System and method for measuring and storing information pertaining to television viewer or user behavior

• US 20110072449A1
• Filed: 10/12/2010
• Published: 03/24/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/20/1997
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: iTvTrax , LLC
• Original Assignee: iTvTrax , LLC
• Inventors: Ivanyi, Thomas P.
• Application Number:
  US12/925,075
• Publication Number:
  US 20110072449A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/12
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/33 Arrangements for monitoring the users' behaviour or opinions
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2547 Third Party Billing, e.g. billing of advertiser
• 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 21/4667 Processing of monitored end-user data, e.g. trend analysis based on the log file of viewer selections
• 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 5/44 Receiver circuitry for the reception of television signals according to analogue transmission standards H04N5/14 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/50 Tuning indicators; Automatic tuning control
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/60 for the sound signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/63 Generation or supply of power specially adapted for television receivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/165 Centralised control of user terminal subsequent to an upstream request signal H04N7/17345; Registering at central by two-way working H04N7/17309
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17354 in an intermediate station common to a plurality of user terminals

Abstract

A system for monitoring television and video viewer behavior, which comprises a signal receiving device, which further comprises a monitoring device for monitoring an occurrence of a viewer or user action, which action being any event that generates an electronic signal. Actions can control the state of the television or can be interactions between the viewer and user with one or more remotely located computers, such as those connected to the Internet. The monitoring device generates a digital signal representative of viewer or user action. The signal receiving device also includes an event timing device for keeping a real-time record of event time occurrence and for generating a digital signal representative of event time occurrence. The signal receiving device also comprises a data latching device for one of latching and storing the digital signals generated by the monitoring and the event timing device. The signal receiving device also includes a database for storing the data latched or stored by the data latching device.

Claims

1. A system for uninterrupted and passive continuous monitoring and measuring viewer behavior of a plurality of television viewers and pattern data among television viewer events including channel change events in a plurality of viewing premises to provide information for direct correlation with concurrent detailed data of programming and broadcasting in order to analyze and ascertain the responses of the plurality of viewers to program and advertising content for the purpose of assessing the effectiveness of said programming and advertising content, said system comprising:

a plurality of signal receiving devices located in a plurality of viewing premises, wherein each said signal receiving device comprises;

a monitor device for uninterrupted and passive continuous monitoring of television viewer behavior, the monitor device configured for monitoring event data generated upon occurrence of the television viewer events including channel change events to ascertain television viewer behavior and pattern data among television viewer events including channel change events on the continuous basis;

an event timing device for recording a time record of television viewer event occurrence to be used for generating time-stamped data representative of time of the occurrence corresponding to the event data;

a data latching device for continuous capturing and storing of the time-stamped data and the event data; and

a database for storing the time-stamped data and event data captured and stored by the data latching device.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein television viewer events comprise at least one of change of volume level, change of mute status, and change of signal receiving device status.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein television viewer events are actions by the television viewer to change volume level.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein each signal receiving device further comprises a receiver for receiving television signals.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising a first transmitter for providing television signals for a television.

6. The system of claim 5, further comprising a second transmitter for transmitting information reflecting viewer behavior.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein said event timing device is a real-time clock adapted to keep time continuously while said system operates.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein said data latching device is adapted to create a data structure comprising a 256 bit data stream which includes data representative of said time-stamped data and said viewer event data.

9. A system for measuring behavior of a viewer based on viewer events taken in relation to delivery of a signal to a display device, the system comprising:

a plurality of signal receiving devices, each of said signal receiving devices including a receiver for receiving the signal, at least a portion of which is displayable on the display device, at least one monitor adapted to continuously monitor the signal and provide information regarding the use of the signal by the viewer, a real-time clock adapted to keep time continuously during the operation of the system, a data latching device adapted to read the information provided by said at least one monitor and timestamp the information based on the measurement provided by said real-time clock, and a central processing unit adapted to control said data latching device; and

a central processing computer adapted to receive data from each of said plurality of signal receiving devices.

10. The system of claim 9, further comprising a plurality of monitoring devices, said data latching device being adapted to read signals present at each of the monitoring devices to obtain a signal representative of the operational state of said signal receiving device.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein said central processing computer is adapted to continuously receive and process data from the plurality of signal receiving devices.