AU616478B2 - Marketing research system for obtaining retail data - Google Patents

Description

r OPI DATE 06/09/89 SAOJP DATE 05/10/89 APPLN. ID 30489 89 0 PCT NUMBER PCT/US89/00385

INTERNATI

(51) International Patent Classification 4 HO4B 17/00 FREATY (PCT) (11) International Publication Number: WO 89/ 07868 (43 International PublicatiaDate: 24 August 1989 (24.08.89) (21) International Application Number: PCT/US89/00381 (22) International Filing Date: 31 January 1989 (31.01.89) (31) Priority Application Number: 155,052 (32) Priority Date: (33) Priority Country: 11 February 1988 (11,02.88) (74)Ageni ASN, *OLE AINEN, RATHBURN WYSS: 20 North Wacker Drive, Chicago, IL 60606-3184 (US).

(81) Designated States: AT (European patent), AU, BE (European patent), BR, CH (European patent), DE (European patent), FR (European patent), GB (European patent), IT (European patent), JP, LU (European patent), NL (European patent), SE (European patent).

Published With international search report.

Before the expiration of the time limit for amending the claims and to be republished in the event of the receipt of amendments.

(71) Applicant: A.C, NIELSEN COMPANY [US/US]; Nielsen Plaza, Northbrook, IL 60062 (US).

(72) Inventors: DANIEL, James, Jr, 270 Thackeray Lane, Northfield, IL 60093 BUSYN, Thomas, F.

1466 Lake Avenue, Wilmette, IL 60091 BAT- TERMAN, Brent, T. 36043 N, Grand Oaks Court, Gurney, IL 60031 (US).

(54) Title: MARKETING RESEARCH SYSTEM FOR OBTAINING RETAIL DATA f16 4_L q 44 32 r 8I 2

RAM

26 2 8 3 0 /36 SENSOR STORE LOOP INTERFACE ADAPTER

MOEM

34 f POWER SIN-STORE DEVICE DASD 40 MONITOR -444 (57) Abstract A market research retail sales data collection system and method includes a plurality of cooperating retail stores, each having an in-store device (12) for automatically collecting, processing and storing market research data in a substantially totally passive or non-invasive manner with respect to the on-going operations of each retail store. Each in-store de.

vice include a non.invasive store loop sensor assembly a sensor interface a store loop communications adapter a central processing unit a random access memory a processed data storage device a power monitor and a communications modem (36) for connecting the in-store device through a communications network to a central site (24) for subsequent use by market researchers. Each in-store device continuously monitors, detects, interprets, processes adi stores retail sales transactions data from its retail store for subsequent periodical transmission to the central site.

Si O 89/07868 PCT/US89/00385 -1i Marketing Research System For Obtaining Retail Data BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION A. Field of the Invention The present invention generally relates to systems and methods for the collection of market research data from a plurality of cooperating retail stores each of which utilizes Point-Of-Sale (POS) optical scanners/registers and associated automatic controllers. More particularly, the present invention concerns a substantially totally passive or non-invasive automated system and method for collecting market research data on a real-time basis from a plurality of cooperating retail stores.

B. Description of the Prior Art The collection, summarization and forwarding of Point-Of-Sale purchasing information from retail stores for purposes of market research are old and well-known, particularly since the advent of Point- Of-Sale (POS) optical scanners and the widespread use of the Universal Product Code (UPC) to identify retail products. Typically, retail purchase data is summarized by an in-store POS controller or by a separate store computer attached to the POS controller in the store or, if the store is part of a large retail store chain, by a central or host computer at the headquarters of the retail store chain. The summarized retail £K r'V:S SHEET 'WO 89/ 07868PC/S9tO5 -2purchase data is then typically forwarded to the users of the data by any one of a number of different data storage and transmission techniques, for example, by magnetic tape or disk or diskette or by telephonic data transmissio~n or by over-the-air data transm±i ton.

very often the market research purpose tor the collection of such data is secondary to the primary purpose of assisting retail store operators and managers in product pricing and inventory control. Therefore, often the data collected and summarized does not meet the needs of market researchers.

The following prior art patents bear at least some relation to one or more of the disclosed features of the present invention: INVENTOR(S) PATENT NO. TITLE Ritter Haselwood et al Hqselwood et, a 1 3, 619 ,783 3,651,471 3,772,649 MEANS FOR DETERMINING TELE- VISION CHANNEL USE IN A COMMUNITY ANTENNA TELEVISION

SYSTEM

DATA STORAGE AND TRANSMISSION

SYSTEM

DATA INTERFACE UNIT FOR INSURING THE ERROR FREE TRANSMISSION OF FIXED-LENGTH DATA SETS WHICH ARE TRANS- MITTED REPEATEDLY AUTOMATIC STORE TRANSACTION SYSTEM AND TERMINAL THiEREFOR SYSTEM4 FOR CONDUCTING A TELEVISION AUDIENCE SURVEY AUTOMATIC REPORT REGISTER TV MONITOR TV MONITOR LIBRARY CIRCUL~ATION CONTROL

SYSTEM

Larsen Miya k e F u r 3,899,775 3e947,624 4,014 ,004 Porter 4,044,376 Thompson 4f058,,,829 Bridges, Jr.

et al 4,141,078 P I I l:qq-t t T I 117= =Ir I YO 89/07868 PCT/US89/00385 -3- Eskin et al 4,331,973 Cogswell et al Johnson et al Asip et al 4,331,974 4,355,372 4,361,851 Ohta Anderson et al Wright, Jr.

Abe et al Gomersall et al McKenna et al Nickerson et al 4,361,903 4,377,870 4,404,589 4,471,491 4,500,880 4,546,382 4,566,030 PANELIST RESPONSE SCANNING

SYSTEM

CABLE TELEVISION WITH CON- TROLLED SIGNAL SUBSTITUTION MARKET SURVEY DATA COLLECTION

METHOD

SYSTEM FOR REMOTE MONITORING AND DATA TRANSMISSION OVER NON-DEDICATED TELEPHONE

LINES

DATA TRANSMISSION PROCESS IN A CATV SYSTEM ELECTRONIC AUDIENCE POLLING

SYSTEM

CABLE TELEVISION WITH MULTI- EVENT SIGNAL SUBSTITUTION SERVICE CHANNEL SIGNAL TRANS- MISSION SYSTEM REAL TIME, COMPUTER-DPIVEN RETAIL PRICING DISPLAY 3YSTEM TELEVISION AND MARKET RE- SEARCH DATA COLLECTION SYSTEM AND METHOD TELEVISION VIEWER DATA COL- LECTION SYSTEM SYSTEM FOR MONITORING THE MOVEMENTS OF GOODS INWARDS AND/OR OUTWARDS RAPID MARKET SURVEY COLLEC- TION AND DISSEMINATION METHOD DATA COLLECTION SYSTEM METER FOR PASSIVELY LOGGING THE PRESENCE AND IDENTITY OF TV VIEWERS Pejas et al 4,588,881 Kur land et al Eglise Lurie 4,603,232 4,611,205 4,626,904 SU,7Z3TITUT. SHEET WO 89/07868 PCT/US89/00385 -4- Gomersall 4,630,108 PREPROGRAMMED OVER-THE-AIR MARKETING RESEAPRC SYSTEM Caswell et al 4,636,950 INVENTORY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM USING TRANSPONDERS ASSOCIATED WITH SPECIFIC PRODUCTS Roberts et al 4,642,685 STORING DATA RELATING TO TELEVISION VIEWING Smith et al 4,644,393 MEANS FOR MONITORING PEOPLE WHO ARE WATC.ING A TELEVISION

SET

The McKenna et al '382 patent concerns, inter alia, a data collection system for collecting at a central location television viewing data and retail purchase data from a plurality of cooperating households. Each of the households includes a hand held optical scanner for reading bar codes, UPC codes, associated with retail products purchased by the household. Scanned retail product purchase data and the television viewing data are stored in a common memory in the household and are periodically transmitted by telephone to a central site for processing and market research analysis.

