Patent Application
20140187268
The present disclosure is directed to processor-based audience analytics. More specifically, the disclosure describes systems and methods for utilizing wireless data signals to determine portable device location and linking location data to media exposure data that includes page tag data.
Wireless technology such as Bluetooth and Wi-Fi has become an important part of data transfer for portable processing devices. Bluetooth is a proprietary open wireless technology standard for exchanging data over short distances from fixed and mobile devices, creating personal area networks (PANs) with high levels of security. Bluetooth uses a radio technology called frequency-hopping spread spectrum, which divides the data being sent and transmits portions of it on up to 79 bands (1 MHz each, preferably centered from 2402 to 2480 MHz) in the range 2,400-2,483.5 MHz (allowing for guard bands). This range is in the globally unlicensed Industrial, Scientific and Medical (ISM) 2.4 GHz short-range radio frequency band. Gaussian frequency-shift keying (GFSK) modulation may be used, however, more advanced techniques, such as π/4-DQPSK and 8DPSK modulation may also be used between compatible devices. Devices functioning with GFSK are said to be operating in “basic rate” (BR) mode where an instantaneous data rate of 1 Mbit/s is possible. “Enhanced Data Rate” (EDR) is used to describe π/4-DPSK and 8DPSK schemes, each giving 2 and 3 Mbit/s respectively. The combination of these (BR and EDR) modes in Bluetooth radio technology is classified as a “BR/EDR radio”.
However, technologies such as Bluetooth and WiFi have been underutilized in the areas of location tracking and media exposure measurement. One area where improvements are needed is in the area of media exposure tracking and web analytics. What is needed are methods, systems and apparatuses for utilizing WiFi and Bluetooth signals for location tracking and correlating the location tracking to media exposure. It has been found that WiFi and/or Bluetooth communications (i.e., radio wave communication) may be used to advantageously determine locations of portable devices, particularly in indoor environments. Such location tracking would be particularly valuable in determining user actions in connection with media exposure.
Accordingly, apparatuses, systems and methods are disclosed for correlating location data with media exposure. Under one exemplary embodiment, a computer-implemented method for correlating media exposure data with location data for a portable processing device is disclosed, where the method comprises the steps of: receiving the media exposure data in a processing device, the media exposure data representing media that was one of received and reproduced on or near the portable processing device, and wherein the media exposure data comprises page tag data; processing the media exposure data to determine at least one characteristic of the media; receiving location data from the portable processing device over a predetermined time period, wherein the location data is based on radio wave measurements; processing the location data to determine at least one identification for at least some of the location data; and processing the identification in the processing device to determine a correlation between the at least one identification and the determined characteristic.
Under another exemplary embodiment, a system is disclosed for correlating media exposure data with location data for a portable processing device, comprising: an input for receiving the media exposure data, the media exposure data representing media that was one of received and reproduced on or near the portable processing device, wherein the media exposure data comprises page tag data, and wherein the input is configured to receive location data from the portable processing device over a predetermined time period, wherein the location data is based on radio wave measurements; a processor, operatively coupled to the input, said processor being configured to: process the media exposure data to determine at least one characteristic of the media, process the location data to determine at least one identification for at least some of the location data, and process the identification to determine a correlation between the at least one identification and the determined characteristic.
The present invention is illustrated by way of example and not limitation in the figures of the accompanying drawings, in which like references indicate similar elements and in which:
The present disclosure generally deals with the collection of research data relating to media and media data from portable computing devices using wireless technologies, such as Bluetooth and Wi-Fi. Additionally, the present disclosure deals with configuring portable computing devices for the collection of research data using wireless technologies. Regarding collection of research data,
Under a preferred embodiment, processing device 101 connects to content source 125 via network 110 to obtain media data. The terms “media data” and “media” as used herein mean data which is widely accessible, whether over-the-air, or via cable, satellite, network, internetwork (including the Internet), displayed, distributed on storage media, or by any other means or technique that is humanly perceptible, without regard to the form or content of such data, and including but not limited to audio, video, audio/video, text, images, animations, databases, broadcasts, displays (including but not limited to video displays), web pages and streaming media. As media is received on processing device 101, analytics software residing on processing device 101 collects information relating to media data received from content source 125, and additionally may collect data relating to network 110.
Data relating to the media data may include a “cookie”, also known as an HTTP cookie, which can provide state information (memory of previous events) from a user's browser and return the state information to a collecting site, which may be the content source 125 or collection site 121 (or both). The state information can be used for identification of a user session, authentication, user's preferences, shopping cart contents, or anything else that can be accomplished through storing text data on the user's computer.
