Television receiver use metering with separate program and sync detectors

• US 5,889,548 A
• Filed: 05/28/1996
• Issued: 03/30/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 05/28/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: The Nielsen Company LLC (MOOD Media Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nielsen Media Research, Inc. (Nielsen Holdings plc)
• Inventors: Chan, Cheuk Wan
• Primary Examiner(s): LIN, BRYAN T
• Application Number:
  US08/654,309
• Time in Patent Office: 1,036 Days
• Field of Search: 348/4, 348/1, 348/6, 348/10, 455/2, 455/6.2, 455/6.3
• US Class Current: 725/17
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/43 for identifying broadcast channels

Abstract

An apparatus for acquiring a modified baseband video signal from a CRT of a receiver includes a capacitive pick-up disposed on an external surface of a housing of the receiver and adjacent to a socket of the CRT, and two inductive pick ups having substantially mutually perpendicular axes disposed on the external surface of the housing and spaced apart from the capacitive pickup. The capacitive pick up senses a video signal of the receiver, and the inductive pick ups sense horizontal and vertical sync signals of the receiver. A horizontal sync component of the video signal is replaced in response to the horizontal sync signal sensed by the inductive pick ups. A filter is arranged to filter out a band of frequencies centered about an integral multiple of a power line frequency. The capacitive pick up has a capacitive pick up plate and a capacitive shield plate which is located farther from the socket than the capacitive pick-up plate. An axis of one of the two inductive pick ups is parallel to an axis of the CRT.

Claims

1. A sensing arrangement for non-invasively sensing signals of a receiver, wherein the receiver has a CRT having an electron beam axis, the sensor arrangement comprising:

a program signal sensor disposed (i) on an exterior surface of a housing, (ii) proximate to the receiver and substantially in alignment with the electron beam axis of the CRT, and (iii) in a position to sense program content carried by a program signal, the program signal sensor arranged to acquire the program signal when the receiver is in operation; and

,

a sync signal sensor disposed on the exterior surface of the housing in a position to sense synchronization components and spaced apart from the program signal sensor.

2. The sensing arrangement of claim 1 wherein the program signal sensor is a capacitive pick up, and wherein the sync signal sensor is an inductive pick up.

3. The sensing arrangement of claim 2 wherein the inductive pick up is a first inductive pick up, wherein the sync signal sensor has a second inductive pick up, wherein each of the first and second inductive pick ups has an axis, wherein the axes of the first and second inductive pick ups are perpendicular to each other.

4. The sensing arrangement of claim 2 further comprising signal filtering means for filtering the acquired program signal, the signal filtering means removing from the acquired video signal a narrow band of frequencies centered about an integral multiple of a power line frequency.

5. The sensing arrangement of claim 1 further comprising signal filtering means for filtering the acquired program signal, the signal filtering means removing from the acquired video signal frequencies based upon a power line frequency.

6. The sensing arrangement of claim 1 wherein the program signal sensor is disposed approximately concentrically along an axis of the receiver and the sync signal sensor is disposed radially from the axis.

7. A system for non-invasively sensing signals of a receiver comprising:

a video signal detecting apparatus having a capacitive pick up, the video signal detecting apparatus disposed on an exterior surface of a housing proximate to a socket of a CRT of the receiver, the video signal detecting apparatus acquiring a video signal when the receiver is in operation, the acquired video signal having a first horizontal sync component;

a sync signal detecting apparatus having an inductive pick up, the sync signal detecting apparatus disposed on an exterior surface of the housing and spaced apart from the video signal detecting apparatus, the sync signal detecting apparatus having as an output a second horizontal sync component; and

,

signal processing means for processing the acquired video signal, the signal processing means creating a modified video signal by replacing the first horizontal sync component in response to the second horizontal sync component, the signal processing means supplying the modified video signal as an input to a recognition apparatus.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein the inductive pick up is a first inductive pick up, wherein the sync signal detecting apparatus comprises a second inductive pick up arranged to detect a vertical sync component, wherein each of the first and second inductive pick ups has an axis, wherein the axes of the first and second inductive pick ups are perpendicular to each other.

9. The system of claim 7 further comprising signal filtering means for filtering the acquired video signal, the signal filtering means removing from the acquired video signal frequencies based upon a power line frequency.

10. The system of claim 7 wherein the recognition apparatus is arranged to read a broadcast ancillary code and to store the broadcast ancillary code.

11. The system of claim 7 wherein the recognition apparatus is arranged to extract a pattern for use in pattern recognition.

