Methods and apparatus to associate a mobile device with a panelist profile

• US 8,559,918 B2
• Filed: 11/16/2012
• Issued: 10/15/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/27/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nielsen Company (US) LLC (RR Donnelley & Sons Company)
• Original Assignee: The Nielsen Company LLC (MOOD Media Corporation)
• Inventors: Williamson, Ralph K., Hannaoui, Mohamad
• Primary Examiner(s): Mehrpour, Melody
• Application Number:
  US13/678,960
• Publication Number:
  US 20130072150A1
• Time in Patent Office: 333 Days
• Field of Search: 455/560, 455/426, 455/555, 455/445, 455/553, 455/554, 455/432, 455/427, 455/430, 455/12.1, 455/428, 455/56.1, 455/418
• US Class Current: 455/405
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/02 Protecting privacy or anonymity, e.g. protecting personally identifiable information [PII]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/20 Services signaling; Auxiliary data signalling, i.e. transmitting data via a non-traffic channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 Accounting or billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/50 Service provisioning or reconfiguring

Abstract

Methods and apparatus are disclosed to associate a mobile device with a panelist profile. An example method includes initializing a metering application on the mobile device to operate with partial functionality, parsing a message log with the metering application to identify an installation message, extracting a telephone number from the installation message and saving to a memory of the mobile device, sending an initialization message based on the extracted telephone number to prompt an authorization message, and enabling full functionality of the metering application in response to receiving the authorization message.

Claims

1. A method to conditionally authorize a metering application on a mobile device, comprising:

sending an installation message from a registration server in response to receiving demographics information and a first telephone number from a candidate panelist, the installation message addressed to the first telephone number;

detecting, by the registration server, an initialization message indicative of successful installation of the metering application; and

sending an authorization message to the first telephone number in response to detecting the initialization message, the authorization message to cause the metering application to begin collecting monitoring data.

2. A method as described in claim 1, further comprising monitoring for an acknowledgement message in response to sending the authorization message.

3. A method as described in claim 2, further comprising promoting the candidate panelist to a confirmed panelist in response to receiving the acknowledgement message.

4. A method as described in claim 2, further comprising sending an e-mail message to the candidate panelist when the acknowledgement message is not received within a threshold period of time.

5. A method as described in claim 4, wherein the e-mail message comprises an indication of failure to authorize the metering application.

6. A method as described in claim 2, further comprising obtaining caller identification information associated with a second telephone number associated with receipt of the installation message when the acknowledgement message is not received within a threshold period of time.

7. A method as described in claim 6, further comprising:

comparing the first telephone number and the second telephone number; and

generating an invitation message to the second telephone number when the first and second telephone numbers do not match.

8. A method as described in claim 7, further comprising identifying a compromised installation message when the first and second telephone numbers do not match.

9. A tangible machine readable storage medium comprising instructions stored thereon that, when executed, cause a machine to, at least:

send an installation message in response to receiving demographics information and a first telephone number from a candidate panelist, the installation message addressed to the first telephone number;

detect an initialization message indicative of successful installation of the metering application; and

send an authorization message to the first telephone number in response to detecting the initialization message, the authorization message to cause the metering application to begin collecting monitoring data.

10. A machine readable storage medium as described in claim 9, wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the machine to monitor for an acknowledgement message in response to sending the authorization message.

11. A machine readable storage medium as described in claim 10, wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the machine to promote the candidate panelist to a confirmed panelist in response to receiving the acknowledgement message.

12. A machine readable storage medium as described in claim 10, wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the machine to send an e-mail message to the candidate panelist when the acknowledgement message is not received within a threshold period of time.

13. A machine readable storage medium as described in claim 10, wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the machine to obtain caller identification information associated with a second telephone number associated with receipt of the installation message when the acknowledgement message is not received within a threshold period of time.

14. A machine readable storage medium as described in claim 13, wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the machine to:

compare the first telephone number and the second telephone number; and

generate an invitation message to the second telephone number when the first and second telephone numbers do not match.

15. An apparatus to conditionally authorize a metering application on a mobile device, comprising:

a registration server to send an installation message in response to receiving demographics information and a first telephone number from a candidate panelist, the installation message addressed to the first telephone number;

a metering server manager to detect an initialization message indicative of successful installation of the metering application; and

a server authorization message generator to send an authorization message to the first telephone number in response to detecting the initialization message, the authorization message to cause the metering application to begin collecting monitoring data.

16. An apparatus as described in claim 15, further comprising a short message service generator to generate the installation message.

17. An apparatus as described in claim 16, further comprising a uniform resource identifier generator to generate an HTTP request message in response to an indication that the installation message was unsuccessful.

18. An apparatus as described in claim 15, further comprising an ID generator to generate a unique panelist identifier in response to receiving the demographics information, the unique panelist identifier associated with the first telephone number.

19. An apparatus as described in claim 18, wherein the server authorization message generator is to send the authorization message when the initialization message includes the unique panelist identifier.

20. An apparatus as described in claim 18, wherein the server authorization message generator is to prohibit the authorization message to the first telephone number in response to detecting receipt of the unique panelist identifier and a second telephone number.

21. An apparatus as described in claim 20, wherein the server authorization message generator is to send an invitation message to the second telephone number, the invitation message associated with a registration website.