Methods and apparatus to credit usage of mobile devices

1. A method for monitoring mobile Internet usage, the method comprising:

identifying, by executing an instruction with a processor, a first application associated with a first request for Internet content, the first request sent at a first time;

identifying, by executing an instruction with the processor, a panelist associated with the first request;

determining, by executing an instruction with the processor, that the first application is operating in a background mode at the first time; and

crediting, with the processor, the first application as presenting the Internet content to the panelist as a background application when the first application is operating in the background mode at the first time.

2. The method as described in claim 1 , wherein the determining that the first application is operating in a background mode includes determining that a record for the first application occurs within a time period associated with a foreground execution session of a second application.

3. The method as described in claim 1 , wherein determining that the first application is operating in a background mode includes determining that a time between an event and a previous event for the first application is less than an event length threshold.

4. The method as described in claim 1 , further including crediting a second application independently of crediting the first application.

5. The method as described in claim 4 , wherein the second application is operating in a foreground mode while the first application is operating in the background mode.

6. The method as described in claim 1 , further including determining that the first application has stopped running in the background mode, and crediting the first application as a foreground application based on the determining that the first application has stopped running in the background mode.

7. The method as described in claim 6 , wherein the determining that the first application has stopped running in the background mode includes determining that an event is associated with a second application, the second application being a privileged application.

8. The method as described in claim 6 , wherein the determining that the first application has stopped running in the background mode includes determining that an event includes a second request corresponding to foreground execution of the first application.

9. The method as described in claim 6 , wherein the determining that the first application has stopped running in the background mode includes determining that a time between an event and a previous event is greater than an event length threshold.

10. The method as described in claim 6 , wherein the determining that the first application has stopped running in the background mode includes determining that an event corresponds to a resource demand that supersedes a resource demand of the first application.

11. The method as described in claim 1 , wherein the crediting of the first application as a background application includes crediting a time duration between the first request and a previous event corresponding to a start time of a second application executing in a foreground execution mode.

12. The method as described in claim 1 , wherein the crediting of the first application as a background application includes crediting a time duration between the first request and a previous event corresponding to background execution of the first application when the time duration is less than an event length threshold.

13. The method as described in claim 1 , wherein the first request is sent to a proxy server.

14. The method as described in claim 1 , wherein the first request is a request for media.

15. The method as described in claim 1 , wherein the first application is a privileged application that sends requests using a URL designated for background execution or a request type designated for background execution.

16. An apparatus, comprising:

an application identifier to identify a first application associated with a first request for Internet content, the first request sent at a first time;

a user identifier to identify a user associated with the first request;

a background identifier to determine that the first application is operating in a background mode at the first time; and

a background creditor to credit the first application as presenting the Internet content to the user as a background application when the first application is operating in the background mode at the first time.

17. The apparatus as defined in claim 16 , wherein the background identifier is to determine that the first application is operating in the background mode by determining that a record for the first application occurs concurrently with a foreground execution session of a second application.

18. The apparatus as defined in claim 16 , wherein the background identifier is to determine that the first application is operating in the background mode by determining that a time between an event and a previous event for the first application is less than an event length threshold.

19. The apparatus as defined in claim 16 , further including a duration calculator to credit a second application executing in a foreground mode, the duration calculator to credit the second application independently of the background creditor crediting the first application.

20. The apparatus as defined in claim 16 , wherein the background identifier is to determine that the first application has stopped running in the background mode, and further including a duration calculator to credit the first application as a foreground application by determining that the first application has stopped running in the background mode.

21. The apparatus as described in claim 20 , wherein the background identifier is to determine that the first application has stopped running in the background mode by determining that an event is associated with a second application, the second application being a privileged application.

22. The apparatus as described in claim 20 , wherein the background identifier is to determine that the first application has stopped running in the background mode by determining that an event includes a second request corresponding to foreground execution of the first application.

23. The apparatus as described in claim 20 , wherein the background identifier is to determine that the first application has stopped running in the background mode by determining that a time between an event and a previous event is greater than an event length threshold.

24. The apparatus as described in claim 20 , wherein the background identifier is to determine that the first application has stopped running in the background mode by determining that an event corresponds to a resource demand that supersedes a resource demand of the first application.

25. The apparatus as described in claim 16 , wherein the background creditor is to credit the first application as a background application by crediting a time duration between the first request and a previous event corresponding to a start time of a second application executing in a foreground execution mode.

26. The apparatus as described in claim 16 , wherein the background creditor is to credit the first application as a background application by crediting a time duration between the first request and a previous event corresponding to background execution of the first application when the time duration is less than an event length threshold.

27. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium comprising computer readable instructions which, when executed, cause a processor to at least:

identify a first application associated with a first request for Internet content, the first request sent at a first time;

identify a panelist associated with the first request;

determine that the first application is operating in a background mode at the first time; and

credit the first application as presenting the Internet content to the panelist as a background application when the first application is operating in the background mode at the first time.

28. The non-transitory storage medium as described in claim 27 , wherein the instructions are to cause the processor to determine that the first application is operating in the background mode by determining that a record for the first application occurs within a time period associated with a foreground execution session of a second application.

29. The non-transitory storage medium as described in claim 27 , wherein the instructions are to cause the processor to determine that the first application is operating in the background mode by determining that a time between an event and a previous event for the first application is less than an event length threshold.

30. The non-transitory storage medium as described in claim 27 , wherein the instructions are further to cause the processor to credit a second application independently of crediting the first application.

31. The non-transitory storage medium as described in claim 27 , wherein the instructions are further to cause the processor to determine that the first application has stopped running in the background mode, and to credit the first application as a foreground application by determining that the first application has stopped running in the background mode.

32. The non-transitory storage medium as described in claim 31 , wherein the instructions are to cause the processor to determine that the first application has stopped running in the background mode by determining that an event is associated with a second application, the second application being a privileged application.

33. The non-transitory storage medium as described in claim 31 , wherein the instructions are to cause the processor to determine that the first application has stopped running in the background mode by determining that an event includes a second request corresponding to foreground execution of the first application.

34. The non-transitory storage medium as described in claim 31 , wherein the instructions are to cause the processor to determine that the first application has stopped running in the background mode by determining that a time between an event and a previous event is greater than an event length threshold.

35. The non-transitory storage medium as described in claim 31 , wherein the instructions are to cause the processor to determine that the first application has stopped running in the background mode by determining that an event corresponds to a resource demand that supersedes a resource demand of the first application.

36. The non-transitory storage medium as described in claim 27 , wherein the instructions are to cause the processor to credit the first application as a background application by crediting a time duration between the first request and a previous event corresponding to a start time of a second application executing in a foreground execution mode.

37. The non-transitory storage medium as described in claim 27 , wherein the instructions are to cause the processor to credit the first application as a background application by crediting a time duration between the first request and a previous event corresponding to background execution of the first application when the time duration is less than an event length threshold.