Patent Publication Number: US-11653061-B2

Title: Handling exceptions reported by media device meters

Description:
RELATED APPLICATION 
     This patent arises from a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/121,898, which is titled “HANDLING EXCEPTIONS REPORTED BY MEDIA DEVICE METERS,” and which was filed on Sep. 5, 2018. U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/121,898 is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Priority to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/121,898 is hereby claimed. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE 
     This disclosure relates generally to media device meters, and, more particularly, to apparatus, systems, articles of manufacture, and methods for handling exceptions reported by media device meters. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Media device meters enable monitoring of media consumption. Media device meters can report exceptions to the monitoring of the media when the media device meters are unable to identify media. Causes of some exceptions include malfunctioning of the media device meter or a lack of perceptible media being presented around the media device meter. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG.  1    is an example environment and system for handling exceptions reported by media devices meters that includes an example meter exception handler in accordance with the teachings of this disclosure. 
         FIG.  2    is a block diagram of the example meter exception handler of  FIG.  1    constructed in accordance with the teachings of this disclosure. 
         FIG.  3    is a flowchart representative of machine readable instructions which may be executed to implement the example meter exception handler of  FIGS.  1  and  2   . 
         FIGS.  4 A- 4 B  are example plots of meter exceptions and current data that can be analyzed by the meter exception handler of  FIGS.  1  and  2    to handle meter exceptions. 
         FIGS.  5 A- 5 B  are example plots of meter exceptions, current data, and volume data that can be analyzed by the meter exception handler of  FIGS.  1  and  2    to handle meter exceptions. 
         FIG.  6    is a block diagram of an example processing platform structured to execute the instructions of  FIG.  3    to implement the example meter exception handler of  FIGS.  1  and  2   . 
     
    
    
     The figures are not to scale. In general, the same reference numbers will be used throughout the drawing(s) and accompanying written description to refer to the same or like parts. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Audience measurement entities (AMEs) desire knowledge on how users interact with media devices such as, for example, smartphones, tablets, laptops, televisions, smart televisions, radios, digital video recorders, digital media players, etc. In particular, AMEs want to monitor media presentations made at the media devices to, among other things, determine ownership and/or usage statistics of media devices, relative rankings of usage and/or ownership of media devices, types of uses of media devices (e.g., whether a device is used for browsing the Internet, streaming media from the Internet, etc.), other types of media device information, and/or other monitoring information including, for example, advertisements exposure, advertisement effectiveness, user behavior, purchasing behavior associated with various demographics, etc. 
     As used herein, the term “media” includes any type of content and/or advertisement delivered via any type of distribution medium. Thus, media includes television programming or advertisements, radio programming or advertisements, movies, web sites, streaming media, etc. In examples disclosed herein, monitoring information includes, but is not limited to, media identifying information (e.g., media-identifying metadata, codes, signatures, watermarks, and/or other information that may be used to identify presented media), application usage information (e.g., an identifier of an application, a time and/or duration of use of the application, a rating of the application, etc.), and/or user-identifying information (e.g., demographic information, a user identifier, a panelist identifier, a username, etc.). 
     In some examples, to effectively monitor media consumption, AMEs employ panelists. These panelists are provided with monitoring devices, monitoring software, surveys, and/or other mechanisms to gather media monitoring information. For example, the panelists can be provided with a media device meter that includes data collection components, such as a microphone, a wireless connection, input ports to connect to presentation devices, etc. Some media monitors are portable and can be carried around by the panelist (e.g., on their belt, in their pocket, etc.). Some media device meters are associated with specific media presentation devices (e.g., a television, a set top box, etc.) or specific locations (e.g., a living room, a kitchen, etc.). In some examples, the media device meter may require installation at a panelist&#39;s household. For example, the media device meter may be utilized to monitor usage of a television and consumption of media using the television. Such a media device meter can be installed by making video, audio, and/or other data connections between the media device meter and the television. 
     When a media device meter is installed at a panelist&#39;s household to enable monitoring of a media presentation device, the media device meter may initially encounter exceptions due to an improper configuration/installation. For example, a media device meter can encounter exceptions pertaining to unviewable conditions, sometimes referred to as excessive un-viewable (EUV) exceptions. If a media device meter encounters numerous times where the media presentation device is turned on (and monitoring is thus enabled on the media device meter) but the media presentation device does not appear to be presenting anything, the media device meter can record an unviewable condition. Numerous occurrences of an unviewable condition within a short time period can result in an excessive un-viewable (EUV) exception. A media device meter can also encounter exceptions indicating “other” tuning, indicating that the media presentation device that is being monitored is powered on, but tuning data is not recognized. These types of exceptions are sometimes referred to as “All-Other Tuning” exceptions. When a media device meter encounters an exception, the media device meter transmits the exception (along with other meter data) to the AME. 
     When a newly-installed media device meter is transmitting numerous exceptions to the AME, the AME may determine whether or not to send a technician to the panelist&#39;s household to troubleshoot the exceptions being issued by the media device meter. In some examples, the media device meter is not actually misconfigured or improperly installed (e.g., resulting in incorrect exceptions), but rather is reporting exceptions that are correct. The correct exceptions are caused by the media presentation device (which the media device meter is monitoring) being powered on, but operating in a muted viewing state and/or a static display state (e.g., a television is turned on, but a set top box connected to the television is turned off). In these examples, the technician is unnecessarily sent to the household to troubleshoot the media device meter when the media device meter is actually functioning properly and there is no configuration or installation issue. 
     Example apparatus, systems, articles of manufacture (e.g., physical storage media), and methods for handling exceptions reported by media device meters are disclosed herein. Some example exception handling techniques disclosed herein include determining whether a media presentation device being monitored by the media device meter was in a static display state at a time of the exception. In some examples, current measurements associated with the media presentation device at the time of the exception are analyzed to determine (1) whether the current draw at the time of the exception falls within a threshold range and/or (2) whether the current draw was constant within a threshold deviation for a duration threshold. As used herein, the term “current,” refers to electrical current (e.g., AC current, DC current, etc.). In some examples, in response to determining that the media device was not displaying a static display at the time of the exception, audio measurements can be utilized to determine whether the media presentation device was instead in a muted viewing state (e.g., corresponding to the television presenting video content but no audio being presented) based on an audio level at the time of the exception. 
     Example apparatus, systems, and articles of manufacture (e.g., physical storage media), and methods disclosed herein enable modification of exceptions by flagging of metering exceptions as correct and/or incorrect based on whether the media presentation device was in the static display state, the muted viewing state, or neither of these states. For example, if it is determined that the media presentation device was in the static display state at the time of the exception, the exception can be flagged as “correct,” indicating that the meter is working properly and encountered an exception due to the media presentation device not presenting perceptible media. Similarly, if it is determined that the media presentation device was in the muted viewing state, the exception can be flagged as “correct.” In some examples, in response to determining that the media presentation device that is being monitored by the media device meter is neither in the static display state nor the muted viewing state, the meter exception is flagged as being incorrect. An incorrect meter exception indicates that the exception did not occur due to the state of an audio or video presentation on the media device. The incorrect meter exception could be indicative of a configuration and/or installation issue with the media device meter. Thus, a media device meter correctly reports an exception when the media device meter reports that media is not being presented because the media presentation device is in a static display state or a muted state. It is expected to have a correct exception reported. Whereas, the media meter device incorrectly reports an exception when there is no evidence that the media presentation device was in the static display state or muted state. In this example, it is unexpected to have an exception reported and, therefore, the exception is an incorrect exception. 