Referring back to the example of
Briefly, Link Quality (LQ) is an 8-bit unsigned integer that evaluates the perceived link quality at the receiver. It ranges from 0 to 255, where the larger the value, the better the link's state. For most Bluetooth modules, it is derived from the average bit error rate (BER) seen at the receiver, and is constantly updated as packets are received. Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI) is an 8-bit signed integer that denotes received (RX) power levels and may further denote if the level is within or above/below the Golden Receiver Power Range (GRPR), which is regarded as the ideal RX power range. As a simplified example, when multipath propagation is present, RSSI is generally based on a line-of-sight (LOS) field strength and a reflected signal strength, where the overall strength is proportional to the magnitude of the electromagnetic wave's E•field. Thus, when there is minimal reflective interference, RSSI may be determined by 20 log (LOS+RS), where LOS is the line-of-sight signal strength and RS is the reflected signal. When reflective interference is introduced RSSI becomes 20 log (LOS−RS).
Transmit Power Level (TPL) is an 8-bit signed integer which specifies the Bluetooth module's transmit power level (in dBm). Although there are instances when a transmitter will use its device-specific default power setting to instigate or answer inquiries, its TPL may vary during a connection due to possible power control. “Inquiry Result with RSSI” works in a similar manner as a typical inquiry. In addition to the other parameters (e.g., Bluetooth device address, clock offset) generally retrieved by a normal inquiry, it also provides the RSSI value. Since it requires no active connection, the radio layer simply monitors the RX power level of the current inquiry response from a nearby device, and infers the corresponding RSSI.
For system 100, transmission may occur from direct voltage controlled oscillator (VCO) modulation to IQ mixing at the final radio frequency (RF). In the receiver, a conventional frequency discriminator or IQ down-conversion combined with analog-to-digital conversion is used. The Bluetooth configuration for each of the portable computing devices 102-104 and processing device 101 include a radio unit, a baseband link control unit, and link management software. Higher-level software utilities focusing on interoperability features and functionality are included as well. Enhanced Data Rate (EDR) functionalities may also be used to incorporate phase shift keying (PSK) modulation scheme to achieve a data rate of 2 or 3 Mb/s. It allows greater possibilities for using multiple devices on the same connection because of the increased bandwidth. Due to EDR having a reduced duty cycle, there is lower power consumption compared to a standard Bluetooth link.
As mentioned above, processing device 101 collects the Bluetooth or WiFi signal characteristics from each portable computing device (102-104). At the same time, processing device 101 is equipped with software and/or hardware allowing it to measure media data exposure for a given period of time (e.g., digital signage, QR scan, a web browsing session, etc.) to produce research data. The term “research data” as used herein means data comprising (1) data concerning usage of media data, (2) data concerning exposure to media data, and/or (3) market research data. Under a preferred embodiment, when processing device 101 detects media data activity, it triggers a timer task to run for a predetermined period of time (e.g., X minutes) until the activity is over. At this time, discovery of paired devices is performed to locate each of the paired devices. Preferably, the UIDs of each device is known in advance. For each device discovered and paired, processing device 101 records each Bluetooth signal characteristic for the connection until the end of the session. Afterwards, the signal characteristics collected for each device, and the resultant research data for the session is forwarded to collection server 121 for further processing and/or analysis. Collection server 121 may further be communicatively coupled to server 120 which may be configured to provide further processing and/or analysis, generate reports, provide content back to processing device 101, and other functions. Of course, these functions can readily be incorporated into collection server 121, depending on the needs and requirements of the designer.
It is understood that the examples above are provided as examples, and are not intended to be limiting in any way. Under an alternate embodiment, Bluetooth signal strengths may be approximated to determine distance. As explained above, an RSSI value provides the distance between the received signal strength and an optimal receiver power rank referred to as the “golden receiver power rank.” The golden receiver power rank is limited by two thresholds. The lower threshold may be defined by an offset of 6 dB to the actual sensitivity of the receiver. The maximum of this value is predefined by −56 dBm. The upper threshold may be 20 dB over the lower one, where the accuracy of the upper threshold is about ±6 dB. Where S is assigned as the received signal strength, the value of S is determined by: (1) S=RSSI+TU, for RSSI>0 and (2) S=RSSI−TL, for RSSI<0, where TU=TL+20 DdB. Here, TU refers to the upper threshold, and TL refers to the lower threshold. The definition of the Bluetooth golden receiver limits the measurement of the RSSI to a distance. In order to measure the most unique characteristics of the signal, only measurements that result in a positive range of the RSSI should be considered for a functional approximation. The approximation may be calculated by choosing the best fitted function given by determining and minimizing the parameters of a least square sum of the signal strength measurements.
