NL9201521A - Method of automatically recording TV usage - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention provides a new application of the so-called IIC technology for automatically recording the viewing behaviour of television set users who are using a set alone or in combination with video recorder and satellite receiving systems or similar devices. All the electronic control signals of the ICs are sent to and from a so- called intelligent IIC detector and then recorded, after which the recorded information and/or information stored in a memory can be processed in the usual way by a central computer. This processed information could, for example, contain the result of a viewing and listening survey or be used to determine the viewing charges for a user. <IMAGE>

Description

Method for automatic registration of TV usage transactions.

The invention relates to a method for automatic registration, without influencing from the outside, of the viewing behavior of TV set users, for determining the collection of data, if there are: what use at what time for which selection program, the so-called available facilities, made became.

Such facilities include, for example, channel tuning, the use of external video sources (VCR, video camera, game console, teletext with pages), tuners with the TV set. With a video recorder, including channel tuning, status, such as playback / recording / standby and the use of external video sources. With a satellite receiver, among other things, the channel tuning, the dish position, the polarization, etc.

The object of the invention is to store the plurality of such information data automatically, independently of the user's own operations, and then to visualize or process them according to the new method, which means that all said operations, by means of known electronic control signals, are ICs to and from an "intelligent iic" detector are registered by connecting any or all facilities through said ics to that "intelligent iic" detector.

Using the new method, it appears that it is possible to register all function changes at the correct time (hour / minute / second / day / month / year) and, moreover, this information is then linked to the user's enabled device (type / name Address).

Thus, the collected information in its entirety and / or in combination can serve as a reliable and independent result for the so-called viewing and listening research of a large number of users, but also for determining the amount of the viewing fee owed by an individual user.

To this end, the invention provides a television set, video recorder or satellite receiver or comparable recording or recording equipment. reception system which, by means of the method, is equipped with a so-called "intelligent ic" detector, the purpose of which is to register, and in total user-independent, any and / or all his performed operations and / or to store them in a memory for direct, e.g. readable, and / or later user applications.

The accessibility of the collected data to consumption operations can further be promoted if, using the intelligent ic detector, the information stored in the memory is known per se, e.g. using a modem and telephone line, memory may be queried for transmission to and processing by a central computer. The electronic signals that the microprocessor from the central computer sends over the iic bus to the ics and receives from the ics to control e.g. The TV, video recorder or satellite receiver is translated by the intelligent iic detector in such a way that legible information is obtained about all functions that were switched on or off at different times during different days of a year. performed.

It has been found that with the now generally known iic technique (inter ic communication) it is now possible to reliably record every desired information item by switching on the intelligent iic detector according to the invention.

Another advantage of the new method is that it has been measured so far by means of inductive coupling systems housed in the oscillator of the tuner. Due to their nature, such inductive couplings cause undesired disturbances in equipment in which icc techniques are applied and such disturbances can in turn influence the viewing behavior, which leads to e.g. the viewing and listening survey is no longer a true representation of the viewing behavior of the average user.

The advantage of the invention also lies in the fact that, using the iic technique, many additional functions can also be registered with the intelligent iic detector, which cannot be derived from equipment without using the iic technique. Such additional functions include the simultaneous tuning to more channels, the so-called "picture in picture" technique and the function to use several external video applications simultaneously. The latter because 7V devices equipped with iic technology generally have more than one scart connection, the function to be able to retrieve teletext pages from a large memory.

It is clear that with such a TV function registration system, using the intelligent iic detector, the (broadcasting) contribution for different programs at different rates can also be determined very effectively.

In the simple block diagram of FIG. 1 shows the principle of the method. Inside or outside the device (TV set, video recorder or satellite receiver) there is a so-called iic bus which consists of a serial clock wire and a serial data wire, all this in accordance with the Dutch TIL 8005976. The intelligent iic detector is on the iic bus connected. The latter selects and interprets the data present on the iic bus according to a program present in the detector. This program can be adapted to the wishes of the user and to the nature of the device to be measured and converts it into usable data. That data is temporarily stored in an internal memory and then transported to a centrally located memory; this to e.g. be able to measure more appliances in different locations in one building.

Conclusions:

Claims (5)

1. Method for automatic registration, without influencing from the outside, of the viewing behavior of television set users, to determine the collection of data, if there are: what use at what time for which selection program, the so-called available facilities, was made, with characterized in that all said operations, by means of per se known electronic control signals of ICs to and from an "intelligent IC" detector, are registered by connecting any or all facilities via said ICs to that "intelligent IC" detector. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that the information collected can be used in its entirety and / or in combination as a reliable and independent result for the so-called viewing and listening research. Method according to claims 1-2, characterized in that the collected information can be used in its entirety and / or in combination to determine the viewing fee owed. 4. Television set, video recorder or satellite receiver or comparable recording or recording equipment. receiving system, characterized in that, according to the method according to claims 1-3, it is equipped with a so-called "intelligent ic" detector, the purpose of which is to register, in a totally user-independent manner, any and / or all its operations performed and / or store in memory for direct, eg readable, and / or later user applications. An "intelligent detector" and a method for use in the registration of user data according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the information stored in the memory is known per se, e.g. using a modem and telephone line, memory may be queried for transmission to and processing by a central computer.