     In determining whether the exception is correct or incorrect based on audio data, current data, and/or other data associated with the media presentation device, the AME can remotely identify whether a meter is reporting exceptions due to a lack of perceptible media (a correct exception) or due to a possible issue with the media device meter (an incorrect exception). The examples disclosed herein can therefore significantly reduce the costs, time, and resources spent sending technicians to troubleshoot media device meters at households by identifying exceptions that are correct, and not indicative of technical problems with the media device meter. Further, these examples can be used to process media device meter exceptions at the AME and, therefore, flag exceptions as corresponding to media presentation devices in a static display state, media presentation devices in a muted viewing state, or neither of these states. This improvement in the granularity of the exception data can help AMEs analyze patterns in exceptions that are reported and more accurately troubleshoot actual media device meter problems. 
       FIG.  1    is an example environment  100  for handling exceptions reported by media devices meters in accordance with the teachings of this disclosure. The example environment  100  represents portions of an example media monitoring system. The example environment  100  includes an example first household  102   a , an example second household  102   b , an example third household  102   c , an example first media presentation device  104   a , an example second media presentation device  104   b , an example third media presentation device  104   c , an example first set top box  106   a , an example second set top box  106   b , an example third set top box  106   c , an example first outlet  108   a , an example second outlet  108   b , an example third outlet  108   c , an example first media device meter  110   a , an example second media device meter  110   b , an example third media device meter  100   c , an example first current sensor  112   a , an example second current sensor  112   b , an example third current sensor  112   c , an example audience measurement entity (AME)  114 , and an example meter exception handler  116 . 
     The example first, second, and third households  102   a ,  102   b ,  102   c  of the illustrated example of  FIG.  1    are locations where media monitoring is performed. For example, the first, second, and third households  102   a ,  102   b ,  102   c  can be panelist households. The example AME  114  can receive data from any number of households. The first, second, and third households  102   a ,  102   b ,  102   c  represent three possible metering configurations to monitor the respective first, second, and third media presentation devices  104   a ,  104   b ,  104   c  within the households. 
     The example first, second, and third media presentation devices  104   a ,  104   b ,  104   c  of the illustrated example of  FIG.  1    present media within the respective first, second, and third households  102   a ,  102   b ,  102   c . In the illustrated example of  FIG.  1   , the first, second, and third media presentation devices  104   a ,  104   b ,  104   c  are televisions. However, the first, second, and third media presentation devices  104   a ,  104   b ,  104   c  could be any devices that present media. In some examples, the first, second, and third media presentation devices  104   a ,  104   b ,  104   c  are capable of directly presenting media (e.g., via a display), while in some examples, the first, second, and third media presentation devices  130  present the media on separate equipment (e.g., via separate speakers, via a video display, etc.). Any types or numbers of media presentation device(s) may be present in the first, second, and third households  102   a ,  102   b ,  102   c , and any combination of the media presentation device(s) in the first, second, and third households  102   a ,  102   b ,  102   c  can be monitored. For example, the media presentation devices  104   a ,  104   b ,  104   c  can be laptops, desktop computers, video game counsels, tablet devices, digital media players, smart televisions, servers, etc. 
     The example first, second, and third set top boxes  106   a ,  106   b ,  106   c  of the illustrated example of  FIG.  1    provide media for presentation on the first, second, and third media presentation devices  104   a ,  104   b ,  104   c . For example, the first, second, and third set top boxes  106   a ,  106   b ,  106   c  can receive cable television signals and transmit the cable television signals to the first, second, and third media presentation devices  104   a ,  104   b ,  104   c . In some examples, the first, second, and third media presentation devices  104   a ,  104   b ,  104  can be turned on, but will not display media unless the respective first, second, and third set top boxes  106   a ,  106   b ,  106   c  are turned on and tuned to a channel. In some examples, the first, second, and third media presentation devices  104   a ,  104   b ,  104   c  may not require the respective first, second, and third set top boxes  106   a ,  106   b ,  106   c , and may additionally or alternatively receive media directly at the presentation device (e.g., via a cable connection directly to the media presentation device, via a wireless signal, via an accessory attached to the media presentation device, via removable media such as a digital video disc, etc.). 
     The example first, second, and third outlets  108   a ,  108   b ,  108   c  of the illustrated example of  FIG.  1    serve as connections to power sources to provide power for the first, second, and third media presentation devices  104   a ,  104   b ,  104   c  and/or the first, second, and third set top boxes  106   a ,  106   b ,  106   c . In some examples, the first, second, and third outlets  108   a ,  108   b ,  108   c  can be any type and/or number of outlets. For example, the first outlet  108   a  can actually be two separate outlets, wherein the first media presentation device  104   a  is plugged into (e.g., connected to) a first of the two separate outlets, and the first set top box  106   a  is plugged into the second of the two separate outlets. In the illustrated example of  FIG.  1   , the first and second current sensors  112   a ,  112   b  are also connected to the respective first and second outlets  108   a ,  108   b  to enable current measurements associated with the respective first and second media presentation devices  104   a ,  104   b.    
     The example first, second, and third media device meters  110   a ,  110   b ,  110   c  of the illustrated example of  FIG.  1    collect data pertaining to media consumption in the respective first, second, and third households  102   a ,  102   b ,  102   c . In some examples, the first, second, and third media device meters  110   a ,  110   b ,  110   c  include microphones, direct connections (e.g., data connections) to the respective first, second, and third media presentation devices  104   a ,  104   b ,  104   c , wireless connections to the respective first, second, and third media presentation devices  104   a ,  104   b ,  104   c , cameras, and/or any other components to enable media monitoring. The example first, second, and third media device meters  110   a ,  110   b ,  110   c  transmit meter data to the AME  114 , where the meter data can be processed by the meter exception handler  116 . In some examples, the first, second, and third media device meters  110   a ,  110   b ,  110   c  are connected to the first, second, and third media presentation devices  104   a ,  104   b ,  104   c  and/or to the first, second, and third set top boxes  106   a ,  106   b ,  106   c . In the example second and third households  102   b ,  102   c  the example second and third media device meters  110   b ,  110   c  include the example second and third current sensors  112   b ,  112   c . For example, the example second and third current sensors  112   b ,  112   c  may be housed within or otherwise integral with the example second the third media device meters  110   b ,  100   c , respectively. 
