Methods and apparatus to credit background applications

A non-transitory computer readable storage medium comprising instructions that, when executed, cause a processor to at least:

• compare bandwidth usage of a first media presentation application executing in a background of a consumer device to a first threshold for bandwidth activity associated with the first media presentation application to determine a state of the first media presentation application during a first time period as one of active or inactive, the first threshold based on a first bandwidth usage pattern of the first media presentation application, wherein to compare the bandwidth usage to the first threshold for bandwidth activity, the instructions cause the processor to:
• detect a first period during which the bandwidth usage is above the first threshold for bandwidth activity;
• detect a second period during which the bandwidth usage is below the first threshold for bandwidth activity;
• determine that the first media presentation application is active during the second period when the bandwidth usage exceeds the first threshold during a temporal activity window after the first period;
• determine that the first media presentation application is inactive after the second period when the bandwidth usage does not exceed the first threshold during the temporal activity window after the first period;
• determine a state of a second media presentation application executing in a foreground of the consumer device during the first time period as one of active or inactive based on whether a special event associated with the second media presentation application is detected during the first time period;
• and
• log and report application event information including an identification of the first media presentation application, an identification of the second media presentation application, a context of the first media presentation application, a context of the second media presentation application, the state of the first media presentation application and the state of the second media presentation application.

An audience measurement method to monitor panelist media exposure, the method comprising:

• comparing, by executing an instruction with a processor, bandwidth usage of a first media presentation application executing in a background of a consumer device to a first threshold for bandwidth activity associated with the first media presentation application to determine a state of the first media presentation application during a first time period as one of active or inactive, the first threshold based on a first bandwidth usage pattern of the first media presentation application, the comparing including:
• detecting a first period during which the bandwidth usage is above the first threshold for bandwidth activity;
• detecting a second period during which the bandwidth usage is below the first threshold for bandwidth activity;
• determining that the first media presentation application is active during the second period when the bandwidth usage exceeds the first threshold during a temporal activity window after the first period;
• and
• determining that the first media presentation application is inactive after the second period when the bandwidth usage does not exceed the first threshold during the temporal activity window after the first period;
• determining, by executing an instruction with the processor, a state of a second media presentation application executing in a foreground of the consumer device during the first time period as one of active or inactive based on whether a special event associated with the second media presentation application is detected during the first time period;
• and
• logging and reporting application event information including an identification of the first media presentation application, an identification of the second media presentation application, a context of the first media presentation application, a context of the second media presentation application, the state of the first media presentation application and the state of the second media presentation application.