The Eskin et al '973 patent, the Cogswell et al 'S'74 patent and the Wright, Jr. '589 patent disclose, inter alia, a market research system utili"ing a plurality of cooperating retail stores for obtaining and transmitting to a central location retail product purchase information concerning a plurality of cooperating panelists. The POS scanners in each of the cooperating retail stores scan bar eizcoded panelist identification cards and the UPC codes on the products purchased by each such panelist, Each retail store's in-store computer then stores a record of the products purchased by each such cooperating panelist, which record is subsequently transferred to a market research company at a remote location for analysis and possible corre~ition with television 1 T 1T= t I- I- P_- WYO 89/07868 PcT/us89/003,'., viewing data obtained from the same cooperating panelists.

The Gomersall '108 patent is directed to an over-the-air market research system and method and discloses, inter alia, the collection of retail product purchase information from a plurality of cooperating households by means of a UPC scanner provided to each household. Alternatively, such retail product purchase information may be obtained from cooperating retail stores in a test area. Each store's computer stores and periodically forwards a record of the retail products purchased by each cooperating household, identified by a scanned or manually entered identification code for each cooperating household, which information is periodically transmitted by telephone to a central computer for analysis by market researchers. The information transmitted typically includes at least an identification of the cooperating household, an identification of the retail product purchases made by that household and the identification of the retail store transmitting the data. As disclosed in the '108 patent, the data collected, stored and transmitted by each such store may also include the price of er'.'h retail product purchased, the date of the purchase and the time of the purchase.

The Larson '775 patent discloses, inter alia, an automatic store transaction system in which a keyboard is provided at each POS terminal for entering, data. A transceiver is also provided at each POS terminal for transmitting data to and receiving data from a central processor. The system is particularly useful for inventory control and for providing data on sales rates and checker productivity.

The Johnson et al '372 patent, reissued as United States Letters Patent No. Re. 31,951, discloses, inter alia, a market research data collection system in which market research data, corresponding to the SS.i-.T1T. SHET Vl~A WO 89/07868 PCT/US89/00385 -6retail products purchased by a cooperating panelist, are transmitted by telephone from each cooperating household to a remotely located central computer for processing and market research analysis. The data collection system includes a hand held optical scanner located in each household for scanning and storing UPC codes and for entering and storing other related data, for example, the identification of the retail store at which the retail products were purchased.

In addition, several of the other aboveidentified patents concern systems and methods for transmitting data, such as television viewing data, from a plurality of remote locations to a central location for further processing. For example, the Ritter '783 patent discloses, inter alia, a system in which television viewing data is transmitted to a central location using either modulated RF signals or audio tones.

The Haselwood et al '471 and '649 patents disclose, inter alia, systems in which a computer at a central location periodically contacts by telephone each of a plurality of remotely located data storage and handling units in a plurality of cooperating households. Television viewing data are then transmitted from the remotely located data storage and handling units to the central location by telephone in the form of frequency modulated audio tones.

The Miyake '624 patent discloses, inter alia, a system in which television viewing data from one or more televisions in the household are transmitted in the form of a data pulse train from one transmitter over transmission lihes to a survey center where the information is processed.

The Porter '376 patent and the Thompson '829 patent disclose, inter alia, television viewing data collection systems in which television viewing data from several television receivers in one household 1 i: i SWO 89/07868 PCT/US89/00385 -7are transmitted to a single household data collector by, for example, a low power radio frequency transmitter. Subsequently, the accumulated television viewing data for the household is transmitted by telephone to a central location.

The Asip et al '851 patent discloses, inter alia, a data collection system for transmitting television viewing data by telephone to a central office computer.

The Ohta '903 patent discloses, inter alia, a bidirectional cable television system in which remote terminals in the system are polled by the cable head end for transmitting data thereto.

The Nickerson et al '030 patent discloses, inter alia, a television receiver monitoring system for collecting data concerning viewing habits and viewing preferences of television viewers located in a plurality of cooperating households and for transmitting that data by telephone to a central location for further processing and analysis. A remote unit in each remotely located cooperating household includes a microprocessor, a control memory, a data store memory and a modem for initiating a telephone call to the central location. The data store memory sto.res data concerning television channel selection and the times thereof and television viewer reaction data. At a preselected time, each such remote unit initiates a telephone call to the central location and transmits the collected data stored in the data store memory by telephone to the central location. During the telephone call, the central location can transmit new control information to each remote unit for storage at the remote unit and for controlling the operation of the remote unit until the time of the next telephone communication between the remote unit and the central location.

SUE t- No f-? WO 89/07868 PCT/US89/00385 -8- The Lurie '904 patent discloses, inter alia, a television viewing monitoring system for determining and storing the presence of individual television viewers by means of headphones that both receive the audio portion of a television broadcast and transmit by means of an infrared signal headphone identification data to the monitoring system when a particular headphone is in use.

The Roberts et al '685 patent discloses, inter alia, a television viewing data collection system in which television viewing data from a plurality of homes are transmitted to a central computer by means of a switched telephone network.

The Smith et al '383 patent discloses, inter alia, a system for monitoring the number of people watching a television receiver and for transmitting data relating to the number of people watching a television receiver by telephone to a central location for further processing.

The Fuller '004 patent discloses, inter alia, a mobile vehicle data storage and transmission system that utilizes a radio frequency transmitter- Sreceiver.

The Bridges, Jr, et al '078 patent discloses, inter alia, a library book circulation control system utilizing optical scanners for reading bar codes associated with library books.

The Anderson et al '870 patent discloses, inter alia, an audience polling system for use by lecturers in which a number of wireless transmitters are used for transmitting audience responses to questions.

The Abe et al '491 patent discloses, inter alia, a service channel signal transmission system.

The Gomersall et al '880 patent discloses, inter alia, a computer operated retail pricing display system for displaying pricing and other information SIL~wl; IG t O-LP

,I.ZETI

C T i SW,089/07868 PCT/US89/00385 -9in real-time at the shelf or bin location of a product in a retail store.

The Pejas et al '881 patent discloses, inter alia, an inventory control system having an optical scanner for scanning bar codes associated with particular inventory items.

The Kurland et al '232 patent discloses, inter alia, a market survey collection and dissemination system that provides for the downloading of survey questionnaires from a central processor by telephone or by a cable television channel. The Eglise '205 patent discloses, inter alia, a system for auditing vending machines.

Finally, the Caswell et al '950 patent discloses, inter alia, an inventory control system that utilizes transponders associated with particular products for inventory control purposes.

In addition to the above-identified patents, several prior art systems have been commercially used in retail stores for collecting market research information of various types. For example, a system corresponding at least in part to that disclosed in the above1nientified Eskin et al '973 patent and the Qogswll et al '974 patent and the Wright, Jr. '589 patent has been used to obtain market research data from a plurality of cooperating retail stores. The market research data obtained thereby, however, is obviously dependent upon cooperation by the store operators and upon the data collection and processing characteristics of each in-store (omputer or controller that controls the POS scanners/registers. Similarly, a prior art commercially operated system has been used in which a coupon dispensing device is positioned at each check-out counter i. a retail store for dispensing a manufacturer's discount coupon to purchasers of products competitive with the manufacturer's product associated with the discount coupon. The latter system QUIZ s I 1C4 z j WO 9/788 CT/S8/038 WO 89/07868 PCT/US89/00385, is believed to be electrically connected in the store loop, in the store data and control loop containing the POS scanners/registers and the in-store scanner controller and computer, thereby enabling the device to dispense coupons in response to the purchasc of such competitive products. In addition, other prior art commercially available devices are designed to be electrically connected to the store loop and are used for many different purposes, such as for monitoring time and attendance of rehail store cashiers.

While many of the above prior art systems and methods constitute significant improvements over prior manual systems and methods of collecting market research data, significant disadvantages exist with respect to many of the above prior art systes and methods. For example, there is a wi(? variety of manufacturers and types of POS systems for retail stores. Although each type of POS system performs the same basic functions as other POS slystems, each different type of POS system performs those functions generally in a unique way. Consequently, the collection of market research data is limited by the methods and procedures in use in a particular POS system. An even greater variety of different summarization schemes in use in connection with such POS systems differing in, for example, level of detail, frequency of collection, speed of collection and accuracy of the collected data, complicates even further the collection of market research data from many retail stores. The physical logistics associated with collecting such data are immense in view of the fact that there are many thousands of retail stores from which market research data desirably is collected about tens of thousands of different retail products. Much highly desirable market research data also is lost or not collected as a result of the various existing summarization schemes in use by in-store controllers and computers or by I

-ET

l T I SWO 89/07868 PCT/US89/00385 -11central or host computers associated with the headquarters of a retail store chain.