     The example first, second, and third current sensors  112   a ,  112   b ,  112   c  of the illustrated example of  FIG.  1    determine current measurements associated with the respective first, second, and third media presentation devices  104   a ,  104   b ,  104   c . The first current sensor  112   a  of the first household  102   a  is separate from the first media device meter  110   a  and is connected to the first outlet  108   a . In some examples, the first current sensor  112   a  is an attachment to the first outlet that measures the current associated with any other device connected to the first outlet  108   a . The example second current sensor  112   b  is connected to the second outlet  108   b , but, unlike the first current sensor  112   a , the second current sensor  112   b  is part of (e.g., included within) the second media meter device  110   b . In such an example, the second media meter device  110   b  can be connected to the second outlet  108   b , to enable the second current sensor  112   b  to collect current measurements associated with the second media presentation device  104   b . The example third current sensor  112   c  is part of the third media meter device  110   c . However, instead of being connected directly to the third outlet  108   c , the third current sensor  112   c  is connected to the third media presentation device  104   c . In this configuration, the third current sensor  112   c  is connected to circuitry of the third media presentation device  104   c  to determine current measurements of the third media presentation device  104   c . While the example configurations of the first, second, and third current sensors  112   a ,  112   b ,  112   c  represent three possible configurations to collect current measurements from respective first, second, and third media presentation devices  104   a ,  104   b ,  104   c , the first, second, and third current sensors  112   a ,  112   b ,  112   c  could be any devices and/or software to determine current measurements of media presentation devices. In some examples, the first, second, and third current sensors  112   a ,  112   b ,  112   c  transmit current data to the AME  114 . In some examples, the first, second, and third current sensors  112   a ,  112   b ,  112   c  transmit current data to the meter exception handler  116 . 
     The example AME  114  of the illustrated example of  FIG.  1    is an entity responsible for collecting media monitoring information. The example AME  114  collects current data and meter data from the first, second, and third households  102   a ,  102   b ,  102   c . In some examples, the AME  114  is associated with one or more locations (e.g., a central facility) where data is aggregated and/or analyzed. The example AME  114  includes the meter exception handler  116  to assess meter exceptions and determine whether the meter exceptions are correct or incorrect. In response to the meter exception handler  116  determining that one or more meter exceptions issued by one of the first, second, and/or third media device meters  110   a ,  110   b ,  110   c  are incorrect (e.g., due to possible malfunction of the respective media device meter), the AME  114  can perform troubleshooting tasks to correct problems associated with the respective meter(s) (e.g., perform remote troubleshooting, send a technician to the household, etc.). 
     The example meter exception handler  116  of the illustrated example of  FIG.  1    analyzes exceptions from the first, second, and third media device meters  110   a ,  110   b ,  110   c . In some examples, the meter exception handler  116  accesses meter data, including meter exceptions and audio data, from one or more of the first, second, and/or third media device meters  110   a ,  110   b ,  110   c , as well as current data from one or more of the first, second, and/or third current sensors  112   a ,  112   b ,  112   c . In some examples, when a meter exception is accessed by the meter exception handler  116 , the meter exception handler  116  accesses current data and audio data for the media presentation device  104   a ,  104   b ,  104   c  associated with the exception. In such examples, the current data and audio data corresponding to the time of the exception is analyzed. 
     The meter exception handler  116  can determine whether the media presentation device  104   a ,  104   b ,  104   c  to which the meter data and current data corresponds was in a static display state at the time of the exception, or whether the media presentation device  104   a ,  104   b ,  104   c  was in a muted viewing state at the time of the exception. In some examples, to determine whether the media presentation device  104   a ,  104   b ,  104   c  was in the static display state, the meter exception handler  116  determines whether the current data falls within a threshold range at the time of the exception, and/or whether the current remained constant within a deviation threshold for a duration threshold. In some examples, to determine whether the media presentation device  104   a ,  104   b ,  104   c  was in a muted viewing state at the time of the exception, the meter exception handler  116  additionally or alternatively determines whether an audio level at the time of the exception was below a volume threshold. 
     In response to determining that the media presentation device  104   a ,  104   b ,  104   c  was in either the static display state or the muted viewing state at the time of an exception, the meter exception handler  116  flags the exception as correct (e.g., because the media device meter  110   a ,  110   b ,  110   c  is operating correctly in reporting an exception, as there is no perceptible media being presented). Conversely, in response to determining that the media presentation device  104   a ,  104   b ,  104   c  was not in the static display state nor the muted viewing state at the time of the exception, the meter exception handler  116  flags the exception as incorrect. In some examples, the meter exception handler  116  reports meter exceptions that are incorrect to the AME  114  to enable the AME  114  to initiate corrective action on the media device meter  110   a ,  110   b ,  110   c  associated with the incorrect meter exception. 
     In operation, the first, second, and third households  102   a ,  102   b ,  102   c  include respective first, second, and third media presentation devices  104   a ,  104   b ,  104   c  that access media using respective first, second, and third set top boxes  106   a ,  106   b ,  106   c . The first, second, and third media presentation devices  104   a ,  104   b ,  104   c  and the first, second, and third set top boxes  106   a ,  106   b ,  106   c  obtain power via the respective first, second, and third outlets  108   a ,  108   b ,  108   c . The first, second, and third media device meters  110   a ,  110   b ,  110   c  monitor media presented by the respective first, second, and third media presentation devices  104   a ,  104   b ,  104   c , while the first, second, and third current sensors  112   a ,  112   b ,  112   c  determine current measurements associated with the first, second, and third media presentation devices  104   a ,  104   b ,  104   c . The current data collected by the first, second, and third current sensors  112   a ,  112   b ,  112   c  and the meter data collected by the first, second, and third media device meters  110   a ,  110   b ,  110   c  are transmitted to the AME  114 , where the current data and the meter data are received by the meter exception handler  116  for processing to identify correct and incorrect meter exceptions. The meter exception handler  116  generates meter exception assessment data based on the analysis of the current data and the meter data. 
       FIG.  2    is a block diagram of the example meter exception handler  116  of  FIG.  1    constructed in accordance with the teachings of this disclosure. The example meter exception handler  116  includes an example current measurement receiver  202 , an example static display detector  204 , an example audio level detector  206 , an example muted viewing detector  208 , an example exception data receiver  210 , an example exception modifier  212 , and an example data store  214 . 
     The example current measurement receiver  202  of the illustrated example of  FIG.  2    accesses and/or receives current data. In some examples, the current measurement receiver  202  accesses current data corresponding to a specific current sensor (e.g., the first current sensor  112   a ) associated with a specific media device meter (e.g., the first media device meter  110   a ). In some examples, the current measurement receiver  202  only accesses a subset of the current data corresponding to a time of an exception (e.g., thirty seconds prior to the exception, thirty seconds after the exception, etc.). The current measurement receiver  202  can request the current data in response to the exception data receiver  210  accessing and/or receiving an exception or data indicative of an exception. In some examples, the current measurement receiver  202  accesses current data as the current data is transmitted from current sensors and/or media device meters. The current measurement receiver  202  can access current data and communicate the current data to the static display detector  204 . 
     The example static display detector  204  of the illustrated example of  FIG.  2    determines whether a media presentation device was in a static display state at a time of an exception. In some examples, the static display detector  204  receives current data for a time associated with an exception from the current measurement receiver  202 . In some examples, the static display detector  204  requests current measurement data from the current measurement receiver  202  in response to the exception data receiver  210  identifying an exception and indicating a time associated with the exception to the static display detector  204 . The static display detector  204  compares current measurements at the time of the exception with a threshold range associated with a static display. For example, if a television operates between 200 milliamperes (mA) and 250 mA when displaying a static screen, the static display detector  204  can compare current measurements at the time of the exception with this threshold range (e.g., 200 mA to 250 mA). 
