METHODS AND APPARATUS TO CREDIT USAGE OF MOBILE DEVICES

• US 20140280896A1
• Filed: 03/15/2013
• Published: 09/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Nielsen Company LLC (MOOD Media Corporation)
• Original Assignee: The Nielsen Company LLC (MOOD Media Corporation)
• Inventors: Papakostas, Achilleas, Cimino, Susan
• Granted Patent: US 10,356,579 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/50 Service provisioning or reconfiguring

Abstract

Methods, apparatus, systems and articles of manufacture to monitor mobile internet usage are disclosed. An example method includes identifying a first application associated with a first request, determining that the first application is operating in a background mode, and crediting the first application as a background application based on determining that the first application is operating in the background mode.

Claims

1. A method for monitoring mobile Internet usage, the method comprising:

identifying a first application associated with a first request;

determining that the first application is operating in a background mode; and

crediting the first application as a background application based on determining that the first application is operating in the background mode.

2. A method as described in claim 1, further comprising identifying a panelist associated with the first request.

3. A method as described in claim 1, wherein determining that the first application is operating in a background mode comprises determining that a record for the first application occurs within a time period associated with a foreground execution session of a second application.

4. A method as described in claim 1, wherein determining that the first application is operating in a background mode comprises determining that a time between an event and a previous event for the first application is less than an event length threshold.

5. A method as described in claim 1, further comprising crediting a second application independently of crediting the first application.

6. A method as described in claim 1, further comprising determining that the first application has stopped running in the background mode, and crediting the first application as a foreground application based on determining that the first application has stopped running in the background mode.

7. A method as described in claim 6, wherein determining that the first application has stopped running in the background mode comprises determining that an event is associated with a second privileged application.

8. A method as described in claim 6, wherein determining that the first application has stopped running in the background mode comprises determining that an event includes a second request corresponding to foreground execution of the first application.

9. A method as described in claim 6, wherein determining that the first application has stopped running in the background mode comprises determining that a time between an event and a previous event is greater than an event length threshold.

10. A method as described in claim 6, wherein determining that the first application has stopped running in the background mode comprises determining that an event corresponds to a resource demand that supersedes a resource demand of the first application.

11. A method as described in claim 1, wherein crediting the first application as a background application comprises crediting a time duration between the first request and a previous event corresponding to a start time of a second application executing in a foreground execution mode.

12. A method as described in claim 1, wherein crediting the first application as a background application comprises crediting a time duration between the first request and a previous event corresponding to background execution of the first application when the time duration is less than an event length threshold.

13. An apparatus, comprising:

an application identifier to identify a first application associated with a first request received;

a background identifier to determine that the first application is operating in a background mode; and

a background creditor to credit the first application as a background application based on determining that the first application is operating in the background mode.

14. An apparatus as defined in claim 13, further comprising a user identifier to identify a user associated with the first request.

15. An apparatus as defined in claim 13, wherein the background identifier is to determine that the first application is operating in a background mode by determining that a record for the first application occurs concurrently with a foreground execution session of a second application.

16. An apparatus as defined in claim 13, wherein the background identifier is to determine that the first application is operating in a background mode by determining that a time between an event and a previous event for the first application is less than an event length threshold.

17. An apparatus as defined in claim 13, further comprising a duration calculator to credit a second application executing in a foreground mode, the duration calculator to credit the second application independently of the background creditor crediting the first application.

18. An apparatus as defined in claim 13, wherein the background identifier is to determine that the first application has stopped running in the background mode, and further comprising a duration calculator to credit the first application as a foreground application by determining that the first application has stopped running in the background mode.

19. An apparatus as described in claim 18, wherein the background identifier is to determine that the first application has stopped running in the background mode by determining that an event is associated with a second privileged application.

20. An apparatus as described in claim 18, wherein the background identifier is to determine that the first application has stopped running in the background mode by determining that an event includes a second request corresponding to foreground execution of the first application.

21. An apparatus as described in claim 18, wherein the background identifier is to determine that the first application has stopped running in the background mode by determining that a time between an event and a previous event is greater than an event length threshold.

22. An apparatus as described in claim 18, wherein the background identifier is to determine that the first application has stopped running in the background mode by determining that an event corresponds to a resource demand that supersedes a resource demand of the first application.

23. An apparatus as described in claim 13, wherein the background creditor is to credit the first application as a background application by crediting a time duration between the first request and a previous event corresponding to a start time of a second application executing in a foreground execution mode.

24. An apparatus as described in claim 13, wherein the background creditor is to credit the first application as a background application by crediting a time duration between the first request and a previous event corresponding to background execution of the first application when the time duration is less than an event length threshold.

25. A computer readable storage medium comprising computer readable instructions which, when executed, cause a processor to at least:

identify a first application associated with a first request;

determine that the first application is operating in a background mode; and

credit the first application as a background application based on determining that the first application is operating in the background mode.

26. A storage medium as described in claim 25, wherein the instructions are further to cause the processor to identify a panelist associated with the first request.

27. A storage medium as described in claim 25, wherein the instructions are to cause the processor to determine that the first application is operating in a background mode by determining that a record for the first application occurs within a time period associated with a foreground execution session of a second application.

28. A storage medium as described in claim 25, wherein the instructions are to cause the processor to determine that the first application is operating in a background mode by determining that a time between an event and a previous event for the first application is less than an event length threshold.

29. A storage medium as described in claim 25, wherein the instructions are further to cause the processor to credit a second application independently of crediting the first application.

30. A storage medium as described in claim 25, wherein the instructions are further to cause the processor to determine that the first application has stopped running in the background mode, and crediting the first application as a foreground application by determining that the first application has stopped running in the background mode.

31. A storage medium as described in claim 30, wherein the instructions are to cause the processor to determine that the first application has stopped running in the background mode by determining that an event is associated with a second privileged application.

32. A storage medium as described in claim 30, wherein the instructions are to cause the processor to determine that the first application has stopped running in the background mode by determining that an event includes a second request corresponding to foreground execution of the first application.

33. A storage medium as described in claim 30, wherein the instructions are to cause the processor to determine that the first application has stopped running in the background mode by determining that a time between an event and a previous event is greater than an event length threshold.

34. A storage medium as described in claim 30, wherein the instructions are to cause the processor to determine that the first application has stopped running in the background mode by determining that an event corresponds to a resource demand that supersedes a resource demand of the first application.

35. A storage medium as described in claim 25, wherein the instructions are to cause the processor to credit the first application as a background application by crediting a time duration between the first request and a previous event corresponding to a start time of a second application executing in a foreground execution mode.

36. A storage medium as described in claim 25, wherein the instructions are to cause the processor to credit the first application as a background application by crediting a time duration between the first request and a previous event corresponding to background execution of the first application when the time duration is less than an event length threshold.