With regard to media data exposure measurement, the preferred embodiment collects research data on a processing device, associates it with the collected Bluetooth or WiFi wireless signal characteristics, and (a) transmits the research data and wireless signal characteristics to a remote server(s) (e.g., collection server 121) for processing, (b) performs processing of the research data and Bluetooth signal characteristics in the computer processing device itself and communicates the results to the remote server(s), or (c) distributes association/processing of the research data and Bluetooth signal characteristics between the computer processing device and the remote server(s).
Under another embodiment, one or more remote servers are responsible for collecting research data on media data exposure, and may be referred to as tracking servers. When wireless signal characteristics are received from a computer processing device, the signal characteristics are associated with the research data (e.g., using time stamps) and processed. This embodiment is particularly advantageous when remote media data exposure techniques are used to produce research data. One technique, referred to as “log file analysis,” reads the log files in which a web server records all its transactions. A second technique, referred to as “page tagging,” uses JavaScript on each page to notify a third-party server when a page is rendered by a web browser. Both collect data that can be processed to produce web traffic reports together with the Bluetooth signal characteristics. In certain cases, collecting web site data using a third-party data collection server (or even an in-house data collection server) requires an additional DNS look-up by the user's computer to determine the IP address of the collection server. As an alternative to log file analysis and page tagging, “call backs” to the server from the rendered page may be used to produce research data. In this case, when the page is rendered on the web browser, a piece of Ajax code calls to the server (XMLHttpRequest) and passes information about the client that can then be aggregated.
In one embodiment, decoder 210 serves to decode ancillary data embedded in audio signals in order to detect exposure to media. Examples of techniques for encoding and decoding such ancillary data are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,871,180, titled “Decoding of Information in Audio Signals,” issued Mar. 22, 2005, and is incorporated by reference in its entirety herein. Other suitable techniques for encoding data in audio data are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,640,141 to Ronald S. Kolessar and U.S. Pat. No. 5,764,763 to James M. Jensen, et al., which are incorporated by reference in their entirety herein. Other appropriate encoding techniques are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,579,124 to Aijala, et al., U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,574,962, 5,581,800 and 5,787,334 to Fardeau, et al., and U.S. Pat. No. 5,450,490 to Jensen, et al., each of which is assigned to the assignee of the present application and all of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.
An audio signal which may be encoded with a plurality of code symbols is received at microphone 221, or via a direct link through audio circuitry 206. The received audio signal may be from streaming media, broadcast, otherwise communicated signal, or a signal reproduced from storage in a device. It may be a direct coupled or an acoustically coupled signal. From the following description in connection with the accompanying drawings, it will be appreciated that decoder 210 is capable of detecting codes in addition to those arranged in the formats disclosed hereinabove.
Alternately or in addition, processor(s) 203 can processes the frequency-domain audio data to extract a signature therefrom, i.e., data expressing information inherent to an audio signal, for use in identifying the audio signal or obtaining other information concerning the audio signal (such as a source or distribution path thereof). Suitable techniques for extracting signatures include those disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,612,729 to Ellis, et al. and in U.S. Pat. No. 4,739,398 to Thomas, et al., both of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties. Still other suitable techniques are the subject of U.S. Pat. No. 2,662,168 to Scherbatskoy, U.S. Pat. No. 3,919,479 to Moon, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,697,209 to Kiewit, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,677,466 to Lert, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,512,933 to Wheatley, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,955,070 to Welsh, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,918,730 to Schulze, U.S. Pat. No. 4,843,562 to Kenyon, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,450,551 to Kenyon, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,230,990 to Lert, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,594,934 to Lu, et al., European Published Patent Application EP 0887958 to Bichsel, PCT Publication WO02/11123 to Wang, et al. and PCT publication WO91/11062 to Young, et al., all of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties. As discussed above, the code detection and/or signature extraction serve to identify and determine media exposure for the user of device 200.
In addition to audio-based media exposure monitoring, data-based, software-based and app-based media exposure monitoring may be performed on device 200. It is understood that media exposure data may include data relating to audio signatures, audio codes, cookies, and any other data indicating device usage characteristics pursuant to the presentation and/or reproduction of media on a device. Exemplary configurations may be found in U.S. Pat. No. 7,627,872 to Hebeler et al., titled “Media Data Usage Measurement and Reporting Systems and Methods” issued Dec. 1, 2009, which is assigned to the assignee of the present application and is incorporated by reference in its entirety here. Media exposure data may also include monitoring of device software usage and/or access, sometimes referred to as “app data.” Examples of such monitoring is described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/001,492, titled “Mobile Terminal And Method For Providing Life Observations And A Related Server Arrangement And Method With Data Analysis, Distribution And Terminal Guiding” filed Mar. 9, 2009, U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/002,205, titled “System And Method For Behavioural And Contextual Data Analytics,” filed Mar. 8, 2009, and Int'l Pat. Pub. No. WO 2011/161303 titled “Network Server Arrangement For Processing Non-Parametric, Multi-Dimensional Spatial And Temporal Human Behavior Or Technical Observations Measured Pervasively, And Related Method For The Same,” filed Jun. 24, 2010. Each of these documents is incorporated by reference in their entireties herein.
