Methods and apparatus to credit background applications

1. An audience measurement apparatus to monitor panelist media exposure, the apparatus comprising:

a network usage monitor to compare bandwidth usage of a first media presentation application executing in a background of a consumer device to a first threshold for bandwidth activity associated with the first media presentation application to determine a state of the first media presentation application during a first time period as one of active or inactive, the first threshold based on a first bandwidth usage pattern of the first media presentation application, wherein to compare the bandwidth usage to the first threshold for bandwidth activity, the network usage monitor is to:

detect a first period during which the bandwidth usage is above the first threshold for bandwidth activity;

detect a second period during which the bandwidth usage is below the first threshold for bandwidth activity;

determine that the first media presentation application is active during the second period when the bandwidth usage exceeds the first threshold during a temporal activity window after the first period; and

determine that the first media presentation application is inactive after the second period when the bandwidth usage does not exceed the first threshold during the temporal activity window after the first period;

an application event monitor to determine a state of a second media presentation application executing in a foreground of the consumer device during the first time period as one of active or inactive based on whether a special event associated with the second media presentation application is detected during the first time period; and

a logger to log and report application event information including an identification of the first media presentation application, an identification of the second media presentation application, a context of the first media presentation application, a context of the second media presentation application, the state of the first media presentation application and the state of the second media presentation application, at least one of the network usage monitor, the application event monitor or the logger implemented via a logic circuit.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the special event associated with the second media presentation application corresponds to at least one of an output by the second media presentation application, a change of location of the second media presentation application, an opening of the second media presentation application or a closing of the second media presentation application.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the application event monitor is further to determine the state of the first media presentation application executing in the background of the consumer device during the first time period as one of active or inactive based on whether a special event associated with the first media presentation application is detected during the first time period.

4. The apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the special event associated with the first media presentation application corresponds to at least one of an output by the first media presentation application, a change of location of the first media presentation application, an opening of the first media presentation application or a closing of the first media presentation application.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the audience measurement apparatus is further to transmit the application event information to an audience measurement entity.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the second period is after the first period, and the temporal activity window includes the first period and the second period.

7. The apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the first period and the second period are adjacent.

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

compare bandwidth usage of a first media presentation application executing in a background of a consumer device to a first threshold for bandwidth activity associated with the first media presentation application to determine a state of the first media presentation application during a first time period as one of active or inactive, the first threshold based on a first bandwidth usage pattern of the first media presentation application, wherein to compare the bandwidth usage to the first threshold for bandwidth activity, the instructions cause the processor to:

detect a first period during which the bandwidth usage is above the first threshold for bandwidth activity;

detect a second period during which the bandwidth usage is below the first threshold for bandwidth activity;

determine that the first media presentation application is active during the second period when the bandwidth usage exceeds the first threshold during a temporal activity window after the first period;

determine that the first media presentation application is inactive after the second period when the bandwidth usage does not exceed the first threshold during the temporal activity window after the first period;

determine a state of a second media presentation application executing in a foreground of the consumer device during the first time period as one of active or inactive based on whether a special event associated with the second media presentation application is detected during the first time period; and

log and report application event information including an identification of the first media presentation application, an identification of the second media presentation application, a context of the first media presentation application, a context of the second media presentation application, the state of the first media presentation application and the state of the second media presentation application.

9. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium as defined in claim 8 , wherein the special event associated with the second media presentation application includes detection of at least one of an output by the second media presentation application, a change of location of the second media presentation application, an opening of the second media presentation application or a closing of the second media presentation application.

10. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium as defined in claim 8 , wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the processor to at least determine the state of the first media presentation application executing in the background of the consumer device during the first time period as one of active or inactive based on whether a special event associated with the first media presentation application is detected during the first time period.

11. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium as defined in claim 10 , wherein the special event associated with the first media presentation application includes detection of at least one of an output by the first media presentation application, a change of location of the first media presentation application, an opening of the first media presentation application or a closing of the first media presentation application.

12. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium as defined in claim 8 , wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the processor to at least transmit the application event information to an audience measurement entity.

13. The method as defined in claim 8 , further including transmitting the application event information to an audience measurement entity.

14. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium as defined in claim 8 , wherein the second period is after the first period, and the temporal activity window includes the first period and the second period.

15. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium as defined in claim 14 , wherein the first period and the second period are adjacent.

16. An audience measurement method to monitor panelist media exposure, the method comprising:

comparing, by executing an instruction with a processor, bandwidth usage of a first media presentation application executing in a background of a consumer device to a first threshold for bandwidth activity associated with the first media presentation application to determine a state of the first media presentation application during a first time period as one of active or inactive, the first threshold based on a first bandwidth usage pattern of the first media presentation application, the comparing including:

detecting a first period during which the bandwidth usage is above the first threshold for bandwidth activity;

detecting a second period during which the bandwidth usage is below the first threshold for bandwidth activity;

determining that the first media presentation application is active during the second period when the bandwidth usage exceeds the first threshold during a temporal activity window after the first period; and

determining that the first media presentation application is inactive after the second period when the bandwidth usage does not exceed the first threshold during the temporal activity window after the first period;

determining, by executing an instruction with the processor, a state of a second media presentation application executing in a foreground of the consumer device during the first time period as one of active or inactive based on whether a special event associated with the second media presentation application is detected during the first time period; and

logging and reporting application event information including an identification of the first media presentation application, an identification of the second media presentation application, a context of the first media presentation application, a context of the second media presentation application, the state of the first media presentation application and the state of the second media presentation application.

17. The method as defined in claim 16 , wherein the special event associated with the second media presentation application includes detection of at least one of an output by the second media presentation application, a change of location of the second media presentation application, an opening of the second media presentation application or a closing of the second media presentation application.

18. The method as defined in claim 16 , further including determining the state of the first media presentation application executing in the background of the consumer device during the first time period as one of active or inactive based on whether a special event associated with the first media presentation application is detected during the first time period.

19. The method as defined in claim 18 , wherein the special event associated with the first media presentation application includes detection of at least one of an output by the first media presentation application, a change of location of the first media presentation application, an opening of the first media presentation application or a closing of the first media presentation application.

20. The method as defined in claim 16 , wherein the first period and the second period are adjacent, the second period is after the first period, and the temporal activity window includes the first period and the second period.