BG62423B1 - Method and device for monitoring the behaviour of a tv visual audience - Google Patents

Abstract

The method is designed for monitoring the behaviour andattitude of the viewers and making interviews automatically. It ismade by a device consisting of a two-processor system. The varicapvoltage taken from the TV set is converted across buffer (12) byan ACP (10) in digital form. The main processor MPU1 (5) reads theACP and compares the produced value with a table on TV channelsbuilt-in in RAM (8) when the device is mounted in the household.The thus identified TV channel is entered in the memory togetherwith time accuracy to a second. In this memory (8) a data base isorganized by compressing. In a time belt determined during theinstallation, a main frame is connected by telephone across modemto the device and it retrieves the data from RAM. The data can bealso read by an ordinary computer on the serial interface. MPU2 isauxiliary, its basic role being to control display (20) which ismatrix type with dynamic indication, and the presence establishingsensor (21) and the remote control receiver (22) are connected toit. The communication between the two processors is effected byMPU1 to MPU2 in series, and reversly - in parallel. MPU1 issupplied by a buffer battery which secures the operation of thedevice in case of the mains power failure. The device is mountedin households selected by the statistical method, and it isconnected to the TV set and across a telephone line - to a mainframe. The members of the household communicate with the device bymeans of remote control by which they can register themselves asviewer, register off, give evaluation of the programmes and answerquestions asked by the main frame.8 claims, 4 figures

Description

Field of application

The invention relates to a method and device for monitoring the behavior of a viewer at social observation points distributed by socio-demographic characteristics.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

There is a known method for establishing the television viewing habits of at least one particular person / 1 /, which includes the following operations: an activation signal is emitted from where the television is located, the said activation signal is received only when the particular person is looking in the direction on the TV and differentiates the trigger from other signals to create a control signal. The control signal responds to emit an identification signal unique to the designated individual. The identification signal is received and the recognition signal is provided to the viewer. The said viewer signal is recorded in relation to the channel to which the TV is tuned. The method involves recording the time associated with watching said recorded television signal. The procedure for recording the activation signal involves placing the receiver on the head of the designated person. The procedure for receiving the activation signal involves narrowing the range of response of said emitted activation signal from a receiver only when the person is looking predominantly in the direction of the television.

A device that implements said method (1) is known, which is apparatus used with a recording device (connected to a TV tuner) to record a television channel to which said tuner is tuned. This apparatus is characterized by a stationary monitoring unit which is adapted to be installed very close to the TV. The unit includes a first transmitter for continuous broadcasting of an activating signal, a first receiving device and a device for identifying signals associated with the output of the first receiver. The apparatus further comprises a portable monitoring unit adapted to be carried by the designated person and including a second receiver connected to a signal control device. The second receiver responds to said activation signal only when the person carrying it is looking at the direction of the television. The signal control device only responds to the trigger signal to create a control signal. The second transceiver responds to the controlling signal to ^{the first} 15 broadcast identification signal unique to a particular person who carries the portable unit for observation. The signal identification device, which is part of the stationary monitoring unit, recognizes 20 each identifying signal and generates a viewer signal to be recorded on the recording device in connection with the corresponding recorded television channel. In the apparatus, said first transmitter and second receiver 25 emit and receive respectively infrared signals, and said second transmitter and first receiver emit and receive respectively infrared signals. The recorder records the identifying signals connected to the relevant time and television channel.

The first transmitter transmits the activation signal at predetermined intervals. The portable observation unit is adapted to be worn on the head of the designated person and pointed in the same direction that the person is looking.

Technical nature

The proposed method for observing the behavior of a television viewer consists of observing allocated points (television sets) in a particular locality, which are covered by 45 specialized computer systems. The points of view, divided by the socio-demographic characteristics of the viewership, by a method representative of the observed population of this 50 region, identify the currently observed television program. Remember the moment of time - year, month, date, hour, minute. The observed television program shall be registered at each point. Data from individual points are collected and aggregated. The data is processed by a method for appropriate representativity at different levels and the analysis indicates which television program was watched at a given time. The analysis is performed by a computer system. In doing so, viewers can evaluate the quality of the program being watched, and even the individuals participating in it, by registering and storing the judgments in a device.

