Gathering data concerning publication usage

• US 7,408,460 B2
• Filed: 03/18/2005
• Issued: 08/05/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/19/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Nielsen Company LLC (MOOD Media Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Arbitron Inc. (MOOD Media Corporation)
• Inventors: Neuhauser, Alan R., Zhang, Jack K., Pugh, Daniel W., Crystal, Jack C., Jensen, James M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Crosland; Donnie L
• Application Number:
  US11/084,646
• Publication Number:
  US 20050272019A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,236 Days
• Field of Search: 340/540, 340/3.3, 340/5.86, 340/5.92, 340/5.9, 340/3.31
• US Class Current: 340/540
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 15/00 Printed matter of special format or style not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: B42P 2221/00 Books or filing appliances with additional arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0717 the sensor being capable of sensing environmental conditions such as temperature history or pressure
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0723 the record carrier comprising an arrangement for non-contact communication, e.g. wireless communication circuits on transponder cards, non-contact smart cards or RFIDs
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/00 Administration; Management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/258 Client or end-user data management, e.g. managing client capabilities, user preferences or demographics, processing of multiple end-users preferences to derive collaborative data arrangements for services using the result on the distributing side of broadcast systems H04H60/66; profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/30
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25891 being end-user preferences retrieval of video data in a video database based on user preferences G06F16/739; arrangements for recognizing users' preferences H04H60/46; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44222 Analytics of user selections, e.g. selection of programs or purchase activity monitoring of user selections in data processing systems G06F11/34; arrangements for monitoring the user's behaviour or opinions in broadcast systems H04H60/33

Abstract

Methods and systems for measuring and gathering data relating to publication usage by participants in publication readership studies. Some methods and systems employ portable monitors carried by participants of the studies along with publications fitted with various devices, such as piezoelectric transducers, RFID tags and others devices and circuits.

Claims

1. A method of producing data concerning usage of a publication by a person, comprising:

producing first data by means of a first data producing device in or on a publication, the first data representing usage of the publication by a person;

producing time base data by means of a device in or on the publication; and

producing usage data representing usage of the publication based on the first data and the time base data.

2. The method of claim 1, comprising producing second data by means of a second data producing device in or on the publication, the second data representing usage of the publication by a person.

3. The method of claim 2, comprising producing the usage data based on the second data.

4. A system for producing data concerning usage of a publication by a person, comprising:

a first data producing device in or on a publication and operative to produce first data representing usage of the publication by a person;

a time base data producing device in or on the publication and operative to produce time base data; and

a processor operative to produce usage data representing usage of the publication based on the first data and the time base data.