Under one embodiment media exposure data may be collected using media data usage gathering objects. Objects may serve to gather usage data for a single predetermined category of media data, such as graphical data, audio data, streaming media data, video data, text, web pages, image data, and the like. In this manner, each object preprocesses usage data by selecting the data based upon predetermined criteria. In certain embodiments, each object is dedicated to monitoring usage of media data of only one format, such as JPEG image data, AVI data, streaming media data to be reproduced by a certain player type, HTML, documents, BMP image data, etc. Media format may also include one or more techniques used to collect audio codes and/or audio signatures. In certain embodiments, each object is dedicated to monitoring usage of media data presented by means of only one type of user agent, such as a particular browser, player, etc. As new or different data formats and user agents become available, new or different objects and/or object classes may be provided to a processor (201) to enable monitoring thereof. The objects and object classes are preferably received by the processor via a network or other communication medium, or else from a storage medium. The monitoring capabilities are thus updated quickly and efficiently to keep pace with the ongoing, rapid evolution of media data formats and user agents.
In certain embodiments, data gathered by objects may represents media usage events such as the opening or closing of a user agent, a request for or receipt of new or different content or resource control location channel, scrolling, volume change, muting, onclick events, maximizing or minimizing a window, accessing software or apps, an interactive response to received content (such as a submission of a form or order), and/or the like. In other embodiments, an object may poll for predetermined media data state information, such as currently received content or currently accessed resource control location and/or the state of a user agent. Depending on the embodiment, an object may record either changes in state and/or the state itself In further embodiments, an object may collect content metadata accompanying or associated with the media data. In other embodiments combinations of the foregoing are employed. In certain embodiments the attributes of an object include times or durations of the events or state information.
In certain embodiments an object may gather data at the board level (for example, a sound card 106), while in other embodiments it gathers data at the network level. In still other embodiments it gathers data at the operating system level (209), while in still further embodiments it gathers data at the application level 214 (for example, a player, viewer or other application). In yet still further embodiments, the object may gather data at two or more of the foregoing levels. Processor 201 may instantiate session objects which run within the processor or elsewhere in a user system for merging the media data usage gathering object into a respective session object which gathers data for a respective user session.
In certain embodiments the user session is defined by grouping media data usage gathering objects based on time or duration criteria. In various such embodiments, media data usage gathering objects representing usage (presentation or access) within each of predetermined time periods (such as dayparts or days) are grouped in corresponding user sessions. In other such embodiments, media data usage gathering objects representing one or more continuous and/or overlapping resource control location sessions are grouped in a single user session, while in further such embodiments media data usage gathering objects representing resource control location sessions separated in time by no more than a predetermined period are grouped into a single user session. In still other such embodiments combinations of the foregoing criteria are employed to group the objects into user sessions.
In other embodiments the user session is defined by grouping media data usage gathering objects based on indications of user activity. In various such embodiments, user inputs (for example, by means of a keyboard, keypad, pointing device, dial, remote control or touch screen, or an activity such as the insertion of prerecorded media in a disk drive or the like) are monitored to detect continuing user activity to determine the duration of a user session. In further embodiments, users are asked to indicate the beginning and/or the end of a user session.
In certain embodiments, one or more of the following attributes are included in the session objects: (1) “Session start”: the time that an RCL is first accessed by the user system and the media data is delivered thereto, or else when such media data is first presented to the user; (2) “Session stop”: the time that the user system ceases to access the RCL, or else when presentation of its media data to the user ceases; (3) “Session duration”: the duration of a user session, which may be measured as the length of time between Session start and Session stop; (4) “Session content”: the type and identity of the presented or accessed media data; (5) “Session interaction”: user interaction events occurring during a user session; (6) “Session content events”: media data events occurring during a user session; (7) “Session context”: system events occurring during a user session; (8) “Session metadata”: data describing the user session and any supporting data.
Report objects may be instantiated to merge session objects and/or other objects into itself, and/or to encapsulate data, for supply to one or more reporting systems for producing media usage reports. In certain embodiments, a report object may merge one or more session objects representing the media data usage of a single user into a corresponding report object, while in others the object merges session objects into a report object representing media data usage by multiple identified users. In certain embodiments a report object may merge one or more session objects representing media data usage within a predetermined time span, while in other embodiments report object merges session objects in response to a request from a reporting system coupled with user device or system either through the network or via a different communication medium.
