METHODS AND APPARATUS TO ENFORCE A POWER OFF STATE OF AN AUDIENCE MEASUREMENT DEVICE DURING SHIPPING

• US 20100169904A1
• Filed: 12/30/2008
• Published: 07/01/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nielsen Company (US) LLC (RR Donnelley & Sons Company)
• Original Assignee: Nielsen Company (US) LLC (RR Donnelley & Sons Company)
• Inventors: Patterson, Larry D., Nielsen, Christen V.
• Granted Patent: US 8,375,404 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/9
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/29 Arrangements for monitoring broadcast services or broadcast-related services
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/35 Arrangements for identifying or recognising characteristics with a direct linkage to broadcast information or to broadcast space-time, e.g. for identifying broadcast stations or for identifying users
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42202 environmental sensors, e.g. for detecting temperature, luminosity, pressure, earthquakes
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44222 Analytics of user selections, e.g. selection of programs or purchase activity monitoring of user selections in data processing systems G06F11/34; arrangements for monitoring the user's behaviour or opinions in broadcast systems H04H60/33
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4424 Monitoring of the internal components or processes of the client device, e.g. CPU or memory load, processing speed, timer, counter or percentage of the hard disk space used error monitoring in general G06F11/30; arrangements for monitoring conditions of receiving stations in broadcast systems H04H60/32; diagnosis, testing or measuring for television receivers H04N17/04
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/163 by receiver means only

Abstract

Methods and apparatus to enforce a power off state of an audience measurement device during shipping of the device are disclosed herein. An example portable audience measurement device includes a housing, a media detector in the housing to collect media exposure data and a packaging sensor to detect a stimulus generated within the package. A packaging detector compares the detected stimulus to a criterion to determine whether the device is located within the package.

Claims

1. An audience measurement device, comprising:

a housing;

a media detector in the housing to collect media exposure data;

a packaging sensor to detect a stimulus generated within a package;

a packaging detector to compare the detected stimulus to a criterion to determine whether the device is located within the package.

2. A device as defined in claim 1, wherein the packaging detector causes the device to at least partially power down when the packaging detector determines that the device is located within the package.

3. A device as defined in claim 1, further comprising a memory to store the collected media exposure data,

4. A device as defined in claim 1, wherein the packaging detector maintains a supply of power to a clock when the packaging detector determines that the device is located within the package.

5. A device as defined in claim 1, wherein the package is a mailer.

6. A device as defined in claim 1, wherein the media exposure data comprises at least one of a signature or an identification code to which the device is exposed.

7. A device as defined in claim 1, further comprising a real-time clock.

8. A device as defined in claim 7, further comprising a user interface to communicate information to a user, and wherein the user interface displays a message to the user based upon the real-time clock.

9. A device as defined in claim 1, wherein the stimulus is at least one of a magnetic field, an infrared signal, a radio-frequency signal, or an audio signal.

10. A device as defined in claim 1, wherein the stimulus includes an identification code embedded within the stimulus signal.

11. A device as defined in claim 1, wherein the stimulus is a physical contact between the member and the packaging sensor.

12. An audience measurement device, comprising:

a housing;

a media detector in the housing to collect media exposure data; and

a packaging sensor to receive a physical stimulus generated within a package,

wherein the packaging sensor causes the device to at least partially power down when the device is located within the package.

13. A device as defined in claim 12, further comprising a memory to store the collected media exposure data.

14. A device as defined in claim 12, further comprising a real-time clock.

15. A device as defined in claim 14, further comprising a user interface to communicate information to a user, and wherein the user interface displays a message to the user based upon the real-time clock.

16. A method of enforcing a power down state in an audience measurement device during shipping of the device, comprising:

generating a stimulus within a shipping container;

detecting the stimulus with the audience measurement device;

comparing the detected stimulus to a criterion to determine whether the device is located within the shipping container; and

powering off at least a portion of the audience measurement device if the device is located within the shipping container.

17. A method as defined in claim 16, wherein the stimulus is a magnetic field and the criterion is a magnetic field strength threshold.

18. A method as defined in claim 16, wherein the stimulus is at least one of an infrared signal, a radio-frequency signal, or an audio signal.

19. A method as defined in claim 18, wherein the stimulus comprises an identification code.

20. A method as defined in claim 16, wherein the criterion comprises an identification code.

21. A method as defined in claim 16, wherein the stimulus comprises a physical contact between a switch and a projection within the shipping container.

22. A method as defined in claim 16, further comprising powering on the audience measurement device if the device is not located within the shipping container.

23. A method as defined in claim 16, further comprising not powering off the audience measurement device if the device is not located within the shipping container.

24. A method as defined in claim 16, further comprising collecting media exposure data with the audience measurement device.

25. A machine readable medium having instructions stored thereon that, when executed by a processor, cause a machine to:

detecting a stimulus with an audience measurement device, wherein the stimulus is generated within a shipping container;

compare the detected stimulus to a criterion to determine whether the device is located within the shipping container; and

power off at least a portion of the audience measurement device if the device is located within the shipping container.