Methods and apparatus for session building from ping-level data

Abstract

Example apparatus disclosed herein determine a first candidate duration of a session based on a first difference between a first time associated with a first start ping and a second time associated with a first end ping, the first start ping and the first end ping identified from a plurality of pings based on a first partitioning scheme. Disclosed example apparatus also determine a second candidate duration of the session based on a second difference between a third time associated with a second start ping and a fourth time associated with a second end ping, the second start ping and the second end ping identified from the plurality of pings based on a second partitioning scheme. Disclosed example apparatus further select at least one of the first candidate duration or the second candidate duration to represent the session based on a demographics model.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An apparatus comprising:
 at least one memory;   instructions in the apparatus; and   processor circuitry to execute the instructions to:
 determine a first candidate duration of a session based on a first difference between a first time associated with a first start ping and a second time associated with a first end ping, the first start ping and the first end ping identified from a plurality of pings based on a first partitioning scheme; 
 determine a second candidate duration of the session based on a second difference between a third time associated with a second start ping e and a fourth time associated with a second end ping, the second start ping and the second end ping identified from the plurality of pings based on a second partitioning scheme; and 
 select at least one of the first candidate duration or the second candidate duration to represent the session based on a demographics model. 
   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the first partitioning scheme is based on genre information included in payload data of the plurality of pings, and the second partitioning scheme is based on media name information included in the payload data of the plurality of pings. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the processor circuitry is to determine a threshold based on an average of durations of reference sessions represented in panel data obtained from panel meters. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 3 , wherein the processor circuitry is to determine a first one of the plurality of pings is the first start ping when at least one of (i) the first one of the plurality of pings is an initial ping from a device associated with the plurality of pings, (ii) payload data from the first one of the plurality of pings indicates a change in session partition based on the first partitioning scheme, or (iii) a time difference between the first one of the plurality of pings and a preceding one or the plurality of pings satisfies the threshold. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 3 , wherein the processor circuitry is to determine a first one of the plurality of pings is the second start ping when at least one of (i) the first one of the plurality of pings is an initial ping from a device associated with the plurality of pings, (ii) payload data from the first one of the plurality of pings indicates a change in session partition based on the second partitioning scheme, or (iii) a time difference between the first one of the plurality of pings and a preceding one of the plurality of pings satisfies the threshold. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the processor circuitry is to determine the first candidate duration of the session and the second candidate duration of the session in parallel. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the demographics model includes session duration statistics for demographic categories represented in panel data obtained from panel meters. 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 7 , wherein the processor circuitry is to compare the first candidate duration and the second candidate duration to the session duration statistics associated with demographics information of a household associated with a device that provided the first start ping, the first end ping, the second start ping, and the second end ping. 
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the processor circuitry is to:
 determine a first performance criterion for the first candidate duration based on a first comparison of the first candidate duration and the demographics model;   determine a second performance criterion for the second candidate duration based on a second comparison of the second candidate duration and the demographics model; and   select at least one of the first candidate duration or the second candidate duration to represent the session based on the first performance criterion and the second performance criterion.   
     
     
         10 . At least one non-transitory computer readable medium comprising instructions that, when executed, cause at least one processor to at least:
 determine a first candidate duration of a session based on a first difference between a first time associated with a first start ping identified from a plurality of pings based on a first partitioning scheme and a second time associated with a first end ping identified from the plurality of pings based on the first partitioning scheme;   determine a second candidate duration of the session based on a second difference between a third time associated with a second start ping identified from the plurality of pings based on a second partitioning scheme and a fourth time associated with a second end ping identified from the plurality of pings based on the second partitioning scheme; and   select at least one of the first candidate duration or the second candidate duration to represent the session based on a demographics model.   
     
     
         11 . The at least one non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 10 , wherein the first partitioning scheme is based on genre information included in payload data of the plurality of pings, and the second partitioning scheme is based on media name information included in the payload data of the plurality of pings. 
     
     
         12 . The at least one non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 10 , wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the at least one processor to determine a threshold based on an average of durations of reference sessions represented in panel data obtained from panel meters. 
     
     
         13 . The at least one non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 12 , wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the at least one processor to determine a first one of the plurality of pings is the first start ping when at least one of (i) the first one of the plurality of pings is an initial ping from a device associated with the plurality of pings, (ii) payload data from the first one of the plurality of pings indicates a change in session partition based on the first partitioning scheme, or (iii) a time difference between the first one of the plurality of pings and a preceding one or the plurality of pings satisfies the threshold. 
     
     
         14 . The at least one non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 12 , wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the at least one processor to determine a first one of the plurality of pings is the second start ping when at least one of (i) the first one of the plurality of pings is an initial ping from a device associated with the plurality of pings, (ii) payload data from the first one of the plurality of pings indicates a change in session partition based on the second partitioning scheme, or (iii) a time difference between the first one of the plurality of pings and a preceding one of the plurality of pings satisfies the threshold. 
     
     
         15 . The at least one non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 10 , wherein the demographics model includes session duration statistics for demographic categories represented in panel data obtained from panel meters, and wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the at least one processor to compare the first candidate duration and the second candidate duration to the session duration statistics associated with demographics information of a household associated with a device that provided the first start ping, the first end ping, the second start ping, and the second end ping. 
     
     
         16 . The at least one non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 10 , wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the at least one processor to:
 determine a first performance criterion for the first candidate duration based on a first comparison of the first candidate duration and the demographics model;   determine a second performance criterion for the second candidate duration based on a second comparison of the second candidate duration and the demographics model; and   select at least one of the first candidate duration or the second candidate duration to represent the session based on the first performance criterion and the second performance criterion.   
     
     
         17 . A method comprising:
 determining, by executing an instruction with at least one processor, a first candidate duration of a session based on a first difference between a first time associated with a first start ping and a second time associated with a first end ping, the first start ping and the first end ping identified from a plurality of pings based on a first partitioning scheme;   determining, by executing an instruction with the at least one processor, a second candidate duration of the session based on a second difference between a third time associated with a second start ping and a fourth time associated with a second end ping, the second start ping and the second end ping identified from the plurality of pings based on a second partitioning scheme; and   selecting, by executing an instruction with the at least one processor, at least one of the first candidate duration or the second candidate duration to represent the session based on a demographics model.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , further including determining a threshold based on an average of durations of reference sessions represented in panel data obtained from panel meters. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , further including determining a first one of the plurality of pings is the first start ping when at least one of (i) the first one of the plurality of pings is an initial ping from a device associated with the plurality of pings, (ii) payload data from the first one of the plurality of pings indicates a change in session partition based on the first partitioning scheme, or (iii) a time difference between the first one of the plurality of pings and a preceding one or the plurality of pings satisfies the threshold. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 18 , further including determining a first one of the plurality of pings is the second start ping when at least one of (i) the first one of the plurality of pings is an initial ping from a device associated with the plurality of pings, (ii) payload data from the first one of the plurality of pings indicates a change in session partition based on the second partitioning scheme, or (iii) a time difference between the first one of the plurality of pings and a preceding one of the plurality of pings satisfies the threshold.