System and method for estimating characteristics of broadcast radio audiences
First Claim
1. A method for estimating listening audience preferences in response to radio broadcast programming, said method comprising the steps of:
- monitoring a radio program broadcast by a radio station during a time period;
collecting survey data describing radio stations to which tuners are tuned during said time period;
associating said radio program with said survey data in a substantially synchronous format;
communicating an audio representation of said radio program to a remote access site; and
displaying a visual representation of said survey data at said remote access site;
whereinthe temporal relationship between said audio representation and said visual representation is substantially equivalent to the temporal relationship between said radio program and said survey data.
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Abstract
A system for estimating listening audience characteristics in response to radio broadcast programming includes a central office, a plurality of remote survey sites, and a plurality of remote access sites. The survey sites collect survey data describing radio stations to which vehicle-mounted tuners are tuned. The survey data is downloaded to the central office, where the survey data is associated with a radio program broadcast by a radio station. The survey data and the radio program are presented at the remote access sites in a substantially synchronous format such that audience responses to specific radio programming can be observed.
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Citations
18 Claims
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1. A method for estimating listening audience preferences in response to radio broadcast programming, said method comprising the steps of:
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monitoring a radio program broadcast by a radio station during a time period; collecting survey data describing radio stations to which tuners are tuned during said time period; associating said radio program with said survey data in a substantially synchronous format; communicating an audio representation of said radio program to a remote access site; and displaying a visual representation of said survey data at said remote access site;
whereinthe temporal relationship between said audio representation and said visual representation is substantially equivalent to the temporal relationship between said radio program and said survey data. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. A method for estimating listening audience preferences in response to radio broadcast programming, said method comprising the steps of:
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monitoring a radio program broadcast by a radio station during a time period; collecting survey data describing radio stations to which tuners are tuned during said time period by detecting local oscillator (LO) signals emitted from said tuners during said time period, said detected LO signals being associated with said radio stations, and said collecting step being performed at a remote survey site in data communication with a central office; associating said radio program with said survey data in a substantially synchronous format; and calibrating, prior to said collecting step, an LO detection threshold for said remote survey site such that said LO signals are selectively detected, said calibrating step being controlled remotely by said central office. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8)
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9. A method for estimating characteristics representative of a population of vehicles in response to radio broadcast programming, said method comprising the steps of:
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establishing a multiplicity of remote survey sites, each of said remote survey sites being in data communication with a central office; passively collecting survey data describing radio stations to which tuners are tuned during a time period, said collecting step being performed at each of said remote survey sites by detecting local oscillator (LO) signals emitted from said tuners during said time period, said detected LO signals being associated with said radio stations; compiling said survey data at said central office, said compiling step occurring after said collecting step; and calibrating, for each of said remote survey sites, a site-specific LO detection threshold such that said LO signals are selectively detected, said calibrating step being performed before said collecting step, and said calibrating step being controlled remotely by said central office. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A method for estimating characteristics representative of a population of vehicles in response to radio broadcast programming, said method comprising the steps of:
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establishing a multiplicity of remote survey sites, each of said remote survey sites being in data communication with a central office; passively collecting survey data describing radio stations to which tuners are tuned during a time period, said collecting step being performed at each of said remote survey sites; compiling said survey data at said central office, said compiling step occurring after said collecting step; monitoring a plurality of radio programs broadcast by a corresponding plurality of radio stations; associating at least one of said radio programs with said survey data in a substantially synchronous format; communicating an audio representation of said at least one radio program to a remote access site; and displaying a visual representation of said survey data at said remote access site;
whereinthe temporal relationship between said audio representation and said visual representation is substantially equivalent to the temporal relationship between said at least one radio program and said survey data.
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15. An audience survey system for estimating listening audience preferences in response to radio broadcast programming, said system comprising:
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a central office; a plurality of remote survey sites for collecting survey data describing radio stations to which tuners are tuned during a time period, each of said remote survey sites being in data communication with said central office; means for monitoring a plurality of radio programs broadcast by a corresponding plurality of radio stations during said time period; means for associating at least one of said radio programs with said survey data in a substantially synchronous format; and at least one remote access site having a data presentation device in data communication with said central office, said data presentation device being configured to communicate an audio representation of said at least one radio program and to display a visual representation of said survey data, wherein the temporal relationship between said audio representation and said visual representation is substantially equivalent to the temporal relationship between said at least one radio program and said survey data. - View Dependent Claims (16)
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17. An audience survey system for estimating listening audience preferences in response to radio broadcast programming, said system comprising:
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a central office; a plurality of remote survey sites for collecting survey data describing radio stations to which tuners are tuned during a time period, each of said remote survey sites being in data communication with said central office, and each of said remote survey sites including a receiver configured to detect local oscillator (LO) signals emitted from said tuners, said detected LO signals being associated with said radio stations, and said receiver being calibrated with a site-specific LO detection threshold such that said LO signals are selectively detected and such that calibration of said site-specific LO detection threshold is controlled remotely by said central office; means for monitoring a plurality of radio programs broadcast by a corresponding plurality of radio stations during said time period; and means for associating at least one of said radio programs with said survey data in a substantially synchronous format. - View Dependent Claims (18)
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Specification