Mobile terminal, audience information collection system, and audience information collection method

• US 20050204379A1
• Filed: 03/10/2005
• Published: 09/15/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/12/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: NTT Docomo Incorporated (Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation)
• Original Assignee: NTT Docomo Incorporated (Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation)
• Inventors: Yamamori, Osamu
• Application Number:
  US11/075,711
• Publication Number:
  US 20050204379A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/15
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2111 Location-sensitive, e.g. geographical location, GPS
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/32 Arrangements for monitoring conditions of receiving stations, e.g. malfunction or breakdown of receiving stations
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/40 for identifying broadcast time
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/43 for identifying broadcast channels
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/45 for identifying users
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/51 of receiving stations
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/66 for using the result on distributors' side
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25891 being end-user preferences retrieval of video data in a video database based on user preferences G06F16/739; arrangements for recognizing users' preferences H04H60/46; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41407 embedded in a portable device, e.g. video client on a mobile phone, PDA, laptop constructional details of equipment or arrangements specially adapted for portable computer application G06F1/1626; arrangements specially adapted for mobile receivers in broadcast systems H04H20/57
• 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 21/44209 Monitoring of downstream path of the transmission network originating from a server, e.g. bandwidth variations of a wireless network arrangements for maintenance or administration in data switching networks involving bandwidth and capacity management H04L41/0896
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44222 Analytics of user selections, e.g. selection of programs or purchase activity monitoring of user selections in data processing systems G06F11/34; arrangements for monitoring the user's behaviour or opinions in broadcast systems H04H60/33
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6131 involving transmission via a mobile phone network wireless downlink channel access H04W74/006
• 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 7/173 with two-way working, e.g. subscriber sending a programme selection signal

Abstract

In order to more precisely grasp actual audience situations of a user through accumulation of broadcast reception qualities in combination with audience information in a mobile terminal, this mobile terminal 2 has a wave receiver 21 for receiving a broadcast wave, a signal reproducer 22 for acquiring a broadcast signal by demodulating the broadcast wave received by the wave receiver 21, and thereafter reproducing the broadcast signal, a level measuring part 24 for measuring a reception level of the broadcast wave received by the wave receiver 21, an information generator 28 for generating audience information containing an audience time being a time of reproduction by the signal reproducer 22, and the reception level at the audience time measured by the level measuring part 24, and an information transmitter 30 for transmitting the audience information generated by the information generator 28.

Claims

1. A mobile terminal comprising:

wave receiving means for receiving a broadcast wave;

signal reproducing means for acquiring a broadcast signal on the basis of the broadcast wave received by the wave receiving means, and reproducing the broadcast signal;

level measuring means for measuring a reception level of the broadcast wave received by the wave receiving means;

information generating means for generating audience information containing an audience time, which is a time of reproduction by the signal reproducing means, and the reception level at the audience time measured by the level measuring means; and

information transmitting means for transmitting the audience information generated by the information generating means.

2. The mobile terminal according to claim 1, wherein said signal reproducing means acquires a broadcast signal by demodulating the broadcast wave received by the wave receiving means.

3. The mobile terminal according to claim 1, wherein the level measuring means additionally measures a noise level upon reception of the broadcast wave by the wave receiving means, and

wherein the information generating means generates the audience information containing the audience time, and the reception level at the audience time and the noise level measured by the level measuring means.

7. The mobile terminal according to claims 1, further comprising location acquiring means for acquiring location information of the mobile terminal at the audience time,

wherein the information transmitting means transmits the audience information which contains the location information acquired by the location acquiring means.

8. The mobile terminal according to claim 7, further comprising speed detecting means for detecting a moving speed of the mobile terminal at the audience time,

wherein the information transmitting means transmits the audience information which contains the moving speed detected by the speed detecting means.

9. An audience information collection system comprising:

the mobile terminal as set forth in claims 1; and

a server apparatus,

wherein the server apparatus comprises;

receiving means for receiving the audience information transmitted from the mobile terminal; and

information storing means for storing the audience information received by the receiving means, in association with information to specify the mobile terminal.

10. An audience information collection system comprising:

the mobile terminal as set forth in claim 1;

and a server apparatus,

wherein the server apparatus comprises;

receiving means for receiving the audience information transmitted from the mobile terminal;

state determining means for comparing the reception level included in the audience information, with a predetermined threshold, thereby determining a quality of reception of the broadcast wave at the audience time specified by the audience information; and

information storing means for storing the audience information received by the receiving means, in association with the quality of reception determined by the state determining means and with information to specify the mobile terminal.