Interviews are downloaded from the central computer via telephone modems (or radio modems) at each data logger, after which an interview in the form of running text is started when an event occurs (switch on TV, hour, date, etc.). on the device display. Members of each household can answer questions through a remote control that serves to dialogue the viewer with the data registrar. The viewer can answer "yes", "no" or ratings on the six-point system. It can also go back with a question or go forward with a question. TV programs can be identified with great precision by taking a complex video signal from the television, which video decomposes into the number of rows and pulses in them, such as analyzing the number of pulses contained in a row and comparing them with pre-set tables in memory leads to the identification of a particular television program.

The apparatus for carrying out the method according to the invention consists of a television program identifier that is connected to a memory data logger. The recorder is built into the corresponding observation point (television set). The registrar has an interface to which the data collector is periodically connected. The data collector turns on to transmit data to a computer.

In another embodiment of the device, the interface connects to a modem that connects to a radio transmitter and broadcasts data over the air to a radio connected to the modem on a computer interface.

In the third embodiment of the device, the interface connects to a telephone modem, which over the existing telephone network sends data to a modem connected to a computer.

In a fourth embodiment of the device, the interface is connected to the computer via a cable connection.

The advantages of the proposed solution are that by automatically collecting data in the central computer, simultaneous observation of an unlimited large (to the desired degree) viewership is made. This can lead to an increase in the quality of broadcast programs. In addition, real-time ratings can be given to a specific television program and to the individual involved in it. Interviews can be downloaded from the central computer and broadcast on the occurrence of an event (certain hours, turning on the TV, etc.). In doing so, all the results are achieved without placing a portable unit on the viewer's head, which does not affect many viewers well.

Explanation of the annexed figures

An exemplary embodiment of the television viewer monitoring device is shown in the accompanying figures, of which:

Figure 1 is a block diagram of a television viewer behavior monitoring device;

Figure 2 is a block diagram of a data logger with a channel identifier, optionally made with an analog-to-digital converter (ADC);

3 is an embodiment of the device of FIG. 1;

figure 4 - the device with increased accuracy.

Examples of carrying out the invention

An exemplary embodiment of the method consists in registering, by an order of magnitude of less than 1 min, which data recorders are placed in television sets located in representatively selected settlements and households. TVs are included in the moment. The data logger at intervals of less than 1 minute registers whether the TV is on and, if so, which program it is on. The logger registers permanently in the memory of which program the TV is on and stores the data by month, date, hour, minute, program. Viewers (who watches) and their ratings are recorded and stored in the same way. The recorded data from the representative points are collected and then processed and analyzed. Data collection can be accomplished in various ways: by telephone, handheld, radio, cable.

The device of Fig. 2 consists of two single-chip microcomputers MPU1 5 and MPU2 6. The two microcomputers are connected to each other by a special serial-parallel interface 7. The RAM 8, the permanent memory EPROM 9 and the identifier 1 are connected to the microcomputer 5. consists of an ADC 10 connected via a buffer 12 and a cable 13 to the television set (to its tuner), and on the other hand to the microcomputer 5 is connected via a modem interface 15, which is connected to a telephone line. RS232 16 is also connected to microcomputer 5. RAM 17, EPROM 18 permanent memory, display interface 20 are also connected to microcomputer 6. A presence sensor 21 and a remote control receiver 22 are connected to microcomputer 6. with remote control transmitter 23 (infrared). The MPU1 5 microcomputer is powered by buffered power 25 with battery 24, and the MPU2 6 is fed directly from power 25.

Use of the invention

The varicap voltage of the TV through the cable 13 and the buffer 12 is digitally converted from ADC 10 and read from MRS 5. The received data are compared by a table for the television channels, which is entered at the installation of the device and stored in RAM 8. Data are stored in a database in the same RAM 8. When connected to the central computer by telephone through the modem 15, the data is downloaded over the telephone line.

The MPU2 6 microcomputer is ancillary. It controls the display 20, monitors the presence sensor 21 and the remote control. If the sensor 21 does not signal the presence of spectators for 4-5 minutes, MPU2 6 sends a message to MPU1 5 that the spectators are not in the room with the TV.

Through the remote control transmitter 23, each viewer registers to watch television. He can give assessments on the six-point system and answer interview questions. All messages between the two microcomputers pass through the interface 7, which synchronizes between them.

Power to the MPU1 5 and RAM 8 comes with a buffer battery 24, which makes the system stand-alone when the power is stopped.

Another embodiment of the device is shown in FIG. In this embodiment of the device, the identifier 1 consists of a heterodyne reverse voltage amplifier 26 that is connected to a frequency counter 27 and an interface 28 to the data logger 2.

In this case, the identifier works as follows.

