Apparatus for grasping TV viewing condition in household

• US 5,793,409 A
• Filed: 12/18/1992
• Issued: 08/11/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 01/09/1989
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kabushikigaisha Shogakuikueisha Kyoikukenkyusho
• Original Assignee: Kabushikigaisha Shogakuikueisha Kyoikukenkyusho
• Inventors: Tetsumura, Toshio
• Primary Examiner(s): Urban, Edward F.
• Application Number:
  US07/994,068
• Time in Patent Office: 2,062 Days
• Field of Search: 358/84, 358/86, 455/2, 340/522, 340/567, 340/573, 367/93, 367/94, 348/1, 348/2
• US Class Current: 725/12
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/04 Systems determining presence of a target
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/86 Combinations of sonar systems with lidar systems; Combinations of sonar systems with systems not using wave reflection
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/45 for identifying users
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42202 environmental sensors, e.g. for detecting temperature, luminosity, pressure, earthquakes
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/441 Acquiring end-user identification , e.g. using personal code sent by the remote control or by inserting a card
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4415 using biometric characteristics of the user, e.g. by voice recognition or fingerprint scanning cryptography using biological data H04L9/3231; authentication in networks using biometric H04L63/0861

Abstract

This invention relates to an audience state measuring apparatus of a television including an existence sensor (2) for detecting the number of persons (3) near a television receiver (1), a setter (4) for registering who is or are watching the program which is being broadcasted and an alarm lamp (6) for reporting that the number of persons from the existence sensor (2) and the registered number from the setter are inconsistent. This apparatus makes it possible to dertimine who among one family is or are watching the specific program which is being broadcasted and to measure accurately the individual audience state because non-registration in the setter (4) is reported to the persons (3).

Claims

1. A television audience state measuring apparatus comprising:

an existence sensor for detecting a number of people and objects near a television receiver, said existence sensor including an ultrasonic sensor means for detecting objects and a heat sensor means for detecting heat within a predetermined range;

a setter for setting a number of people who are following a program, which is being broadcast, among said number of people near said television receiver who are watching said program and among a number of people who are listening to said program and not near said television receiver;

indicating means for indicating an inconsistency between a signal from said existence sensor and a signal from said setter; and

a controller for comparing said signal from said existence sensor with said signal from said setter, for controlling operation of said existence sensor, and for determining number of people near said television receiver based on an output from said ultrasonic sensor means and said heat sensor means;

said existence sensor and said setter being connected to an input side of said controller;

said indicating means being connected to an output side of said controller;

said controller outputting a report signal to said indicating means when said comparison proves inconsistent.

2. A television audience state measuring apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said heat sensor means and said ultrasonic sensor means are aligned in a vertical direction, said existence sensor further comprising a rotation device for rotating and supporting said ultrasonic sensor means and said heat sensor means.

3. A television audience state measuring apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said rotation device includes a rotary table, a fitting rod implanted rotatably onto said rotary table and a driving unit for rotating said fitting rod.

4. A television audience state measuring apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said heat sensor means detects temperature within a range of 0°

C. to 50°

C.

5. A television audience state measuring apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said controller determining the number of people near said television receiver does so by determining the number of objects from said ultrasonic sensor means and determining which of said objects has a temperature within a human body range detected by said heat sensor means.

6. A television audience state measuring apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising a thermometer for detecting room temperature.

7. A television audience state measuring apparatus according to claim 2 further comprising an area sensor for detecting moving objects near an entrance to a room containing said television receiver and outputting a signal to said controller.

8. A television audience state measuring apparatus according to claim 7, wherein when said area sensor detects a moving object, said controller outputs drive signals to rotate said rotation device.

9. A television audience state measuring apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said setter including a plurality of switches, each switch allocated for one member of a family and one of said switches allocated for a non-family member.

10. A television audience state measuring apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said controller stores an audience state based on output from said setter and said existence sensor, and stores names of each member of said family indicated by activation of respective switches.

11. A television audience state measuring apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said controller is connected via a communication means to a host computer to determine a real-time audience rating of a broadcast program.