Viewer data collection system and method for use in a direct broadcast satellite television network

• US 20040083485A1
• Filed: 04/08/2003
• Published: 04/29/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/25/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: The DIRECTV Group, Inc. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: The DIRECTV Group, Inc. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Russ, David P., Sunkara, Rao, Welsh, Mark G.
• Application Number:
  US10/408,898
• Publication Number:
  US 20040083485A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/14
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 40/90 specially adapted for satellite broadcast receiving
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/14 Arrangements for conditional access to broadcast information or to broadcast-related services
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/31 Arrangements for monitoring the use made of the broadcast services
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/39 for identifying broadcast space-time use of Electronic Programme Guides H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/43 for identifying broadcast channels
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2007/1739 the upstream communication being transmitted via a separate link, e.g. telephone line
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/26606 for generating or managing entitlement messages, e.g. Entitlement Control Message [ECM] or Entitlement Management Message [EMM] arrangements for conditional access to broadcast information or to broadcast-related services H04H60/14
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4181 for conditional access
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4182 for identification purposes, e.g. storing user identification data, preferences, personal settings or data restricting access to computer systems by authenticating users using a predetermined code in combination with an additional device, e.g. dongle or smart card G06F21/123
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/433 Content storage operation, e.g. storage operation in response to a pause request, caching operations
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44008 involving operations for analysing video streams, e.g. detecting features or characteristics in the video stream arrangements characterised by components specially adapted for monitoring, identification or recognition of video in broadcast systems H04H60/59
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6187 involving transmission via a telephone network, e.g. POTS
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6582 Data stored in the client, e.g. viewing habits, hardware capabilities, credit card number arrangements where receivers interact with the broadcast H04H20/38
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8352 involving content or source identification data, e.g. Unique Material Identifier [UMID]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/84 Generation or processing of descriptive data, e.g. content descriptors systems specially adapted for using meta-information in broadcast systems H04H60/73
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/163 by receiver means only

Abstract

A system and method for collecting viewership data. The inventive system (10) is adapted to receive a signal having multiple channels of program content and associated channel identification information. The system (10) is adapted to parse the program content and channel identification information from the received signal. The system (10) outputs selective channels of program content in response to user input and the parsed program content. The system (10) monitors the selected channels and provides viewership data with respect thereto. The viewership data includes channel identification information.

Claims

1. A data collection system comprising:

first means for receiving a signal having multiple channels of program content and associated channel identification information, said first means including means for parsing said program content and channel identification information from said signal;

second means responsive to user input and said means for parsing for selecting channels of said program content for output; and

third means for monitoring the channels selected and providing viewership data with respect thereto, said viewership data including channel identification information.

2. The invention of claim 1 wherein said first, second and third means are disposed in a set top box.

3. The invention of claim 2 wherein said set top box is a direct broadcast satellite set top box.

4. The invention of claim 1 wherein said first means includes a tuner and a demodulator and a processor.

5. The invention of claim 1 wherein said second means includes a processor.

6. The invention of claim 5 wherein said signal includes virtual channel information.

7. The invention of claim 6 wherein said second means includes software adapted for execution by said processor to parse said virtual channel information from said received signal.

8. The invention of claim 7 further including means for storing said viewership data.

9. The invention of claim 8 wherein said means for storing includes a smartcard.

10. The invention of claim 1 further including means for storing said viewership data.

11. The invention of claim 10 wherein said means for storing includes a smartcard.

12. The invention of claim 1 further including means for selectively transmitting said viewership information.

13. The invention of claim 12 wherein said means for selectively transmitting includes a modem.

14. The invention of claim 1 wherein said third means includes a smartcard.

15. The invention of claim 1 further including means for processing said viewership information to provide demographic data with respect thereto.

16. A direct broadcast satellite system with automatic viewership reporting comprising:

first means for transmitting via satellite a signal having multiple channels of program content and associated channel identification information;

second means for receiving said signal;

third means for parsing said program content and channel identification information from said received signal;

fourth means responsive to user input and said means for parsing for selecting channels of said program content for output;

fifth means for monitoring the channels selected and providing viewership data with respect thereto, said viewership data including channel identification information; and

sixth means for reporting said viewership data.

17. The invention of claim 16 wherein said second, third and fourth means are disposed in a set top box.

18. The invention of claim 17 wherein said set top box is a direct broadcast satellite set top box.

19. The invention of claim 16 wherein said second means includes a tuner and a demodulator.

20. The invention of claim 16 wherein said third means includes a processor.

21. The invention of claim 20 wherein said signal includes virtual channel information.

22. The invention of claim 21 wherein said third means includes software adapted for execution by said processor to parse said virtual channel information from said received signal.

23. The invention of claim 22 further including means for storing said viewership data.

24. The invention of claim 23 wherein said means for storing includes a smartcard.

25. The invention of claim 16 further including means for storing said viewership data.

26. The invention of claim 25 wherein said means for storing includes a smartcard.

27. The invention of claim 16 wherein said fifth means includes a smartcard.

28. The invention of claim 16 wherein said sixth means includes means for selectively transmitting said viewership information.

29. The invention of claim 28 wherein said means for selectively transmitting includes a modem.

30. The invention of claim 16 further including means for processing said viewership information to provide demographic data with respect thereto.

31. A method for collecting viewership data including the steps of:

receiving a signal having multiple channels of program content and associated channel identification information;

parsing said program content and channel identification information from said signal;

selecting channels of said program content for output in response to user input and said parsing operation; and

monitoring the channels selected and providing viewership data with respect thereto, said viewership data including channel identification information.