Source detection apparatus and method for audience measurement

• US 6,675,383 B1
• Filed: 01/22/1997
• Issued: 01/06/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 01/22/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: The Nielsen Company LLC (MOOD Media Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nielsen Media Research, Inc. (Nielsen Holdings plc)
• Inventors: Wheeler, Henry B., Lu, Daozheng
• Primary Examiner(s): Kostak, Victor R.
• Application Number:
  US08/786,270
• Time in Patent Office: 2,540 Days
• Field of Search: 348/5, 348/4, 455/4, 725/9, 725/10, 725/14, 725/17, 725/18, 725/19, 725/20, 725/21
• US Class Current: 725/19
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 2201/90 characterised by the use of signatures
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/39 for identifying broadcast space-time use of Electronic Programme Guides H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/41 for identifying broadcast space, i.e. broadcast channels, broadcast stations or broadcast areas
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/56 Arrangements characterised by components specially adapted for monitoring, identification or recognition covered by groups H04H60/29-H04H60/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/235 Processing of additional data, e.g. scrambling of additional data or processing content descriptors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/435 Processing of additional data, e.g. decrypting of additional data, reconstructing software from modules extracted from the transport stream
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6582 Data stored in the client, e.g. viewing habits, hardware capabilities, credit card number arrangements where receivers interact with the broadcast H04H20/38
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8352 involving content or source identification data, e.g. Unique Material Identifier [UMID]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/173 with two-way working, e.g. subscriber sending a programme selection signal

Abstract

A system identifies which of first and second signal sources is supplying a program signal to a monitored receiver. The first and second signal sources and the monitored receiver are located in a household. The system extracts a reference program signature representative of an output of the monitored receiver and first and second source program signatures representative of an output of the first and second signal sources. The system identifies which of the first and second signal sources is a source of the program signal in response to the reference program signature and the first and second source program signatures.

Claims

1. A system for identifying a local signal source supplying a program signal to a display of a monitored receiver, wherein the local signal source and the monitored receiver are located in a household, and wherein the system comprises:

a program signature extracter arranged to extract a reference program signature representative of an output of the monitored receiver and to extract a source program signature representative of the program signal supplied by the local signal source, wherein the program signature extracter is located in the household; and

,

a signal source identifier arranged to identify either one of the local signal source and the monitored receiver as a local source of the program signal supplied to the display in response to the reference program signature and the source program signature.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the signal source identifier comprises a signature correlater arranged to correlate the reference program signature and the source program signature.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein the signal source identifier comprises a program identifier arranged to identify a program associated with the program signal if the reference program signature and the source program signature match.

4. The system of claim 3 further comprising a code reader operably coupled to the local signal source and arranged to read an ancillary code from the program signal supplied by the local signal source.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein the program identifier identifies the program from the ancillary code read from the program signal.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein the ancillary code is a video code.

7. The system of claim 5 wherein the ancillary code is an audio code.

8. The system of claim 3 wherein the program identifier identifies the program from a signature extracted from the program signal.

9. The system of claim 2 wherein the signature correlater is located in the household, and wherein the signal source identifier includes a transmitter arranged to transmit a signal source indicating signal to a central facility.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein at least one of the reference program signature and the source program signature is a video program signature.

11. The system of claim 1 wherein at least one of the reference program signature and the source program signature is an audio program signature.

12. The system of claim 1 wherein the local signal source is a scanning tuner, wherein the program signature extracter extracts a reference program signature from an output of the monitored receiver and a source program signature from an output of the scanning tuner, and wherein the scanning tuner is located in the household.

13. The system of claim 1 wherein the local signal source is a VCR, wherein the program signature extracter extracts a reference program signature from an output of the monitored receiver and a source program signature from an output of the VCR, and wherein the VCR is located in the household.

14. The system of claim 1 wherein the local signal source is a game, wherein the program signature extracter extracts a reference program signature from an output of the monitored receiver and a source program signature from an output of the game, and wherein the game is located in the household.