Continuing with
The RF (radio frequency) circuitry 205 receives and sends RF signals, also called electromagnetic signals. The RF circuitry 205 converts electrical signals to/from electromagnetic signals and communicates with communications networks and other communications devices via the electromagnetic signals. The RF circuitry 205 may include well-known circuitry for performing these functions, including but not limited to an antenna system, an RF transceiver, one or more amplifiers, a tuner, one or more oscillators, a digital signal processor, a CODEC chipset, a subscriber identity module (SIM) card, memory, and so forth. RF circuitry 205 may communicate with networks, such as the Internet, also referred to as the World Wide Web (WWW), an intranet and/or a wireless network, such as a cellular telephone network, a wireless local area network (LAN) and/or a metropolitan area network (MAN), and other devices by wireless communication. The wireless communication may use any of a plurality of communications standards, protocols and technologies, including but not limited to Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), Enhanced Data GSM Environment (EDGE), high-speed downlink packet access (HSDPA), wideband code division multiple access (W-CDMA), code division multiple access (CDMA), time division multiple access (TDMA), Bluetooth, Wireless Fidelity (Wi-Fi) (e.g., IEEE 802.11a, IEEE 802.11b, IEEE 802.11g and/or IEEE 802.11n), voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), Wi-MAX, a protocol for email (e.g., Internet message access protocol (IMAP) and/or post office protocol (POP)), instant messaging (e.g., extensible messaging and presence protocol (XMPP), Session Initiation Protocol for Instant Messaging and Presence Leveraging Extensions (SIMPLE), and/or Instant Messaging and Presence Service (IMPS)), and/or Short Message Service (SMS)), or any other suitable communication protocol, including communication protocols not yet developed as of the filing date of this document.
Audio circuitry 206, speaker 220, and microphone 221 provide an audio interface between a user and the device 200. Audio circuitry 206 may receive audio data from the peripherals interface 204, converts the audio data to an electrical signal, and transmits the electrical signal to speaker 220. The speaker 220 converts the electrical signal to human-audible sound waves. Audio circuitry 206 also receives electrical signals converted by the microphone 221 from sound waves, which may include encoded audio, described above. The audio circuitry 206 converts the electrical signal to audio data and transmits the audio data to the peripherals interface 204 for processing. Audio data may be retrieved from and/or transmitted to memory 708 and/or the RF circuitry 205 by peripherals interface 204. In some embodiments, audio circuitry 206 also includes a headset jack for providing an interface between the audio circuitry 206 and removable audio input/output peripherals, such as output-only headphones or a headset with both output (e.g., a headphone for one or both ears) and input (e.g., a microphone).
I/O subsystem 211 couples input/output peripherals on the device 200, such as touch screen 215 and other input/control devices 217, to the peripherals interface 204. The I/O subsystem 211 may include a display controller 212 and one or more input controllers 214 for other input or control devices. The one or more input controllers 214 receive/send electrical signals from/to other input or control devices 217. The other input/control devices 217 may include physical buttons (e.g., push buttons, rocker buttons, etc.), dials, slider switches, joysticks, click wheels, and so forth. In some alternate embodiments, input controller(s) 214 may be coupled to any (or none) of the following: a keyboard, infrared port, USB port, and a pointer device such as a mouse, an up/down button for volume control of the speaker 220 and/or the microphone 221. Touch screen 215 may also be used to implement virtual or soft buttons and one or more soft keyboards.
Touch screen 215 provides an input interface and an output interface between the device and a user. The display controller 212 receives and/or sends electrical signals from/to the touch screen 215. Touch screen 215 displays visual output to the user. The visual output may include graphics, text, icons, video, and any combination thereof (collectively termed “graphics”). In some embodiments, some or all of the visual output may correspond to user-interface objects. Touch screen 215 has a touch-sensitive surface, sensor or set of sensors that accepts input from the user based on haptic and/or tactile contact. Touch screen 215 and display controller 212 (along with any associated modules and/or sets of instructions in memory 208) detect contact (and any movement or breaking of the contact) on the touch screen 215 and converts the detected contact into interaction with user-interface objects (e.g., one or more soft keys, icons, web pages or images) that are displayed on the touch screen. In an exemplary embodiment, a point of contact between a touch screen 215 and the user corresponds to a finger of the user. Touch screen 215 may use LCD (liquid crystal display) technology, or LPD (light emitting polymer display) technology, although other display technologies may be used in other embodiments. Touch screen 215 and display controller 212 may detect contact and any movement or breaking thereof using any of a plurality of touch sensing technologies now known or later developed, including but not limited to capacitive, resistive, infrared, and surface acoustic wave technologies, as well as other proximity sensor arrays or other elements for determining one or more points of contact with a touch screen 212.
