Audience Detection

• US 20090265729A1
• Filed: 04/07/2009
• Published: 10/22/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/07/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Winmore, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Winmore, Inc.
• Inventors: Weinblatt, Lee S.
• Granted Patent: US 8,631,427 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/19
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/45 for identifying users
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/52 of users

Abstract

A technique is disclosed for identifying members of an audience tuned to a program broadcast by a programming signal source, comprising the steps of storing personal identification signals in a plurality of portable devices to be carried by members of the audience; periodically transmitting said identification signals from the portable devices; providing a stationary detector to detect the identification signals if they exceed a selectable response of said detector; and setting the selectable response of said detector to a level such that the identification signals are detected only if the respective portable devices are located relative to the detector in positions where persons can perceive performance of the broadcast program.

Claims

1. A method for identifying members of an audience tuned to a program broadcast by a programming signal source, comprising the steps of:

storing personal identification signals in a plurality of portable devices to be carried by members of the audience;

periodically transmitting said identification signals from the portable devices;

providing a stationary detector to detect the identification signals if they exceed a selectable response of said detector; and

setting the selectable response of said detector to a level such that the identification signals are detected only if the respective portable devices are located relative to the detector in positions where persons can perceive performance of the broadcast program.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the selectable response is a threshold of processing circuitry in the detector.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the threshold is set manually.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the threshold is set automatically.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the selectable response is directionality of an antenna in the detector.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the method comprises determining the number of persons within a location of interest at which the broadcast program is being performed, comparing that number to the number of identification signals being detected by the detector, and if the number of identification signals being detected exceeds the determined number of persons within the location of interest, adjusting the response of the detector so as to eliminate the identification signal having the weakest signal.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the method comprises determining the number of persons within a location of interest at which the broadcast program is being performed, comparing that number to the number of identification signals being detected by the detector, and if the determined number of persons within the location of interest exceeds the number of identification signals being detected, generating an alert to activate the portable devices.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the broadcast program is transmitted by a programming signal source in combination with a surveying code, and the method further comprises detecting said surveying code and associating said surveying code with said identification signals detected by the detector.

16. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the broadcast program is transmitted by a programming signal source in combination with a surveying code, and the apparatus further comprises means for detecting said surveying code and associating said surveying code with said identification signals detected by the detector.

9. An apparatus for identifying members of an audience tuned to a program broadcast by a programming signal source, comprising:

a plurality of portable devices to be carried by members of the audience, said portable devices having personal identification signals stored therein, and means for periodically transmitting said identification signals from the portable devices;

a stationary detector to detect the identification signals if they exceed a selectable response of said detector; and

means for setting the selectable response of said detector to a level such that the identification signals are detected only if the respective portable devices are located relative to the detector in positions where persons can perceive performance of the broadcast program.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the selectable response is a threshold of processing circuitry in the detector.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the threshold is set manually.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the threshold is set automatically.

13. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the selectable response is directionality of an antenna in the detector.

14. The apparatus of claim 9, comprising means for determining the number of persons within a location of interest at which the broadcast program is being performed, comparing that number to the number of identification signals being detected by the detector, and if the number of identification signals being detected exceeds the determined number of persons within the location of interest, adjusting the response of the detector so as to eliminate the identification signal having the weakest signal.

15. The apparatus of claim 9, comprising means for determining the number of persons within a location of interest at which the broadcast program is being performed, comparing that number to the number of identification signals being detected by the detector, and if the determined number of persons within the location of interest exceeds the number of identification signals being detected, generating an alert to activate the portable devices.

17. An apparatus for identifying members of an audience tuned to a program broadcast by a programming signal source, comprising:

a plurality of portable devices to be carried by members of the audience, said portable devices having personal identification signals stored therein, and a transmitter for periodically transmitting said identification signals from the portable devices;

a stationary detector to detect the identification signals if they exceed a selectable response of said detector; and

an arrangement setting the selectable response of said detector to a level such that the identification signals are detected only if the respective portable devices are located relative to the detector in positions where persons can perceive performance of the broadcast program.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the selectable response is a threshold of processing circuitry in the detector.

19. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the selectable response is directionality of an antenna in the detector.