Gathering data concerning publication usage

• US 20050272016A1
• Filed: 03/18/2005
• Published: 12/08/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/19/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Nielsen Company LLC (MOOD Media Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Arbitron Inc. (MOOD Media Corporation)
• Inventors: Neuhauser, Alan R., Zhang, Jack K., Pugh, Daniel W., Crystal, Jack C., Jensen, James M.
• Granted Patent: US 7,443,292 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 434/236
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 15/00 Printed matter of special format or style not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: B42P 2221/00 Books or filing appliances with additional arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0717 the sensor being capable of sensing environmental conditions such as temperature history or pressure
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0723 the record carrier comprising an arrangement for non-contact communication, e.g. wireless communication circuits on transponder cards, non-contact smart cards or RFIDs
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/00 Administration; Management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/258 Client or end-user data management, e.g. managing client capabilities, user preferences or demographics, processing of multiple end-users preferences to derive collaborative data arrangements for services using the result on the distributing side of broadcast systems H04H60/66; profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/30
• 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 21/44222 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

Abstract

Methods and systems for measuring and gathering data relating to publication usage by participants in publication readership studies. Some methods and systems employ portable monitors carried by participants of the studies along with publications fitted with various devices, such as piezoelectric transducers, RFID tags and others devices and circuits.

Claims

1. A method of gathering data concerning usage of a publication by a person comprises:

gathering raw data relating to usage of a publication by a person by means of a data source in or on the publication;

processing the raw data by means of a processor in or on the publication to produce processed data indicating usage of the publication by a person; and

communicating the processed data to a data collector.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein gathering raw data comprises transducing energy representing usage of the publication.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein gathering raw data comprises sensing a condition associated with usage of the publication.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein gathering raw data comprises receiving data in a data receiver in or on the publication.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the data receiver comprises a wireless receiver.

6. A system for gathering data concerning usage of a publication by a person comprises:

a data source in or on a publication operative to provide raw data representing usage of the publication;

a processor in or on the publication operative to process the raw data to produce processed data indicating usage of the publication; and

a communication device operative to communicate the processed data to a data collector.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the data source comprises a transducer.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the data source comprises a sensor.

9. The system of claim 6, wherein the data source comprises a data receiver.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the data receiver comprises a wireless receiver.