Patents by Inventor William Feininger

William 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).

  • Patent number: 11711560
    Abstract: In an anonymous matching system, a demand-side service platform (DSP) may select segments to populate a target audience. A data warehouse platform and a multichannel video programming distributor (MVPD) platform ingest address lists, eliminate personally identifiable information (PII) from the address lists, and process the de-identified addresses to generate deterministic unique anonymous household identifiers (UHIDs). Households may be selected, for example, at the DSP's direction, to form a query request without exposing the PII. In response to the query request, the MVPD platform determines a matching UHID and includes a matching household attribute, such as an IP address or the like, in a query response without exposing the PII.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2022
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2023
    Assignee: CSC Holdings, LLC
    Inventors: Kent Tseng, Wael Sabra, William Feininger, Jeff Dittus
  • Patent number: 11228795
    Abstract: In an anonymous matching system, a demand-side service platform (DSP) may select segments to populate a target audience. A data warehouse platform and a multichannel video programming distributor (MVPD) platform ingest address lists, eliminate personally identifiable information (PII) from the address lists, and process the de-identified addresses to generate deterministic unique anonymous household identifiers (UHIDs). Households may be selected, for example, at the DSP's direction, to form a query request without exposing the PII. In response to the query request, the MVPD platform determines a matching UHID and includes a matching household attribute, such as an IP address or the like, in a query response without exposing the PII.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 18, 2022
    Assignee: CSC Holdings, LLC
    Inventors: Kent Tseng, Wael Sabra, William Feininger, Jeff Dittus
  • Patent number: 10861053
    Abstract: The present disclosure describes a targeted advertising system that harnesses an expansive device footprint to create targeted advertisements based on household demographics and characteristics about persons in the households. The targeted advertising system uses device identifiers and longitude/latitude data to map devices to households. After associating devices with a household, the targeted advertising system leverages a wide-array of data assets to create an enormous panel of households, devices, persons, locations, and demographic information for use creating high-precisions, targeted advertising campaigns. This greatly enhanced device footprint creates the opportunity for highly accurate ad targeting across a far greater amount of devices and a larger footprint at any time and place.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2020
    Assignee: CSC Holdings, LLC
    Inventors: William Feininger, Jason Attanasio
  • Patent number: 10019770
    Abstract: A system and method for generating and transmitting data without personally identifiable information. The method may include receiving a set of one or more unique identifiers (IDs) and a first set of data associated with a subscriber. The method may send the IDs to a third party provider of datasets. The method may receive a second set of data associated with the subscriber identified using the unique IDs. The method may generate aggregated viewing data based on the first and second sets of data. The set of unique IDs may be based on a one-way hash of personally identifiable information associated with the subscriber. In this way, the unique IDs may be appended with the data from third party providers so additional information regarding the household is available to clients, but the personally identifiable information is unavailable to any of the parties.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2018
    Assignee: FOURTHWALL MEDIA, INC.
    Inventors: William Feininger, Eric H. Davis
  • Patent number: 9900652
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2018
    Assignee: The Nielsen Company (US), LLC
    Inventors: Arun Ramaswamy, William A. Feininger
  • Patent number: 9743135
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2017
    Assignee: The Nielsen Company (US), LLC
    Inventors: William A. Feininger, Scott Brown
  • Publication number: 20170195716
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: March 22, 2017
    Publication date: July 6, 2017
    Inventors: Arun Ramaswamy, William A. Feininger
  • Patent number: 9609034
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2017
    Assignee: The Nielsen Company (US), LLC
    Inventors: Arun Ramaswamy, William A. Feininger
  • Publication number: 20160261913
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: May 17, 2016
    Publication date: September 8, 2016
    Inventors: William A. Feininger, Scott Brown
  • Patent number: 9350939
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2016
    Assignee: The Nielsen Company (US), LLC
    Inventors: William A. Feininger, Scott Brown
  • Publication number: 20150172596
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: February 27, 2015
    Publication date: June 18, 2015
    Inventors: William A. Feininger, Scott Brown
  • Patent number: 8989554
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2015
    Assignee: The Nielsen Company (US), LLC
    Inventors: William A. Feininger, Scott Brown
  • Publication number: 20140379599
    Abstract: A system and method for generating and transmitting data without personally identifiable information. The method may include receiving a set of one or more unique identifiers (IDs) and a first set of data associated with a subscriber. The method may send the IDs to a third party provider of datasets. The method may receive a second set of data associated with the subscriber identified using the unique IDs. The method may generate aggregated viewing data based on the first and second sets of data. The set of unique IDs may be based on a one-way hash of personally identifiable information associated with the subscriber. In this way, the unique IDs may be appended with the data from third party providers so additional information regarding the household is available to clients, but the personally identifiable information is unavailable to any of the parties.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 20, 2014
    Publication date: December 25, 2014
    Inventors: William FEININGER, Eric H. DAVIS
  • Patent number: 8869187
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2014
    Assignee: The Nielsen Company (US), LLC
    Inventors: David Howell Wright, Joseph Milavsky, Morris Lee, William A. Feininger, Charles Conklin, Vasiliki Koutsopanagos, Arun Ramaswamy
  • Patent number: 8776103
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2014
    Assignee: The Nielsen Company (US), LLC
    Inventors: Daozheng Lu, David H. Harkness, Manish Bhatia, Jerome Samson, William A. Feininger
  • Patent number: 8732738
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2014
    Assignee: The Nielsen Company (US), LLC
    Inventors: Daozheng Lu, Paul C. Kempter, William A. Feininger
  • Publication number: 20140082220
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: November 25, 2013
    Publication date: March 20, 2014
    Inventors: Arun Ramaswamy, William A. Feininger
  • Patent number: 8601163
    Abstract: 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: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2013
    Assignee: The Nielsen Company (US), LLC
    Inventors: Arun Ramaswamy, William A. Feininger
  • Publication number: 20120011533
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: September 22, 2011
    Publication date: January 12, 2012
    Inventors: David Howell Wright, Joseph Milavsky, Morris Lee, William A. Feininger, Charles Conklin, Vasiliki Koutsopanagos, Arun Ramaswamy
  • Publication number: 20110314486
    Abstract: 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: Application
    Filed: August 31, 2011
    Publication date: December 22, 2011
    Inventors: Daozheng Lu, Paul C. Kempter, William A. Feininger