Additionally, unacceptable time delays often occur between the occurrence of a retail sales transact.ion and the receipt of the sales transaction data by !a market researcher. Furthermore, most existing market research in-store data collection systems require the active participation and cooperation of the store operators, including cooperation with respect to the use of special procedures, special scheduling and the use of the in-store controllers or computers. As a result, many retail store operators are unwilling to cooperate in collecting, storing and transmitting market research retail sales data due to the potential irter erence, real or imagined, with normal store operations.

Thus, a long-felt want and need has existed for a new and improved in-store market research retail sales data collection system and method that are substantially totally passive or non-invasive with respect to the regular operations and equipment of retail stires, thereby obviating the concerns referred to above of many store operators. Preferably, any such data collection system and method should also be independent of the in-store POS scanner/register controller and. omputer and also independent of host computers at the headquarters of retail store chains, thereby enabling market research data to be collected, stored and transmitted to a central location in accordance with the particular format found most advantageous by market researchers.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A-crjct of the p.tesent invenion-isj I' provide a new and improved market yst stem and method mr er object of the present invention is a tew and iprovyd, nn-ipa p ',EF 12 In accordance with the present invention there is disclosed a market research system comprising: a plurality of cooperat'(ng retail stores in a market research test area, each of said stores having at least partially automated first means for processing retail sales transactions in the normal operation of said retail store, non-invasive automated second means disposed in each of said stores for monitoring said first means in a substantially totally passive manner and for collecting market research data based on said retail sales transactions, said second means including sensor means for monitoring and for detecting said processed retail sales transactions and processor means coupled to said sensor means for processing said detected retail sales transactions, to said fi~rst means operating independently of said second means, said second means operating responsive to said first means without requiring any responsive operation by said first means and Without requiring any modificatior of said first means, and automated third means remotely located from said plurality of retail stores for receiving said market research data from said plurality VY: 20 of retail stores and for storing said market research data for subsequent use by market researchers, The present Invention is embodied in a system and method for conciucting market research through a plurality of cooperating retail stores and, if desired, through a plurality of cooperating consumer panelists, In accordance with the present invention, disposed in each cooperating retail store is an in-store device for collecting, processing and storing on a, real-time basis retail sales transaction data in a totally p,;,sive or non-invasive manner with. respect to the on-going operations, of the retail store. However, the in-store device WP 89/07868 PCT/US89/00385 -13does not interfere with or require the active participation of the in-store controller or computer controlling the normal operation of the one or more POS terminals in each retail store. Periodically, each instore device transmits the retail sales tranzaction data it has collected through a bidirectional communications network to a central site for further processing and use by market researchers.

Each retail sales transaction detected, interpreted, processed and stored by the in-store device normally contains data corresponding to the identification of the retail store, the date of the transaction, the time of day of the transaction, the Universal Product Code (UPC) of the retail product involved in the transaction, the unit price of that product, the quantity purchased of that product, the identification of the POS terminal (scanner/register) at which the transaction occurred and a brief description of the product. Each such transaction may also include data corresponding to the unique identfication code of a participating consumer panelist and may also reflect coupon redemptions, sales taxes, the method of payment, returns and/or voided purchases or transactions.

In addition to detecting, interpreting, processing and storing in one or more different formats data reflecting the above transactions, the in-store device can detect, process and store data reflecting the purchases made by each one of a plurality of cooperating consumer panelists. Thus, the transactions collected by the in-store device enable a "market basket" analysis to be performed by identifying and storing as a group all of the products purchased by each such cooperating customer panelist and, in fact, by each customer of the retail store during each trip through a check-out counter of the retail store.

S' U ^T S HEET ii ii I L WO 89/07868 PCT/US89/00385 -14- Each in-store device basically consists of a substantially totally passive or non-in.asive sensor assembly, a sensor interface, a store loop communications adapter, a central processing unit, a random access memory, a processed data storage device, a power monitor for determining whether or not the cen- N tral processing unit is operating properly and a communications modem for connecting the in-store device to a central site communications network. The instore device may utilize one of a number of conventional data transmission protocols and, if desired, encryption schemes in communicating with the central site to ensure the highest reliability and security of the collected market research data.

Importantly, each in-store device operates in an unattended mode and requires no intervention by the retail store operators or by the retail store's POS terminals, controller or computer. The system and method of the present invention require no software or program modification to each retail store's controller or computer used in controlling the normal operations of each retail store. Each in-store device continuously monitors, detects, interprets, processes and stores data from its retail store under the control of an operating program stored in the in-store device, which program may be periodically updated or modified from the remotely located central site. The central site includes one or more central computers for collecting data from each in-store device in the cooperating retail stores and for further processing the data for subsequent analysis and use by market researchers.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING The above and other objects and advantages and novel features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment of the present invention illustrated in the accompanying drawing wherein: C,1 I~,*5~1hi(--11 Clil 1Ci WO 89/07868 PCT/US89/00385.

FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration of a market research system and method constructed in accordanice with the principles of the present invention; FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a typical in-store device that forms a portion of the system and method of FIG. 1; FIG. 3 is a side view of a non-invasive sensor assembly disposed physically adjacent to a portion of a store P05 terminal/controller loop, constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention and forming a part of the in-store device of FIG. 2; FIG. 4 is an' enlarged, i'roken-away perspective view of the sensor assembly of FIG. 3; FIG. 5 is an electrical circuit diagram of the sensor assembly of IIGS. 3 and 4; FIG. 6 is an electrical circuit diagr-am of a sensor interface that forms a portion of the i~nstore device of FIG. 2; FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram of the componerts of the system and method of FIG. 1 located at the central site; and FIG. 8 iv an illustrative flow chart depicting a portion of the operation of the in-store device of FIG. 2.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT SYSTEM 10 OVERVIEW Referring initially to FIG. 1 of the drawing, V there is illustrated a new and improved market research method and system 10 constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention. The method and system 10 of the present invention may be used in any market area where there are cooperating retail stores that utilize Point-Of-Sale (POS) optical scanners in their normal retail store operation to detect bar coded information, such as a universal Product Code (UJPC), affixed to the retail products being sold.

WO 89/07868 WO 90868PCr/US89/00385 -16- More specifically, each cooperating retail store in the system 10 is provided with an in-store device 12 that is connected by a sensor assembly 14 to a conventional store data and control loop 16 in a substantially totally passive or non-invasive manner so as not to interfere with or otherwise jeopardize the normal operations of a plurality of P03 terminals or optical scanners/registers 18 or of a store controller or computer 20, all of which are interconnected by the o+ore loop 16, Typically, the store's controller controls the operation of the scanners/registers 18 by the exchange of~ digital data signals through the store loop 16. The sensor assembly 14 preferably is disposed adjacent a portion of the store loop 16 to enable the digital data signals present in the store loo--p 16 to be detected by the sensor assembly 14 and to be interpreted? locally processed and eventually transmitted by the in-store device 12 through a communications network 22 to a central site 24 for further processing and subsequent analysis and review by market researchers. In accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the system 10 includes approximately 6,000 in-store devices5 12, one in each of approximately 6,000 cooperating retail stores, all connected by the communications network 22 to the central site 24.

COMMUNICATIONS NETWORK 22 In the preferred embodiment of the present inv'ention, the omunications network 22 through which, the in-store d&.'iices 12 communicate with the central site 24 consists of a dial-up or switched line telephone connection to a nearby local, mode on a private packet-switched data communications network.

Such data networks are conventional, per se; and a number of such data networks are currently in commercial operation in this country. For example, a subsidiary of Dun Bradstreet, Inc. operates such a

SHEET

I W1 89/07868 PCT/US89/00385 -17data network under the name Dunsnet. That data network is currently being used by customers to obtain credit ratings on companies and to obtain market research information reports. Each local node on the Dunsnet information network basically consists of a bank of telephone modems, each such modem connected to a data packet assembler/dissembler. The modems are conventionally accessed by dial-up telephone lines.

In another embodiment of the present invention, the communications network 22 through which the in-store devices 12 communicate with the central site 24 consists of a conventional dial-up or switched line telephone connection from each retail store directly to the central site 24 over a conventional public telephone network.