12. Apparatus for acquiring a modified baseband video signal from a CRT, the apparatus comprising:

a video probe having a video signal output, wherein the video probe is disposed adjacent to a socket of the CRT, wherein the video probe comprises a capacitive pick up plate and a capacitive shield plate adjacent the capacitive pick-up plate, and wherein the capacitive shield plate is located farther from the socket than the capacitive pick-up plate;

a sync probe having a sync signal output, the sync probe spaced apart from the video probe; and

,

sync signal replacing means having the sync signal output and the video signal output as inputs, the sync signal replacing means replacing a horizontal sync component of the video signal output with a horizontal sync signal in response to the sync signal output, the sync signal replacing means having as an output the modified baseband video signal.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the video probe is disposed on a first exterior surface of a housing adjacent a socket of the CRT, and wherein the sync probe is disposed on a second exterior surface of the housing.

14. The apparatus of claim 12 further comprising a filter arranged to filter out frequencies based upon a power line frequency.

15. Apparatus for acquiring a modified baseband video signal from a CRT, the apparatus comprising:

a video probe having a video signal output, the video probe disposed adjacent to a socket of the CRT;

a sync probe having a sync signal output, the sync probe spaced apart from the video probe, wherein the sync probe comprises two inductive pickups having substantially mutually perpendicular axes; and

,

sync signal replacing means having the sync signal output and the video signal output as inputs, the sync signal replacing means replacing a horizontal sync component of the video signal output with a horizontal sync signal in response to the sync signal output, the sync signal replacing means having as an output the modified baseband video signal.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the axis of one of the two inductive pick ups is parallel to an axis of the CRT.

17. A method of reading an ancillary code transmitted with a television broadcast received in a dwelling and displayed on a television receiver having a CRT, the method comprising the steps of:

a) acquiring a baseband video signal by use of a capacitive sensor disposed on an exterior of the receiver proximate to a socket of the CRT;

b) acquiring a horizontal sync signal by use of an inductive sensor disposed on the exterior of the receiver in spaced apart relation to the capacitive sensor;

c) removing, from the baseband video signal, a horizontal sync component thereof;

d) replacing the removed horizontal sync component with a standard horizontal sync signal in response to the horizontal sync signal acquired by the inductive sensor, thereby creating a modified video baseband signal; and

,

e) reading the ancillary code from the modified baseband video signal.

18. The method of claim 17 further comprising a step, intermediate steps b) and c), of removing, from the acquired video baseband signal, frequencies based upon a power line frequency.

19. The method of claim 17 further comprising the steps, intermediate steps b) and c), of detecting the polarity of the horizontal sync signal and, if the polarity differs from a predetermined polarity, of inverting the acquired horizontal sync signal.

20. A pattern recognition method for recognizing one of a plurality of television programs received in a dwelling and displayed on a television receiver having a CRT, the method comprising the steps of:

a) acquiring a baseband video signal by use of a capacitive sensor disposed on an exterior of the receiver proximate to a socket of the CRT;

b) acquiring a horizontal sync signal by use of an inductive sensor disposed on the exterior of the receiver in spaced apart relation to the capacitive sensor;

c) removing, from the baseband video signal, a horizontal sync component thereof;

d) replacing the removed horizontal sync component with a horizontal sync signal in response to the horizontal sync signal acquired by the inductive sensor, thereby creating a modified video baseband signal; and

,

e) supplying the modified video baseband signal to a pattern recognition apparatus.

21. The method of claim 20 further comprising the step, intermediate steps b) and c), of removing, from the video baseband signal, frequencies based upon a power line frequency.

22. The method of claim 20 comprising the additional steps, intermediate steps b) and c), of detecting the polarity of the horizontal sync signal and, if the polarity differs from a predetermined polarity, of inverting the acquired horizontal sync signal.

23. Apparatus for acquiring a baseband video signal from a CRT, the apparatus comprising:

a video probe having a video signal output, wherein the video probe comprises a capacitive pick up plate and a capacitive shield plate adjacent the capacitive pick-up plate, wherein the capacitive pick up plate is disposed adjacent to a socket of the CRT, and wherein the capacitive shield plate is located farther from the socket than the capacitive pick-up plate;

a sync probe having a sync signal output, wherein the sync probe is spaced apart from the video probe, and wherein the sync probe comprises two inductive pickups having substantially mutually perpendicular axes.

24. Apparatus for acquiring a baseband video signal from a CRT, the apparatus comprising a video probe having a video signal output, wherein the video probe comprises a capacitive pick up plate, a dielectric material, and a capacitive shield plate, wherein the capacitive pick up plate and the capacitive shield plate are separated by the dielectric material, wherein the capacitive pick up plate is disposed adjacent to a socket of the CRT, and wherein the capacitive shield plate is located farther from the socket than the capacitive pick-up plate.