48. The system of claim 1 wherein the display of the monitored receiver is a speaker.

49. The system of claim 1 wherein the display of the monitored receiver is a video monitor.

15. A system for identifying which of first and second local signal sources is supplying a program signal to a display of a monitored receiver, wherein the first and second local signal sources and the monitored receiver are located in a household, and wherein the system comprises:

a program signature extracter arranged to extract a reference program signature representative of an output of the monitored receiver and to extract first and second source program signatures representative of an output of the first and second local signal sources, wherein the program signature extracter is located in the household; and

,

a signal source identifier arranged to identify which of the first and second local signal sources and the monitored receiver is a local source of the program signal supplied to the display in response to the reference program signature and the first and second source program signatures.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein the signal source identifier comprises a signature correlater arranged to correlate the reference program signature with the first and second source program signatures.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein the signal source identifier comprises a program identifier arranged to identify a program source associated with the program signal if the reference program signature and one of the first and second source program signatures match.

18. The system of claim 17 further comprising a code reader operably coupled to the first local signal source and arranged to read an ancillary code from the program signal supplied by the first local signal source.

19. The system of claim 18 wherein the program identifier identifies the program from the ancillary code read from the program signal.

20. The system of claim 19 wherein the ancillary code is a video code.

21. The system of claim 19 wherein the ancillary code is an audio code.

22. The system of claim 17 wherein the program identifien identifies the program from a signature extracted from the program signal.

23. The system of claim 16 wherein the signature correlater is located in the household, and wherein the signal source identifier includes a transmitter arranged to transmit a signal source indicating signal to a central facility.

24. The system of claim 15 wherein at least one of the reference program signature and the first and second source program signatures is a video program signature.

25. The system of claim 15 wherein at least one of the reference program signature and the first and second source program signatures is an audio program signature.

26. The system of claim 15 wherein one of the first and second local signal sources is a scanning tuner, wherein the program signature extracter extracts a reference program signature from an output of the monitored receiver and a first source program signature from an output of the scanning tuner, and wherein the scanning tuner is located in the household.

27. The system of claim 15 wherein one of the first and second local signal sources is a VCR, wherein the program signature extracter extracts a reference program signature from an output of the monitored receiver and a source program signature from an output of the VCR, and wherein the VCR is located in the household.

28. The system of claim 15 wherein one of the first and second local signal sources is a game, wherein the program signature extracter extracts a reference program signature from an output of the monitored receiver and a source program signature from an output of the game, and wherein the game is located in the household.

50. The system of claim 15 wherein the display of the monitored receiver is a speaker.

51. The system of claim 15 wherein the display of the monitored receiver is a video monitor.

29. A system for identifying a program tuned by a monitored receiver, wherein the monitored receiver is located in a household, and wherein the system comprises:

a source tuner, separate from a tuner of the monitored receiver, arranged to tune to programs tunable by the monitored receiver, wherein the source tuner is located in a household;

a program signature extracter operably coupled to the monitored receiver and to the source tuner and arranged to extract a first program signature from an output of the monitored receiver and to extract a second program signature from an output of the source tuner;

a signature correlater arranged to correlate the first and second program signatures; and

,

a code reader operably coupled to the source tuner and arranged to read an ancillary code from the output of the source tuner if the signature correlater detects a match between the first and second program signatures.

30. The system of claim 29 wherein the ancillary code is a video code.

31. The system of claim 29 wherein the ancillary code is an audio code.

32. The system of claim 29 wherein the first and the second program signatures are video program signatures.

33. The system of claim 29 wherein the first and the second program signatures are audio program signatures.

34. The system of claim 29 wherein the source tuner comprises a scanning tuner.

35. A method of determining the source of a signal supplied to a display of a monitored receiver in a household, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) selecting, by means of a source receiver, a source signal corresponding to a channel;

(b) acquiring, by use of a non-intrusive sensor disposed proximate to the monitored receiver, a representation of the signal supplied to the display;

(c) comparing the representation of the signal supplied to the display to the source signal in order to determine a difference between the representation and the source signal;

(d) if the difference is less than a predetermined amount, identifying the monitored receiver as a local source of the signal supplied to the display; and

,

(e) if the difference is not less than a predetermined amount, controlling the source receiver to receive a source signal corresponding to another channel and repeating steps (b), (c) and (d).