In an even further embodiment of the present invention, the communications network 22 through which the in-store devices 12 communicate with the central site 24 consists of a radio modem connection to a nearby base station forming a node on a private packetswitched data network as discussed above. The private network is connected directly to the central site 24.

An advantage of this embodiment of the present invention is that the radio modem requires no telephone line connection to the in-store device 12. Furthermore, the radio modem is useful when it is inconvenient or otherwise impractical to install a telephone line in a retail store for market research data collection.

Suitable radio modems for use in the communic..ations network 22 in accordance with this embodiment of the present invention are available from a number of different manufacturerl. For example, a suitable radio modem is a "KDT" TM portable data terminal Model No.

N1323A available from Motorola, Inc. and described in a publicly available Motorola instruction manual numbered 68P81035C35-B, copyrighted in 1985 by Motorola, Inc. The serial port on the radio modem is connected O' o t t t 11 WO089/07868 PCT/US89/00385 -18to a serial port on the in-store device 12 through an RS-232 adapter. A stored program in the portable data terminal Model No. N1323A relays messages between the radio network and the in-store device 12, providing the equivalent of a 4800 baud continuous communication link between the in-store device 12 and the central site 24.

In another alternative embodiment of the present invention, the communications network 2Z through which the in-store device 12 communicates with the central site 24 may take the form of a Very- Small-Aperture-Terminal (VSAT) located on the exterior roof or wall of the retail store for communicating via an over-the-air Ku band microwave link to a transponder in a satellite in a geostationary earth orbit.

The 4atellite is linked to an earth transceiving station at the central site 24. Such satellite communication systems are conventional and commercially available. For example, a representative commercially available satellite communication system is operated by GTE Spacenet under the name SKYSTAR SYSTEM. In using the SKYSTAR SYSTEM in accordance with this embodiment of the present invention, a central Hub Station of the SKYSTAR SYSTEM is located at the central site 24 for communicating in the Ku frequency band via a satellite with the Very-Small-Aperture-Terminals remotely located at the retail stores in the system The communications network 22 constructed in accordance with this embodiment of the present invention requires no telephone line connection to the instore devices 12 and also may be used when it is inconvenient or otherwise impractical to install a telephone line in a retail store for market research data collection.

IN-STORE DEVICE 12 In accordance with an important feature of the present invention, the components of each in- WO 89/0,7868 PCT/US89/00385 -19store device 12 are depicted in FIG. 2. As discussed hereinabove, the sensor assembly 14 is disposed adjacent to the store loop 16. For example, the sensor assenihi y 14 (FIG. 3) may be placed physically adjacent to the electrical signal conductors or cable forming the store loop 16 or adjacent to an electrical connector in the store loop 16, for example, an electrical connector in the vicinity of the controller 20. The sensor assembly 14 detects electrical signals, typically digital data pulses, present in the store loop 16 and passing between the POS scanners/registers 18 and the controller 20. The sensot assembly 14 preferably is substantially totally pa*ssive or non-invasive tc; the store loop 16 and therefore can send no information to the store loop 16. Thus, the sensor assembly 14 and the in-store devicn 12 cannot interfere with the normal operations of the store loop 16, the scanners/registers 18 and the P08 controller or store computer The in-store device 12 also includes a sensor interface 26 that both supplies low voltage (five volts), direct current electrical power to the sensor assembly 14 and reconstructs the digital data signalq, present on the store loop 16 from the time varying electrical signalt or pulses received from the sensor assembly 14. The store loop digital data signals reconstructed by the sensor interface 26 are provided to a conventional store loop adapter 28 that decodes the digital signals from the sensor interface 26 and passes the decoded information to a Central Processing Unit (CPU) 30. The particular store loop adapter 28 selected for use in the in-store device 12 will obviously depend upon the particular type of scanners/regIsters 18 and controller 20 in use in that store.

The store loop adapter 28 may take the form of a M4odel AWS52 controller available terom AW Computer Systems, Inc. of Mt. Laurel, New Jersey, US$A (telephone No.

0 SU-C SH -ET WO 89/07868 PCT/US89/00385' 609/234-3939) for use with store loops 16 having National Cash Register (NCR) registers 18, for example, NCR M:.odels 255, 2552 and 1255 register systems. A similar model AW3863 controller may be used for a store loop 16 utilizing one or more types of registers 18 manufactured by the IBM Corporation. In addition, the store loop adapter 28 may take the form of a Retail-Net Coprocessor available from Avalon Design and Manufacturing Inc. of Costa Mesa, California, USA (telephone No. 714/432-7227) Furthermore, when Model No. DTS545 registers 18 manufactured by Datachecker Systems, Inc. are used, the digital signals transmitted over the store loop 16 have a very simple, asynchronous communications protocol that enables a simple serial input port of the in-store device 12 to be used as the store loop adapter 28.

The operation of the CPU 30 is under the control of a software program contained in a variable or random access memory (RAM) 32. The CPU 30 monitors the incoming data from the store loop adapter 28 and processes that data in accordance with the programmed instructions contained in the RAM 32. Processed data is periodically written onto a direct access storage device (DASD) 34 that may take the form of a hard disk memory. Periodically, once every several hours or once a day or once every several days or once a week, summarized retail sales transactions formatted by the CPU 30 in accordance with the programmed instrtictions contained in the R~AM 32 may be transferred from the DASD 34 by means of 41 communi.cations modem 36 to the central site 24.

In a preferred embodiment as depicted in FIG. 2, th( Modem 36 takes the form of a conventional telephone modem that utilizes a dial-up or switched line telephone 38 for connecting the in-store device 12 to a nearby local node on a private X.25 packetswitched data communications wi.twork 22 and then q 57, iTI117 S HEFT WO ?9088PCT/US89/00385 -21directly to the central site 24. obviously, if the telephone 38 is shared with the retail store in which the in-store device 12 is located., the communications session between the in-store device 12 and the central site 24 will occur during "off" hours when the telephone 38 is not being used by personnel within the retail store. During a cQmmunications session between the in-store device 12 and the central site 24, data corresponding to retail sales transactions collected and stored by the in-store device 12 are up-loaded as discussed above to the central site 24. During the same comikunications session, the central site 24 can remotely update or change the operating program stored in the RAM 32 and perform testing, as required. The remote updating or change to the operating program stored in the RAM 32 and the remote testing are performed in accordance with standard, well known techniques that are conventional, per se.

The CPU 30, the RAM 32 and the DASD 34 may be embodied in a commercially available IBM Personal System/2 (PS/2) Model 30 microprocessor. The sensor interface 26, the store loop adapter 28 and the communications modem 36 each represent conventional printed circuit boards or cards, that may be plugged into the expansion bus of the IBM PS/2 Model 30 microprocessoro That microprocessor in other applications is designed to operate conventio4i2lly in an attended fashion With an operator, a keybozrd and a computer display screen. Beca~use that microprocessor preferably operates in an unattended manner whe.n used in the instore device 12, a power monitor 40 is provided to take the place of an operator, keyboard and display screen. The power monitor 40 is conventional, per so, and basically is used to apply conventional 1.20, volts alternating current power through a power connector 42 to the microprocessor and also, to disconnect WO 89/07868 PCT/US89/00385 -22power to the microprocessor if the program being executed by the CPU 30 does not reset an internal timer in the power monitor 40 periodically, for example, once every hour. If not properly reset due to a failure in the hardware or software, the power monitor interrupts power to the microprocessor and delays the reapplication of power thereto for a short time, for example, for approximately one minute. Thereafter, the power monitor 46 reapplies power to the microprocessor which then goes through a standard initialization subroutine in order to attempt to obviate whatever failure or malfunction was previously present in the microprocessor.

