined independently of the object or (ii) the first set of parameters. Also, the first and second sets of parameters define a tracking of the non-rigid object between the first and second images.