11. An audience information collection system comprising:

the mobile terminal as set forth in claim 3;

and a server apparatus,

wherein the server apparatus comprises;

receiving means for receiving the audience information transmitted from the mobile terminal;

state determining means for comparing a ratio of the reception level and the noise level included in the audience information, with a predetermined threshold, thereby determining a quality of reception of the broadcast wave at the audience time specified by the audience information; and

information storing means for storing the audience information received by the receiving means, in association with the quality of reception determined by the state determining means and with information to specify the mobile terminal.

12. An audience information collection system comprising:

the mobile terminal as set forth in claim 8;

and a server apparatus,

wherein the server apparatus comprises;

route storing means for storing route information of transportation means;

receiving means for receiving the audience information transmitted from the mobile terminal;

movement determining means for determining a state of movement of the mobile terminal at the audience time specified by the audience information, based on the location information and the moving speed included in the audience information and based on the route information stored in the route storing means; and

information storing means for storing the audience information received by the receiving means, in association with the state of movement determined by the movement determining means and with information to specify the mobile terminal.

4. A mobile terminal comprising:

wave receiving means for receiving a broadcast wave;

signal reproducing means for acquiring a broadcast signal on the basis of the broadcast wave received by the wave receiving means, and reproducing the broadcast signal;

level measuring means for measuring a reception level of the broadcast wave received by the wave receiving means;

state determining means for comparing the reception level measured by the level measuring means, with a predetermined threshold, thereby determining a quality of reception of the broadcast wave;

information generating means for generating audience information containing an audience time, which is a time of reproduction by the signal reproducing means, and the quality of reception at the audience time determined by the state determining means; and

information transmitting means for transmitting the audience information generated by the information generating means.

5. The mobile terminal according to claim 4, wherein said signal reproducing means acquires a broadcast signal by demodulating the broadcast wave received by the wave receiving means.

6. The mobile terminal according to claim 4, wherein the level measuring means additionally measures a noise level upon reception of the broadcast wave by the wave receiving means, and

wherein the state determining means compares a ratio of the reception level and the noise level measured by the level measuring means, with a predetermined threshold, thereby determining the quality of reception.

13. An audience information collection method comprising:

a wave receiving step wherein a mobile terminal receives a broadcast wave;

a signal reproducing step wherein the mobile terminal acquires a broadcast signal on the basis of the broadcast wave received in the wave receiving step, and reproduces the broadcast signal;

a level measuring step wherein the mobile terminal measures a reception level of the broadcast wave received in the wave receiving step;

an information generating step wherein the mobile terminal generates audience information containing an audience time, which is a time of reproduction in the signal reproducing step, and the reception level at the audience time measured in the level measuring step;

an information transmitting step wherein the mobile terminal transmits the audience information generated in the information generating step;

a receiving step wherein a server apparatus receives the audience information transmitted in the information transmitting step; and

an information storing step wherein the server apparatus stores the audience information received in the receiving step, in association with information to specify the mobile terminal.

14. The audience information collection method according to claim 13, wherein said signal reproducing step acquires a broadcast signal by demodulating the broadcast wave received by the wave receiving step.

15. An audience information collection method comprising:

a wave receiving step wherein a mobile terminal receives a broadcast wave;

a signal reproducing step wherein the mobile terminal acquires a broadcast signal on the basis of the broadcast wave received in the wave receiving step, and reproduces the broadcast signal;

a level measuring step wherein the mobile terminal measures a reception level of the broadcast wave received in the wave receiving step;

a state determining step wherein the mobile terminal compares the reception level measured in the level measuring step, with a predetermined threshold, thereby determining a quality of reception of the broadcast wave;

an information generating step wherein the mobile terminal generates audience information containing an audience time, which is a time of reproduction in the signal reproducing step, and the quality of reception at the audience time determined in the state determining step;

an information transmitting step wherein the mobile terminal transmits the audience information generated in the information generating step;

a receiving step wherein a server apparatus receives the audience information transmitted in the information transmitting step; and

an information storing step wherein the server apparatus stores the audience information received in the receiving step, in association with information to specify the mobile terminal.

16. The audience information collection method according to claim 15, wherein said signal reproducing step acquires a broadcast signal by demodulating the broadcast wave received by the wave receiving step.