IP Library Granted Patent US 8,315,620
Granted Patent B1
US 8,315,620 · App. 13/117,657 · Granted Nov 20, 2012

Methods and apparatus to associate a mobile device with a panelist profile

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,315,620
App. No.
13/117,657
Granted
Nov 20, 2012
Kind
B1
Abstract

Methods and apparatus are disclosed to associate a mobile device with a panelist profile. An example method includes initializing a metering application on the mobile device to operate with partial functionality, parsing a message log with the metering application to identify an installation message, extracting a telephone number from the installation message and saving to a memory of the mobile device, sending an initialization message based on the extracted telephone number to prompt an authorization message, and enabling full functionality of the metering application in response to receiving the authorization message.

Claims (26)

1. A method to conditionally enable a metering application on a mobile device, comprising:

initializing a metering application on the mobile device to operate with partial functionality;

parsing a message log with the metering application to identify an installation message;

extracting a telephone number from the installation message and saving to a memory of the mobile device;

sending an initialization message based on the extracted telephone number to prompt an authorization message; and

enabling full functionality of the metering application in response to receiving the authorization message.

2. A method as described in claim 1 , wherein the message log comprises at least one of a text message history log and an e-mail history log.

3. A method as described in claim 1 , wherein sensor recordings are disabled when the partial functionality is enabled.

4. A method as described in claim 3 , wherein the sensor recordings comprise at least one of microphone recording, image recording, global positioning satellite recording, compass recording, or accelerometer recording.

5. A method as described in claim 3 , wherein sensor recordings are enabled when the full functionality is enabled.

6. A method as described in claim 1 , wherein the metering application is downloaded to the mobile device from at least one of an application repository or a website uniform resource locator.

7. A tangible machine accessible medium having instructions stored thereon that, when executed, cause a machine to, at least:

initialize a metering application on the mobile device to operate with partial functionality;

parse a message log with the metering application to identify an installation message;

extract a telephone number from the installation message and saving to a memory of the mobile device;

send an initialization message based on the extracted telephone number to prompt an authorization message; and

enable full functionality of the metering application in response to receiving the authorization message.

8. A tangible article of manufacture as described in claim 7 , wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the machine to disable sensor recordings when the partial functionality is enabled.

9. A tangible article of manufacture as described in claim 7 , wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the machine to enable sensor recordings when the full functionality is enabled.

10. A tangible article of manufacture as described in claim 7 , wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the machine to download the metering application to the mobile device from at least one of an application repository or a website uniform resource locator.

11. An apparatus to conditionally enable a metering application on a mobile device, comprising:

a metering application on the mobile device to initialize with partial functionality;

an installation message parser to identify an installation message and extract a telephone number from the installation message; and

a mobile message generator to send an initialization message based on the extracted telephone number to prompt an authorization message that enables full functionality of the metering application.

12. An apparatus as described in claim 11 , wherein the mobile device comprises at least one of a text message history log and an e-mail history log to be parsed by the installation message parser.

13. An apparatus as described in claim 11 , further comprising a mobile uniform resource identifier generator to generate the initialization message.

Assignments (9)
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 →