The Nielsen Comapny (us), LLC

The Nielson Company (us), LLC

The Neilsen Company (us), LLC

ChoongKoo Lee

Jonathan Lee Sullivan

Shelli Kashriel

Michelle Christian

Methods and apparatus to assign demographic information to panelists are disclosed. An apparatus includes at least one memory, instructions in the apparatus, and processor circuitry to execute the instructions to at least: generate decoy database proprietor identifiers based on probability density functions; after querying a database proprietor using panelist database proprietor identifiers and the decoy database proprietor identifiers: access (a) demographic information corresponding to the panelist database proprietor identifiers and first ones of the decoy database proprietor identifiers that are associated with subscribers to the database proprietor, and (b) errors indicating that second ones of the decoy database proprietor identifiers are not associated with the subscribers to the database proprietor; and regenerate the probability density functions based on the panelist database proprietor identifiers and the first ones of the decoy database proprietor identifiers that are associated with the subscribers to the database proprietor; and assign the panelist database proprietor identifiers to panelists based on the demographic information obtained from the database proprietor.

Methods and apparatus to assign demographic information to panelists

Methods and apparatus to assign demographic information to panelists are disclosed. An example disclosed apparatus disclosed herein includes a database proprietor identifier (DPID) extractor to extract a panelist database proprietor identifier from a cookie, the panelist database proprietor identifier associated with credentials used by a panelist to access a website. The example apparatus further includes a collector to send a message to a first server of an audience measurement entity, the message including the panelist database proprietor identifier and a panelist identifier associated with the panelist, the panelist database proprietor identifier to be distributed with decoy database proprietor identifiers in a query to a second server at a database proprietor to obtain demographic information, the decoy database proprietor identifiers determined based on a probability density function so that a quantity of the decoy database proprietor identifiers is less than would be used if the decoy database proprietor identifiers were selected by a random selection process, the panelist identifier to be used to associate the panelist with a portion of the demographic information.

Methods and apparatus to assign demographic information to panelists are disclosed. An example disclosed method includes generating decoy database proprietor identifiers to protect privacies of members of panelist households corresponding to panelist database proprietor identifiers, the decoy database proprietor identifiers to be determined based on a probability density function so that a quantity of the decoy database proprietor identifiers is less than would be used if the decoy database proprietor identifiers were selected by a random selection process. The example method also includes querying a server at a database proprietor using the panelist database proprietor identifiers and the decoy database proprietor identifiers, to obtain demographic information and assigning, by executing an instruction with a processor, the panelist database proprietor identifiers to panelists in the panelist households based on the demographic information obtained from the server at the database proprietor.

Methods and apparatus to assign demographic information to panelists are disclosed. Example disclosed apparatus include a decoy generator to generate decoy database proprietor identifiers to protect privacies of members of panelist households corresponding to panelist database proprietor identifiers, the decoy database proprietor identifiers to be determined by the decoy generator based on a probability density function so that a quantity of the decoy database proprietor identifiers is less than would be used if the decoy database proprietor identifiers were selected by a random selection process. The example apparatus also includes a query handler to query, via a network, a server at a database proprietor using the panelist database proprietor identifiers and the decoy database proprietor identifiers, to obtain demographic information. The example method also includes a panelist comparator to assign the panelist database proprietor identifiers to panelists in the panelist households based on the demographic information obtained from the server at the database proprietor.

Growing community of inventors

San Jose, CA, United States of America

ChoongKoo Lee