Methods And Apparatus To Identify Media Presentations By Analyzing Network Traffic

What is this patent about?

’642 is related to the field of media monitoring, specifically addressing the challenge of identifying streaming media presentations in environments where traditional network traffic analysis is hindered by encryption. The background involves the evolution of media consumption from computers to smart devices like TVs and streaming sticks, which has complicated media monitoring due to encrypted network traffic. Existing methods often require supplemental meters to accurately identify streamed content, which is not always feasible.

The underlying idea behind ’642 is to enhance media monitoring by leveraging the network meter to actively query the streaming device (or smart TV) to determine the active streaming application. Instead of relying solely on passively captured, often encrypted, network traffic, the invention actively identifies the application (e.g., Netflix, Hulu) that is sourcing the media. This allows for a more direct and reliable way to associate network activity with specific streaming content.

The claims of ’642 focus on a network meter that monitors network traffic within a local area network. The meter identifies a streaming device or smart TV, queries it to determine the active streaming application (associated with a streaming service), and stores an identifier of that application. This approach enables the network meter to directly ascertain the source of the streaming media, even when the network traffic itself is encrypted.

In practice, the network meter operates by first identifying the streaming device on the local network. Once identified, the meter sends a query to the device to determine which streaming application is currently active. This query could involve sending a request to a specific port or using a known API to retrieve the application identifier. The identified application is then associated with the network traffic data, allowing for a more accurate assessment of media consumption.

This approach differentiates itself from prior solutions by actively gathering information about the streaming source rather than passively analyzing encrypted network traffic. By querying the streaming device directly, the network meter bypasses the need to decipher encrypted data packets, providing a more reliable and efficient method for identifying streaming media. This active querying enables media monitoring services to accurately track media consumption even in environments where traditional network traffic analysis is limited.