While the power monitor 40 is a separate unit from the IBM PS/2 Model 30 microprocessor used to form the major portion of the in-store device 12 in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention, all of the components of the instore device 12 are enclosed within a tamper-proof secur.ity enclosure 44 to discourage tampering with the in-store device 12, SENSOR ASSEMBLY 14 In accordance with a further important feature of the present invention, thl sensor assembly 14 (FIGS. used in detecting digital data signals present on the store loop 16, is formed as a small unobtrusive device and includes a molded plastic housing 48 that, in a specific embodiment has a length of approximately 1.75 inches, a width of approximately 1.5 inches and a height or depth of approximately inch. 11he sensor assembly 14 preferably operates on a capacitive principle and, therefore, makes no intrusive physical or electrical connection to the store loop 16. For example, as depicted in FIG. 3, the sensor assembly 16 is disposed physically adjacent to and in physical contact with a portion of the store loop 16. That portion of the store loop 16 depicted WIO 89/07868 WQ 8907868PCT/US89/00385 in FIG. 3 in dotted line form may be an el~on'gate portion of the data carrying electrical cable of the store loop 16 disposed generally parallel to the length of an antenna A or, alternatively, an electrical connector within the store loop 16. The sensor assembly 14 ma~y be physically secured to that portion of the store loop 16 by any c',onventional technique, for example, by one or more strips of adhesiv~a tape 46.

In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the sensor assembly 14 is secured to an electrical connector in the store loop 16 immediately adjacent to the controller 20. Alternatively, plastic cable clips (not illustrated) secured, to the molded plastic housing 48 may be used securely to attach the sensor assembly 14 to an electrical cable portion of the store loop 16.

As depicted is FIG. 4f the electrical comnponents of the sensor assembly 14 are mounted on a printed circuit board, 50, di.mensioned to be received Within and aecurel~r retained within the housing 48 by a 'mwer end cover 5sa. The housing 48 includes a lower internally formed recess or ridge 54 dimensioned to receive and position, the lower end cover 52 within the housing 48. Preferably, the lowpr end cover 52 is a rigid, molded plastic component that includes an electrically conductive copper ground plane 56 formed on the interior side of the lower end cover 52 that is disposed beneath and adjacent to the -wvder side of the printed circuit board 50. The housing 48 includes a pair of integrally formed, spaced-apart, internally threaded bosses 58 for receiving and securely retaining a pair of threaded fast-eners 60. The fasteners G0 extend through a pair of apertures 62 formed through the lower end cover 52 and through a pair of spaced apart al.igned slots or ic'aeses 64 forme in the printed circuit board 50t thereby to secure, the printed circuit board So and the oo-one~ts mounted thereon WO 89/07868 PCT/US89/00385 -24and the lower end cover 52 to the housing 48. The sensor assembly 14 also includes a locking nut 66 and a washer 68 for securing the lower end cover 52 to the printed circuit board 50 in a fixed, spaced-apart relationship (FIG. The locking nut 66 is internally threaded for engagement with a downwardly depending, externally threaded elongate coaxial cable connector 70. The printed circuit board 50 is maintained in a fixed, spaced-apart relationship with respect to the lower end cover 52 and the ground plane 56 by a metal spacer 72 (FIG. 3) formed as an enlarged portion of the connector 70. The spacer 72 is physically positioned between and in contact with the ground plane 56 and the lower or under side of the printed circuit board A preferredI embodiment of the electric'al circuit of the sensor assembly 14 is depicted in FIG.

The electrical components discussed hereinafter with respect to FIG. 5 are also depicted in FIGS. 3 and 4 as mounted on the printed circuit board 50 and as enclosed within tt'e housing 48. The sensor assembly 14 includes the tWo-conductor, coaxial cable connector the outer conductor of which is directly electrically connected both to the ground plane 56 through the spacer 72 and to the outer conductor of a two conductor coaxial cable 74 (FIGS, 1 and 2) that electrically interconnects the sensor assembly 14 to the sensor interface 26 of the in-store device 12.

When a digital voltage or current signal is present along the electrical cable and tonnectors forming the store loop 16# the electromagnetic field generated by such a signal is detected by an elongate antenna A that extends above and parallel to the upper surface of the printed circuit board 50. Zo a specific embodiment of the present invention, the elonqate antenna portion of the anntenna A is appro.imately oni inch long and extends parallel to and along the T S WO 89/07868 PCT/US89/00385 length the upper surface of the printed circuit board 5C. As so configured and physically disposed, the antenna A is oriented slightly beneath and along the length of the upper surface of the housing 48 directly beneath a portion of the store loop 16, for example, an elongate conductive cable or electrical connector, to maximize the detection of the electromagnetic eield associated with digital signals present in the store loop 16. The antenna A is designed to operate effe-tively as much as one-half inch away from the store loop 16. The antenna A basically capacitively couples the sensor assembly 14 to an electrically conductive portion of the store loop 16; however, the capacitance of the antenna A in relation to the store loop 16 is extremely small, for example, on the order of .001 picofarad. The electromagnetic field detected by the antenna A is in the direction of and proportional to the magnitude of the digital electrical signal present in the store loop 16.

The electrical signal detected by the antenna A is passed by a coupling capacitor Cl to a non-inverting, field-effect transistor i:nput of an operational amplifier 76 which is connected and operates as a high impedarce voltage follower. The copling capaci tor Cl.blocks any static electric charges that may be present while passing electrical signals detected by the antenna A to the operational amplifier 76. A pair of re-istors R6 and R2 are connected as a voltage divider to provide a direct current (DC) voltage of approximately 2.5 Vots to the non-inverting input of the operational amplifir '76 througn a resistor Rl.

The operational amplifier 76 besically serves as an .mpedance matching device with an input impedance on the order of 10 megohms and an output impedance of approximately 10,000 ohms as established by a variable resisthor R3, The field-effect transistor input of br; t C~I== WO 89/07868 PCT/US89/00385 -26the operational amplifier 76 enables it to operate effectively at extremely high input impedances.

The sensor assembly 14 receives electrical power of approximately 5 volts DC from the sensor interface 26 via the center conductor 78 of the connector 70. The electrical power received from the sensor interface 26 to operate the sensor assembly 14 is blocked at its input by a coupling capacitor C3 and is routed through a low pass filter circuit formed by an inductor L1 and a capacitor C4 to provide power to the operational amplifier 76 and to a second operational amplifier 80. The resistors R2 and R6 form a voltage divider to supply the desired amount of bias voltage to the operational amplifier 80 through a resistor R4.

The output signal from the operational amplifier 76 is attenuated by the variable resistor R3 which serves as a trimmer potentiometer; and the attenuated signal is supplied through a coupling capacitor C2 to the operational amplifier 80 that is connected as a differentiator or high pass filter. The capacitor C2 and a feedback resistor R5 connected to the inverting input of the operational amplifier configure the operational amplifier 80 to function as desired as a differentiator. Th' output signal from the operational amplifier 80 consists of a series of positive or negative going electrical pulses that represent signal transitions, the leading and trailing edges of electrical signals, on the store loop 16. The frequency of the output signal of the operational amplifier 80 depends on the frequency of the signals present on the store loop 16, The output signal from the operational amplifier 80 is passed through the coupling resistor C3 to the center conducto- 78 of the coaxial cable connector 70 and from there via a coaxial cable 82 (FIG. 2) to the sensor interface 26, The signal present on the center conductor of the coaxial cable 82 is a composite signal I i WP ,89/07868 PC-T/US89/00385 formed by the 5 volt DC power component to which is added the time varying output signal from the sensor assembly 14 having, for example, an amplitude of approximately 100 millivolts, positive or negative, and a pulse width on the order of approximately 1 microsecond.

The input impedance of the sensor assembly 14 is approximately 10 megohms; and the output impedance is approximately 600 ohms. The frequency response of the sensor assembly 14 is from approximately 20,000 Hz to approximately 400,000 Hz. As described hereinabove, the sensor assembly 14 behaves essentially as a low frequency, broad band amplifier to enable the sensor interface 26 to reconstruct digital data signals of various encoding schemes and of various transmission rates present on the store loop 16.

Suitable component values for the electrical components of the sensor assembly 14 are set forth below: Electrical Component Component Value A Approximately 1 inch long Cl 100 picofarads C2 .004 microfarads C3, C4 220 microfarads L1 1 millihenry R1 10 megohms R2, R3, R4, R5, R6 10,000 ohms The operational amplifiers 76 and 80 may be component parts of a single integrated circuit available from any one of a number of different manu2acturers. For example, a model LM353 operational amplifier have been found to be suitable for use as the operational amplifier 76 or the operational amplifier 80. For space considerations, two smaller capacitors may be connected electrically in parallel to fErm each of the capacitors C3 and C4 (FIGS. 3-4), SUESTiTUTE

SHEET

WO 89/07868 PCT/US89/00385 -28- SENSOR INTERFACE 26 The electrical circuit diagram for the sensor interface 26 is depicted in FIG. 6. The sensor interface 26 is located within the in-store device 12 and includes a sensor power interface 84 formed by a resistor Rl, an inductor Ll and a capacitor Cl. The sensor power interface 84 provides the low voltage, direct current power to operate the active components of the sensor assembly 14. Power from the power interface 84 is blocked from the rest of the circuitry of the sensor interface 26 by a coupling capacitor C2.

