Patents by Inventor William A. Feininger
William A. Feininger 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).
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Patent number: 9900652Abstract: Methods and apparatus for transcoding metadata are disclosed. Example apparatus disclosed herein include means for accessing first metadata accompanying media to be presented by a media device, the first metadata in a first format not detectable by a meter collecting audience measurement data associated with the media device. The example apparatus also include means for transcoding the first metadata into second metadata having a second format different from the first format, the second metadata detectable by the meter and supported by an application programming interface (API) provided by the media device and accessible by the meter. The example apparatus further include means for communicating the second metadata in a second transmission for receipt by the meter via the API provided by the media device, the second transmission being separate from a first transmission communicating the media and the first metadata, but not communicating the second metadata, to the media device.Type: GrantFiled: March 22, 2017Date of Patent: February 20, 2018Assignee: The Nielsen Company (US), LLCInventors: Arun Ramaswamy, William A. Feininger
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Patent number: 9743135Abstract: Methods and apparatus to detect content skipping by a consumer of a recorded program are disclosed. An example disclosed apparatus includes a segment identifier to identify a first number of times a media segment was fast-forwarded and a second number of times the media segment was rewound; and a recapture identifier to determine whether the media segment was recaptured based on a comparison of the first number of times and the second number of times.Type: GrantFiled: May 17, 2016Date of Patent: August 22, 2017Assignee: The Nielsen Company (US), LLCInventors: William A. Feininger, Scott Brown
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Publication number: 20170195716Abstract: Methods and apparatus for transcoding metadata are disclosed. Example apparatus disclosed herein include means for accessing first metadata accompanying media to be presented by a media device, the first metadata in a first format not detectable by a meter collecting audience measurement data associated with the media device. The example apparatus also include means for transcoding the first metadata into second metadata having a second format different from the first format, the second metadata detectable by the meter and supported by an application programming interface (API) provided by the media device and accessible by the meter. The example apparatus further include means for communicating the second metadata in a second transmission for receipt by the meter via the API provided by the media device, the second transmission being separate from a first transmission communicating the media and the first metadata, but not communicating the second metadata, to the media device.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 22, 2017Publication date: July 6, 2017Inventors: Arun Ramaswamy, William A. Feininger
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Patent number: 9609034Abstract: Methods and apparatus for transcoding metadata are disclosed. Example methods disclosed herein to meter media content presented by a media device includes accessing first metadata accompanying media to be presented by the media device, the first metadata not being detectable by a metering device collecting audience measurement data associated the media device, transcoding the first metadata into second metadata having a format that is detectable by the metering device and capable of being inserted into at least one of an audio signal or a video signal corresponding to the media to presented by the media device, inserting the second metadata into the at least one of the audio signal or the video signal, and providing the at least one of the audio signal or the video signal with the inserted second metadata to the media device for presentation.Type: GrantFiled: November 25, 2013Date of Patent: March 28, 2017Assignee: The Nielsen Company (US), LLCInventors: Arun Ramaswamy, William A. Feininger
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Publication number: 20160261913Abstract: Methods and apparatus to detect content skipping by a consumer of a recorded program are disclosed. An example disclosed apparatus includes a segment identifier to identify a first number of times a media segment was fast-forwarded and a second number of times the media segment was rewound; and a recapture identifier to determine whether the media segment was recaptured based on a comparison of the first number of times and the second number of times.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 17, 2016Publication date: September 8, 2016Inventors: William A. Feininger, Scott Brown
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Patent number: 9350939Abstract: Methods and apparatus to detect content skipping by a consumer of a recorded program are disclosed. An example disclosed apparatus includes a segment identifier to identify a first number of times a media segment was fast-forwarded and a second number of times the media segment was rewound; and a recapture identifier to determine whether the media segment was recaptured based on a comparison of the first number of times and the second number of times.Type: GrantFiled: February 27, 2015Date of Patent: May 24, 2016Assignee: The Nielsen Company (US), LLCInventors: William A. Feininger, Scott Brown
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Publication number: 20150172596Abstract: Methods and apparatus to detect content skipping by a consumer of a recorded program are disclosed. An example disclosed apparatus includes a segment identifier to identify a first number of times a media segment was fast-forwarded and a second number of times the media segment was rewound; and a recapture identifier to determine whether the media segment was recaptured based on a comparison of the first number of times and the second number of times.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 27, 2015Publication date: June 18, 2015Inventors: William A. Feininger, Scott Brown
