Methods and apparatus to coordinate receipt of monitoring information

1. A method to coordinate receipt of monitoring information, the method comprising:

in response to a first received message requesting a first session identifier, creating, by executing an instruction with a processor of a load balancer, the first session identifier including an impression processor identifier, the impression processor identifier to identify an impression processor to process subsequent messages that include the first session identifier, the first message including at least one of a user identifier or a device identifier identifying a media device;

performing a lookup using the at least one of the user identifier or the device identifier to determine if collection of monitoring information is permitted;

in response to determining that the collection of monitoring information is not permitted, transmitting an opt-out instruction to the media device, the opt-out instruction to inform the media device that the collection of monitoring information is not permitted;

in response to determining that the collection of monitoring information is permitted:

transmitting, by executing an instruction with the processor, the first session identifier to a media device to be used by the media device when transmitting the subsequent messages; and

routing, by executing an instruction with the processor, the first received message to the impression processor identified by the first session identifier, the impression processor to credit a media presentation identified in a payload of the first received message; and

in response to a second received message requesting that a session be terminated:

routing, by executing an instruction with the processor, an indication of a termination of the session to the impression processor identified by the first session identifier, the impression processor to terminate crediting of a media presentation identified in a payload of the first received message; and

transmitting, by executing an instruction with the processor, an acknowledgement of the termination of the session to the media device.

2. The method of claim 1 , further including, in response to a third received message:

extracting a second session identifier from the third received message; and

routing the third received message to the impression processor when the second session identifier includes the impression processor identifier.

3. The method of claim 2 , further including comparing a difference between a time of receipt of the third received message and a time of receipt of a prior message using the first session identifier to a threshold, wherein the routing occurs when the difference is below the threshold.

4. The method of claim 3 , further including, in response to a determination that the difference is greater than the threshold, transmitting a timeout instruction from the load balancer to the media device, the timeout instruction to cause the media device to request a new session identifier.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the timeout instruction is further to cause the media device to re-transmit the monitoring information transmitted in the third received message.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the opt-out instruction is further to cause the media device to request user permission to enable monitoring.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first received message further includes an application identifier, and the performing of the lookup is further based on the application identifier.

8. At least one tangible machine-readable storage disks or storage devices comprising instructions which, when executed, cause a load balancer of a central facility to at least:

in response to a first received message requesting a first session identifier, create the first session identifier including an impression processor identifier, the impression processor identifier to identify an impression processor to process subsequent messages that include the first session identifier, the first message including at least one of a user identifier or a device identifier identifying a media device;

perform a lookup using the at least one of the user identifier or the device identifier to determine if collection of monitoring information is permitted;

in response to determining that the collection of monitoring information is not permitted, transmit an opt-out instruction to the media device, the opt-out instruction to inform the media device that the collection of monitoring information is not permitted;

in response to determining that the collection of monitoring information is permitted:

transmit the first session identifier to a media device to be used by the media device when transmitting the subsequent messages; and

route the first received message to the impression processor identified by the first session identifier, the impression processor to credit a media presentation identified in a payload of the first received message; and

in response to a received message requesting that a session be terminated:

route an indication of a termination of the session to the impression processor identified by the first session identifier, the impression processor to terminate crediting a media presentation identified in a payload of the first received message; and

transmit an acknowledgement of the termination of the session to the media device.

9. The one or more tangible machine-readable storage disks or storage devices of claim 8 , wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the load balancer to, in response to a third received message:

extract a second session identifier from the third received message; and

route the third received message to the impression processor when the second session identifier includes the impression processor identifier.

10. The one or more tangible machine-readable storage disks or storage devices of claim 9 , wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the load balancer to compare a difference between a time of receipt of the third received message and a time of receipt of a prior message using the first session identifier to a threshold, and wherein the routing occurs when the difference is below the threshold.

11. The one or more tangible machine-readable storage disks or storage devices of claim 10 , wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the load balancer to, in response to a determination that the difference is greater than the threshold, transmit an timeout instruction from the load balancer to the media device, the timeout instruction to cause the media device to request a new session identifier.

12. The one or more tangible machine-readable storage disks or storage devices of claim 11 , wherein the timeout instruction is further to cause the media device to re-transmit the monitoring information transmitted in the third received message.

13. The one or more tangible machine-readable storage disks or storage devices of claim 8 , wherein the opt-out instruction is further to cause the media device to request user permission to enable monitoring.

14. The one or more tangible machine-readable storage disks or storage devices of claim 8 , wherein the first message further includes an application identifier, and the performing of the lookup is further based on the application identifier.

15. An apparatus to coordinate receipt of monitoring information, the apparatus comprising:

a request receiver to receive a first message from a media device, the first message requesting a first session identifier, the first message including at least one of a user identifier or a device identifier identifying a media device;

a privacy controller to perform a lookup using the at least one of the user identifier or the device identifier to determine if collection of monitoring information from the media device is permitted, the privacy controller to in response to determining that the collection of monitoring information is not permitted, transmit an opt-out instruction to the media device, the opt-out instruction to inform the media device that the collection of monitoring information is not permitted;

a session controller to, in response to the first message, create the session identifier including an impression processor identifier, the impression processor identifier to identify an impression processor to process subsequent messages that include the first session identifier, the session controller to, in response to determining that the collection of monitoring information is permitted, inform the media device of the first session identifier to be used when transmitting the subsequent messages, the session controller to, in response to a second received message requesting that a session be terminated, route an indication of a termination of the session to the impression processor identified by the first session identifier, the impression processor to terminate crediting a media presentation identified in a payload of the first received message; and

a message router to route the first message to the impression processor identified by the first session identifier, the impression processor to credit a media presentation identified in a payload of the first message, the message router to, in response to the second received message requesting that the session should be terminated, transmit an acknowledgement of the termination of the session to the media device.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the request receiver is further to extract a second session identifier from a third message received after the first message, the message router to route the third message to the impression processor when the second session identifier includes the impression processor identifier.

17. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the opt-out instruction is further to cause the media device to request user permission to enable monitoring.

18. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the first message further includes an application identifier, and the performing of the lookup is further based on the application identifier.