# US 2010/0169904 A1 · Methods and apparatus to enforce a power off state of an audience measurement device during shipping > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2010/0169904 A1 - Document ID: US20100169904A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 12/346,416 - Filed: 2008-12-30 - Published: 2010-07-01 - Earliest claimed: 2008-12-30 - Assignees: The Nielsen Company (US), LLC - Inventors: Christen V. Nielsen; Larry D. Patterson - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20100169904A1 ## CPC - H04H 60/29: Arrangements for monitoring broadcast services or broadcast-related services - H04H 60/35: Arrangements for identifying or recognising characteristics with a direct linkage to broadcast information or to broadcast space-time, e.g. for identifying broadcast stations or for identifying users - H04N 7/163: {by receiver means only} - H04N 21/42202: {environmental sensors, e.g. for detecting temperature, luminosity, pressure, earthquakes} - H04N 21/44222: {Analytics of user selections, e.g. selection of programmes or purchase activity (monitoring of user selections in data processing systems G06F11/34; arrangements for monitoring the user's behaviour or opinions in broadcast systems H04H60/33)} - H04N 21/4424: {Monitoring of the internal components or processes of the client device, e.g. CPU or memory load, processing speed, timer, counter or percentage of the hard disk space used (error monitoring in general G06F11/30; arrangements for monitoring conditions of receiving stations in broadcast systems H04H60/32; diagnosis, testing or measuring for television receivers H04N17/04)} - H04H: BROADCAST COMMUNICATION (multiplex communication H04J; pictorial communication aspects of broadcast systems H04N) - H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION ## Abstract Methods and apparatus to enforce a power off state of an audience measurement device during shipping of the device are disclosed herein. An example portable audience measurement device includes a housing, a media detector in the housing to collect media exposure data and a packaging sensor to detect a stimulus generated within the package. A packaging detector compares the detected stimulus to a criterion to determine whether the device is located within the package. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An audience measurement device, comprising: a housing; a media detector in the housing to collect media exposure data; a packaging sensor to detect a stimulus generated within a package; a packaging detector to compare the detected stimulus to a criterion to determine whether the device is located within the package. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) A device as defined in claim 1, wherein the packaging detector causes the device to at least partially power down when the packaging detector determines that the device is located within the package. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) A device as defined in claim 1, further comprising a memory to store the collected media exposure data, ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) A device as defined in claim 1, wherein the packaging detector maintains a supply of power to a clock when the packaging detector determines that the device is located within the package. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) A device as defined in claim 1, wherein the package is a mailer. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) A device as defined in claim 1, wherein the media exposure data comprises at least one of a signature or an identification code to which the device is exposed. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) A device as defined in claim 1, further comprising a real-time clock. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) A device as defined in claim 7, further comprising a user interface to communicate information to a user, and wherein the user interface displays a message to the user based upon the real-time clock. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) A device as defined in claim 1, wherein the stimulus is at least one of a magnetic field, an infrared signal, a radio-frequency signal, or an audio signal. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) A device as defined in claim 1, wherein the stimulus includes an identification code embedded within the stimulus signal. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) A device as defined in claim 1, wherein the stimulus is a physical contact between the member and the packaging sensor. ### Claim 12 An audience measurement device, comprising: a housing; a media detector in the housing to collect media exposure data; and a packaging sensor to receive a physical stimulus generated within a package, wherein the packaging sensor causes the device to at least partially power down when the device is located within the package. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) A device as defined in claim 12, further comprising a memory to store the collected media exposure data. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) A device as defined in claim 12, further comprising a real-time clock. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) A device as defined in claim 14, further comprising a user interface to communicate information to a user, and wherein the user interface displays a message to the user based upon the real-time clock. ### Claim 16 A method of enforcing a power down state in an audience measurement device during shipping of the device, comprising: generating a stimulus within a shipping container; detecting the stimulus with the audience measurement device; comparing the detected stimulus to a criterion to determine whether the device is located within the shipping container; and powering off at least a portion of the audience measurement device if the device is located within the shipping container. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) A method as defined in claim 16, wherein the stimulus is a magnetic field and the criterion is a magnetic field strength threshold. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) A method as defined in claim 16, wherein the stimulus is at least one of an infrared signal, a radio-frequency signal, or an audio signal. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) A method as defined in claim 18, wherein the stimulus comprises an identification code. ### Claim 20 (depends on 16) A method as defined in claim 16, wherein the criterion comprises an identification code. ### Claim 21 (depends on 16) A method as defined in claim 16, wherein the stimulus comprises a physical contact between a switch and a projection within the shipping container. ### Claim 22 (depends on 16) A method as defined in claim 16, further comprising powering on the audience measurement device if the device is not located within the shipping container. ### Claim 23 (depends on 16) A method as defined in claim 16, further comprising not powering off the audience measurement device if the device is not located within the shipping container. ### Claim 24 (depends on 16) A method as defined in claim 16, further comprising collecting media exposure data with the audience measurement device. ### Claim 25 A machine readable medium having instructions stored thereon that, when executed by a processor, cause a machine to: detecting a stimulus with an audience measurement device, wherein the stimulus is generated within a shipping container; compare the detected stimulus to a criterion to determine whether the device is located within the shipping container; and power off at least a portion of the audience measurement device if the device is located within the shipping container.