The inverse heterodyne voltage taken from the antenna input of the TV is amplified and formed by the amplifier 26 connected to the frequency meter 27. The data from the frequency meter through interface 28 is read by MPU1 5.

A third embodiment of the device is shown in Figure 4. In this embodiment, the identifier consists of a complex video signal generator 29 connected to a counter 31 which is connected via interface 32 to the data logger 2, and more specifically to MPU1 5.

The effect of this identifier is as follows.

The complex television signal taken from the television set is formed by the shaper 29 and is fed to the counter 31. It counts a certain number of rows from the fork and the impulses contained therein. At interface 32, these impulses are converted into readable microprocessor-like form and fed to the data logger, after which they are compared with the tabular data on the channels entered when installing the device.

An exemplary embodiment of the apparatus implementing the method for identifying high-definition television programs is shown in FIG. 4. In this case, the television is connected to the impulse generator 29, which is connected to the counter 31, which is connected to the interface 32, which in turn is connected to the data logger 2.

Claims (8)

Claims 1. A method of observing the behavior of a television viewer, recording the time associated with watching a particular television channel, characterized by the observation of allocated points (television sets) in certain geographical areas, selected by the socio-demographic characteristics of the viewer audience (age, gender, education), which points are covered by a specialized computer system and identifies the currently watched television program, remembering the moment of time - year, month, date, hour, minute, and recorded television program at each point, where viewers can evaluate the quality of the respective program, then transmit and collect centrally and summarize the data from each point, such as these data are processed by a method with appropriate representativity at different levels, and data are analyzed to determine the behavior of the viewership and which program is viewed and for how long, and interviews are conducted with the viewers. by including them for communication to the central computer of the specialized computer system. 2. A method according to claim 1, characterized in that, by means of data recorders placed in television sets located in representatively selected settlements and households, it is recorded to the nearest 1 min to which program the receivers are currently included, with the registrars permanently recording in their memory the program to which the respective receivers are included and storing the data for month, date, hour, minute, program, type of viewer and evaluation of the broadcast by the viewer at the time of transmission, such as data are periodically transmitted for central processing and analysis, whereby the transmission of data is by telephone or radio, or direct cable connection, or by a portable specially adapted computer (data collector). Method according to Claims 1 and 2, characterized in that an interview is uploaded to each data logger by the central computer via telephone modems (or radio modems), and then upon the occurrence of an event (switch on TV, hour, date and etc.) the interview is started in the form of flowing text on the display of the device, with the members of each household communicating with the questions via remote control, and during the dialogue the viewer answers "yes" or "no" through the data logger, or with your six-point rating theme, there is also a possibility to return to the question back or move forward with a question. 4. A method of identifying high-definition television programs, characterized in that the identification of the observed television program is accomplished by taking a complex video signal from the television, which decomposes into a number of rows and pulses within them, such as analyzing the number of pulses contained in an order, and comparing them to memory presets results in the identification of a particular television program. 5. A television viewer behavior monitor comprising a recording device associated with a television tuner for the purpose of recording a television signal to which said tuner is tuned, characterized in that the recording device comprises a program identifier (1 ), which is connected to the TV tuner at an appropriate observation point (location), wherein the identifier (1) is connected to a memory point recorder (2) built into the respective point (TV), the registrar having an interface with (10) to which periodically includes a computer (4) for data transmission. A device according to claim 5, characterized in that the data logger (2) consists of two single-chip microcomputers MPU1 (5) and MPU2 (6), both microcomputers connected to each other by a suitable serial-parallel interface ( 7), where RAM (8), permanent memory 5 EPROM (9) and identifier (1) are connected to the microcomputer (5), connected via a buffer (12) and cable (13) to the television set, and on the other side to microcomputer (5) is connected interface (14) to modem (15) and telephone line, and micro-computer (5) is also connected to to the RS232 interface (16) and to the microcomputer (6) are connected RAM (17), permanent EPROM memory (18), display interface (19) and display (20), to which the microcomputer (6) ) is connected a presence sensor (21) and a remote control receiver (22) that works in conjunction with the remote control transmitter (23), supplying the microcomputer (5) directly from the power supply (25). Device according to claims 5 and 6, characterized in that the identifier (1) consists of an inverse heterodyne voltage amplifier (26) connected to a frequency meter (27) and an interface (28) to the data logger (2). A device performing the method according to claim 4, characterized in that the identifier (1) consists of a complex video signal generator (29) connected to a counter (31) which is connected via an interface (32) to the data logger (2).