Methods, apparatus and articles of manufacture to monitor mobile devices

• US 9,325,381 B2
• Filed: 03/15/2013
• Issued: 04/26/2016
• 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: Gutierrez, Alejandro
• Primary Examiner(s): Chen, Junpeng
• Application Number:
  US13/833,677
• Publication Number:
  US 20140273822A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,138 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/72 for local intradevice communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0254 comprising one or a plurality of mechanically detachable modules
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/7246 by connection of exchangeable housing parts
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/04 including near field communication means, e.g. RFID
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals

Abstract

Methods, apparatus, systems and articles of manufacture to monitor mobile devices are disclosed. An example apparatus includes a shell having a form factor dimensioned to receive a mobile device; and a near-field interceptor coupled to the shell, the near-field interceptor to capture data communicated via a near-field energy field between a first near-field communication device of the mobile device and a second near field communication device external to the mobile device.

Claims

1. A mobile device case, comprising:

a shell having a form factor dimensioned to receive a mobile device; and

a near-field interceptor coupled to the shell, the near-field interceptor to capture data communicated via a near-field energy field between a first near-field communication device of the mobile device and a second near-field communication device external to the mobile device, the near-field interceptor to capture the data when the mobile device is in direct communication with the second near-field communication device using the near-field energy field.

2. The mobile device case as defined in claim 1, wherein the near-field interceptor is coupled to the shell in a position proximate the first near-field communication device of the mobile device when the mobile device is carried by the shell.

3. The mobile device case as defined in claim 2, wherein the position is aligned with a battery cover of the mobile device when the mobile device is carried by the shell.

4. The mobile device case as defined in claim 1, wherein the shell includes a hinged cover portion, and the near-field interceptor is carried by the hinged cover portion.

5. The mobile device case as defined in claim 1, wherein the shell includes interlocking portions, and the near-field interceptor is coupled to one of the interlocking portions that aligns with the first near-field communication device of the mobile device when the mobile device is carried by the shell.

6. The mobile device case as defined in claim 1, further including memory to store data collected by the near-field interceptor.

7. The mobile device case as defined in claim 6, wherein the memory is located in the mobile device case.

8. The mobile device case as defined in claim 6, wherein the memory is resident in the mobile device.

9. The mobile device case as defined in claim 6, wherein the data is to be conveyed to a central facility via a communication device of the mobile device.

10. The mobile device case as defined in claim 1, wherein the mobile device case does not include a screen or keypad.

11. The mobile device case as defined in claim 1, wherein the mobile device case is to protect the mobile device.

12. An apparatus, comprising:

a housing to carry a first Near Field Communication (NFC) enabled device having a first NFC communicator that communicates data via an NFC field; and

an interceptor physically located in the housing and separate from the first NFC-enabled device such that the interceptor is positioned in the NFC field when the first NFC communicator is active, the interceptor to collect the data communicated via the NFC field between the first NFC communicator of the first NFC-enabled device and a second NFC communicator of a second NFC-enabled device different than the first NFC-enabled device, the interceptor to collect the data when the first NFC-enabled device is in direct communication with the second NFC-enabled device using the NFC field.

13. The apparatus as defined in claim 12, wherein the first NFC-enabled device includes a mobile device having a form factor dimensioned to securely fit within the housing.

14. The apparatus, as defined in claim 12, wherein the interceptor includes an NFC antenna carried by the housing.

15. The apparatus as defined in claim 12, further including memory to store the data collected by the interceptor.

16. The apparatus as defined in claim 15, wherein the memory is located in the housing.

17. The apparatus as defined in claim 15, wherein the memory is resident in the first NFC-enabled device.

18. The apparatus as defined in claim 15, wherein the data is to be conveyed to a central facility via a communication device of the first NFC-enabled device.

19. The apparatus as defined in claim 12, further including a meter located in the housing to collect media identifying information corresponding to media presented by the first NFC-enabled device.

20. The apparatus as defined in claim 12, wherein the interceptor is a passive device.

21. The apparatus as defined in claim 12, wherein the interceptor is an active device.

22. A method, comprising:

determining, via a first near-field device integrated in a mobile device case, that a near-field energy field is present between a near-field initiator device and a near-field target device, wherein one of the near-field initiator device and the near-field target device is a component of a mobile device carried by the mobile device case, and the first near-field device is neither the near-field initiator device nor the near-field target device;

collecting, via the first near-field device, data transmitted between the near-field initiator device and the near-field target device via the NFC field, the first near-field device to collect the data when the near-field initiator device is in direct communication with the near-field target device using the NFC field; and

conveying the collected data from the first near-field device to a memory.

23. The method as defined in claim 22, wherein the conveying of the collected data to the memory includes transmitting the collected data to the mobile device.

24. The method as defined in claim 22, wherein the memory is located in the mobile device case.

25. The method as defined in claim 22, wherein the mobile device case is a shell having a form factor dimensioned to snugly receive the mobile device.