Personal area network proxy service for video systems

A system for collecting viewership information about media content presented for display via a set top box (STB) using a portable computing device, the system comprising:

• a personal area network (“PAN”) transceiver unit for use in relation to the STB, wherein the PAN transceiver unit is configured to be a member of a first wireless network, wherein the first wireless network comprises a wireless PAN, the PAN transceiver unit comprising a processor and a memory, wherein the PAN transceiver unit's processor and memory are configured to (1) collect channel information for the STB that is indicative of media content for viewing by a viewer through the STB and a screen, (2) detect any devices that are observable on and within range of the wireless PAN, (3) record in the memory viewership data that is indicative of a count of the detected devices in association with the collected channel information that is coincident in time with the detected devices, and (4) output the viewership data via the wireless PAN;
• and
• a mobile application comprising a plurality of instructions for execution by a processor of the portable computing device;
• and
• wherein the mobile application, upon execution by the portable computing device's processor, is configured to (1) connect to the wireless PAN, (2) connect to a second wireless network, (3) create a proxy service (i) through which there is a first communication path between the PAN transceiver unit and the mobile application via the wireless PAN and (ii) through which there is a second communication path between the mobile application and a server via the second wireless network, and (4) communicate the viewership data to the server via the proxy service such that the mobile application receives the viewership data from the PAN transceiver unit via the wireless PAN and forwards the viewership data to the server via the second wireless network.