IP Library Granted Patent US 8,886,773
Granted Patent B2
US 8,886,773 · App. 12/856,651 · Granted Nov 11, 2014

Systems, methods, and apparatus to monitor mobile internet activity

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,886,773
App. No.
12/856,651
Granted
Nov 11, 2014
Kind
B2
Abstract

Systems, methods, and apparatus to monitor mobile Internet activity are disclosed. An example method comprises receiving a request for Internet content on a port of a proxy, the request originating from a mobile device transmitting requests via a cellular wireless access point; associating the request for Internet content with a mobile device based on the first port; requesting content from an Internet content provider identified in the request for Internet content, the Internet content provider being different than the proxy; and transmitting the content.

Claims (36)

1. A method to monitor Internet activity comprising:

assigning a first port of a proxy to a mobile device associated with a panelist based on registration information received from the panelist;

transmitting a property list file to the panelist, the property list file instructing the mobile device to transmit future requests for Internet content to the first port of the proxy, the future requests to originate with at least one of a browser or an application separate from the browser;

receiving a first request for Internet content on the first port of the proxy, the first request originating from the mobile device, the mobile device transmitting the first request via a cellular wireless access point;

not servicing the first request for Internet content if the first request originated from an Internet Protocol address outside of an IP address range representing devices on a cellular network;

if the first request originated from an Internet Protocol address inside the IP address range representing devices on the cellular network:

associating the first request for Internet content with a demographic of the panelist associated with the mobile device based on an identifier of the first port;

requesting content from an Internet content provider identified in the first request, the Internet content provider being different than the proxy; and

transmitting the content.

2. The method as defined in claim 1 , wherein transmitting the content comprises transmitting the content via the first port.

3. The method as defined in claim 1 , further comprising storing the first request for Internet content in a database.

4. The method as defined in claim 1 , further comprising storing the requested Internet content in a database.

5. The method as described in claim 1 , wherein the first port is within a range of at least one of dynamic and private ports.

6. The method as described in claim 1 , wherein the request for Internet content is un-authenticated.

7. A method to monitor Internet activity, the method comprising:

transmitting a first property list file to a first client device, the first property list file instructing the first client device to transmit future content requests via a first port of a proxy;

transmitting a second property list file to a second client device, the second property list file instructing the second client device to transmit future content requests via a second port of the proxy, the second port being different from the first port;

receiving a first content request on the first port from the first client device;

receiving a second content request on the second port from the second client;

not servicing the first content request if the first content request originated from an Internet Protocol address outside of an IP address range representing devices on a cellular network;

transmitting first content identified by the first content request to the first client device if the first content request originated from an Internet Protocol address inside the IP address range representing devices on the cellular network;

transmitting second content identified by the second content request to the second client device; and

storing an identifier of the first content requested by the first content request in association with the first client device based on an identity of the first port.

8. The method as described in claim 7 , further comprising storing a portion of the first content in association with the first client device.

9. The method as described in claim 7 , wherein storing the identifier of the first content requested by the first content request further comprises associating a first panelist identifier associated with the first client device with the identifier of the first content.

10. The method as described in claim 9 , wherein the first panelist identifier is an identifier of the first port.

11. A method to monitor Internet activity, the method comprising:

assigning a number of different mobile devices to communicate with respective ones of a number of different ports of a proxy server based on registration information received from panelists in a panel, the panelists each being associated with a respective mobile device, the number of mobile devices and number of ports assigned corresponding to a number of panelists in the panel;

transmitting property list files to respective ones of the mobile devices, each of the property list files instructing a corresponding one of the mobile devices to transmit future requests for Internet content to the respective ones of the ports of the proxy server, the future requests to originate with at least one of a browser or an application separate from the browser;

receiving an un-authenticated request for Internet content via one of the number of mobile devices based on the number of ports;

not servicing the request if the request originated from an Internet Protocol address outside of an IP address range representing devices on a cellular network; and

using the one of the number of ports to identify the mobile device associated with the request.

12. The method as described in claim 11 , wherein the panel comprises at least sixty panelists.

13. The method as described in claim 11 , wherein the panel comprises at least fifteen hundred panelists.

14. The method as described in claim 11 , wherein the number of ports are within a range from port 49152 to port 65535 .

15. The method as described in claim 11 , further comprising storing an identification of the content requested by the request in association with the identified mobile device.

