Television audience measuring system

• US 4,258,386 A
• Filed: 10/30/1978
• Issued: 03/24/1981
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/1978
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Shiu H. Cheung
• Original Assignee: Shiu H. Cheung
• Inventors: Cheung, Shiu H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Britton, Howard W.
• Application Number:
  US05/955,802
• Time in Patent Office: 876 Days
• Field of Search: 179/2 AS, 358/84, 325/31, 325/308, 455/2
• US Class Current: 725/14
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 2201/30 characterised by the use of a return channel, e.g. for collecting users' opinions, for returning broadcast space/time information or for requesting data
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/43 for identifying broadcast channels
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/94 Telephonic networks for accessing the Internet H04H60/84
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/002 with telemetering systems telemetering in general G08C
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2007/1739 the upstream communication being transmitted via a separate link, e.g. telephone line
• 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 7/17327 with deferred transmission or handling of upstream communications

Abstract

Apparatus for television audience analysis comprising means for monitoring a television receiver, means responsive to a monitored signal for storing information representative of channel identification and of the time at which a channel is selected and at which the selection of a channel is terminated, and means for reading the stored information periodically.

Claims

1. Apparatus for television audience analysis comprising means for monitoring a television receiver, said monitoring means comprising a plurality of bandpass filters connectable to a television receiver, each of said filters having a bandwidth selected for passing a signal representative of a specific channel of the receiver, means responsive to a monitored signal for storing information representative of channel identification and of the time at which a channel is selected and at which the selection of a channel is terminated, and means for reading the stored information periodically.

2. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the apparatus includes a plurality of signal generators responsive to the monitored signal for supply to a store a coded signal indicative of the selected channel of the receiver.

3. Apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein the apparatus includes a time clock generator responsive to the monitored signal for feeding a time coded signal to a store when a channel is selected and when selection of a channel is terminated.

4. Apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein means are provided for transferring the stored information periodically to a line in communication with a remote analysis station.

5. Apparatus as claimed in claim 4, wherein said line is a telephone line.

6. Apparatus as claimed in claim 5, wherein means are provided for inhibiting the transfer of information to the telephone line during other use of the line.

7. Apparatus as claimed in claim 6, wherein the apparatus further includes means for providing a preselected delay between the moment of selection of a channel and the feeding to a store of information representative of the channel identification and the time at which the channel is selected.