     In some examples, the static display detector  204  also compares current measurements at the time of the exception with a deviation threshold to determine whether the current measurements deviate more than a static display would. For example, the static display detector  204  determines a deviation value associated with the current measurements for a duration threshold (e.g., five seconds surrounding the exception, two seconds surrounding the exception, etc.) and determines whether the current deviation meets or exceeds the threshold deviation to identify a static display state. In some examples, in response to (1) the current measurements at the time of the exception falling within the threshold range and (2) the current measurements having a deviation less than a threshold deviation for a duration threshold (e.g., a time surrounding the exception), the static display detector  204  can determine that the media presentation device associated with the exception was in a static display state at the time of the exception. 
     In some examples, after processing current data associated with an exception, the static display detector  204  informs the exception modifier  212  of whether the media presentation device associated with the exception was in a static display state at the time of the exception, thereby enabling the exception modifier  212  to determine whether the exception was correct or incorrect. In addition, in some examples, in response to determining the media presentation device associated with the exception was not in a static display state, the static display detector  204  informs the muted viewing detector  208  to determine whether the media presentation device was in a muted viewing state. 
     The example audio level detector  206  of the illustrated example of  FIG.  2    accesses and/or receives audio data included in meter data from media device meters. For example, the audio level detector  206  can access audio data conveyed in the meter data from the first, second, and third media device meters  110   a ,  110   b ,  110   c . In some examples, the audio data is transmitted to the meter exception handler  116  separately from the meter exception data. The audio level detector  206  determines volume levels associated with audio data. For example, the audio level detector  206  can sample audio data and store volume levels associated with the samples of the audio data, along with storing the times associated with the samples. Subsequently, the muted viewing detector  208  can utilize these volume levels to determine whether a media presentation device associated with an exception was in a muted viewing state at a time of the exception. 
     In some examples, the audio level detector  206  only determines volume levels associated with audio data captured at a time associated with an exception accessed by the exception data receiver  210 . In other words, in some examples, the audio level detector  206  is triggered to operate when an exception has been identified. In some examples, the audio level detector  206  transmits audio data specific to a time associated with an exception to the muted viewing detector  208  in response to the exception data receiver  210  accessing an exception. 
     The example muted viewing detector  208  of the illustrated example of  FIG.  2    determines whether a media presentation device was in a muted viewing state at a time of an exception. In some examples, to determine that the media presentation device was in the muted viewing state, the muted viewing detector  208  determines (1) that the media presentation device was not in a static display state at the time of the exception, and (2) that the audio data indicates the audio was below a volume threshold at the time of the exception. For example, the muted viewing detector  208  can access information from the static display detector  204  indicating whether or not an exception was associated with a static display state. Further, the muted viewing detector  208  can compare audio data at the time of the exception from the audio level detector  206  with a volume threshold. In some examples, when the muted viewing detector  208  determines that an exception is associated with a muted viewing state, the muted viewing detector  208  transmits an indication to the exception modifier  212  that the media presentation device associated with the exception was in a muted viewing state at the time of the exception. 
     The example exception data receiver  210  of the illustrated example of  FIG.  2    accesses meter exception data from the media device meters  110   a ,  110   b ,  110   c . In some examples, the exception data receiver  210  receives exceptions as the exceptions are encountered at the media device meter(s)  110   a ,  110   b ,  110   c  and transmitted to the exception data receiver  210  for processing. In some examples, the exception data receiver  210  receives exceptions from the media device meters  110   a ,  110   b ,  110   c  in batches (e.g., the media device meters  110   a ,  110   b ,  110   c  transmit exceptions to the exception data receiver  210  at regular intervals, the media device meters  110   a ,  110   b ,  110   c  transmit exceptions to the exception data receiver  210  when a threshold number of exceptions have been encountered, etc.). In some examples, the exception data receiver  210  communicates with the current measurement receiver  202 , the static display detector  204 , the audio level detector  206 , and/or the muted viewing detector  208  to initiate analysis of current measurements and/or audio level data associated with a time of a received exception. The example exception data receiver  210  communicates exceptions and/or data associated with exceptions (e.g., times of the exceptions, exception types, etc.) to the exception modifier  212 . 
     The example exception modifier  212  of the illustrated example of  FIG.  2    analyzes exceptions and determines whether the exceptions are correct or incorrect. In some examples, when the exception modifier  212  accesses an exception, the exception modifier  212  can request data from the static display detector  204  and/or the muted viewing detector  208  pertaining to a time associated with the exception. In some examples, the exception modifier  212  designates (e.g., flags, labels) an exception as correct in response to the static display detector  204  indicating that a media presentation device associated with the exception was in a static display state at the time of the exception and/or in response to the muted viewing detector  208  indicating that the media presentation device associated with the exception was in a muted viewing state at the time of the exception. In response to determining that an exception is correct, the exception modifier  212  can indicate that the exception does not require troubleshooting (e.g., troubleshooting to correct an issue with a media device meter) by the AME  114 . 
     In some examples, in response to the exception modifier  212  determining that a media presentation device associated with an exception was not in a static display state and not in a muted viewing state at a time associated with the exception, the exception modifier  212  designates (e.g., flags, labels, etc.) the exception as incorrect. In response to identifying an incorrect exception, the exception modifier  212  can initiate a troubleshooting process at the AME  114  to determine and/or address a cause of the incorrect exception. In some examples, the exception modifier  212  outputs meter exception assessment data indicating whether exceptions are correct or incorrect. 
     The example data store  214  is a storage location that can be used to store current data, audio data, meter exception data, and/or meter exception assessment data. The data store  214  can be implemented by a volatile memory (e.g., a Synchronous Dynamic Random Access Memory (SDRAM), Dynamic Random Access Memory (DRAM), RAMBUS Dynamic Random Access Memory (RDRAM), etc.) and/or a non-volatile memory (e.g., flash memory, etc.). The data store  214  can additionally or alternatively be implemented by one or more double data rate (DDR) memories, such as DDR, DDR2, DDR3, mobile DDR (mDDR), etc. The data store  214  can additionally or alternatively be implemented by one or more mass storage devices such as hard disk drive(s), compact disk drive(s) digital versatile disk drive(s), etc. While, in the illustrated example, the data store  214  is illustrated as a single database, the data store  214  can be implemented by any number and/or type(s) of databases. Furthermore, the data stored in the data store  214  can be in any data format such as, for example, binary data, comma delimited data, tab delimited data, structured query language (SQL) structures, etc. 
     In operation, the example current measurement receiver  202  accesses current data and communicates the current data to the static display detector  204 . The static display detector  204  determines whether a media presentation device was in a static display state at a time of an exception based on whether the current data is within a threshold range and/or is constant within a deviation threshold for a duration threshold. The audio level detector  206  accesses audio data and communicates the audio data to the muted viewing detector  208  which determines whether a media presentation device was in a muted viewing state at a time of an exception. For example, the muted viewing detector  208  can determine the media presentation device was in the muted viewing state when the audio data indicates an audio level below a threshold. The example exception data receiver  210  accesses exceptions from media device meters and communicates the exceptions to the exception modifier  212 . The exception modifier  212  designates the exceptions as being correct or incorrect based on information from the static display detector  204  and/or the muted viewing detector  208 . The exception modifier  212  thereby generates meter exception assessment data, which can be stored, in addition or alternatively to the current data, audio data, and meter exception data, in the data store  214 . 
