Methods and systems for gathering market research data within commercial establishments

• US 20050200476A1
• Filed: 03/15/2004
• Published: 09/15/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Nielsen Company LLC (MOOD Media Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Arbitron Inc. (MOOD Media Corporation)
• Inventors: Jensen, James M., Flanagan, Eugene L. III, Forr, David Patrick
• Granted Patent: US 7,463,143 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/539.130
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/00 Commerce
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0267 Wireless devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0272 Period of advertisement exposure
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/28 the pass enabling tracking or indicating presence

Abstract

Methods and systems for tracking movements of participants in a market research study, for example, within a commercial establishment, are provided. The methods and systems employ portable monitors carried on the persons of the participants to gather location data.

Claims

1. A method for monitoring the presence and/or movements of participants in a market research study, comprising:

providing signal transmitters at predetermined locations within a commercial establishment to wirelessly transmit location signals associated with the locations;

providing a wireless receiver to each of a plurality of participants in the market research study, the wireless receiver being adapted to be carried on the person of one of the participants and operative to receive respective ones of the location signals when in a vicinity of each of the locations;

associating time data with each of the respective ones of the location signals corresponding to a time of reception thereof; and

storing the received respective ones of the location signals and the associated time data within the wireless receiver for use in the market research study.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising comparing time data and location signals to produce data representing movement of particular participants in the commercial establishment over time.

3. A system for monitoring the presence and/or movements of participants in a market research study, comprising:

a plurality of signal transmitters provided at predetermined locations within a commercial establishment to wirelessly transmit location signals associated with the locations; and

a plurality of monitors each adapted to be carried on the person of one of the participants in the market research study, wherein each of the monitors includes a wireless receiver operative to receive respective ones of the location signals when in a vicinity of each of the locations, a clock for producing time data associated with each of the respective ones of the location signals when received by the wireless receiver, and a memory coupled to the wireless receiver and to the clock for storing the received respective ones of the location signals and the associated time data within the wireless receiver for extraction and use in the market research study.

4. The system of claim 3, further comprising a processor provided with the time data and the location signals to compare the time data and the location signals to produce data representing movement of particular participants in the commercial establishment over time.

5. A method of gathering data representing customer behavior in a commercial establishment, comprising:

providing a layout map representing a plurality of locations within a commercial establishment;

providing a portable monitor to each of a plurality of panelists participating in a customer behavior study to be worn thereby;

gathering panelist presence data in the portable monitors representing a presence of respective ones of the panelists at identified ones of the locations within the commercial establishment; and

associating the panelist presence data with the plurality of locations represented by the layout map.

6. The method claim 5, wherein gathering data comprises receiving wirelessly transmitted location indicating data in the portable monitors representing ones of the locations within the commercial establishment.

7. The method of claim 5, comprising gathering data in the portable monitors representing exposure of respective ones of the panelists to media data.

8. The method of claim 5, comprising gathering outdoor advertising data in the portable monitors representing exposure of respective ones of the panelists to outdoor advertising.

9. The method of claim 5, comprising providing time data defining a time base within each of the portable monitors, and associating the time data with the panelist presence data received in the portable monitors.

10. The method of claim 9, comprising gathering media exposure data in the portable monitors representing exposure of respective ones of the panelists to media data, and associating the time data with the media exposure data.

11. The method of claim 9, comprising gathering outdoor advertising data in the portable monitors representing exposure of respective ones of the panelists to outdoor advertising, and associating the time data with the outdoor advertising data.

12. The method of claim 5, comprising associating data representing products offered for sale and/or displays of products offered for sale with selected ones of the plurality of locations represented by the layout map.

13. A relational database storing data representing consumer behavior in a commercial establishment, comprising:

a first table storing a plurality of first records, each of the first records including a first field storing wireless transmitter data representing a respective one of a plurality of wireless transmitters positioned in the commercial establishment and operative to transmit corresponding transmitter data and a second field storing location data representing a location of the respective one of the plurality of wireless transmitters in the retail establishment; and

a second table storing a plurality of second records, each of the second records including a first field representing a consumer participating in a consumer behavior study by carrying a portable monitor and a second field representing a respective one of the plurality of wireless transmitters from which the portable monitor received transmitted corresponding transmitter data.

14. A method of gathering market research data, comprising:

providing a portable monitor to each of a plurality of panelists participating in a market research study to be worn thereby;

producing presence data within the portable monitors of ones of the plurality of panelists indicating their presence at a plurality of locations within at least one commercial establishment; and

producing media data exposure data within the portable monitors of ones of the plurality of panelists indicating exposure thereof to media data.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein producing presence data comprises receiving a wirelessly transmitted location signal.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the wirelessly transmitted location signal is produced by a wireless transmitter within or proximal to the commercial establishment.

17. The method of claim 16, comprising wirelessly transmitting a plurality of location signals within the commercial establishment each from a transmitter positioned at a respective location within the commercial establishment.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the portable monitor receives and stores a location signal from each of a plurality of the wireless transmitters representing a proximity of a panelist carrying the wireless monitor to the location of the respective transmitter within the commercial establishment.

19. The method of claim 15, comprising calibrating an inertial monitoring unit within each of the portable monitors of a plurality of panelists based on the wirelessly transmitted location signal and determining a presence of each of such plurality of panelists at a plurality of locations within the commercial establishment by means of the calibrated inertial monitoring unit.

20. The method of claim 15, comprising producing presence data based on the received wirelessly transmitted location signal by means of one of an angle of arrival technique, a time difference of arrival technique, and enhanced signal strength technique, a location fingerprinting technique and an ultra wide band location technique.

21. The method of claim 14, comprising producing the media data exposure data based on acoustic media data received by the portable monitors.

22. A relational database storing data representing consumer behavior in a commercial establishment, comprising:

a first table storing a plurality of first records, each of the first records including a first field storing location data identifying a location within a commercial establishment and a second field storing coordinate data representing a position of the location in a predetermined coordinate system; and

a second table storing a plurality of second records, each of the second records including a first field representing a consumer participating in a consumer behavior study by carrying a portable monitor and a second field representing coordinates of a position of the consumer in the predetermined coordinate system.