The Nielsen Comapny (us), LLC

Ken Joseph Frett

David Gish

Vladimir Kuznetsov

Sadhana Gupta

Timothy Scott Cooper

Alexander Pavlovich Topchy

Christen Voss Nielsen

Methods, apparatus, systems and articles of manufacture are disclosed for associating different watermarks detected in media. An example method disclosed herein includes determining whether a first watermark detected in a media signal is represented in a watermark data structure and associating the first watermark with a first media presentation record associated with a second watermark in response to the first watermark being associated in the watermark data structure with the second watermark. The example method further includes transmitting monitoring data including the first media presentation record to an audience measurement entity.

Apparatus and methods to associate different watermarks detected in media

Example methods and apparatus to improve timestamp transition resolution of watermarks are disclosed. A disclosed example apparatus is to determine an initial resolution for timestamp transitions based on a first number of time units between first ones of watermarks detected in media, and determine an updated resolution for the timestamp transitions based on a predicted timestamp transition window and a second number of time units between second ones of the watermarks detected in the media, the second ones of the watermarks to be subsequent to the first ones of the watermarks in the media, the predicted timestamp transition window associated with the initial resolution for timestamp transitions, the updated resolution for the timestamp transitions corresponding to a third number of time units, the third number of time units less than the second number of time units.

Systems and methods to improve timestamp transition resolution

Example apparatus to improve timestamp transition resolution of watermarks are disclosed. A disclosed example apparatus is to decode timestamps in respective ones of detected watermarks, estimate a first transition window indicative of a transition between a first time period to a second time period based on a first one of the timestamps and a second one of the timestamps, and when the first transition window does not satisfy a threshold, estimate a second transition window indicative of a transition between the second time period and a third time period based on the second one of the timestamps and a third one of the timestamps. The disclosed example apparatus is also to determine a first mapped transition window based on an intersection of the first transition window and the second transition window, and set the first mapped transition window as a reference time transition window for subsequent time periods.

Systems, methods, apparatus, and articles of manufacture to improve timestamp transition resolution of watermarks are disclosed. An example system includes a processor to: identify a first transition window between a first watermark detected in media and a second watermark detected in the media; calculate a first number of time units between the first watermark and the second watermark; when the first number of time units is greater than a threshold, set the first transition window as a first reference transition window, and map the first reference transition window forward by a second number of time units; identify a second transition window between the second watermark and a third watermark detected in the media; calculate a third number of time units between the second watermark and the third watermark; when the third number of time units is greater than the threshold, calculate a fourth number of time units included in an overlap between the first reference transition window and the second transition window, and when the fourth number of time units is less than or equal to the threshold, set the overlap between the first reference transition window and the second transition window as an established time transition.

Systems, methods, apparatus, and articles of manufacture to improve timestamp transition resolution of watermarks are disclosed. An example system includes a watermark detector to detect watermarks in media and a decoder to decode timestamps from respective ones of the watermarks. The example system also includes a timestamp transition resolution enhancer to: (a) estimate, based on the timestamps, a coarse transition window between two time periods of the media; (b) map a prior transition window estimate to the estimate of (a); (c) determine a fine transition window estimate based on an overlap between the estimate of (a) and (b); (d) compare the fine transition window estimate of (c) to a threshold; (e) repeat (a) through (d) for successive time periods of the media using the fine transition window estimate of (c) as the prior transition window estimate of (b) until the fine transition window estimate of (c) satisfies the threshold; and (f) set the fine transition window estimate to be an established moment of transition between time periods of the media when the estimate of (c) satisfies the threshold.

Systems, methods, apparatus, and articles of manufacture to improve timestamp transition resolution of watermarks are disclosed. An example system includes a watermark detector to detect watermarks and a decoder to decode timestamps in respective ones of the watermarks. The example system also includes a timestamp transition resolution enhancer that estimates a first transition window indicative of a transition between a first time period to a second time period based on a first one of the timestamps and a second one of the timestamps. The timestamp transition resolution enhancer also estimates, when the first transition window does not satisfy a threshold, a second transition window indicative of a transition between the second time period and a third time period based on the second timestamp and a third one of the timestamps. In addition, the timestamp transition resolution enhancer determines a first mapped transition window based on an intersection of the first transition window and the second transition window, and sets the first mapped transition window as a reference time transition window for subsequent time periods.

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Tampa, FL, United States of America

Ken Joseph Frett