Methods and apparatus to communicate audience measurement information
View Patent ↗Methods and apparatus to communicate audience measurement information are disclosed. An example method includes analyzing a plurality of media identifiers collected over a first period of time to identify a dominant one of the media identifiers for the first period of time; and communicating the dominant media identifier for the first period of time via a text-only messaging service to a storage facility.
1. A method, comprising:
analyzing, via a processor, a plurality of media identifiers collected during a period of time;
identifying, via the processor, a dominant media identifier from the plurality of media identifiers by determining which of the plurality of media identifiers was most frequently detected during the period of time;
selecting, from the plurality of media identifiers, only the dominant media identifier for incorporation into a text message;
incorporating the selected dominant media identifier into the text message and omitting all non-dominant ones of the plurality of media identifiers from the text message; and
communicating the text message via a text messaging service to a storage facility.
2. A method as defined in claim 1 , wherein the text messaging service includes a restriction on a payload size for messages sent via the text messaging service.
3. A method as defined in claim 1 , wherein the text messaging service is part of a subscription that includes a cellular data service plan.
4. A method as defined in claim 3 , wherein the communicating of the text message to the storage facility occurs in response to an unavailability of transmission via the cellular data service plan.
5. A method as defined in claim 1 , wherein at least one of the plurality of media identifiers includes at least one of a channel number, a signature, a watermark, a program name, metadata or a source identification code.
6. A method as defined in claim 1 , further including scheduling the period of time, wherein the plurality of media identifiers are analyzed in response to the period of time ending.
7. A method as defined in claim 1 , further including communicating a people count and a time stamp corresponding to the dominant media identifier via the text message.
8. A tangible computer readable storage medium comprising instructions that, when executed, cause a machine to at least:
analyze a plurality of media identifiers collected during a period of time;
identify a dominant media identifier from the plurality of media identifiers by determining which of the plurality of media identifiers was collected most often during the period of time;
generate a text message including the dominant media identifier and no other media identifier; and
communicate the text message via a text messaging service to a storage facility.
9. A storage medium as defined in claim 8 , wherein the text messaging service includes a restriction on a payload size for messages sent via the text messaging service, and the text messaging service is part of a subscription that includes a cellular data service plan.
10. A storage medium as defined in claim 9 , wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the machine to communicate the text message to the storage facility in response to an unavailability of transmission via the cellular data service plan.
11. A storage medium as defined in claim 8 , wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the machine to determine which of the plurality of media identifiers was collected most often by determining which of the media identifiers was most frequently detected during the period of time at a collection device implemented in a media exposure environment.
12. A storage medium as defined in claim 8 , wherein at least one of the plurality of media identifiers includes at least one of a channel number, a signature, a watermark, a program name, metadata or a source identification code.
13. A storage medium as defined in claim 8 , wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the machine to communicate a people count and a time stamp corresponding to the dominant media identifier via the text message.
14. An apparatus, comprising:
a detector to detect a plurality of media identifiers over a plurality of periods of time;
an identifier to determine which of the plurality of media identifiers was most frequently detected during one of the periods of time; and
a text message constructor to:
incorporate the most frequently detected media identifier into a text message to be communicated to a remote device via a text messaging service; and
omit all of the plurality of media identifiers detected less frequently than the most frequently detected media identifier from the text message.
15. An apparatus as defined in claim 14 , further including an encrypter to encrypt the text message before transmission to the remote device.
16. An apparatus as defined in claim 14 , wherein the text messaging service includes a restriction on a payload size for messages sent via the text messaging service.
17. An apparatus as defined in claim 14 , further including a cellular component to facilitate transmission of the text message via the text messaging service.
18. An apparatus as defined in claim 14 , wherein the text message constructor is to incorporate a people count and a time stamp corresponding to the most frequently detected media identifier into the text message.
19. An apparatus as defined in claim 14 , wherein the media identifier includes at least one of a channel number, a signature, a watermark, a program name, metadata or a source identification code.