The inductor Ll blocks the high frequency signal component present on the signal lead from the sensor assembly 14. The coupling or input capacitor C2 blocks the direct current from a variable gain operational amplifier 88 while passing the input pulses from the sensor assembly 14 to the inverting input of the operational amplifier 88. The amplifier 88 is connected as an inverting amplifier; and the non-inverting input of the amplifier 88 is biased to direct current voltage level of approximately +2.5 volts through the resistors R2, R4 and R5. The gain of the amplifier 88 is adjusted from a minimum gain of approximately unity to a maximum gain of approximately eleven by adjusting the variable feedback resistor R7. The gain of the amplifier 88 is set when the in-store device 12 is initially installed in a particular retail store to provide the proper output signals to the store loop adapter 28 depending upon the particular characteristics of the store loop 16 and of the scanners/registers 18 and of the controller or store computer The output of the amplifier 88 is provided to the non-inverting input of an operational amplifier connected as a unity-gain voltage follower, the output of which is fed to a Schmitt Trigger 92 that is connected as a NAND gate and that provides noise 1_ i I.w.o A9/07868 PCT/US89/00385 -29immunity to or suppression of signals having magnitudes less than the expected magnitudes of signals of interest. In addition, it provides an output digital signal having rapid rise times as compared to the slower rise times associated with the input signal to the Schmitt Trigger 92.

When a positive going pulse from the amplifier 90 exceeds a threshold level of the Schmitt Trigger 92, the Schmitt Trigger 92 switches to a low output voltage level. If the output voltage from the amplifier 90 falls below a second, lower threshold level, the Schmitt Trigger 92 switches to a high output voltage level.

A second Schmitt Trigger 94 connected as a NAND gate serves as an inverter for providing an input signal of proper polarity to a conventional line driver 96. The line driver 96 is a standard RS232 line driver that converts an input signal having a logic level 1 to an output signal with a -12 volt DC level. Similarly, an input signal having a logic level 0 is converted to a +12 volt DC output signal. The amplifiers 88 and 90, the Schmitt Triggers 92 and 94 and the line driver 96 are conventional integrated circuits available from any one of a number of integrated circuit manufacturers.

Specific values of the electrical components used in the electrical circuit (FIG. 6) for the sensor interface 26 are as follows: Electrical Component Component Value Cl 1 microfarad C2 .01 microfarad L 1 millihenry R1 22 ohms R2, R3, R4, R5, R6, R8 10,000 ohms R7 100,000 ohms The output signal from the sensor interface 26 via the line driver 96 is suitable for use as an WO 89/07868 PCT/US89/00385 input signal to any one of a variety of different types of store loop adapters 28 discussed hereinabove.

CENTRAL SITE 24 FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram of typical components of the market research system 10 that would be located at the central site 24 of the system As depicted, a telephone 102 represents a telephone connection from the communications network 22 to a conventional telephone modem 104 that, in turn, is connected to an IBM model 3725 communications controller 108. The communications controller 108 is directly connected to an IBM model 3090-200 central processor 110 for enabling the central processor 110 to communicate with the communications network 22. The central processor 110 is a very large central processing unit that receives incoming data from the many retail stores in the system 10 through the communications network 22 and that formats that data for further processing at the central site 24. In addition, the central processor 110 formats output data for delivery to customers of the market research system 10 and also handles the updating of or modifications to the operating instructions or programs stored in the RAMs 32 of the in-store devices 12.

After initial editing and formatting, the incoming data from the communications network 22 is transferred to a shared, very large direct access Sstorage device (DASD) 112. The DASD 112 serves as a very large data base having a storage capacity of billions of bytes of information. Any one of a number of commercially available data storage devices, for example, IBM model 3380 memory devices, may be interconnected or configured to form the DASD 112 at the central site 24.

An IBM model 3090-600 central processor 114 shares the DASD 112 with the central processor 110 and is used to perform the many calculations required I WO 09/07 6 PCT/US89/00385 -31on the input data delivered from the retail stores and also to perform statistical calculations necessary in producing output reports for customers of the market research system OPERATION OF SYSTEM FIG. 8 depicts a flowchart 7etting forth the basic operation of the system 10 and, more particularly, of each in-store device 12. The various steps depicted in the flowchart of FIG. 8 are carried out by the CPU 30 (FIG. 2) under the control of the operational instructions or program contained in the RAM 32, as periodically updated or modified by downloaded data and instructions from the remotely located central processor 110.

An initialization subroutine is executed upon power-up of the in-store device 12 and after each communications session with the central site 24.

The real-time clock contained in the in-store device 12 is synchronized with the last time check received from the central site 24. Unneeded "snapshot" memory files contained in the RAM 32 are deleted; and the monitoring program for controlling the operation of the in-store device 12 through the CPU 30 is loaded into the RAM 32 and initiated.

The above initialization subroutine is followed by a "SNAP?" subroutine which determines if a "snapshot" of the data temporarily stored in the RAM 32 should be taken. Typically, all collected and processed data from the store loop 16 temporarily stored in the RAM 32 are removed from the RAM 32 and stored in any one of a number of different formats in the DASD 34. This transfer of da'ta from the RAM 32 to the DASD 34 is performed every few minutes so that, in the case of a power outage to the in-store device 12, the device 12 can automatically recover and resume the operations it was performing at the time of the power outage.

WO 89/07868 PCT/US89/00385 -32- If a "snapshot" is to be taken, a "DO SNAPSHOT" subroutine is executed during which the data files temporarily stored in the RAM 32 are transferred to the DASD 34; and a timer is set to indicate when the next "snapshot" subroutine is to be executed.

Thereafter or in the event that a "snapshot" subroutine is not to be executed, a "HOST?" subroutine is executed. This subroutine determines if a communications session with the cen~tral site 24 is to be executed by the in-store device 12. Eaph in-store device 12 is assigned a periodic communications session schedule, for example, a nightly communications schedule, along with alternative times if an attempt to establish communications with the central site 24 is unsuccessful.

If it is time for a communications session with the central site 24f a "DO HOST CQM!4tNICATIONS" subroutine initially writes any necesssary information files, for example, files containing performance data relating to the operation of the in-store device 12, to the DASD 34. During this subroutine, active monitoring of the store loop 16 is interrupted.

A conventional communications subroutine is then initiated which controls the transfer of data and instructions between the in-store device 12 and the central site 24. A typical communications session initially involves determining whether the telephone 38 (FIG. 2) is in use and, assuming it is not in use, accessing the telephone 38 and dialing the telephone number of the nearest local node on the private packetswitched data network referred to hareinabove. if a telephone connection is successfully established with a node on the data network, network r~outing commands are exchanged in order to establish a connection between the in-store device 12 and the central site 24.

Assuming that a connection is successfully established WO089/O?868 PCT/US89/00385 -33with the central site 24f a series of log-on and password or security commandis are transmitted to prevent unauthorized access to the central site 24.

once a communications session is successfully estatlished with the- central site 24, the in-store device 12 issues commands to upload its data files from the DASD 34 to the central processor 110 and the DASD 112. In addition, status and diagnostic data may be uploaded at this time from thle in-store device 12 to the central site 24. Subsequently, various parameters, such as the time to initiate a communications session, may be downloaded from the central site 24 to the in-store device 12 along with updated or modified programs or operating instructions for controlling the operation of the in-store device 12.

Clock synchronization data is then downloaded from the central site 24 to the in-store device 12 for use in the initialization subroutine referred to hereinabove. The commlanications subroutine being executed by the CPU 30 in the in-store device 12 then logs-off from the central site 24 and from the communications network 22 and restores the telephone 38 to its normal status in which it is available for use by personnel within the retail store. After such a "DO HOST COMMUNICATIONS" subroutine, the CPU 30 executes the initialization subroutine referred to above.

in the event that it is not time for a cornmunications session with the central site 24, a "DATA? subroutine is executed in which it is determined whether or not there is any data present in a buffer memory In the store loop adapter 28 awaiting processing by the CPU 30. If no data is present in the buffer memory of the store loop adapter 28t control passes to the "SNAP?" subroutine discussed above.