Device 200 may also include one or more sensors 216 such as optical sensors that comprise charge-coupled device (CCD) or complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) phototransistors. The optical sensor may capture still images or video, where the sensor is operated in conjunction with touch screen display 215. Device 200 may also include one or more accelerometers 207, which may be operatively coupled to peripherals interface 704. Alternately, the accelerometer 207 may be coupled to an input controller 214 in the I/O subsystem 211. The accelerometer is preferably configured to output accelerometer data in the x, y, and z axes.
In some embodiments, the software components stored in memory 208 may include an operating system 209, a communication module 210, a contact/motion module 213, a text/graphics module 211, a Global Positioning System (GPS) module 212, and applications 214. Operating system 209 (e.g., Darwin, RTXC, LINUX, UNIX, OS X, WINDOWS, or an embedded operating system such as VxWorks) includes various software components and/or drivers for controlling and managing general system tasks (e.g., memory management, storage device control, power management, etc.) and facilitates communication between various hardware and software components. Communication module 210 facilitates communication with other devices over one or more external ports and also includes various software components for handling data received by the RF circuitry 205. An external port (e.g., Universal Serial Bus (USB), Firewire, etc.) may be provided and adapted for coupling directly to other devices or indirectly over a network (e.g., the Internet, wireless LAN, etc.
Contact/motion module 213 may detect contact with the touch screen 215 (in conjunction with the display controller 212) and other touch sensitive devices (e.g., a touchpad or physical click wheel). The contact/motion module 213 includes various software components for performing various operations related to detection of contact, such as determining if contact has occurred, determining if there is movement of the contact and tracking the movement across the touch screen 215, and determining if the contact has been broken (i.e., if the contact has ceased). Text/graphics module 211 includes various known software components for rendering and displaying graphics on the touch screen 215, including components for changing the intensity of graphics that are displayed. As used herein, the term “graphics” includes any object that can be displayed to a user, including without limitation text, web pages, icons (such as user-interface objects including soft keys), digital images, videos, animations and the like. Additionally, soft keyboards may be provided for entering text in various applications requiring text input. GPS module 212 determines the location of the device and provides this information for use in various applications. Applications 214 may include various modules, including address books/contact list, email, instant messaging, video conferencing, media player, widgets, instant messaging, camera/image management, and the like. Examples of other applications include word processing applications, JAVA-enabled applications, encryption, digital rights management, voice recognition, and voice replication.
Turning to
Preferably, each antenna (transmitter/transceiver) in
Instead of using sniff intervals to multiplex between piconets, devices may use the hold and park modes between piconets, although the hold mode may slow switching rates between piconets as this would require a device to hold an active piconet and renegotiate a hold in another piconet before returning to exchange more ACL packets. Preferably, a park mode is used for scatternet members, as this mode provides greater versatility for monitoring piconets for unpark commands and other broadcast packets, and may skip several beacon trains by utilizing a sleep time interval (NBsleep) that is a multiple of beacon interval lengths. This effectively allows a device to offset beacon monitoring times, similar to the sniff mode discussed above. Alternately, a device (acting as a slave in the scatternet), can simply ignore each piconet in turn without informing the respective masters of its temporary exit; as long as the timeout periods are not exceeded, the links should be maintained under normal operating conditions
During a set-up process, each of antennas 353-355 are provided a unique identification or hash that is communicated each time a wireless connection is made with a device (e.g., via module 705 illustrated in
In the embodiment of
As device approaches 351C, it next establishes communication with antenna 355 and receives the antenna ID. If the ID matches, device 351C further updates the operating characteristics. In this example, the ID match may trigger device 351C to turn off audio monitoring. Additionally, the ID match from 355 may further update the scanning mode of device 351C to scan for wireless connections more or less frequently. As device 351D moves outside area 360, it eventually loses its wireless connection to the antennas and as a result, reverts back to a default mode of operation.
