Audience Measurement Using Portable Device Proximity
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing audience measurement systems face challenges in accurately counting people due to panelists forgetting to log in or out, leading to inaccurate presence information and increased prompting frequency, which can be intrusive and lead to non-compliance.
Innovation Solution
The use of portable secondary devices, such as smartphones or tablets, to automatically detect the presence or absence of panelists within a media exposure environment by combining location information and proximity data, thereby reducing the need for frequent prompts and improving data accuracy.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If panelists manually log in and out to track presence, then presence information can be collected, but panelists may forget to log in or out leading to inaccurate data
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the manual mechanical logging system with an automated electronic detection system using portable devices. These devices automatically detect panelist presence through location information and proximity data, eliminating the need for manual log-in/log-out actions and the associated human error.
Solution Approach 2:
The system enables self-service by having portable devices automatically perform presence detection without requiring panelist intervention. The devices continuously monitor location and proximity data, automatically updating presence status without needing panelists to manually log their presence.
2Measurement precision
If frequent prompts are sent to panelists to ensure accurate presence data, then data accuracy improves, but panelist compliance decreases due to intrusiveness
Solution Approach 1:
The system replaces the manual prompting mechanism with automated electronic detection. Instead of sending repeated prompts to panelists, the system uses portable devices to automatically detect presence through location and proximity data, eliminating the intrusive prompting process entirely.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements continuous feedback by having portable devices continuously monitor location information and proximity data. This real-time automatic detection provides ongoing presence information without requiring periodic manual intervention or prompting of panelists.
3Device complexity
If manual logging is used to track panelist presence, then system complexity is low, but measurement precision deteriorates due to human error
Solution Approach 1:
The patent substitutes the simple manual logging system with a more complex automated electronic detection system using portable devices. These devices use location information and proximity data to automatically detect presence, trading increased system complexity for significantly improved measurement precision and elimination of human error.
Data Source
AI summary
Example apparatus disclosed herein are to determine a location of a portable device based on location data collected by the portable device, determine whether a person is within a threshold distance of the portable device based on proximity data collected by the portable device, and, when the person is determined to be within the threshold distance of the portable device: (i) infer at least one of a presence or an absence of the person in a media exposure environment based on the location of the portable device, (ii) determine a confidence level that the person corresponds to a member of the panelist household, and (iii) determine an accuracy of presence information collected by a people meter based on the confidence level and the inference of the at least one of the presence or the absence of the person, the people meter different than the portable device.