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Patent number: 8989554Abstract: Methods and apparatus to detect content skipping by a consumer of a recorded program are disclosed. In a disclosed method, a plurality of recording times of sections of a recorded program are stored in association with playback times of the recorded program. Playback intervals between sequential pairs of the playback times are compared with corresponding recording intervals between sequential pairs of the recording times to determine if any portion of the recorded program was not played back in real time.Type: GrantFiled: June 21, 2007Date of Patent: March 24, 2015Assignee: The Nielsen Company (US), LLCInventors: William A. Feininger, Scott Brown
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Patent number: 8869187Abstract: Methods and apparatus to determine audience viewing of recorded programs are disclosed. An example method disclosed herein comprises processing first bus information obtained by monitoring a bus of a time shifting device to determine a record time corresponding to when the time-shifting device stored data associated with first media content being recorded for later presentation, processing second bus information obtained by monitoring the bus of the time shifting device to determine a playback time corresponding to when the time-shifting device later retrieved the data to present the recorded first media content, and estimating a possible distribution time corresponding to when the first media content was initially distributed to the time-shifting device based on a difference between the playback time and the record time.Type: GrantFiled: September 22, 2011Date of Patent: October 21, 2014Assignee: The Nielsen Company (US), LLCInventors: David Howell Wright, Joseph Milavsky, Morris Lee, William A. Feininger, Charles Conklin, Vasiliki Koutsopanagos, Arun Ramaswamy
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Patent number: 8776103Abstract: A metering system meters usage of on-line and local services by way of interactive service devices. An example metering system includes a first data acquisition module configured to copy usage data associated with a first interactive service device and a second data acquisition module configured to copy usage data associated with a second interactive service device different than the first interactive service device. Each of the data acquisition modules is configured to distinguish between on-line communications associated with access to an on-line service and local communications associated with a local application program. In addition, each data acquisition module is configured to extract the usage data based whether an on-line communication or a local communication is identified.Type: GrantFiled: December 4, 2009Date of Patent: July 8, 2014Assignee: The Nielsen Company (US), LLCInventors: Daozheng Lu, David H. Harkness, Manish Bhatia, Jerome Samson, William A. Feininger
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Patent number: 8732738Abstract: A television audience measurement system measures viewing of a television program viewed on digital television located in a statistically selected site by (i) retrieving an audience measurement data packet from a television set in order to identify the television program, (ii) detecting an audio code embedded in the television program in order to identify the television program, (iii) extracting an audio signature from the television program in order to identify the television program, (iv) identifying the television program through use of a software agent, and (v) selecting at least one of the retrieving means, the detecting means, the extracting means, and the software agent in order to identify the television program.Type: GrantFiled: August 31, 2011Date of Patent: May 20, 2014Assignee: The Nielsen Company (US), LLCInventors: Daozheng Lu, Paul C. Kempter, William A. Feininger
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Publication number: 20140082220Abstract: Methods and apparatus for transcoding metadata are disclosed. Example methods disclosed herein to meter media content presented by a media device includes accessing first metadata accompanying media to be presented by the media device, the first metadata not being detectable by a metering device collecting audience measurement data associated the media device, transcoding the first metadata into second metadata having a format that is detectable by the metering device and capable of being inserted into at least one of an audio signal or a video signal corresponding to the media to presented by the media device, inserting the second metadata into the at least one of the audio signal or the video signal, and providing the at least one of the audio signal or the video signal with the inserted second metadata to the media device for presentation.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 25, 2013Publication date: March 20, 2014Inventors: Arun Ramaswamy, William A. Feininger
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Patent number: 8601163Abstract: Methods and apparatus for transcoding metadata are disclosed. An example method disclosed herein to meter media content presented by a media consumption device comprises detecting at a metering device first metadata accompanying the media content presented by the media consumption device, receiving from a transcoder at the metering device second metadata associated with the media content presented by the media consumption device, the second metadata comprising third metadata that has been transcoded to form the second metadata, and processing the first metadata and the second metadata to meter the media content presented by the media consumption device.Type: GrantFiled: September 24, 2010Date of Patent: December 3, 2013Assignee: The Nielsen Company (US), LLCInventors: Arun Ramaswamy, William A. Feininger
