Television program transmission verification method and apparatus

• US 4,967,273 A
• Filed: 02/14/1989
• Issued: 10/30/1990
• Est. Priority Date: 03/21/1983
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Nielsen Media Research, Inc. (Nielsen Holdings plc)
• Original Assignee: VidCode, Inc.
• Inventors: Greenberg, Burton
• Primary Examiner(s): NOT, DEFINED
• Assistant Examiner(s): Parker, Michael B.
• Application Number:
  US07/311,146
• Time in Patent Office: 623 Days
• Field of Search: 358/84, 358/86, 358/142, 358/147, 358/146, 455/2, 455/67
• US Class Current: 725/22
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/14 for monitoring programmes
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/0887 for the transmission of programme or channel identifying signals

Abstract

A method and apparatus for verifying the proper airing of television program having a digital identification code recorded on a preselected scan line which is not normally visible to the television viewer. A plurality of television channels are automatically simultaneously monitored by a primary monitoring system at a site 30 within the reception area and broadcast encoded programs are identified and timed and appraised as to their audio and video signal quality. The information generated is stored locally for later comparision with centrally stored 62 information specifying the program that should have been aired. Each of the channels is sequentially monitored for a preselected fixed time interval, which depends on the number of channels being monitored, under the control of a programmable sequential controller 54. A secondary monitoring system is provided for use as a backup or for monitoring cable channels. Means 74 responsive to a code recorded in the program signal are provided for locally recording the final portion of the program.

Claims

1. A method for automatically identifying and verifying the airing of a television program which has a recurring identification code identifying the information content of the program recorded on a preselected line of the video portion of the program and which is transmitted as a composite signal from one or more sending stations at one or more times over one or more channels for reception in a receiving area, comprising the steps of:

(a) receiving each of the composite signals of said one or more channels;

(b) detecting the reception of the composite signal of a program including said identification code and of an audio and video portion of each received composite signal which includes said identification code;

(c) separating the detected identification code from said received composite signal;

(d) generating an electrical time signal;

(e) generating a channel identifying signal;

(f) forming with said time signal and said channel identifying signal a separate verification signal for each separated identification code, said verification signal including information specifying the identify of said program and its time, duration and channel of reception;

(g) storing each said verification signal in a memory means to identify an airing of said program; and

(h) generating a report of airings of the program identified by said verification signal identifying said program and containing information concerning the time, duration and channel of such airings.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said identification code is recorded in the overscan portion of the active video signal and said detecting step detects only information on a line of the active video portion of the program.

2. In a system for verifying the transmission of a program from one or more sending stations over one or more communication channels for reception within a reception area, said program including a composite electrical signal having a video information component and a scanning control component, said video information component including a recurring identification component encoded on a preselected line thereof to identify the informational content of said program, apparatus for verifying the transmission of the program by the one or more sending stations comprising:

(a) signal receiving means for receiving the composite signals of said one or more channels;

(b) means for detecting reception of composite signals including said identification component on said one or more channels;

(c) means for separating the identification component from the detected composite signal for identifying the associated program;

(d) means for generating an electrical time signal;

(e) means for generating a channel identifying signal;

(f) means for forming separate verification signals for each reception of said program by combining said separated identification component, said time signal and said channel identifying signal;

(g) means for storing each said verification signal; and

(h) means for providing a report of the identified program based on said verification signals stored in said storage means containing information specifying the identity, time, duration and channel of transmission of said identified program.

4. The apparatus of claim 2 further including means for sensing whether a proper audio portion is present in said identified program and for generating a signal indicative of the quality of the audio portion thereof, said forming means including means for combining said audio quality indication signal in said verification signals.

5. The apparatus of claim 2 further including means for storing reference signals, each including information referenced to said identification component specifying a bought airing of said program, said report providing means including means for comparing said verification signals with said stored reference signals.

6. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said predetermined line is in the overscan region of the active video portion of said video information component.