If data is p~esent in the buffer memory of the store loop adapter U8, a, "GET rHiARACTER"1 subroutine is performed. This subroutine obtains a single data !_77 WO 89/07868 PCT/US89/00385' -34character from the buffer memory in the store loop adapter 28 and temporarily stores it in a pending buffer memory if that character is part of a transaction of interest.

Subsequently, a "PUT CHARACTER INTO TRANSACTION" subroutine decodes the character received from the buffer memory of the store loop adapter 28 and builds a complete transaction of interest, one character at a time. For example, when a retail product is scanned by the scanner/register 18, a signal is passed by the store loop 16 to the controller identifying the specific scanner/register 18 involved in that transaction. Subsequently, the function being performed in the transaction, for example, the function of scanning, is normally identified, typically followed by a twelve character Universal Product Code (UPC) and, possibly, by the quantity of the items purchased with that specific code. Typically, the above information is accumulated by the controller 20, one character at a time. When the information is complete, the controller 20 normally responds with bo'h the current price and a description of the item that was scanned, which information is addressed to the particular scanner/register 18 that performed the scanning operation.

The above -information constitutes a typical retail sales transaction that is monitored and built up one character at a time by the in-store device 12 via this program subroutine.

Control then passes to a "TRANSACTION COMPLETE?" subroutine that determines whether a transaction has been completely collected. A particular transaction might involve twenty-five to thirty characters so that the above operational loop may have to be executed at least that many times in order to arrive at a complete transaction. Typically, a complete transaction is signified by either an end of transmission character or by getting the last character of 0, l #i 4 WO 089/07868 PCr/US89/00385 the descriptive information involved in the transaction.

if all of the characters have been received to form a complete retail sales transaction, then the data may be stored, initially in the RAM 32, in any one of a number of different desired formats. For exam ,le, an illustrative process and format for storing a retail sales transaction is set forth within the dotted lines of FIG. 8. As depictad a "COMPUTE KEY" subroutine constructs a "key" or identification code for the retail sales transaction. The key may be composed of the Universal Product Code corresponding to the scanned retail item appended with the unit price at which the retai, item was sold. Subsequently, a "SEARCH TABLE FOR KEY" subroutine is performed in which a data table in the RAM 32 is searched to determine if the key constructed during the previous subroutine exists in the RAM 32. The data table in the RAM 32 contains. Itys previously constructed in accordance with the above-mentioned "COMPUTE KEY" subroutine.

The data table is arranged in a conventional, well known binary tree structure that enables extremely rapid searches. through the data table which may contain over 30,000 different keys corres-onding to 30(000 different UPC/unit price combinations.

If the key is located in the data table, an "INCREMEN4T COUNT" subroutine is performed in which the quantity sold field in the RAM 32 associated With that key is incremented by the amount of the quantity sold field in the transaction being processed. Thereafter, the program returns to the "SN'AP?" subroutine.

Alternatively, i.f. the key for the transaction being processed was not located in the data table in the RAM 32, an "INSERT TRAN4SACTION IN TABLE" subroutine is executed by which the computed key for the transaction is inserted in the appropriate place in the data table in the RAM 32 and the quantity sold field in 811 p ~-~mmmI~I.sm--~ WO 89/07868 PCT/US89/00385 -36the RAM 32 for that key is set to the amount of the quantity sold field in the transaction. The program then returns to the "SNAP?" subroutine.

Obviously, many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in light of the above teachings. For example, retail sales transactzitos determined to be complete, as discussed hereinabove, may be formatted and stored initially in the RAM 32 and subsequently in the DASD 34 in many different desired formats. Importantly, complete retail sales transactions may be organized for use in "market basket" analyses by grouping together retail sales transactions corresponding to all of the purchases made by each customer during a single trip through the check-out line in the rqtail store. All retail sales transactions occuring prior to the determination of the total amount owed by a customer for the purchase of the retail items presented to a checker during a trip through a check-out line in the retail store can be grouped together by the CPU 30 and the RAM 32 for subsequent transfer to the DASD 34 in the in-store device 12. From this information, an average "market basketO in the form of the types or quantities 6f retail items purchased or in the form of the cost of the items purchased can be determined for each retail store orjt if desired, for a designated group of retail stores in the market research system 10. AlteLinatively, a unique identification code either scanned or keyed into the scanner/register 18 can be used as a key to identify a "market basket", iLe., the items purchased and their cost, of each cooperating panelist in the market research system Furthermore, the operation, nnv he in-store device 12 including the formatting and storing of complete retail sales transactions by the in-store device 12 may be updated or modified during a communications session between the in-store device 12 and 179 :71*-4 9" I- WO 89/07868 PCT/US89/00385 -37the renotely located central site 24. The market research system 10 is highly flexible in that the market research test area, the area in which the cooperating retail stores of the system 10 are located, may be selected as desired. For example, the market research test area may involve a single geographic locality, such as a city, county or state, or a single geographic region, such as a portion of a country, or an entire country, such as the United States of America, or even several countries, such as the United States of America and Canada. Thus, it is to be understood that, within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described hereinabove.

What is claimed and is desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

Claims (34)

1. A market research system comprising: a plurality of cooperating retail stores in a market research test area, each of said stores having at 'east partiall y automated first means :for processing retail sales transactions in. the normal operation of said retail ,tore, non-invasive automated second means disposed in each of said stores for monitoring said first means a substan-,.Lally totally passive manner and for e: ;1Jecting market research data based on said retail sales transa ztions, said second means including sensor means for monitoring and for detecting said processed retail sales transactions and processor means coupled to 1i said sensor means for processing said detected retail sales transactions, said first means operating independently of said second means, said second means operating responsive to said first means without requiring any 20 responsive operation by said first means and without requiring dr, IModification of rst means, anc automated third means remotely located from said pluv~hlity of retail stores for receiving said market research data from said plurality of retail stores and for storing said market research data for subsequent use by market researchers, 9 n m -39-

2. A market research system as recited in claim 1 wherein said sensor means for monitoring said first means includes an antenna.

3. A market research system as recited in claim 2 wherein said first means generates first electrical signals relating to, said retail sales transactions and wherein said antenna is physically disposed in the vicinity of said first means for 00:0 10 enabling at leaat portions of said first electrical 9 signals to be detected by said antenna.

4. A market research system as recited in Claim 3 wherein said second processor means further *es 15 includ~es microprocessor means for processing and storing *~:**.retail sales transaction data detected by said antenna, said microprocessor means being otherwise adapted to let,: process and store said retail r.Ales transaction data independently of said first means.

A mnarkcet research system as recited in claim 4 wherein said second means further includes adapter means for adapting said second means to a particulf~r first means in said store in which said second means is disposed for enabling said microprocessor to process said retail sales transaction date detected by 8aid antenna. 1 1- 11~ 40

6. A market research system as recited in claim 4 wherein said second means further comprises communications modem means for enabling said second means to transfer said market research data to said third means.

7. A market research system as recited in claim 4 wherein said third means further comprises means for remotely reprogramming said microprocessor. S ee

8. A market research system as recited in claim 1 further comprising means for transferring said *e **o S market research data from said second means to said third means.

9. A market researqh system as recited in claim 8 wherein said transferring means comprises a telephone connection between said second means and said third means.

A market research system as recited in claim 8 wherein said transferring means comprises a radio frequency modem disposed in at least one of said 'urality of retail stores for transferring market research data over-the-air from said second means.

11. A market research system as recited in claim 8 wherein said transferring means comprises a data 41 communications network for transferring said market research data from said second means to said third means via an earth orbiting satellite.

12. A market research system as recited in claim 1 wherein said third means comprises automated central processing means for processing said market research data and data storage means for storing said market research data. S

13. A market research system as recited in S: claim 1 wherein said market research test area comprises an entire country. 15

14. A market research system as recited in claim 1 wherein said first means comprises at least one optical UPC scanner and an automated scanner controller, said scanner and said controller being interconnected by a digital data store communications loop.

