Survey data acquisition

• US 20080204273A1
• Filed: 12/31/2007
• Published: 08/28/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: The Nielsen Company LLC (MOOD Media Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Arbitron Inc. (MOOD Media Corporation)
• Inventors: Neuhauser, Alan R., Krug, William K., Crystal, Jack C.
• Application Number:
  US12/006,449
• Publication Number:
  US 20080204273A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/870.3
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/31 Arrangements for monitoring the use made of the broadcast services
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/58 of audio determination or detection of speech characteristics in general G10L25/00; speech recognition in general G10L15/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/80 characterised by transmission among terminal devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1059 End-user terminal functionalities specially adapted for real-time communication

Abstract

A monitor for receiving survey data includes a wireless communication facility. Wireless communication facilities adapted to communicate with an appliance having a corresponding wireless communication facility. A signal corresponding to survey data acquired by the monitor is received at the appliance and forwarded over a communications network to a data collection device.

Claims

1. A monitor for data acquisition comprising:

a sensor portion; and

a communications portion, said communications portion being signalingly coupled to said sensor portion, said communications portion being adapted to transmit a wireless signal to an appliance, said wireless signal being related to an environmental signal detected by said sensor portion.

2. A monitor as defined in claim 1 wherein said wireless signal comprises a signal according to a Bluetooth protocol.

3. A monitor as defined in claim 1 wherein said wireless signal comprises an IEEE 802.11 WiFi signal.

4. A monitor as defined in claim 1 wherein said sensor portion comprises a microphone.

5. A monitor as defined in claim 4 wherein said microphone comprises a MEMS device.

6. A monitor as defined in claim 1 wherein said sensor portion comprises a plurality of microphones.

7. A monitor as defined in claim 1 wherein said sensor portion comprises a detector for detecting an environmental signal.

8. A monitor as defined in claim 1 further comprising a power supply device said power supply device being coupled to said communications portion, said power supply device being adapted to energize said communications portion.

9. A monitor as defined in claim 8 wherein said power supply device is adapted to energize at least a portion of the appliance.

10. A monitor as defined in claim 8 wherein said power supply device is adapted to receive and store electrical energy, and electrical energy being received through a recharging circuit of said appliance.

11. A monitor device as defined in claim 1 wherein said sensor portion and said communications portion are mutually mechanically coupled to a common substrate.

12. A monitor as defined in claim 11 wherein said substrate is adapted to be disposed within a battery compartment of said appliance.

13. A monitor as defined in claim 11 wherein said substrate is mechanically coupled to a battery compartment cover, said battery compartment cover being adapted to be coupled adjacent to a battery compartment of said appliance.

14. A monitor as defined in claim 11 wherein said substrate includes a battery compartment cover, said battery compartment cover being adapted to be coupled adjacent to a battery compartment is an appliance.

15. A system for data acquisition comprising:

a plurality of monitors equipped for wireless communication; and

an appliance equipped for wireless communication, said appliance being adapted to communicate with each of said plurality of monitors.