Turning to
As the scan rate is updated in 403, the device continues to monitor if a new beacon or signal is received in 404. If a new beacon or signal is not received, the device checks to see if the original beacon is being received in 405. If the original beacon or signal is not being received, the device reverts back to a default scan rate in 401. However, if the original beacon or signal is still being received, the device maintains the updated scan rate (403) and continues to monitor for new beacons or signals. As an example, device 351A of
In step 402, a detected beacon or signal may also activate the device's DSP and/or microphone 407 whereupon the device begins reading ancillary code or extracting signatures from audio 408. If a new beacon or signal is detected in 409 (note: the beacon or signal in 409 may be the same beacon or signal as 404), the audio monitoring configuration is updated in 410. In one embodiment, the audio monitoring update may involve such actions as (1) modifying the characteristics of code detection (e.g., frequencies used, timing, etc.), (2) switching the monitoring from detecting code to extracting signatures and vice versa, (3) switching the method of code detection from one type to another (e.g., from CBET decoding to spread-spectrum, from echo-hiding to wavelet, etc.), (4) switching the method of signature extraction from one type to another (e.g., frequency-based, time-based, a combination of time and frequency), and/or (5) providing supplementary data that is correlated to the audio monitoring (e.g., location, other related media in the location, etc.). Similar to the scanning portion described above, if no additional beacons are detected in 409, the device looks to see if the original beacon or signal is being received. If not, the device reverts back to its original configuration and may turn off audio monitoring. If the original beacon is signal is still being detected, the device maintains its current (updated) audio monitoring configuration and continues to monitor for new beacons or signals. Also, the process for audio monitoring repeats for each new beacon or signal no beacons or signals are detected.
It is understood that the embodiments described above are mere examples, and that the disclosed configurations allow for a multitude of variations. For example, the ID detection may be combines with signal strength measurements described above to allow additional modifications, where scan rates may be incrementally increased or decreased as the signal strength becomes stronger or weaker. Also, scan rates and/or audio monitoring may be triggered only when signal strength exceeds a predetermined threshold. Furthermore, device triggers may be made dependent upon combinations of antenna connections. Thus, connections to a 1st and 2nd beacon would produce one modification on the device, while a connection to a 1st, 2nd and 3rd beacon would produce a new, alternate or additional modification. If the connection to the 2nd beacon is lost (leaving a connection only with the 1st and 3rd beacon), yet another new, alternate or additional modification could be produced. Many such variations may be made under the present disclosure, depending on the needs of the system.
In addition to modifying a mode of operation, the present disclosure further allows for location information to be incorporated, for example, as device 351 is carried through various public areas (360). In one simplified embodiment, each antenna (353-855) contains an associated ID that is captured at the time device 351 comes within communication range, and regardless of whether or not a connection is actually made. In another embodiment, the antenna ID may be captured when device 351 is in communication range, and a further antenna ID is transmitted to the device when a connection is made. In another embodiment, antenna IDs are correlated to their transmission range. Thus, WiFi antenna IDs would be grouped and processed differently from Bluetooth antenna IDs. In this manner, WiFi IDs would be associated with a general location (e.g., mall, areas of a mall), and Bluetooth IDs would be associated with specific locations (e.g., a store/kiosk within a mall). As a user moves about an area, the IDs are collected in the device and later processed to determine locations visited within a predetermined period of time. This configuration is particularly advantageous when it is used in conjunction with media exposure data and even web analytics. For example, as media exposure data is collected from a device, it may be determined via audio signatures and/or audio codes that the device was exposed to particular content, such as a commercial for a store. By retrieving the location data from the device, it may be determined what locations the device was near within a given period of time (e.g., day, week, month, etc.). In addition, GPS data may be also combined to determine location, particularly in instances where locations are outdoors.
The location system described above may be compatible with the Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC) Web Feature Service Interface Standard (WFS) and Open Location Services Interface Standard (OpenLS), utilizing Geography Markup Language (GML). To the extent mapping functions may be carried out, Geographic Information Systems (GIS) may serve as data providers for geographic information, particularly for outdoor monitoring. Web mapping applications, such as OpenStreetMap or Google Maps are available to access geographic data such as street maps and satellite imagery, and may be accessed using APIs to perform functions such as searching or routing. The Open Geospatial Consortium specifies interfaces and protocols that may be constructed in accordance with OGC guidelines to support interoperability functions for accessing spatial information and providing location-based services. The Web Map Service is an OGC standard for offering geo-referenced map data as raster images. The Web Feature Service is a service to provide geographic features (map data, metadata, vectors) encoded in XML. Such services may be accessed via HTTP.
