Transmitting and storing data relating to television viewing
First Claim
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1. An arrangement for transmitting data from a plurality of units for monitoring the channels to which a plurality of televisions are tuned to a plurality of respective data storage devices, the arrangement comprising:
- means for receiving the data from the monitoring units; and
means for transmitting the data, as multi-bit digital words, to the respective data storage devices by way of a domestic mains wiring system having a voltage supply which fluctuates about a baseline at mains supply frequency, the transmission means havingmeans for defining a plurality of time slots in each half cycle of the voltage supply and referenced to baseline crossings of the voltage supply,means for generating a carrier signal for the unit,means for gating the carrier signal "on" and "off" according to the bit values of the digital word,means for selecting one of the plurality of time slots for the transmission of the carrier signal when gated "on", whereby, the time slots are selectable to correspond uniquely to the respective monitoring units andmeans for transmitting the carrier signal, when gated "on", onto the writing system in the selected time slot.
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Abstract
A transmission arrangement comprising a receiver (58) for accepting data from at least one of a people monitoring unit which produces information relating to the number of people watching a television set and a television channel detection unit of a television viewing monitoring system and a transmitter (T1, 53, 50, 52, 54, 56, S51, 60, 62, T2) for transmitting such data as a multibit digital word to a data storage device by way of a mains wiring system.
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Citations
10 Claims
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1. An arrangement for transmitting data from a plurality of units for monitoring the channels to which a plurality of televisions are tuned to a plurality of respective data storage devices, the arrangement comprising:
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means for receiving the data from the monitoring units; and means for transmitting the data, as multi-bit digital words, to the respective data storage devices by way of a domestic mains wiring system having a voltage supply which fluctuates about a baseline at mains supply frequency, the transmission means having means for defining a plurality of time slots in each half cycle of the voltage supply and referenced to baseline crossings of the voltage supply, means for generating a carrier signal for the unit, means for gating the carrier signal "on" and "off" according to the bit values of the digital word, means for selecting one of the plurality of time slots for the transmission of the carrier signal when gated "on", whereby, the time slots are selectable to correspond uniquely to the respective monitoring units and means for transmitting the carrier signal, when gated "on", onto the writing system in the selected time slot. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A television monitoring system comprising:
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a plurality of television viewing monitoring units; a receiver for accepting data in digital form from means for producing information relating to the number of people watching a television set and means for detecting the channel to which the television is tuned; a data storage device; and means for transmitting the data as a multi-bit digital word to the data storage device by way of a domestic mains wiring system having a voltage supply fluctuating about a baseline at mains supply freqency, the transmitting means including means for defining a plurality of time slots in each half cycle of the voltage supply and corresponding respectively to the units, each unit having a unique time slot and the time slots being referenced to baseline crossings of the mains voltage supply, means for generating a carrier signal for each monitoring unit, means for gatting the carrier "on" and "off" according to the bit values of the digital word, means for selecting the time slots to uniquely correspond to the respective monitoring units means for transmitting the carrier signal, when gated "on", onto the wiring system in the time slot corresponding uniquely to the monitoring unit from which the data is accepted. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10)
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Specification