System and method for scalable, high accuracy, sensor and id based audience measurement system based on distributed computing architecture

Abstract

A dynamic television audience measurement system (AMS) and method are disclosed. The system comprises a central level AMS sub-system, a local node level AMS subsystem in communication with the central level AMS sub-system, a plurality of client level AMS sub-systems in communication with the local node level AMS sub-system, and a plurality of display devices, wherein each display device is monitored by a client level AMS sub-system. The central level AMS sub-system receives panel definitions from panel requestors, transmits the panel definitions to the local node level AMS subsystem, and receives a merged viewership report from the local node level AMS subsystem. The local node level AMS sub-system receives panel definitions from the central level AMS sub-system, transmits the panel definitions to the plurality of client level AMS sub-systems, receives viewership reports from each client level AMS sub-systems, and transmits a merged viewership report to the central level AMS sub-system.

Description

REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]This application claims priority to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13 / 474,064 filed on Mar. 17, 2012 and to U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61 / 486,974, filed on May 17, 2011, entitled “System and Method for High Accuracy Measurement of Ad Consumption and Viewers' Emotional and Cognitive Response,” and to U.S. provisional Application Ser. No. 61 / 490,677, filed on May 27, 2011, entitled “Method and Apparatus for Mapping Available Data Generating Resources Against Data Collection Requests in an Audience Measurement System” and to U.S. provisional Application Ser. No. 61 / 491,494, filed on May 31, 2011, entitled “Dynamic Panel Creation for Highly Scalable Audience Measurement Systems,” and U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61 / 492,429, filed on Jun. 2, 2011, entitled “System and Method for Increasing the Effectiveness of TV / Video Ads,” which are all hereby specifically and entirely incorporated by reference.BACKGROUND[0002]1. Field of the...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

The present invention offers new methods for observing and boosting ad viewership. This helps to overcome the issues and shortcomings of current approaches.

Problems solved by technology

These components were not built to work well together.

As such, the components do not take into consideration advertisers' demands to receive accurate, reliable, and timely ad viewership reporting data.

However, in real life, there are many exceptions (e.g. sporting events running overtime or breaking news) which cause changes to any one of the abovementioned schedules.

Furthermore, traditional AMS do not provide information on which ads were actually displayed on the display device (e.g. TV) or if a viewer has actually viewed the ad.

Finally, traditional AMS cannot measure actual viewer reaction to ads if the ads have no calls to action (e.g. click to buy, call to buy, click to get coupon, or click to get more information).

Furthermore, the data is often inaccurate due to unreported scheduling changes (e.g. a sporting event runs over or a breaking news event occurs), misread or unread clicks (e.g. if a button is pressed but the TV does not receive the command or if a button is pressed but the AMS does not register the pressed button), or other unforeseen events.

The records will have to be analyzed and compiled into reports which takes enormous amounts of computing power.

Such infrequent updates and small sample sizes (usually in the thousands of viewers) preclude typical AMS from accurately measuring viewership of many types (movies, shows, advertisement spots, infomercials) and units (specific titles) of content.

Moreover, for the content that typical AMS do measure, there is a high margin of error.

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