METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR CROSS PLATFORM MONITORING AND CUSTOMER TARGETING

摘要

Methods and apparatus for detecting and correlating content consumption, e.g., viewing of programs and/or accessing websites, across platforms of different types are described. Content consumption, e.g., requests and/or streaming is monitored and recorded on a per subscriber basis for a wide variety of platforms, e.g., set boxes, IP content playback devices such as cell phones or pad devices with IP streaming support, and/or other devices. Web site access and corresponding content consumption is determined based on DNS requests thereby avoiding the need for monitoring at web site servers and allowing centralized monitoring of web site access operations in the form of DNS requests to be detected by a Web service provider who, at least in some embodiments, is also a content provider.

主权项

1. A communications method comprising:
detecting a first DNS request from a first device corresponding to a first customer; communicating information about the first DNS request to an audience measurement device, said information including information corresponding to the first customer and information indicating a URL included in said first DNS request; detecting, at a video control device, a first video request from a second device corresponding to a second customer, said second customer being the same or different from said first customer; and communicating first video information to the audience measurement device, said first video information including information corresponding to the second customer.