A market research system as recited in claim 14 wherein said second means includes sensor means for monitoring said store loop, said sensor means including antenna means for detecting digital data present on said store loop representative of said rptail sales transactions. 42

16. A market research system as recited in claim 1 wherein said second means further includes microprocessor means for processing said digital data detected by said antenna means, said microprocessor means being otherwise adapted to collect said retail sales transaction data represented by said digital data independently of said first means.

17 A market research system comprising 10 a plurality of cooperating retail stores in a market research test area, each of said stores having at least partially automated first means for processing retail sales transactions in said store, non-invasive automated second means disposed 15 in each of said stores for monitoring said first means in a substantially totally passive manner and for collecting market research data based on said retail sales transactions, said second means including sensor means for monitoring said first means, said sensor means including an antenna, said second means further including microprocessor means for processing and storing retail sales transaction data detected by said antenna, said microprocessor means being otherwise adapted to process and store said retail sales transaction data independently of said first means, and said microprocessor including a central processing unit, variable memory means ard retail sales transaction data storage means, said seccnd means further including 4 S 43 adapter means for adapting said second means to a particular first means in said store in which said second means is disposed for enabling said microprocessor to process said retail sales transaction data detected by said antenna, and automated third means remotely located from said plurality of retail stores for receiving said market research data from said plurality of retail stores and for storing said market research data for e. 10 subsequent use by market researchers, said first means operating independently of said second means, and said first means generating first S.electrical signals relating to said retail sales transactions, 15 wherein said antenna is physically disposed in :the vicinity of said first means for enabling at least portions of said first electrical signals to be detected by said antenna, and S.. wherein said second means further comprises interface means disposed between said sensor means and said adapter means for supplying electrical power to said sensor means and for supplying second electrical signals representative of said first electrical signals to said adapter means.

18. A market research system as recited in claim 17 wherein said electrical power and said second electrical Oignals are transmitted simultaneously t~l i i, i I Sft 44 between said sensor means and said interface means over the same electrical conductors.

19. A market research system as recited in claim 18 wherein said sensor means includes high pass filter means for suppressing spurious signals and impedance matching means for interconnecting said antenna and said high pass filter means. S ae 10

20. A market research system as recited in claim 19 wherein at least one of said high pass filter i mens and said impedance matching means comprises an operational amplifier that is powered by said electrical power from said interface means.

21. A market research system as recited in claim 20 wherein both of said high pass filter means and said impedance matching means comprise oprational amplifiers that are powered by said electrical power from said interface means.

22. A market research system as recited in claim 17 wherein said interface means comprises power supply means for supplying low voltage direct current power to said sensor means and amplifying means for amplifying at least portions of time varying signals rfeeived from said sensing means. 45

23. A market research system as recited in claim 22 wherein said interface means further comprises means for suppressing spurious time varying signals and for increasing the rise times of non-spurious time varying signals.

24. A market research system as recited in claim 23 wherein said suppressing means comprises at least one Schmitt Trigger device. o

25. A market research system as recited in claim 22 wherein said interface means further comprises **e line driver means for providing a digital logic signal of a required amplitude from said interface means to s 15 said adapter means. S.

26. A market research data collection system comprising a plurality of cooperating retail stores, each of said stores having automated first means for processing retail sales transactions in said store, said first means comprising at least one point-of-sale scanner and an automated scanner controller, said scanner and said controller being interconnected by a digital data store communications loop, non-invasive automated second means disposed in each of said stores for monitoring said store lo(.p in .t a substantially totally passive manner and for r~i r S.. 46 collecting market research data based on said retail sales transactions, said second means including antenna means physically disposed adjacent to a portion of said store loop for detecting digital data present on said store loop representative of said retail sales transactions, said second means further including microprocessor means, including a central processing unit, variable memory means and retail sales transaction data storage means, for processing said digital data detected by said antenna mepns, said microprocessor means being otherwise adapted to collect said retail sales transaction data represented by said digital data independently of said first means, said second means further including adapter means for adapting said second means to a particular first means in said store in which said second means is disposed for enabling said microprocessor to process said digital data detected by said antenna means, and third means remotely located from said plurality of retail stores for receiving said market research data from said plurality of retail stores and for storing said market research data wherein the only electrical signal connection between said first means and said second means is through said antenna means, and herein said antenna means comprises part of a sensor assembly disposed adjacent to said portion of said store loop for bO monitoring said digital data present on said store loop I I t S S 5 S S.. 47 and wherein said second means further comprises interface means disposed between said sensor assembly and said adapter means for supplying low voltage, direct current electrical power to said sensor assembly and for supplying time varying electrical signals representative of said digital data detected by said antenna means to said adapter means.

27. A market research data collection system 10 as recited in claim 26 wherein said electrical power and said electrical signals are transmitted simultaneously between said sensor assembly and said interface means over the same electrical conductors.

28. A retail store data collection system for use in a retail store having at least one Point-Of-Sale scanner and a scanner controller interconnected by a store data communications loop comprising: sensor means disposed in the vicinity of o portion of said store loop for monitoring and for detecting data signals present on said store loop, memory means coupled to said sensor means for storing information in response to the detection of said data signals by said sensor means, and said sensor means and said memory means operating responsive to said scanner and scanner centroller and without requiring any responsive operation by said scanner and said scanner controller t,, ia, .2 89 S 48 and without requiring any modification of said scanner and said scanner controller.

29. A retail store data collection system as recited in claim 28 wherein said data signals present on said store loop comprises digital data signals.

A method of collecting market research data from a plurality of cooperating retail stores, each 10 store of said plurality of stores having at least one Point-Of-Sale scanner and a scanner controller and a "store digital data communications loop interconnecting said scanner and said scanner controller, said method S' comprising the steps of 15 disposing non-invasive sensor means in each of said stores for monitoring and for detecting in a substantially totally passive manner with respect to said scanner and said scanner controller and said store two:. loop digital data present on said store loop, said a detected digital data being represeantative of retail sales transactions in said store, detecting said digit'l data present in said store loop, storing information in response to the detection of said digital data in a memory, said memory being separate from said scanner and said scanner controller in said store, said sensor means and said memory operating responsive to the normal retail sales -49 operations of said scanner and said scanner controller in said retail store and transmitting said information from said retail store to a remote central location, said transmitted information for processing, storage and use by market researchers.

31. A method oif collecting market research data concerning retail sales transactions occurring in each store of a plurality of cooperating retail stores, each cooperating retail store 'having a f irst automated A .:9*system for processing the retail sales transactions, it said method comprising the step: of: monitoring said first automated system and detecting in a substantially totally passive manner I :electrical data signals present in said store representative of said retail sales transactiols, storing information in response to the detection of said electrical d, ta signals in a memory, said memory being located In said store and being separate from said first alltomated system in said store for processing said retail sales transactions and the normal operations of said store and periodically sending said Information stored in said mnemory from said, store to a rewmote location for subsequent use by market researchers. A Ie 50

32. A market research data collection system comprising a plurality of cooperating retail stores, each store of said plurality of stores having automated first means for processing retail sales transactions in said store, saloA' first means comprising at least one Point- Of-Sale optical scanner and an automated scanner controller and a digital data store communications loop interconnecting said scanner and said controller, non-invasive automated second means disposed in each store, of said~ plurality of stores for monitoring said store loop and for collecting information bazed on said retail sales transactions useful in performing "market basket" analyses, said second means including sensor means for monitoring and for detecting digital data present on said store loop, said detected digital data being representative of said retail sales transactions, and said second means otherwise operating independently of said scaj.ner and said scanner controller and said store loop and without requiring any responsive operation by said scanner and said scanner controller and Without requiring any Modification of said scanner and said scanner controller, and third *means remotely located from said plurality of retail stores for receiving said information from said second -means for further processing, storage and subsequent Use by market researchers in performing "market basket$' analyses. VI I LU' t 51

33. A market research system substantially as described herein with reference to the drawings.

34. A method of collecting market research data from a plurality of cooperating retail stores substantially as described herein with reference to the drawings. DATED this TWELFTH day of AUGUST 1991 A.C. Nielsen Company Patent Attorneys for the Applicant SPRUSON FERGUSON S 5 9 I Ir '96#e S 9