Systems, methods, and apparatus to monitor mobile internet activity

• US 9,307,418 B2
• Filed: 09/30/2013
• Issued: 04/05/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Nielsen Company LLC (MOOD Media Corporation)
• Original Assignee: The Nielson Company (US), LLC
• Inventors: Papakostas, Achilleas, Yonker, Michael Andrew
• Primary Examiner(s): Batista, Marcos
• Application Number:
  US14/041,613
• Publication Number:
  US 20140036687A1
• Time in Patent Office: 918 Days
• Field of Search: 455/405, 370/338
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0806 for initial configuration or provisioning, e.g. plug-and-play
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/30 for supporting lawful interception, monitoring or retaining of communications or communication related information circuit switched telephony call monitoring H04M3/2281
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/303 Terminal profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/564 Enhancement of application control based on intercepted application data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements

Abstract

Systems, methods, and apparatus to monitor mobile Internet activity are disclosed. An example method comprises determining, with a processor, whether a device is communicatively coupled to a WiFi network, the WiFi network identified by a Service Set Identifier. Whether proxy settings are configured on the device in association with the WiFi network is identified. Registration information is transmitted from the device to a registrar if the proxy settings are not configured, the registration information comprising a classification of the WiFi network and the Service Set Identifier. The proxy settings of the WiFi network are configured based on instructions received from the registrar, the instructions to cause the device to transmit network communications using the proxy settings when communicatively coupled to the WiFi network.

Claims

1. A method of monitoring usage of a mobile device, the method comprising:

determining, with a processor, whether a device is communicatively coupled to a WiFi network, the WiFi network identified by a Service Set Identifier;

identifying whether proxy settings are configured on the device in association with the WiFi network;

determining whether the device has reached a threshold usage level in association with the WiFi network;

in response to determining (1) that the device has reached the threshold usage level and (2) that the proxy settings are not configured, transmitting registration information from the device to a registrar, the registration information including a classification of the WiFi network and the Service Set Identifier; and

configuring the proxy settings of the WiFi network based on instructions received from the registrar, the instructions to cause the device to transmit network communications using the proxy settings when communicatively coupled to the WiFi network.

2. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the proxy settings include a proxy server address and a proxy server port.

3. The method as defined in claim 2, wherein the proxy server address and the proxy server port are uniquely assigned to the device and Service Set Identifier combination.

4. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the threshold usage level is a duration of connectivity to the WiFi network.

5. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the threshold usage level is a data transmission threshold.

6. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the threshold usage level is a number of connection occurrences.

7. The method as defined in claim 6, wherein the number of connection occurrences is calculated over an interval of time.

8. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the threshold usage level is a number of connection occurrences between a first time of day and a second time of day.

9. The method as defined in claim 1, further including prompting a panelist to classify the WiFi network.

10. The method as defined in claim 9, wherein the WiFi network is classified as a home network.

11. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the registration information includes an identifier of the device.

12. A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium comprising first instructions which, when executed, cause a computing device to at least:

determine whether the device is communicatively coupled to a WiFi network, the WiFi network identified by a Service Set Identifier;

identify whether proxy settings are configured on the computing device in association with the WiFi network;

determine whether the device has reached a threshold usage level in association with the WiFi network; and

in response to a determination (1) that the computing device has reached the threshold usage level and (2) that the proxy settings are not configured, transmit registration information from the computing device to a registrar, the registration information including a classification of the WiFi network and the Service Set Identifier, the device to configure the proxy settings of the WiFi network on the computing device by executing configuration instructions received from the registrar, the configuration instructions to cause the computing device to transmit network communications using the proxy settings when communicatively coupled to the WiFi network.

13. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium as defined in claim 12, wherein the proxy settings include a proxy server address and a proxy server port.

14. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium as defined in claim 13, herein the proxy server address and the proxy server port are uniquely assigned to the computing device and Service Set Identifier combination.

15. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium as defined in claim 12, wherein the threshold usage level is a duration of connectivity to the WiFi network.

16. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium as defined in claim 12, wherein the threshold usage level is a data transmission threshold.

17. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium as defined in claim 12, wherein the threshold usage level is a number of connection occurrences.

18. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium as defined in claim 17, wherein the number of connection occurrences is calculated for a period of time.

19. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium as defined in claim 12, wherein the threshold usage level is a number of connection occurrences between a first time and a second time.

20. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium as defined in claim 12, wherein the first instructions, when executed, cause the computing device to prompt a panelist to classify the WiFi network.

21. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium as defined in claim 20, wherein the WiFi network is classified as a home network.

22. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium as defined in claim 12, wherein the registration information includes an identifier of the computing device.