System and method for automatic sub-panel creation and management

• US 9,331,892 B2
• Filed: 03/15/2013
• Issued: 05/03/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/09/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Nielsen Company LLC (MOOD Media Corporation)
• Original Assignee: The Nielsen Company LLC (MOOD Media Corporation)
• Inventors: Lindberg, Tero
• Primary Examiner(s): SALL, EL HADJI MALICK
• Application Number:
  US13/837,658
• Publication Number:
  US 20130204999A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,145 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709/221, 709/200, 709/223, 709/224, 709/217, 709/227
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/00 Arrangements for maintenance, administration or management of data switching networks, e.g. of packet switching networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/142 using statistical or mathematical methods
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/08 Monitoring or testing based on specific metrics, e.g. QoS, energy consumption or environmental parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/08 Testing, supervising or monitoring using real traffic

Abstract

Systems, apparatuses and methods are disclosed for creating and managing sub-panels. Device data may be received in the system from each of a plurality of user devices, wherein the device data includes device usage data, device configuration data, demographic data and the like. Data collection rules are created or loaded into a central processing apparatus, where the device data is processed in the central processing apparatus to determine if device data related to one or more user devices complies to the data collection rules. Sub-panels may be defined in accordance with the processing, wherein the sub-panel may include one or more devices determined to be compliant with the data collection rules. Modification instructions may be generated in the central processing apparatus for the sub-panel, wherein the modification instructions are configured to be transmitted to at least some of the devices in the sub-panel, and wherein the modification instructions include data enabling each device in the sub panel to modify or enable at least one of (i) data collection operations and (ii) data reporting relating to future device data.

Claims

1. A processor-based method to establish a panel of panelist user devices, comprising:

processing device data obtained from the panel of panelist user devices to determine if the device data related to the panelist user devices complies with data collection rules;

defining the panel of panelist user devices to include a first panelist user device and a second panelist user device determined to be compliant with the data collection rules; and

generating modification instructions to cause the panel of panelist user devices to enable data collection operations, the data collection operations increasing a location retrieval rate of the first panelist user device based on an increasing proximity of the first panelist user device to the second panelist user device.

2. The processor-based method of claim 1, wherein the device data further includes at least one of network usage data, call data, text data, social media data, MMS data, battery data, phone charging data, web-usage data, audio codes or audio signatures.

3. The processor-based method of claim 1, wherein the data collection rules include a first parameter and a second parameter for the device data, the first and the second parameters including at least one of a user identification, a time, a panelist user device location, a user status information, or an application usage pattern.

4. The processor-based method of claim 3, further including generating a second panel of panelist user devices compliant with one of the second parameters of the data collection rules when the panelist user devices are not compliant with the first parameter of the data collection rules, the first and the second panel of panelist user devices collecting a same type of data.

5. The processor-based method of claim 1, further including processing the device data from the panel and redefining the panel with other panelist user devices when device data from the panel is not compliant with the data collection rules.

6. The processor-based method of claim 1, wherein the panelist user devices are portable computing devices operating data collection software to communicate wirelessly over a network.

7. A computer system to communicate over a network to portable user devices, comprising:

a processing apparatus, operatively coupled to an input and a storage, wherein the processing apparatus is to;

process device data retrieved from the portable user devices to determine if device data related to the portable user devices complies with data collection rules;

define a panel to include a first portable user device and a second portable user device determined to be compliant with the data collection rules; and

generate modification instructions for the panel to cause the panel of portable user devices to enable data collection operations, the data collection operations increasing a location retrieval rate of the first portable user device based on a threshold distance value between the first portable user device and the second portable user device.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the device data includes at least one of network usage data, call data, text data, social media data, MMS data, battery data, phone charging data, web-usage data, audio codes or audio signatures.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the data collection rules include a first parameter and a second parameter for the device data, the first and the second parameters including at least one of a user identification, a time, a portable user device location, a user status information, or an application usage pattern.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the processing apparatus is to generate a second panel of portable user devices compliant with one of the second parameters of the data collection rules when the portable user devices are not compliant with the first parameter of the data collection rules, the first and the second panel of portable user devices collecting a same type of data.

11. The system of claim 7, wherein the processing apparatus is to process device data from the panel and redefine the panel with other portable user devices if it is determined that the device data from the panel is not compliant with the data collection rules.

12. The system of claim 7, wherein the portable user devices are portable computing devices operating data collection software and communicate wirelessly over a network.

13. An article of manufacture comprising instructions for operating a panel pursuant to a research operation, that when executed, cause a processor to at least:

process device data obtained from portable user devices to determine if device data related to the portable user devices complies with data collection rules;

define the panel to include a first portable user device and a second portable user device determined to be compliant with the data collection rules;

generate modification instructions in the central processing apparatus to cause the panel of portable user devices to enable data collection operations, the data collection operations increasing a location retrieval rate of the first panelist user device based on a threshold distance value between the first portable user device and the second portable user device.

14. The article of manufacture of claim 13, wherein the device data includes at least one of network usage data, call data, text data, social media data, MMS data, battery data, phone charging data, web-usage data, audio codes or audio signatures.

15. The article of manufacture of claim 13, wherein the data collection rules include a first parameter and a second parameter for the device data, the first and the second parameters including at least one of a user identification, a time, a portable user device location, a user status information, or an application usage pattern.

16. The article of manufacture of claim 15, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to generate a second panel of portable user devices compliant with one of the second parameters of the data collection rules when the portable user devices are not compliant with the first parameter of the data collection rules, the first and the second panels of portable user devices collecting a same type of data.

17. The article of manufacture of claim 13, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to process device data from the panel and redefine the panel with other portable user devices if it is determined that the device data from the panel is not compliant with the data collection rules.