Portable multi-purpose audience measurement systems, apparatus and methods

1. A method to monitor a media presentation device, the method comprising:

sensing a media content signal output by the media presentation device using a portable device separate from the media presentation device, the portable device supporting media metering functionality and native functionality;

detecting whether a code is encoded in the sensed media content signal using the portable device; and

generating a signature from the sensed media content signal using the portable device when the portable device is electrically coupled to an external power supply or the portable device has at least a threshold amount of local battery power, but not generating the signature when the portable device is not electrically coupled to the external power supply and the portable device does not have at least the threshold amount of local battery power.

2. A method as defined in claim 1 wherein generating the signature occurs when the code is not detected in the sensed media content signal, but does not occur when the code is detected in the sensed media content signal.

3. A method as defined in claim 1 wherein generating the signature occurs when no codes have been detected for at least a first interval of time but not exceeding a second interval of time longer than the first interval of time, and wherein generating the signature does not occur when either at least one code has been detected within the first interval of time or no codes have been detected for at least the second interval of time.

4. A method as defined in claim 1 wherein detecting whether the code is encoded in the sensed media content signal and generating the signature are performed when the portable device is not implementing the native functionality, but are not performed when the portable device is implementing the native functionality.

5. A method as defined in claim 1 wherein the portable device comprises at least one of a mobile telephone, a personal digital assistant or a pager.

6. A method as defined in claim 1 wherein the portable device initially supports only the native functionality, and further comprising downloading media metering software to the portable device to add the media metering functionality.

7. A method as defined in claim 1 further comprising:

determining whether a data delivery time has passed;

determining whether the portable device is connected to a docked network when the data delivery time has passed;

reporting at least one of the detected code or the generated signature using the docked network when the data delivery time has passed and the portable device is connected to the docked network; and

reporting at least one of the detected code or the generated signature using an available wireless network when the data delivery time has passed and the portable device is not connected to the docked network.

8. A method as defined in claim 1 further comprising:

processing a sensor output to determine whether the media presentation device is on or off, the sensor included in the portable device and configured to sense the media content signal output by the media presentation device, the sensor output corresponding to the sensed media content signal when the media presentation device is on;

operating the portable device in a sleep mode when no audio is detected in the sensor output or when audio is detected in the sensor output but the media presentation device is determined to be off, the portable device to operate in the sleep mode for a duration of time depending on a metering accuracy and a remaining battery life determined for the portable device; and

operating the portable device to at least one of detect the code or generate the signature when audio is detected in the sensor output and the media presentation device is determined to be on.

9. A tangible article of manufacture storing machine readable instructions which, when executed, cause a machine to:

sense a media content signal output by a media presentation device using a portable device separate from the media presentation device, the portable device supporting media metering functionality and native functionality;

detect whether a code is encoded in the sensed media content signal using the portable device; and

generate a signature from the sensed media content signal using the portable device when the portable device is electrically coupled to an external power supply or the portable device has at least a threshold amount of local battery power, but not generate the signature when the portable device is not electrically coupled to the external power supply and the portable device does not have at least the threshold amount of local battery power.

10. A tangible article of manufacture as defined in claim 9 wherein the machine readable instructions, when executed, cause the machine to generate the signature when the code is not detected in the sensed media content signal, but not when the code is detected in the sensed media content signal.

11. A tangible article of manufacture as defined in claim 9 wherein the machine readable instructions, when executed, cause the machine to generate the signature when no codes have been detected for at least a first interval of time but not exceeding a second interval of time longer than the first interval of time, but not when either at least one code has been detected within the first interval of time or no codes have been detected for at least the second interval of time.

12. A tangible article of manufacture as defined in claim 9 wherein the machine readable instructions, when executed, cause the machine to detect whether the code is encoded in the sensed media content signal and generate the signature when the portable device is not implementing the native functionality, but not when the portable device is implementing the native functionality.

13. A tangible article of manufacture as defined in claim 9 wherein the portable device initially supports only the native functionality, and wherein the machine readable instructions, when executed, further cause the machine to download media metering software to the portable device to add the media metering functionality.

14. A tangible article of manufacture as defined in claim 9 wherein the machine readable instructions, when executed, further cause the machine to at least:

process a sensor output to determine whether the media presentation device is on or off, the sensor included in the portable device and configured to sense the media content signal output by the media presentation device, the sensor output corresponding to the sensed media content signal when the media presentation device is on;

operate the portable device in a sleep mode when no audio is detected in the sensor output or when audio is detected in the sensor output but the media presentation device is determined to be off, the portable device to operate in the sleep mode for a duration of time depending on a metering accuracy and a remaining battery life determined for the portable device; and

operate the portable device to at least one of detect the code or generate the signature when audio is detected in the sensor output and the media presentation device is determined to be on.

15. A portable metering device comprising:

a sensor to sense a media content signal output by a media presentation device separate from the portable device;

a processor to execute media metering software to implement a media meter and to execute native software to implement native functionality; the media meter to:

detect whether a code is encoded in the media content signal; and

generate a signature from the sensed media content signal when the portable device is electrically coupled to an external power supply or the portable device has at least a threshold amount of local battery power, but to not generate the signature when the portable device is not electrically coupled to the external power supply and the portable device does not have at least the threshold amount of local battery power; and

a memory to store at least one of the detected code or the generated signature.

16. A portable metering device as defined in claim 15 wherein the media meter is to generate the signature when the code is not detected in the media content signal, but not generate the signature when the code is detected in the media content signal.

17. A portable metering device as defined in claim 15 wherein the media meter is to generate the signature when no codes have been detected for at least a first interval of time but not exceeding a second interval of time longer than the first interval of time, and to not generate the signature when either at least one code has been detected within the first interval of time or no codes have been detected for at least the second interval of time.

18. A portable metering device as defined in claim 15 further comprising an interface to receive the media metering software from a server.