     While an example manner of implementing the meter exception handler  116  of  FIG.  1    is illustrated in  FIG.  2   , one or more of the elements, processes and/or devices illustrated in  FIG.  2    may be combined, divided, re-arranged, omitted, eliminated, and/or implemented in any other way. For example, in some examples, the media exception handler  116  may be incorporated into a media device meter  110   a ,  110   b ,  110   c  where data is locally processed and results are transmitted to the AME  114 . Further, the example media device meter  110   a ,  110   b ,  110   c , the example current measurement receiver  202 , the static display detector  204 , the audio level detector  206 , the example muted viewing detector  208 , the example exception data receiver  210 , the example exception modifier  212 , the example data store  214  and/or, more generally, the example meter exception handler  116  of  FIG.  2    may be implemented by hardware, software, firmware and/or any combination of hardware, software, and/or firmware. Thus, for example, any of the example media device meter  110   a ,  110   b ,  110   c , the example current measurement receiver  202 , the static display detector  204 , the audio level detector  206 , the example muted viewing detector  208 , the example exception data receiver  210 , the example exception modifier  212 , the example data store  214  and/or, more generally, the example meter exception handler  116  of  FIG.  2    could be implemented by one or more analog or digital circuit(s), logic circuits, programmable processor(s), programmable controller(s), graphics processing unit(s) (GPU(s)), digital signal processor(s) (DSP(s)), application specific integrated circuit(s) (ASIC(s)), programmable logic device(s) (PLD(s)), and/or field programmable logic device(s) (FPLD(s)). When reading any of the apparatus or system claims of this patent to cover a purely software and/or firmware implementation, at least one of the example media device meter  110   a ,  110   b ,  110   c , the example current measurement receiver  202 , the static display detector  204 , the audio level detector  206 , the example muted viewing detector  208 , the example exception data receiver  210 , the example exception modifier  212 , the example data store  214  and/or, more generally, the example meter exception handler  116  of  FIG.  2    is/are hereby expressly defined to include a non-transitory computer readable storage device or storage disk such as a memory, a digital versatile disk (DVD), a compact disk (CD), a Blu-ray disk, etc. including the software and/or firmware. Further still, the example meter exception handler  116  of  FIG.  2    may include one or more elements, processes, and/or devices in addition to, or instead of, those illustrated in  FIG.  2   , and/or may include more than one of any or all of the illustrated elements, processes, and devices. As used herein, the phrase “in communication,” including variations thereof, encompasses direct communication and/or indirect communication through one or more intermediary components, and does not require direct physical (e.g., wired) communication and/or constant communication, but rather additionally includes selective communication at periodic intervals, scheduled intervals, aperiodic intervals, and/or one-time events. 
     A flowchart representative of example hardware logic, machine readable instructions, hardware implemented state machines, and/or any combination thereof for implementing the meter exception handler of  FIG.  2    is shown in  FIG.  3   . The machine readable instructions may be an executable program or portion of an executable program for execution by a computer processor such as the processor  612  shown in the example processor platform  600  discussed below in connection with  FIG.  6   . The program may be embodied in software stored on a non-transitory computer readable storage medium such as a CD-ROM, a floppy disk, a hard drive, a DVD, a Blu-ray disk, or a memory associated with the processor  612 , but the entire program and/or parts thereof could alternatively be executed by a device other than the processor  612  and/or embodied in firmware or dedicated hardware. Further, although the example program is described with reference to the flowchart illustrated in  FIG.  3   , many other methods of implementing the example meter exception handler  116  may alternatively be used. For example, the order of execution of the blocks may be changed, and/or some of the blocks described may be changed, eliminated, or combined. Additionally or alternatively, any or all of the blocks may be implemented by one or more hardware circuits (e.g., discrete and/or integrated analog and/or digital circuitry, an FPGA, an ASIC, a comparator, an operational-amplifier (op-amp), a logic circuit, etc.) structured to perform the corresponding operation without executing software or firmware. 
     As mentioned above, the example processes of  FIG.  3    may be implemented using executable instructions (e.g., computer and/or machine readable instructions) stored on a non-transitory computer and/or machine readable medium such as a hard disk drive, a flash memory, a read-only memory, a compact disk, a digital versatile disk, a cache, a random-access memory, and/or any other storage device or storage disk in which information is stored for any duration (e.g., for extended time periods, permanently, for brief instances, for temporarily buffering, and/or for caching of the information). As used herein, the term non-transitory computer readable medium is expressly defined to include any type of computer readable storage device and/or storage disk and to exclude propagating signals and to exclude transmission media. 
     “Including” and “comprising” (and all forms and tenses thereof) are used herein to be open ended terms. Thus, whenever a claim employs any form of “include” or “comprise” (e.g., comprises, includes, comprising, including, having, etc.) as a preamble or within a claim recitation of any kind, it is to be understood that additional elements, terms, etc. may be present without falling outside the scope of the corresponding claim or recitation. As used herein, when the phrase “at least” is used as the transition term in, for example, a preamble of a claim, it is open-ended in the same manner as the term “comprising” and “including” are open ended. The term “and/or” when used, for example, in a form such as A, B, and/or C refers to any combination or subset of A, B, C such as (1) A alone, (2) B alone, (3) C alone, (4) A with B, (5) A with C, (6) B with C, and (7) A with B and with C. 
     Example machine readable instructions  300  that may be executed by the meter exception handler  116  are illustrated in  FIG.  3   . With reference to the preceding figures and associated descriptions, the example machine readable instructions  300  of  FIG.  3    begin with the example meter exception handler  116  accessing an exception reported in meter data (block  302 ). For example, the exception data receiver  210  can access an exception reported in meter data by a media device meter (e.g., the first, second, and third media device meters  110   a ,  110   b ,  110   c  of  FIG.  1   ). 
     At block  304 , the example meter exception handler  116  accesses current measurement values associated with a timestamp of the exception. In some examples, the current measurement receiver  202  accesses current measurement values associated with a timestamp of the exception. In some examples, the static display detector  204 , in response to the exception data receiver  210  accessing the exception, requests the current measurement values associated with the timestamp of the exception from the current measurement receiver  202 . In some examples, the static display detector  204  accesses current measurement values for the media presentation device corresponding to the exception for a time range around the timestamp of the exception (e.g., five seconds before the timestamp and five seconds after the timestamp, ten seconds before the timestamp and ten seconds after the timestamp, and/or other suitable ranges). 
     At block  306 , the example meter exception handler  116  accesses audio level data associated with the time stamp of the exception. In some examples, the audio level detector  206  accesses audio level data associated with the time stamp of the exception. In some examples, the audio level detector  206  continually accesses audio data from a plurality of media device meters (e.g., the first, second, and third media device meters  110   a ,  110   b ,  110   c ), while in some examples, the audio level detector  206  accesses audio data from media device meter(s) associated with exception(s) in response to the exception data receiver  210  accessing the exception(s) corresponding to the respective media device meter(s). In some examples, the audio level detector  206  accesses audio level data for a time range around the timestamp of the exception (e.g., five seconds before the timestamp and five seconds after the timestamp, ten seconds before the timestamp and ten seconds after the timestamp, and/or other suitable ranges). 