36. The method of claim 35 wherein step (c) comprises the steps of:

extracting a first program signature from the source signal;

extracting a second program signature from the representation of the signal selected by the user; and

,

comparing the first and second program signatures.

37. The method of claim 35 comprising the further step of reading an ancillary code from the source signal.

38. The method of claim 35 wherein step (c) comprises the steps of:

extracting a first video program signature from the source signal;

extracting a second video program signature from the representation of the signal selected by the user; and

,

comparing the first and second video program signatures.

39. The method of claim 35 wherein step (c) comprises the steps of:

extracting a first audio program signature from the source signal;

extracting a second audio program signature from the representation of the signal selected by the user; and

,

comparing the first and second audio program signatures.

52. The method of claim 35 wherein the display of the monitored receiver is a speaker.

53. The method of claim 35 wherein the display of the monitored receiver is a video monitor.

40. A method of reading an ancillary code operably associated with a user selected program signal transmitted in one of a plurality of program channels to which a household receiver in a household is tuned, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) acquiring the user selected program signal from the household receiver;

(b) acquiring a source program signal corresponding to a predetermined one of the plurality of program channels from a reference receiver;

(c) comparing the source program signal to the user selected program signal and, if the source program signal and the user selected program signal differ by less than a predetermined amount, reading the ancillary code from the source program signal provided by the reference receiver.

41. The method of claim 40 further comprising the steps of:

acquiring a first sync signal related to the user selected program signal;

acquiring a second sync signal related to the source program signal; and

,

comparing the first and second sync signals.

42. The method of claim 40 wherein the step (c) comprises the steps of:

extracting a first program signature from the user selected program;

extracting a second program signature from the source program signal; and

,

comparing the first and the second program signatures.

43. The method of claim 40 further comprising steps (d) and (e), carried out only if the source program signal and the user selected program signal differ by more than the predetermined amount, of:

(d) receiving a source signal corresponding to another predetermined one of the plurality of channels from the reference receiver; and

,

(e) repeating step (c) with the source signal from the another predetermined one of the plurality of signal channels substituted for the predetermined one of the plurality of channels.

44. A method of identifying which of first and second signal sources is supplying a program signal to a display of a monitored receiver, wherein the second signal source is the monitored receiver, wherein the first and second signal sources are located in a household, and wherein the method comprises:

(a) comparing a sync signal from an output of a reference receiver corresponding to a first channel to a sync signal from an output of the monitored receiver;

(b) if the sync signal from an output of the reference receiver matches the sync signal from an output of the monitored receiver, extracting a reference program signature representative of the output of the monitored receiver and a signature representative of the output of the reference receiver;

(c) identifying the monitored receiver as a source of the program signal if the reference program signature and the signature representative of the output of the monitored receiver match; and

,

(d) if the sync signal from an output of the reference receiver does not match the sync signal from an output of the monitored receiver, comparing a sync signal from an output of the reference receiver corresponding to a second channel to a sync signal from an output of the monitored receiver and repeating steps (c) and (d) as necessary.

54. The method of claim 44 wherein the display of the monitored receiver is a speaker.

55. The method of claim 44 wherein the display of the monitored receiver is a video monitor.

56. The method of claim 44 wherein, if the sync signal from the output of the monitored receiver does not match the sync signal from the output of the reference receiver corresponding to any channel and if an extracted reference program signature representative of the output of the monitored receiver and a signature representative of the output of the reference receiver do not match for any channel, comparing an output of the first signal source to the output of the monitored receiver and, if the output of the first signal source matches the output of the monitored receiver, determining that the first signal source is a source of the program signal supplied to the display of the monitored receiver.

45. A source detector for detecting a source of a program signal supplied to a display of a program receiver, the source detector including a correlater, the correlater coupled to the program receiver and to a local signal source, the correlater correlating outputs of the program receiver and of the local signal source in order to detect which of the local signal source and the program receiver is the source of the program signal supplied to the display of the receiver.

46. The source detector of claim 45 wherein the local signal source is a VCR.

47. The source detector of claim 45 further including a code reader, the code reader reading an ancillary code from an output of a reference receiver if the output of the reference receiver matches the output of the program receiver.

57. The source detector of claim 45 wherein the local signal source is a game.

58. The source detector of claim 45 wherein the local signal source is a player.