Assignments (10)
RELEASE (REEL 054066 / FRAME 0064) Recorded May 11, 2023
From: CITIBANK, N.A.
To: A. C. NIELSEN COMPANY, LLC; EXELATE, INC.; GRACENOTE, INC.; GRACENOTE MEDIA SERVICES, LLC; THE NIELSEN COMPANY (US), LLC; NETRATINGS, LLC
Reel/Frame 063605/0001 →
RELEASE (REEL 053473 / FRAME 0001) Recorded May 11, 2023
From: CITIBANK, N.A.
To: A. C. NIELSEN COMPANY, LLC; EXELATE, INC.; GRACENOTE, INC.; GRACENOTE MEDIA SERVICES, LLC; THE NIELSEN COMPANY (US), LLC; NETRATINGS, LLC
Reel/Frame 063603/0001 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded May 8, 2023
From: GRACENOTE DIGITAL VENTURES, LLC; GRACENOTE MEDIA SERVICES, LLC; GRACENOTE, INC.; TNC (US) HOLDINGS, INC.; THE NIELSEN COMPANY (US), LLC
To: ARES CAPITAL CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 063574/0632 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Apr 28, 2023
From: GRACENOTE DIGITAL VENTURES, LLC; GRACENOTE MEDIA SERVICES, LLC; GRACENOTE, INC.; TNC (US) HOLDINGS, INC.; THE NIELSEN COMPANY (US), LLC
To: CITIBANK, N.A.
Reel/Frame 063561/0381 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Jan 31, 2023
From: GRACENOTE DIGITAL VENTURES, LLC; GRACENOTE MEDIA SERVICES, LLC; GRACENOTE, INC.; TNC (US) HOLDINGS, INC.; THE NIELSEN COMPANY (US), LLC
To: BANK OF AMERICA, N.A.
Reel/Frame 063560/0547 →
RELEASE (REEL 037172 / FRAME 0415) Recorded Oct 13, 2022
From: CITIBANK, N.A.
To: THE NIELSEN COMPANY (US), LLC
Reel/Frame 061750/0221 →
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE PATENTS LISTED ON SCHEDULE 1 RECORDED ON 6-9-2020 PREVIOUSLY RECORDED ON REEL 053473 FRAME 0001. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE SUPPLEMENTAL IP SECURITY AGREEMENT. Recorded Oct 7, 2020
From: A.C. NIELSEN (ARGENTINA) S.A.; A.C. NIELSEN COMPANY, LLC; ACN HOLDINGS INC.; ACNIELSEN CORPORATION; ACNIELSEN ERATINGS.COM; AFFINNOVA, INC.; ART HOLDING, L.L.C.; ATHENIAN LEASING CORPORATION; CZT/ACN TRADEMARKS, L.L.C.; EXELATE, INC.; GRACENOTE, INC.; GRACENOTE DIGITAL VENTURES, LLC; GRACENOTE MEDIA SERVICES, LLC; NETRATINGS, LLC; NIELSEN AUDIO, INC.; NIELSEN CONSUMER INSIGHTS, INC.; NIELSEN CONSUMER NEUROSCIENCE, INC.; NIELSEN FINANCE CO.; NIELSEN FINANCE LLC; NIELSEN INTERNATIONAL HOLDINGS, INC.; NIELSEN MOBILE, LLC; NMR INVESTING I, INC.; TCG DIVESTITURE INC.; TNC (US) HOLDINGS, INC.; THE NIELSEN COMPANY (US), LLC; VIZU CORPORATION; VNU MARKETING INFORMATION, INC.; NMR LICENSING ASSOCIATES, L.P.; NIELSEN HOLDING AND FINANCE B.V.; THE NIELSEN COMPANY B.V.; VNU INTERNATIONAL B.V.
To: CITIBANK, N.A
Reel/Frame 054066/0064 →
SUPPLEMENTAL SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Jun 9, 2020
From: A. C. NIELSEN COMPANY, LLC; ACN HOLDINGS INC.; ACNIELSEN CORPORATION; ACNIELSEN ERATINGS.COM; AFFINNOVA, INC.; ART HOLDING, L.L.C.; ATHENIAN LEASING CORPORATION; CZT/ACN TRADEMARKS, L.L.C.; EXELATE, INC.; GRACENOTE, INC.; GRACENOTE DIGITAL VENTURES, LLC; GRACENOTE MEDIA SERVICES, LLC; NETRATINGS, LLC; NIELSEN AUDIO, INC.; NIELSEN CONSUMER INSIGHTS, INC.; NIELSEN CONSUMER NEUROSCIENCE, INC.; NIELSEN FINANCE CO.; NIELSEN FINANCE LLC; NIELSEN INTERNATIONAL HOLDINGS, INC.; NIELSEN MOBILE, LLC; NIELSEN UK FINANCE I, LLC; NMR INVESTING I, INC.; TCG DIVESTITURE INC.; TNC (US) HOLDINGS, INC.; THE NIELSEN COMPANY (US), LLC; VIZU CORPORATION; VNU MARKETING INFORMATION, INC.; NMR LICENSING ASSOCIATES, L.P.; NIELSEN HOLDING AND FINANCE B.V.; THE NIELSEN COMPANY B.V.; VNU INTERNATIONAL B.V.
To: CITIBANK, N.A.
Reel/Frame 053473/0001 →
SUPPLEMENTAL IP SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Nov 30, 2015
From: THE NIELSEN COMPANY ((US), LLC
To: CITIBANK, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT FOR THE FIRST LIEN SECURED PARTIES
Reel/Frame 037172/0415 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 20, 2010
From: PAPAKOSTAS, ACHILLEAS; YONKER, MICHAEL ANDREW
To: THE NIELSEN COMPANY (US), LLC
Reel/Frame 025014/0667 →