Methods and apparatus to improve usage crediting in mobile devices

• US 9,762,688 B2
• Filed: 10/31/2014
• Issued: 09/12/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2014
• 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
• Primary Examiner(s): Avellino, Joseph E
• Assistant Examiner(s): MCLEOD, MARSHALL M
• Application Number:
  US14/529,784
• Publication Number:
  US 20160127488A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,047 Days
• Field of Search: 709224, 709223
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1045 Proxies, e.g. for session initiation protocol [SIP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1066 Session management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1083 In-session procedures
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34

Abstract

Methods, apparatus, systems and articles of manufacture are disclosed to identify a first request having a first source port number, from a device. Examples disclosed herein determine whether a second request, having a second source port number, is within a threshold number of ports from the first source port number. Examples disclosed herein group the first and the second requests as a first session when the second source port number is within the threshold number of ports from the first source port number, and identify an application associated with the first session.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

Identifying, by executing an instruction with a processor, a first request having a first source port number, from a device;

determining, by executing an instruction with the processor, whether a second request, having a second source port number, is within a threshold number of ports from the first source port number;

grouping, by executing an instruction with the processor, the first and the second requests as a first session when the second source port number is within the threshold number of ports from the first source port number, wherein session windows including the threshold number of ports move to a highest and lowest source port numbers associated with a current session; and

identifying, by executing an instruction with the processor, an application associated with the first session.

2. The method as defined in claim 1, further including:

determining whether a third request, having a third port number, is at least one of;

(1) within a lower session window from a lower of the first and the second source port number, (2) within an upper session window from a higher of the first and the second source port number; and

grouping the third request in the first session.

3. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein requests are not gathered on the device.

4. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein requests are gathered at a proxy server intermediate to the device associated with a panelist generating requests and a media provider providing the media to the device.

5. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein an identifier of the first session is associated with the first and the second request.

6. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein identifying an application associated with the first session further includes:

identifying the application as a first application when a user agent of the first request matches a first application pattern associated with the first application.

7. The method as defined in claim 6, further including:

when the user agent of the first request does not match an application pattern associated with any application, identifying the application as the first application when a uniform resource locator (URL) matches the first application pattern associated with the first application.

8. The method as defined in claim 1, further including, crediting use of the application during the first session.

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

identify a first request having a first source port number, from a device associated with a panelist;

determine whether a second request, having a second source port number, is within a threshold number of ports from the first source port number;

group the first and the second requests as a first session when the second source port number is within the threshold number of ports from the first source port number;

identify an application associated with the first session; and

identify the application as a first application when a user agent of the first request matches a first application pattern associated with the first application.

10. The computer readable medium as defined in claim 9, further including instructions that, when executed, cause the machine to at least:

determine whether a third request, having a third port number, is at least one of;

(1) within a lower session window from a lower of the first and the second source port number, (2) within an upper session window from a higher of the first and the second source port number; and

group the third request in the first session.

11. The computer readable medium as defined in claim 9, wherein requests are not gathered on the device.

12. The computer readable medium as defined in claim 9, wherein requests are gathered at a proxy server intermediate to the device associated with the panelist generating requests and a media provider providing the media to the device.

13. The computer readable medium as defined in claim 9, wherein an identifier of the first session is associated with the first and the second request.

14. The computer readable medium as defined in claim 9, wherein session windows including the threshold number of ports move to the highest and lowest source port numbers associated with a current session.

15. The computer readable medium as defined in claim 9, further including instructions that, when executed, cause the machine to at least:

in response to the user agent of the first request not matching an application pattern associated with any application, identify the application as the first application when a uniform resource locator (URL) matches the first application pattern associated with the first application.

16. The computer readable medium as defined in claim 10, further including instructions that, when executed, cause the machine to at least credit use of the application during the first session.

17. An apparatus including a processor comprising:

a session classifier including a memory to identify a first request having a first source port number, from a device, determine whether a second request, having a second source port number, is within a threshold number of ports from the first source port number, group the first and the second requests as a first session when the second source port number is within the threshold number of ports from the first source port number, determine whether a third request, having a third port number, is at least one of;

(1) within a lower session window from a lower of the first and the second source port number, (2) within an upper session window from a higher of the first and the second source port number, and group the third request in the first session; and

an application identifier including the memory to identify an application associated with the first session.

18. The apparatus as defined in claim 17, wherein requests are not gathered on the device.

19. The apparatus as defined in claim 17, wherein requests are gathered at a proxy server intermediate to the device associated with a panelist generating requests and a media provider providing the media to the device.

20. The apparatus as defined in claim 17, wherein an identifier of the first session is associated with the first and the second request.

21. The apparatus as defined in claim 17, wherein session windows including the threshold number of ports moves to a highest and lowest source port numbers associated with a current session.

22. The apparatus as defined in claim 17, wherein the application identifier is further to identify the application as a first application when a user agent of the first request matches a first application pattern associated with the first application.

23. The apparatus as defined in claim 22, wherein the application identifier is further to, when the user agent of the first request does not match an application pattern associated with any application, identify the application as the first application when a uniform resource locator (URL) matches the first application pattern associated with the first application.

24. The apparatus as defined in claim 17, further including a creditor including the memory to credit use of the application during the first session.