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Publication number: 20120011533Abstract: Methods and apparatus to determine audience viewing of recorded programs are disclosed. An example method disclosed herein comprises processing first bus information obtained by monitoring a bus of a time shifting device to determine a record time corresponding to when the time-shifting device stored data associated with first media content being recorded for later presentation, processing second bus information obtained by monitoring the bus of the time shifting device to determine a playback time corresponding to when the time-shifting device later retrieved the data to present the recorded first media content, and estimating a possible distribution time corresponding to when the first media content was initially distributed to the time-shifting device based on a difference between the playback time and the record time.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 22, 2011Publication date: January 12, 2012Inventors: David Howell Wright, Joseph Milavsky, Morris Lee, William A. Feininger, Charles Conklin, Vasiliki Koutsopanagos, Arun Ramaswamy
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Publication number: 20110314486Abstract: A television audience measurement system measures viewing of a television program viewed on digital television located in a statistically selected site by (i) retrieving an audience measurement data packet from a television set in order to identify the television program, (ii) detecting an audio code embedded in the television program in order to identify the television program, (iii) extracting an audio signature from the television program in order to identify the television program, (iv) identifying the television program through use of a software agent, and (v) selecting at least one of the retrieving means, the detecting means, the extracting means, and the software agent in order to identify the television program.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 31, 2011Publication date: December 22, 2011Inventors: Daozheng Lu, Paul C. Kempter, William A. Feininger
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Patent number: 8065697Abstract: Methods and apparatus to determine audience viewing of recorded programs are disclosed. An example method disclosed herein comprises displaying a previously recorded program on a display, determining a possible original broadcast time corresponding to the previously recorded program, determining program identifying information corresponding to the previously recorded program, and processing the possible original broadcast time information and the program identifying information to compare the previously recorded program with a known broadcast program.Type: GrantFiled: August 17, 2006Date of Patent: November 22, 2011Assignee: The Nielsen Company (US), LLCInventors: David Howell Wright, Joseph Milavsky, Morris Lee, William A. Feininger, Charles Conklin, Vasiliki Koutsopanagos, Arun Ramaswamy
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Publication number: 20110179447Abstract: A detection apparatus includes a meter to record a media link embedded in a first program tuned by a tuner. The media link is activatable to retrieve content different from the first program from a content provider. The content is different from the first program to be presented to a user. The media link is broadcast with at least the first program and a second program different from the first program such that the media link does not uniquely identify either the first program, the second program or a tuned station. The apparatus further includes a program identifier to activate the media link to retrieve the content from the content provider to facilitate identification of the program.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 31, 2011Publication date: July 21, 2011Inventors: David H. Harkness, Daozheng Lu, William A. Feininger, Craig M. Smithpeters
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Patent number: 7941816Abstract: A detection apparatus includes a tuner tuned to the program and a meter coupled to the tuner and arranged to detect content ancillary information from the program tuned by the tuner. The content ancillary information may be a media link, closed captioning information, or the like. The meter may also be arranged to extract a broadcast signature from the program. A comparator compares the broadcast signature to a reference signature selected from a library of reference signatures based upon the content ancillary information. Broadcast signatures from unknown programs may be clustered at least partially on the basis of the content ancillary information.Type: GrantFiled: May 26, 2010Date of Patent: May 10, 2011Assignee: The Nielsen Company (US), LLCInventors: David H. Harkness, Daozheng Lu, William A. Feininger, Craig M. Smithpeters
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Publication number: 20110088052Abstract: Methods and apparatus to determine audience viewing of video-on-demand programs are disclosed. An example method disclosed herein to monitor presentation of video-on-demand content comprises obtaining server metering data determined using a server metering device in communication with a video-on-demand server, the video-on-demand server to provide the video-on-demand content specifically to a first subscriber site among a plurality of subscriber sites, obtaining subscriber metering data corresponding to media content presented at the first subscriber site, the subscriber metering data determined using a site metering device different from the server metering device, and combining the subscriber metering data and the server metering data to monitor the video-on-demand content provided specifically to the first subscriber site.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 16, 2010Publication date: April 14, 2011Inventors: Arun Ramaswamy, David Howell Wright, William A. Feininger
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Publication number: 20110016231Abstract: Methods and apparatus for transcoding metadata are disclosed. An example method disclosed herein to meter media content presented by a media consumption device comprises detecting at a metering device first metadata accompanying the media content presented by the media consumption device, receiving from a transcoder at the metering device second metadata associated with the media content presented by the media consumption device, the second metadata comprising third metadata that has been transcoded to form the second metadata, and processing the first metadata and the second metadata to meter the media content presented by the media consumption device.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 24, 2010Publication date: January 20, 2011Inventors: Arun Ramaswamy, William A. Feininger