Location and mapping features are particularly advantageous for outdoor location tracking, but have limitations for indoor tracking, where GPS signals may be too weak to be useful. Accordingly, indoor location tracking would be necessary to fully track user movements. Turning to
Location fingerprinting allows locating a device by using RSS and coordinates of other devices within a Wi-Fi footprint and calculating coordinates for location by comparing the signal with the location fingerprinting database. Location fingerprinting may be executed using an off-line and online stage. During the offline stage, a site survey performed in the target area is performed. RSSs are collected at sampling locations to build a database (radio map) as a function of the user's physical coordinates. During the online stage, the positioning techniques measure RSS in real time by the receiver and calculate the estimated location coordinates based on the previously recorded database of RSSs stored in the database. Location estimation is preferably applied to more accurately determine location (due to RSS susceptibility to the multipath effect), and various machine learning techniques may be applied, including a probabilistic location estimation, K-nearest-neighbor estimation, neural networks, and support vector machines. For probabilistic location estimation, one particular embodiment utilizes statistical parameters extracted from the radio map to estimate the location. Kernel canonical correlation analysis may also be used to construct a more accurate mapping function between RSS and radio map. In one advantageous embodiment, Kalman Filtering may be utilized to track multiple points to characterize a trajectory, which can increase the accuracy further. Further details regarding Kalman filters may be found in Greg Welch & Gary Bishop, “An Introduction to the Kalman Filter,” TR 95-041 Department of Computer Science University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 2006.
Continuing with
Location data in 502 is preferably correlated to map database 506 and local database 507. The map database 506 preferably stores maps for given geographic locations, while local database 507 stores information about local regions for a geographic location. Thus, as an example, map database 506 may contain city and street-level information, while local database may contain information pertaining to a building 511, floor, 512, room 513 or coordinates 514. Under a preferred embodiment, local database 507 correlates to WiFi and Bluetooth location mapping, while map database 506 correlates to GPS location mapping.
Specific maps for mapping location data may be loaded via loader 508, which communicates over a network to server 510, which may contain building information and the like. Server 510 may be provisioned with a Web Feature Service that supports various raster and vector data formats, geographic data sources and OGC standards (e.g., WMS, WFS, GML, etc.). Server 510 communicates with directory service 509. Under a preferred embodiment, directory service may be based on the OpenLS Directory Service standard and provides interfaces for registering and looking up resources with World Geodetic System 1984 (WGS84) coordinates and further attributes. Directory service 509 may be based on Apache Tomcat, MySQL and JSP. Under one embodiment, requests are processed to parse XML requests, extract a geo-window, and query the database to get all available building servers in an area.
During operation, loader 508 may perform a lookup at directory service 509 to discover building servers in the given area. Based on the lookup results, loader retrieves any stored building data, or requests data from server 510. For newly discovered buildings, loader 508 may request generalized information regarding the building (e.g., building outline) and any available positioning information. Further data and the layers for positioning technologies supported by the device are downloaded on follow-up requests, and may be when a device is in close proximity to a building or by user interactions.
Turning now to
It should be understood that the present disclosure provides a powerful tool for correlating and reporting media exposure with user actions. In the example of
Turning to
There currently exist numerous products capable of monitoring user website tracking, including Google Analytics, Media Metrix, Media Metrix Multi-Platform, Mobile Metrix, and many others using a wide variety of techniques for tracking on-line usage. Despite the type of techniques used, the present disclosure provides an elegant solution to identifying users and related demographic data. In
Tracking server database 703 stores data relating to web activity, where, in this example, database 703 learns first that the anonymous ID (“537”) visited a specific website (www.cnn.com/sport). It also knows that specific user ID is the true identity of the user. It then uses that identity to associate the specific user with the web visit. It is understood that
In addition, user IDs may be made persistent, so that location tracking of the kind described above would be possible. In this embodiment, user website visits could be tallied through the course of a time period, and then processed against location determinations, described in detail above. Through cross correlation, locations of web access may be determined. In a simplified non-cellular connection based embodiment, “in-home” and “out-of-home” tracking can be easily accomplished by registering a user's home MAC address on initial installation of the web monitoring software. As media exposure data is collected, a determination may be made whether web-based content was accessed under the registered MAC address. If it is, the user may be deemed “in home.” If not, the user may be deemed “out-of-home.” Of course, multiple MAC addresses may be registered, allowing multiple location identifications as well.
While at least one exemplary embodiment has been presented in the foregoing detailed description, it should be appreciated that a vast number of variations exist. It should also be appreciated that the example embodiment or embodiments described herein are not intended to limit the scope, applicability, or configuration of the invention in any way. Rather, the foregoing detailed description will provide those skilled in the art with a convenient and edifying road map for implementing the described embodiment or embodiments. It should be understood that various changes can be made in the function and arrangement of elements without departing from the scope of the invention and the legal equivalents thereof.
The present disclosure is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/729,889, titled “Systems and Methods for Presence Detection and Linking to Media Exposure Data” to Jain et al, filed Dec. 28, 2012, the contents of which is incorporated by reference in its entirety herein.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 13729889 | Dec 2012 | US |
| Child | 13731882 | US |
