Gathering data concerning publication usage

• US 8,444,180 B2
• Filed: 09/21/2007
• Issued: 05/21/2013
• 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., Jensen, James M., Crystal, Jack C., Zhang, Jack K., Pugh, Daniel W., Visnius, Douglas J., Flanagan, Eugene L. III
• Primary Examiner(s): Ross, Dana
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lewis, Justin V
• Application Number:
  US11/859,395
• Publication Number:
  US 20080010110A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,069 Days
• Field of Search: 401/240.2, 404/55, 235/375, 340/568.1, 345/87, 345/101, 345/156, 345/173, 345/204, 345/206, 345/901, 358/1.12, 434/307.R, 434/308, 434/309, 434/317, 434/319, 434/322, 434/365, 715/839, 281/2, 281/3.1, 281/5, 281/15.1, 281/38, 281/51
• US Class Current: 281/15.1
• 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 system for gathering data concerning usage of a publication by a person, comprising:

a sensor disposed in or on a publication operative to produce raw data representing stress applied to the publication by a person; and

a processor disposed in or on the publication, said processor being communicatively coupled to the sensor and operative to produce usage data representing usage of the publication by the person based on the raw data, wherein the processor controls a mode of operation for the sensor to produce the usage data.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the sensor comprises a piezoelectric element.

3. The system of claim 1, comprising a motion sensor operative to detect motion of the publication.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the motion sensor is operative to sense at least one of acceleration, speed, velocity and movement of the publication.

5. The system of claim 1, comprising a photosensor operative to sense exposure of the publication to light.

6. The system of claim 1, comprising a communication device operative to communicate the usage data to a portable monitor carried by the person.

7. A method of gathering electronic data concerning physical manipulation of a publication by a person, the publication including a first portion removably affixed to a second portion to conceal predetermined expression, comprising:

detecting a separation of the first portion from the second portion via an electrical sensor to produce raw data;

controlling a mode of operation for the sensor via a processor; and

producing usage data in the processor based on the raw data, the usage data representing exposure of a person to the predetermined expression.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the raw data comprises electrical energy produced from a piezoelectric element.

9. The method of claim 7, comprising sensing motion of one of the first and second portions of the publication relative to the other of the first and second portions.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein sensing motion comprises sensing at least one of acceleration, speed, velocity and movement of said one of the first and second portions.

11. The method of claim 7, comprising sensing exposure of one of the first and second portions to light.

12. The method of claim 7, comprising communicating the usage data to a portable monitor carried by the person.

13. A system for gathering data concerning usage of a publication by a person, the publication including a first portion removably affixed to a second portion to conceal predetermined expression, comprising:

a sensor disposed in or on the publication operative to produce raw data associated with a separation of the first portion from the second portion; and

a processor disposed in or on the publication, said processor communicatively coupled to the sensor and operative to produce usage data representing exposure of a person to the predetermined expression based on the raw data, wherein the processor controls a mode of operation for the sensor to produce usage data.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the sensor comprises a piezoelectric element.

15. The system of claim 13, comprising a motion sensor operative to detect motion of one of the first and second portions of the publication relative to the other of the first and second portions.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the motion sensor is operative to sense at least one of acceleration, speed, velocity and movement of said one of the first and second portions.

17. The system of claim 13, wherein the sensor comprises a photosensor operative to sense exposure of one of the first and second portions to light.

18. The system of claim 13, comprising a communication device operative to communicate the usage data to a portable monitor carried by the person.