# US 10,374,927 B2 · Methods and apparatus to credit background applications > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,374,927 B2 - Document ID: US10374927B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/676,191 - Filed: 2017-08-14 - Published: 2017-11-30 - Granted: 2019-08-06 - Earliest claimed: 2013-11-01 - Assignees: The Nielsen Company (US), LLC - Applicants: The Nielsen Company (US), LLC - Inventors: Susan Cimino; Achilleas Papakostas; Cary Pillers - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10374927B2 ## CPC - H04L 43/0876: Network utilisation, e.g. volume of load or congestion level - G06F 9/4843: {by program, e.g. task dispatcher, supervisor, operating system} - H04L 43/16: Threshold monitoring - H04L 67/125: involving control of end-device applications over a network - H04L 43/106: using time related information in packets, e.g. by adding timestamps - Y02D 10/00: Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) - Y02D: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES [ICT], I.E. INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES AIMING AT THE REDUCTION OF THEIR OWN ENERGY USE ## Abstract Methods, apparatus and computer readable storage medium are disclosed to monitor media exposure. Examples disclosed herein compare bandwidth usage of a first media presentation application executing in a background of a consumer device to a first threshold for bandwidth activity to determine if the first media presentation application is one of active or inactive, the first threshold based on a first bandwidth usage pattern of the first media presentation application. Examples disclosed herein 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. Examples disclosed herein log and report application event information including an identification of the first and second media presentation applications, a context of the first and second media presentation applications, and the state of the first and second media presentation applications. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An audience measurement apparatus to monitor panelist media exposure, the apparatus comprising: a network usage monitor to 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 network usage monitor is 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; and 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; an application event monitor to 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 a logger to 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, at least one of the network usage monitor, the application event monitor or the logger implemented via a logic circuit. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the special event associated with the second media presentation application corresponds to at least one of an output by the second media presentation application, a change of location of the second media presentation application, an opening of the second media presentation application or a closing of the second media presentation application. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the application event monitor is further to determine the state of the first media presentation application executing in the background of the consumer device during the first time period as one of active or inactive based on whether a special event associated with the first media presentation application is detected during the first time period. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the special event associated with the first media presentation application corresponds to at least one of an output by the first media presentation application, a change of location of the first media presentation application, an opening of the first media presentation application or a closing of the first media presentation application. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the audience measurement apparatus is further to transmit the application event information to an audience measurement entity. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second period is after the first period, and the temporal activity window includes the first period and the second period. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the first period and the second period are adjacent. ### Claim 8 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. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The non-transitory computer readable storage medium as defined in claim 8, wherein the special event associated with the second media presentation application includes detection of at least one of an output by the second media presentation application, a change of location of the second media presentation application, an opening of the second media presentation application or a closing of the second media presentation application. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The non-transitory computer readable storage medium as defined in claim 8, wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the processor to at least determine the state of the first media presentation application executing in the background of the consumer device during the first time period as one of active or inactive based on whether a special event associated with the first media presentation application is detected during the first time period. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The non-transitory computer readable storage medium as defined in claim 10, wherein the special event associated with the first media presentation application includes detection of at least one of an output by the first media presentation application, a change of location of the first media presentation application, an opening of the first media presentation application or a closing of the first media presentation application. ### Claim 12 (depends on 8) The non-transitory computer readable storage medium as defined in claim 8, wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the processor to at least transmit the application event information to an audience measurement entity. ### Claim 13 (depends on 8) The method as defined in claim 8, further including transmitting the application event information to an audience measurement entity. ### Claim 14 (depends on 8) The non-transitory computer readable storage medium as defined in claim 8, wherein the second period is after the first period, and the temporal activity window includes the first period and the second period. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The non-transitory computer readable storage medium as defined in claim 14, wherein the first period and the second period are adjacent. ### Claim 16 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. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The method as defined in claim 16, wherein the special event associated with the second media presentation application includes detection of at least one of an output by the second media presentation application, a change of location of the second media presentation application, an opening of the second media presentation application or a closing of the second media presentation application. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The method as defined in claim 16, further including determining the state of the first media presentation application executing in the background of the consumer device during the first time period as one of active or inactive based on whether a special event associated with the first media presentation application is detected during the first time period. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The method as defined in claim 18, wherein the special event associated with the first media presentation application includes detection of at least one of an output by the first media presentation application, a change of location of the first media presentation application, an opening of the first media presentation application or a closing of the first media presentation application. ### Claim 20 (depends on 16) The method as defined in claim 16, wherein the first period and the second period are adjacent, the second period is after the first period, and the temporal activity window includes the first period and the second period.