Data logging for media consumption studies

1. A method for data logging in a panel media consumption study, comprising:

broadcasting an attraction signal by a mobile media device associated with a panelist during display of media on a first fixed media device in an area of interest, the media for consumption by the panelist;

receiving the attraction signal at a receiving device in the area of interest;

determining information related to the received attraction signal;

determining a characteristic value of the information;

determining the characteristic value exceeds a threshold;

identifying the device of the panelist as at a first location within the area of interest based on the characteristic value of the information, responsive to the determination that the characteristic value exceeds the threshold; and

beginning logging data related to the display of media as panel media consumption data, responsive to the determination that the characteristic value exceeds the threshold.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

subsequent to beginning the data logging, determining a characteristic value of information of a subsequent broadcast attraction signal is less than the threshold; and

ending the data logging.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving the attraction signal at additional receiving devices within the area of interest; and

using information from the attraction signal as received at the additional receiving devices to refine the first location of the panelist in the area of interest.

4. The method of claim 3 , further comprising:

receiving a signal from the first media device at one or more of the receiving devices;

determining a location of the first media device based on the signal received from the first media device; and

correlating the position of the first media device to first location of the panelist.

5. The method of claim 3 , wherein information related to the received attraction signal comprises received signal strength of the attraction signal and a unique identification of the device of the panelist, the method further comprising:

identifying a second location of the panelist in the area of interest based on subsequent attraction signals received from the device of the panelist; and

computing a track of the device of the panelist based on two or more different identified locations of the device of the panelist.

6. A method for conducting a media consumption data study, comprising:

recording media displayed on a first media device for consumption by a panelist; and

attributing a position of the panelist based on a determined position of a device attributed to the panelist, comprising:

estimating a first position of the device based on signals between the device and a position marker associated with the first media device,

estimating second and subsequent positions of the device based on further signals between the device and the position marker, and

determining a track of the device based on the first, second, and subsequent positions.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the signals include an attraction signal broadcast by the position marker and a reception signal provided from the device attributed to the panelist based on a detected attraction signal at the device attributed to the panelist, wherein the reception signal comprises an identification of the device and a signal strength of the detected attraction signal.

8. The method of claim 6 , wherein the signals include an attraction signal broadcast by the device attributed to the panelist and received at the position marker, wherein the attraction signal comprises an identification of the device, the method further comprising:

recording the identification of the device attributed to the device attributed to the panelist and a received signal strength of the attraction signal as received at the position marker; and

providing the identification and the received signal strength to a processor coupled to the position marker.

9. The method of claim 6 , further comprising:

conducting additional signaling between the device attributed to the panelist and additional position sensing devices; and

using the additional signaling, producing a refined track of the device attributed to the panelist.

10. The method of claim 6 , further comprising establishing a logging session based on a period beginning with the first estimated position and ending when subsequent positions cannot be estimated.

11. The method of claim 6 , wherein the attraction signal is a WiFi signal.

12. The method of claim 6 , wherein the attraction signal is a Bluetooth Low Energy signal.

13. The method of claim 6 , wherein the attraction signal is an acoustic signal.

14. The method of claim 6 , wherein the device attributed to the panelist is a mobile media device, the method further comprising serving media at the mobile media device based on the determined track of the mobile media device.

15. A system for determining, recording, and analyzing media consumption, comprising:

an instrumented study site comprising one or more first media devices displaying media for consumption by a viewer, comprising:

a plurality of position markers that exchange broadcast and reply signals with a mobile media device attributed to the viewer, and

a server that:

receives information related to the broadcast and received signals from the plurality of position markers and the mobile media device attributed to the viewer;

analyzes the received signals to locate the mobile media device attributed to the viewer in the study site, and

defines the position of the viewer as coinciding with the location of the mobile media device; and

receives information related to the displayed media; and

attributes media as consumed by the viewer based on the received information related to the displayed media and the defined position of the viewer based on the analyzed received signals.

16. The system of claim 15 , wherein the signals are Bluetooth Low Energy signals and the server is located remotely from the study site.

17. The system of claim 15 , wherein the signals are Bluetooth signals and the server is located remotely from the study site.

18. The system of claim 15 , wherein the server is located with the study site.

19. A method for conducting a panel-based media consumption study, comprising:

establishing a plurality of study sites for logging media consumption data for the study;

identifying one or more panelists to participate in the study;

detecting display of media at one of the study sites;

determining a position of a panelist in a study site at which the media is displayed, comprising:

receiving at a first device associated with the study site, signals from a second device associated with the panelist,

analyzing the received signals to locate the second device in the study site, and

defining the position of the panelist as coinciding with the location of the second device; and

conducting a media consumption data logging operation based on the defined position of the panelist.