Methods and apparatus to measure market statistics

Abstract

Example methods and apparatus to measure market statistics are disclosed. A disclosed example method includes identifying, by executing an instruction with a processor, a household including self reported data stored in a data source, retrieving, by executing an instruction with the processor, an Internet protocol (IP) address from the household, identifying, by executing an instruction with the processor, a hostname label based on a reverse resolve of the IP address, determining whether the hostname label matches the self reported data, with the processor, and when the hostname label matches the self reported data, correcting, by executing an instruction with the processor, an error metric of the data source by adjusting a weight value associated with the self reported data.

1 - 26 . (canceled) 
     
     
         27 . A system to correct data source error, comprising:
 means for resolving to:
 identify a first hostname label based on a reverse resolve of an Internet protocol (IP) address corresponding to a household; 
 parse the first hostname label to identify a service provider name; 
 invoke a trace route of the IP address corresponding to the household, the trace route originating from two or more originating IP addresses to identify second and third hostname labels with corresponding router last hops, the two or more originating IP addresses different from each other and targeting the same IP address corresponding to the household; and 
 when the second and third hostname labels include a matching location indicator, confirm the service provider name is valid; and 
   means for calculating to, when the first hostname label service provider name matches a service provider name in self reported data, correct an error metric of a data source storing the self reported data by adjusting a weight value associated with the self reported data.   
     
     
         28 . The system as defined in  claim 27 , wherein the matching location indicator includes at least one of a city name or a state name. 
     
     
         29 . The system as defined in  claim 27 , wherein the calculating means is to increase the weight value in response to identifying a match between (a) the first hostname label service provider name from the reverse resolve and (b) the service provider name in the self reported data. 
     
     
         30 . The system as defined in  claim 27 , wherein the calculating means is to decrease the weight value in response to identifying a dissimilarity between (a) the first hostname label service provider name from the reverse resolve and (b) the service provider name in the self reported data. 
     
     
         31 . The system as defined in  claim 27 , wherein the calculating means is to calculate a service provider flow share based on the adjusted weight value and a service penetration value from a managed data source. 
     
     
         32 . The system as defined in  claim 31 , wherein the service penetration value is at least one of a value of Internet services or a value of video services. 
     
     
         33 . The system as defined in  claim 27 , wherein the second and third hostname labels include two or more matching location indicators. 
     
     
         34 . The system as defined in  claim 27 , further including means for managing to determine whether the IP address from the household is active or inactive based on a ping operation. 
     
     
         35 . The system as defined in  claim 34 , wherein the managing means is to:
 transmit an echo request packet to the IP address; and   in response to receiving a reply message from the IP address, determine that the IP address is active.   
     
     
         36 . The system as defined in  claim 35 , further including means for port scanning to, when the echo request packet is blocked, scan one or more ports of a machine associated with the IP address to determine the IP address is active. 
     
     
         37 . The system as defined in  claim 27 , wherein the resolving means is to parse the first hostname label into two or more parsed labels to identify the service provider name. 
     
     
         38 . The system as defined in  claim 27 , wherein the resolving means is to identify a match of known Internet service providers stored as resolution keywords. 
     
     
         39 . The system as defined in  claim 27 , wherein the resolving means is to:
 parse the first hostname label into parsed labels; and   satisfy a rule to identify the service provider name.   
     
     
         40 . The system as defined in  claim 27 , wherein the calculating means is to select the IP address corresponding to the household from a market information database. 
     
     
         41 . The system as defined in  claim 40 , wherein the IP address corresponds to a panelist, further including means for updating to determine demographic information associated with the panelist.