Systems and methods are described herein for efficiently “catching-up” a user that is interested in a media asset when that user has missed a portion of the media asset while consuming the media asset together with other people. The system may detect that multiple people are consuming a media asset and may determine, based on a respective profile of each person, whether that person is interested in the media asset. When the system detects that the user is disregarding the media asset, the missed portion of the media asset is stored if the user is interested in the media asset, and is not stored if the user is not interested in the media asset.

Systems and methods are described herein for efficiently “catching-up” a user that is interested in a media asset when that user has missed a portion of the media asset while consuming the media asset together with other people. The system may detect that multiple people are consuming a media asset and may determine, based on a respective profile of each person, whether that person is interested in the media asset. When the system detects that the user is disregarding the media asset, the missed portion of the media asset is stored if the user is interested in the media asset, and is not stored if the user is not interested in the media asset.

Methods and apparatus to generate reference signatures are disclosed. An example method includes collecting a first signature for media being presented to a plurality of households; crediting the media when the first signature matches a reference signature in a reference signature database; in response to determining that the first signature does not match a reference signature in the reference signature database and the first signature does not match an unidentified signature in an unknown signature database, storing the first signature in the unknown signature database; in response to determining that a second signature does not match the reference signature in the reference signature database and the second signature matches the unidentified signature in the unknown signature database, and increasing a count associated with the unidentified signature.

Methods and apparatus to generate reference signatures are disclosed. An example method includes collecting a first signature for media being presented to a plurality of households; crediting the media when the first signature matches a reference signature in a reference signature database; in response to determining that the first signature does not match a reference signature in the reference signature database and the first signature does not match an unidentified signature in an unknown signature database, storing the first signature in the unknown signature database; in response to determining that a second signature does not match the reference signature in the reference signature database and the second signature matches the unidentified signature in the unknown signature database, and increasing a count associated with the unidentified signature.

A computing system will compare various reference fingerprints each representing a reference media stream broadcast on a different respective known channel, and the computing system will determine that a plurality of the reference fingerprints match each other, thus defining a multi-match group of the matching reference fingerprints. Further, the computing system will determine that a query fingerprint representing a media stream being rendered by a media presentation device matches the multi-match group, thus raising a question of which channel is carrying the media stream that is being rendered by the media presentation device. By considering one or more attributes of the query fingerprint, the server may then disambiguate and thereby determine the channel at issue, and the server may in turn take channel-specific action.

Methods, apparatus, systems and articles of manufacture are disclosed for associating different watermarks detected in media. An example method disclosed herein includes determining whether a first watermark detected in a media signal is represented in a watermark data structure and associating the first watermark with a first media presentation record associated with a second watermark in response to the first watermark being associated in the watermark data structure with the second watermark. The example method further includes transmitting monitoring data including the first media presentation record to an audience measurement entity.

Example methods and apparatus to detect audio engineering problems using identification of isolated watermarks are disclosed herein. Disclosed example methods include identifying, by executing an instruction with a processor, isolated watermarks in a first set of detected watermarks obtained from first media monitored at a first site. Disclosed example methods further include determining, by executing an instruction with the processor, a problem has been detected with the first media associated with the first set of detected watermarks in response to a first number of isolated watermarks identified in the first set of detected watermarks satisfying a first threshold.

Example methods and apparatus to detect audio engineering problems using identification of isolated watermarks are disclosed herein. Disclosed example methods include identifying, by executing an instruction with a processor, isolated watermarks in a first set of detected watermarks obtained from first media monitored at a first site. Disclosed example methods further include determining, by executing an instruction with the processor, a problem has been detected with the first media associated with the first set of detected watermarks in response to a first number of isolated watermarks identified in the first set of detected watermarks satisfying a first threshold.

Broadcast signatures (fingerprints) from different sources are compared to distinguish between a known base media item and unknown versions of the known base media item, without prior storage of the unknown altered versions of the known base media item. Field recorders collect and store in buffers signatures found within portions of sequential broadcast content. Mobile devices (users) collect unknown signatures while recording broadcast content. Using a cloud callout routine, the mobile device requests a comparison between the collected unknown signatures and the field recorded signatures. Potential matches can be loose matches, strict matches or comparisons between failed loose comparisons.

Broadcast signatures (fingerprints) from different sources are compared to distinguish between a known base media item and unknown versions of the known base media item, without prior storage of the unknown altered versions of the known base media item. Field recorders collect and store in buffers signatures found within portions of sequential broadcast content. Mobile devices (users) collect unknown signatures while recording broadcast content. Using a cloud callout routine, the mobile device requests a comparison between the collected unknown signatures and the field recorded signatures. Potential matches can be loose matches, strict matches or comparisons between failed loose comparisons.