Television audience data gathering
First Claim
1. A method of collecting data from a television audience comprising:
- (a) storing in a first memory means demographic descriptions of expected viewers of a television receiver,(b) receiving signals from a viewer control means operated by a viewer identifying a specific viewer prior to display of a potential viewer list,(c) following receipt of said signals, displaying one or more indicia on a television screen for viewing by said viewer, designated by the character of the specific viewer identifying signals received from the control means, in confirmation of specific viewer identifying signals received from the control means, and(d) storing a signal in a second memory means for later access corresponding to said designated signal character, for designation of said specific viewer as an active viewer.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method and apparatus of collecting data from a television audience comprising storing in a first memory demographic descriptions of expected viewers of a television receiver, receiving signals from a viewer control operated by a viewer, displaying one or more indicia on a television screen for viewing by the viewer, designated by the character of the signals received from the control, in confirmation of the particular signal received from the control, and storing a signal in a second memory for later access corresponding to at least one form of the designated signal character, which is related to the designation of at least one selected expected viewer as an active viewer. The television viewer may use his remote control at any time, when the flashing prompt is flashing, or when it is not flashing, to change channels. There is no channel lock nor is there an annoying on-screen prompt enquiring as to the identity of persons in the viewing audience.
160 Citations
28 Claims
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1. A method of collecting data from a television audience comprising:
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(a) storing in a first memory means demographic descriptions of expected viewers of a television receiver, (b) receiving signals from a viewer control means operated by a viewer identifying a specific viewer prior to display of a potential viewer list, (c) following receipt of said signals, displaying one or more indicia on a television screen for viewing by said viewer, designated by the character of the specific viewer identifying signals received from the control means, in confirmation of specific viewer identifying signals received from the control means, and (d) storing a signal in a second memory means for later access corresponding to said designated signal character, for designation of said specific viewer as an active viewer. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A method of collecting data from a television audience comprising:
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(a) storing a demographic description of each expected viewer in a potential viewer list, (b) indicating which of the potential viewers is an active viewer prior to display of said potential viewer list, (c) following said indication, displaying on the screen of a television set an indication of which of said potential viewers have already been indicated as active viewers, as confirmation of said indication, (d) storing a list of the indicated active viewers in an active viewer list, whereby the active viewer list can be retrieved to obtain a display of a list of actual active television viewers. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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26. An audience measuring apparatus for use in association with a television set comprising:
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(a) means for providing an off-screen prompt to a viewer from time to time, (b) first memory means and means for storing data in the first memory means designating expected responses to the prompt, (c) means for receiving signals from a remote control for selecting particular ones of said expected responses prior to displaying data corresponding to said expected responses to the prompt, (d) means for displaying data corresponding to said particular ones of the expected responses on the screen of the television set following and in response to the signals received from the remote control, (e) means for storing data signals corresponding to said particular ones of the expected responses in a second memory means, (f) means for retrieving the stored signals from the second memory means to provide an indication of said particular ones of the expected responses which were selected. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28)
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Specification