     At block  308 , the example meter exception handler  116  determines whether the current measurements at the time of the meter exception fall within a threshold range. In some examples, the static display detector  204  compares current measurements associated with the media device meter at the time of the exception with a threshold range (e.g., a lower limit current value and an upper limit current value). For example, the static display detector  204  can determine whether current measurements for five seconds prior to the time of the timestamp and/or for five seconds after the time of the timestamp are within the threshold range. Example plots depicting current measurements being compared to an example threshold range are illustrated and described in connection with  FIGS.  4 A- 4 B . In response to the current measurements at the time of the meter exception falling within the threshold range, processing of the example instructions  300  transfers to block  312 . Conversely, in response to current measurements at the time of the meter exception not falling within the threshold range, processing of the example instructions  300  transfers to block  314 . 
     At block  310 , the example meter exception handler  116  determines whether current measurements were constant within a deviation threshold for a duration threshold. For example, the static display detector  204  can determine whether, for a duration threshold (e.g., one second before and one second after the exception, five seconds before and five seconds after the exception, and/or other suitable ranges), the current measurements remained within a deviation threshold (e.g., a two percent deviation from the current value at the time of the meter exception, a 5 mA deviation from the current value at the time of the meter exception, and/or other suitable ranges of these and/or other suitable parameters). In some examples, the deviation threshold is measured relative to the current value at the time of the exception. In some examples, the deviation threshold is measured as a maximum change throughout the duration threshold (e.g., the minimum current value subtracted from the maximum current value from within the duration threshold). The deviation threshold is intended to determine whether the screen is truly static (non-changing), as the current measurements may, in some examples, satisfy the threshold range (e.g., associated with block  308 ), but actually be fluctuating within that range due to different television configurations (e.g., which may be presenting media, but utilizing lower amperage settings). Example plots depicting current measurement deviation values are illustrated and described in connection with  FIGS.  4 A- 4 B . In response to the current measurements being constant within the deviation threshold for the duration threshold, processing of the example instructions  300  transfers to block  312 . Conversely, in response to determining that the current measurements were not constant within the deviation threshold for the duration threshold, processing of the example instructions  300  transfers to block  314 . 
     At block  312 , the example meter exception handler  116  flags the meter exception as corresponding to a static display state. In some examples, the exception modifier  212  flags (e.g., labels, tags, designates, etc.) the meter exception as corresponding to the static display state. 
     At block  314 , the example meter exception handler  116  determines whether the audio was below a volume threshold at the time of the meter exception. In some examples, the muted viewing detector  208  determines whether the audio was below a volume threshold at the time of the meter exception. In some examples, the volume threshold is configured to be set at a level higher than would be generated by ambient noise (e.g., heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) noises, persons walking around, quiet speaking, etc.) but lower than would be generated by quiet media on the media presentation device. In some examples, if the audio data is collected directly from the media presentation device as opposed to recorded via a microphone, the volume threshold can be configured to be very low, as a muted program should have no volume output. In response to determining that the audio was below a volume threshold at the time of the meter exception, processing of the example instructions  300  transfers to block  316 . Conversely, in response to determining that the audio was not below the volume threshold at the time of the meter exception, processing of the example instructions  300  transfers to block  320 . 
     At block  316 , the example meter exception handler  116  flags the meter exception as corresponding to a muted viewing state. In some examples, the exception modifier  212  flags (e.g., labels, tags, designates, etc.) the meter exception as corresponding to the muted viewing state. 
     At block  318 , the example meter exception handler  116  flags the meter exception as correct. In some examples, the exception modifier  212  flags the meter exception as correct, thereby generating meter exception assessment data. In addition, at block  320 , the example meter exception handler  116  flags the meter exception as incorrect. In some examples, the exception modifier  212  flags the meter exception as correct, thereby generating meter exception assessment data. In some examples, the meter exception handler  116  can choose to not flag either correct exceptions, or incorrect exceptions, and only flag one type (e.g., only flag “incorrect” exceptions), implying that all non-flagged exceptions are the opposite. For example, if the meter exception handler  116  only flags incorrect exceptions, any meter exception that is not flagged can be considered correct. 
     At block  322 , the example meter exception handler  116  determines whether there are any additional meter exceptions to process. In some examples, the exception data receiver  210  determines whether there are any additional meter exceptions to process. In response to there being additional meter exceptions to process, processing of the example instructions  300  transfers to block  302 . Conversely, in response to there not being additional meter exceptions to process, processing terminates. 
       FIGS.  4 A- 4 B  are plots of meter exceptions and current data that can be analyzed by the meter exception handler  116  to handle meter exceptions.  FIG.  4 A  includes an example meter exception plot  400 , and an example first current plot  406 . The example meter exception plot  400  includes an example meter exception  402  corresponding to an example meter exception time  404 . The example first current plot  406  includes an example duration threshold  408  (ΔT), an example duration threshold end time  410 , an example lower current threshold  412  (A LOW ), an example upper current threshold  414  (A HIGH ), an example first minimum current value  416 , an example first maximum current value  418 , and an example first current deviation  420  (ΔA). 
     The example meter exception plot  400  includes a time axis extending to the right from a zero time value, and a discrete meter exceptions line, where meter exceptions that are encountered are indicated by “X” symbols. The example meter exception  402  corresponds to a meter exception recorded at a media device meter (e.g., one of the first, second, and third media device meters  110   a ,  110   b ,  110   c ). The meter exception  402  is stored and/or transmitted to the meter exception handler  116  with the meter exception time  404 , which designates the time at which the meter exception  402  occurred. The meter exception plot  400  includes a plurality of exceptions that occur in succession with the first meter exception  402 . For brevity, the meter exception  402  is the only meter exception that is analyzed and discussed, but the same analysis can be performed on other ones of the plurality of meter exceptions. 
     The example first current plot  406  includes a time axis as the x-axis extending to the right from a zero time value, and a current axis as the y-axis representing current values in amperes, extending upward from a zero ampere value. When analyzing current measurements to determine if a media presentation device was in a static display state, the meter exception handler  116  can analyze a duration threshold beginning at the meter exception time  404  and extending to the duration threshold end time  410 . The duration threshold  408  could be any time value extending prior to the meter exception time  404  and/or after the meter exception time  404 . For simplicity, for the current plots displayed in  FIGS.  4 A- 4 B  and  FIGS.  5 A- 5 B , the duration threshold is represented as a brief time period beginning at the meter exception time  404  and extending for several seconds (e.g., until the duration threshold end time  410 ). 
     As described in block  308  of the flowchart of  FIG.  3   , the meter exception handler  116  determines whether current measurements associated with a meter exception fall within a threshold range. The first current plot  406  includes the lower current threshold  412  and the upper current threshold  414 . These thresholds represent a range of current values that a media presentation device having a static display would be predicted to exhibit. For example, some media presentation devices may present a static display with a relatively higher current value relative to other media presentation devices. Similarly, some types of static displays (e.g., different colors, patterns, etc.) may correspond to higher current values than other types of displays. The meter exception handler  116  determines whether current measurements during the duration threshold  408  fall within the threshold range (e.g., are higher than the lower current threshold  412 , and lower than the upper current threshold  414 ). In the first current plot  406 , the values are within this range during the time period of the duration threshold  408 . In some examples, the meter exception handler  116  analyzes a current value at the meter exception time  404  to determine whether the current value falls within the threshold range, without analyzing current measurements for the full duration threshold  408 . 
     As described in block  312  of the flowchart of  FIG.  3   , the meter exception handler  116  determines whether current measurements were constant within a deviation threshold for a duration threshold. The first current plot  406  includes the first minimum current value  416  and the first maximum current value  418 , representing respective minimum and maximum current values observed during the duration threshold  408 . The difference between the first maximum current value  418  and the first minimum current value  416  is represented as the first current deviation  420 . In some examples, the current deviation can be represented as a percent change from a current value at the meter exception time  404 , as a standard deviation value, or any other means of quantifying the amount of variance in the current measurements during the duration threshold  408 . The example first current deviation  420  can be compared to a deviation threshold to determine whether the media presentation device associated with an exception was in a static display state at the time of the exception. As the first current deviation  420  is relatively small, and the current measurements are relatively constant during the duration threshold  408 , the meter exception handler  116  may determine that the current deviation  420  is less than the deviation threshold and that the media presentation device was in a static display state at the time of the exception  402 . If the meter exception handler  116  determined that the media presentation device was in the static display state, the meter exception  402  is labeled as correct (e.g., the media device meter associated with the exception encountered the exception because the media presentation device was not presenting perceptible media). 
       FIG.  4 B  includes the meter exception plot  400 , with a second current plot  422 , representing different possible current measurements. The second current plot  422  includes the lower current threshold  412  (A LOW ) and the upper current threshold  414  (A HIGH ). As in  FIG.  4 B , the current measurements during the duration threshold  408  (ΔT) fall within the threshold range (e.g., are above the lower current threshold  412  but below the upper current threshold  414 ). However, the current measurements during the duration threshold  408  include an example second maximum current value  424 , representing the maximum current value observed during the duration threshold  408 , and an example second minimum current value  426 , representing the minimum current value observed during the duration threshold  408 . An example second current deviation  428  (ΔA′) represents the difference between the second maximum current value  424  and the second minimum current value  426 . The second current deviation  428  is larger than the first current deviation  420 . In some examples, when the meter exception handler  116  compares the second current deviation to the deviation threshold, the meter exception  402  associated with the second current plot  422  may not satisfy the deviation threshold for the duration threshold  408 , thus resulting in the meter exception handler  116  determining that the media presentation device associated with the meter exception  402  was not in a static display state at the time of the meter exception  402 . The example second current plot  422  may be associated with a media presentation device that operates at lower current values, as the current measurements throughout the plot remain mostly within the threshold range, but have high deviation, which is not characteristic of a static display state. 
       FIGS.  5 A- 5 B  are plots of meter exceptions, current data, and volume data that can be analyzed by the meter exception handler  116  to handle meter exceptions.  FIG.  5 A  includes the meter exception plot  400 , as well as an example third current plot  502 , and an example first volume plot  504 . While  FIG.  4 A  includes the same meter exception plot  400 , the example third current plot  502  and the first volume plot  504  represent different possible analysis outcomes corresponding to different current data and utilizing volume data to determine whether a media presentation device was in a muted viewing state. 
     The example third current plot  502  depicts current measurement data corresponding to times around the meter exception time  404 . The third current plot  502  includes the lower current threshold  412  (A LOW ) and the upper current threshold  414  (A HIGH ). The current measurements during the duration threshold  408  (ΔT) exceed the upper current threshold  414 . As a result, based on this example data, the meter exception handler  116  determines that the media presentation device associated with the meter exception  402  was not in a static display state at the meter exception time  404 . 
     The example first volume plot  504  depicts volume data around the meter exception time  404 . The first volume plot  504  includes an example first volume level  506  associated with the volume measurement at the meter exception time  404 . The first volume plot  504  also includes an example volume threshold  508  (VOL MAX ) representing a maximum volume level that can be associated with a media presentation device in a muted viewing state. In the first volume plot  504 , the first volume level  506 , associated with the meter exception time  404 , is below the volume threshold  508 . In some examples, the meter exception handler  116  determines the media presentation device associated with the exception  402  is in a muted viewing state based on the first volume level  506  being below the volume threshold  508  and based on the media presentation device not being in a static display state. In some examples, the meter exception handler  116  additionally or alternatively analyzes volume levels throughout the duration threshold  408  to determine if the volume remains below the volume threshold  508  for the entire duration threshold  408 . Based on the volume data associated with the first volume plot  504 , the first volume level  506 , as well as all volume levels in the duration threshold  408 , remain below the volume threshold  508 . Therefore, based on the third current plot  502  indicating that the media presentation device associated with the exception  402  is not in a static display state, and the volume levels remaining below the volume threshold  508 , the meter exception handler  116  determines that the meter exception  402  is associated with a muted viewing state. 
       FIG.  5 B  includes the meter exception plot  400 , the third current plot  502 , and an example second volume plot  510 . The volume data represented by the second volume plot  510  indicates another example meter exception analysis outcome. The second volume plot  510  includes an example second volume level  512  that is above the volume threshold  508 . Therefore, the meter exception handler  116 , performing analysis on the data represented in  FIG.  5 B , may determine that the media presentation device associated with the meter exception  402  does not correspond to a muted viewing state, based on the second volume level  512  being above the volume threshold  508  and the current measurements being outside the threshold range associated with the lower current threshold  412  and the upper current threshold  414 . 
       FIG.  6    is a block diagram of an example processor platform  1000  structured to execute the instructions of  FIG.  3    to implement the meter exception handler  116  of  FIGS.  1  and  2   . The processor platform  600  can be, for example, a server, a personal computer, a workstation, a self-learning machine (e.g., a neural network), a mobile device (e.g., a cell phone, a smart phone, a tablet such as an iPad), a personal digital assistant (PDA), an Internet appliance, a DVD player, a CD player, a digital video recorder, a Blu-ray player, a gaming console, a personal video recorder, a set top box, a headset or other wearable device, or any other type of computing device. 
     The processor platform  600  of the illustrated example includes a processor  612 . The processor  612  of the illustrated example is hardware. For example, the processor  612  can be implemented by one or more integrated circuits, logic circuits, microprocessors, GPUs, DSPs, or controllers from any desired family or manufacturer. The hardware processor may be a semiconductor based (e.g., silicon based) device. In this example, the processor  612  implements the example media device meters  110   a ,  110   b ,  100   c , the example current measurement receiver  202 , the static display detector  204 , the audio level detector  206 , the example muted viewing detector  208 , the example exception data receiver  210 , the example exception modifier  212 , and/or, more generally, the example meter exception handler  116  of  FIGS.  1  and  2   . 
     The processor  612  of the illustrated example includes a local memory  613 ,  214  (e.g., a cache). The processor  612  of the illustrated example is in communication with a main memory including a volatile memory  614  and a non-volatile memory  616  via a bus  618 . The volatile memory  614  may be implemented by Synchronous Dynamic Random Access Memory (SDRAM), Dynamic Random Access Memory (DRAM), RAMBUS® Dynamic Random Access Memory (RDRAM®), and/or any other type of random access memory device. The non-volatile memory  616  may be implemented by flash memory and/or any other desired type of memory device. Access to the main memory  614 ,  616  is controlled by a memory controller. 
     The processor platform  600  of the illustrated example also includes an interface circuit  620 . The interface circuit  620  may be implemented by any type of interface standard, such as an Ethernet interface, a universal serial bus (USB), a Bluetooth® interface, a near field communication (NFC) interface, and/or a PCI express interface. 
     In the illustrated example, one or more input devices  622  are connected to the interface circuit  620 . The input device(s)  622  permit(s) a user to enter data and/or commands into the processor  612 . The input device(s) can be implemented by, for example, an audio sensor, a microphone, a camera (still or video), a keyboard, a button, a mouse, a touchscreen, a track-pad, a trackball, isopoint, and/or a voice recognition system. 
     One or more output devices  624  are also connected to the interface circuit  620  of the illustrated example. The output devices  624  can be implemented, for example, by display devices (e.g., a light emitting diode (LED), an organic light emitting diode (OLED), a liquid crystal display (LCD), a cathode ray tube display (CRT), an in-place switching (IPS) display, a touchscreen, etc.), a tactile output device, a printer, and/or speaker. The interface circuit  620  of the illustrated example, thus, typically includes a graphics driver card, a graphics driver chip, and/or a graphics driver processor. 
     The interface circuit  620  of the illustrated example also includes a communication device such as a transmitter, a receiver, a transceiver, a modem, a residential gateway, a wireless access point, and/or a network interface to facilitate exchange of data with external machines (e.g., computing devices of any kind) via a network  626 . The communication can be via, for example, an Ethernet connection, a digital subscriber line (DSL) connection, a telephone line connection, a coaxial cable system, a satellite system, a line-of-site wireless system, a cellular telephone system, etc. 
     The processor platform  600  of the illustrated example also includes one or more mass storage devices  628  for storing software and/or data. Examples of such mass storage devices  628  include floppy disk drives, hard drive disks, compact disk drives, Blu-ray disk drives, redundant array of independent disks (RAID) systems, and digital versatile disk (DVD) drives. 
     The machine executable instructions  300  of  FIG.  3    and/or other machine executable instructions  632  may be stored in the mass storage device  628 , in the volatile memory  614 , in the non-volatile memory  616 , and/or on a removable non-transitory computer readable storage medium such as a CD or DVD. 
     From the foregoing, it will be appreciated that example apparatus, systems, articles of manufacture, and methods have been disclosed that enable analysis of exceptions issued by media device meters to determine whether the exceptions correspond to states where media is not perceptible or may correspond to problems with the media device meters. The example disclosed herein enable an AME to remotely determine whether a media presentation device associated with a meter exception was in a static display state, a muted viewing state, or neither of these states. Further, the AME can determine whether the meter exception is correct (e.g., associated with non-perceptible media) or incorrect (e.g., indicative of a problem with a media device meter). In enabling more accurate analysis of meter exceptions, and specific determination of incorrect meter exceptions, an AME can reduce an amount of resources expended (e.g., a number of visits to households, an amount of time spent troubleshooting, etc.) on debugging meter exceptions. The disclosed apparatus, systems, articles of manufacture, and methods improve the efficiency of using a computing device by enabling more granular and useful analysis of meter exceptions from a location remote from the meter. The disclosed apparatus, systems, articles of manufacture, and methods are accordingly directed to one or more improvement(s) in the functioning of a computer. An example media meter exception handling apparatus disclosed herein includes a static display detector to determine whether current measurements for a media presentation device at a time corresponding to an exception reported by a media device meter indicate the media presentation device was in a static display state at the time corresponding to the exception, a muted viewing detector to determine whether the media presentation device was in a muted viewing state at the time of the exception based on an audio level associated with the media presentation device at the time of the exception and whether the media presentation device was in the static display state at the time of the exception, and an exception modifier to determine whether to modify the exception based on whether the media presentation device was in the static display state and whether the media presentation device was in a muted viewing state at the time of the exception. 
     In some examples, the static display detector is to determine the current measurements indicate the media presentation device was in the static display state when the current measurements fall within a threshold range. 
     In some examples, the static display detector is to determine the current measurements indicate the media presentation device was in the static display when the current measurements deviate less than a deviation threshold for a duration threshold. 
     In some examples, the exception modifier is to flag the exception as correct in response to the media presentation device being in the static display state at the time of the exception. 
     In some examples, the exception modifier is to flag the exception as correct in response to the media presentation device being in the muted viewing state at the time of the exception. 
     In some examples, the exception modifier is to flag the exception as incorrect in response to the media presentation device not being in the static display state at the time of the exception and not being in the muted viewing state at the time of the exception. 
     In some examples, the audio level is received from the media device meter. 
     In some examples, the current measurements are received from at least one of the media device meter or a sensor that is to monitor current drawn by the media presentation device from an outlet. 
     Also disclosed herein is an example non-transitory computer readable storage medium that includes computer readable instructions that, when executed, cause a processor to at least determine whether current measurements for a media presentation device at a time corresponding to an exception reported by a media device meter indicate the media presentation device was in a static display state at the time corresponding to the exception, determine whether the media presentation device was in a muted viewing state at the time of the exception based on an audio level associated with the media presentation device at the time of the exception and whether the media presentation device was in the static display state at the time of the exception, and determine whether to modify the exception based on whether the media presentation device was in the static display state and whether the media presentation device was in a muted viewing state at the time of the exception. 
     In some examples, to determine the current measurements indicate the media presentation device was in the static display state, the computer readable instructions cause the processor to determine the current measurements fall within a threshold range. 
     In some examples, to determine the current measurements indicate the media presentation device was in the static display state, the computer readable instructions cause the processor to determine the current measurements deviate less than a deviation threshold for a duration threshold. 
     In some examples, the computer readable instructions cause the processor to flag the exception as correct in response to the media presentation device being in the static display state at the time of the exception. 
     In some examples, the computer readable instructions cause the processor to flag the exception as correct in response to the media presentation device being in the muted viewing state at the time of the exception. 
     In some examples, the computer readable instructions cause the processor to flag the exception as incorrect in response to the media presentation device not being in the static display state at the time of the exception and not being in the muted viewing state at the time of the exception. 
     Also disclosed herein is a method for handling exceptions reported by a media device meter. The example method includes determining, by executing instructions with a processor, whether current measurements for a media presentation device at a time corresponding to an exception reported by a media device meter indicate the media presentation device was in a static display state at the time corresponding to the exception, determining, by executing instructions with a processor, whether the media presentation device was in a muted viewing state at the time of the exception based on an audio level associated with the media presentation device at the time of the exception and whether the media presentation device was in the static display state at the time of the exception, and determining, by executing instructions with a processor, whether to modify the exception based on whether the media presentation device was in the static display state and whether the media presentation device was in a muted viewing state at the time of the exception. 
     In some examples, determining the current measurements indicate the media presentation device was in the static display state includes determining the current measurements fall within a threshold range. 
     In some examples, determining the current measurements indicate the media presentation device was in the static display state includes determining the current measurements deviate less than a deviation threshold for a duration threshold. 
     In some examples, the method further includes flagging, by executing instructions with a processor, the exception as correct in response to the media presentation device being in the static display state at the time of the exception. 
     In some examples, the method further includes flagging, by executing instructions with a processor, the exception as correct in response to the media presentation device being in the muted viewing state at the time of the exception. 
     In some examples, the method further includes flagging, by executing instructions with a processor, the exception as incorrect in response to the media presentation device not being in the static display state at the time of the exception and not being in the muted viewing state at the time of the exception. 
     Although certain example methods, apparatus and articles of manufacture have been disclosed herein, the scope of coverage of this patent is not limited thereto. On the contrary, this patent covers all methods, apparatus and articles of manufacture fairly falling within the scope of the claims of this patent.