BG64812B1 - Method and device for monitoring the attitude of a television viewers audience - Google Patents

Abstract

By the method and the device monitoring is made of the TV viewing audience by on-line identification of the programmes watched in distributed points at the moment. They are use for analyzing the momentary audience of the TV programmes (channels), having the facility for direct visualization of the TV audience characteristics. The programme identification is made by direct sending of a signal, formed by a device, which is coupled to the output of a complex video signal of the TV set either to the varicaps of the tuner, or is connected to a probe, recording the frames, line and pixel signals of the TV set. The device for the monitoring the attitude of the TV viewers comprises three devices: for the registration of the viewers (5), for registration of the assessment of the viewers (6), as well as a device reading the codes of the commodities made during the daily purchases (8).

Description

The invention relates to a method and device for monitoring the behavior of a television viewer, which is used in sociological and marketing studies of media audiences.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

There is a known method for observing the behavior of a television viewer, which monitors points of distribution (television sets) in certain geographical areas, selected by the socio-demographic characteristics of the viewership. These points are covered by a specialized computer system and identify the currently watched television program, remembering the moment of time - year, month, date, hour, minute. The monitored television program shall be recorded at each point where the viewers can evaluate the quality of the respective monitored program. The data from the relevant points are collected and summarized, the data being processed by a method with appropriate representativity at different levels, and the analysis of the data indicates the behavior of the viewership.

In addition, interviews with viewers can be conducted through the central computer of the specialized computer system. Through data loggers placed in the television sets located at the allocated points, it registers with accuracy within one minute of which program the receivers are currently included. Registrars constantly record in their memory the data stored for a month, date, hour, minute, program, type of viewer and evaluation, with the registration data being periodically submitted for central processing and analysis, whereby their transmission is by telephone or radio or direct cable connection, or via a portable computer (data collector). The identification of the television programs currently viewed at the distribution points is accomplished with great precision by a method whereby the identification of the television program under observation (television channel) is made by taking a complex video signal from the television, which is decomposed into rows and lines. impulses within them, such as analyzing the number of impulses contained in a row and comparing them with preset tables, leads to the identification of a particular television program.

A device performing the above method is known, comprising a recorder associated with a television tuner for the purpose of recording a television signal to which said tuner is tuned, the recorder comprising a program identifier associated with the television tuner in the respective observation point. The identifier is linked to a built-in memory point recorder (TV), with the recorder having an interface to which a computer transmits data periodically.

In one embodiment of the television viewer behavior monitoring device, the identifier consists of a heterodyne reverse voltage amplifier coupled to a frequency meter and an interface to the data logger.

In another embodiment of the television viewer behavior monitoring device, the identifier consists of a complex video signal generator associated with a counter that is connected via an interface to the data recorder.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The task has been solved by creating a method that identifies events from the behavior of a television viewer; online data from these events are generated and transmitted to computers for online analysis of representative information.

Identification of television programs is done by sending directly a signal formed by a device that is connected to the output of a complex video signal on the TV, or is connected to the tuner variants or is connected to a sleep2 yes / special antenna /, reading frame, line and the pixel signals of the TV. The generated signal is directly compared to the signal from the tuner of a device that continuously monitors television programs at a given point or compares to a predetermined value of program frequency. The program is immediately identified and its identification data is transmitted directly to the computer for control and analysis, as software is used to analyze and visualize the current audience.

Viewer identification is done through a viewer registrar, which directly transmits the registration information to the control and analysis computers.

The identification of the ratings of the viewers is done through the ratings registrar, which directly transmits the ratings data to the computers for control and analysis.

The apparatus performing the above method consists of an online data transmission module which is coupled to a signal comparison module, a viewer recorder, a viewer score recorder and an online data transmission medium. The signal comparison module connects to a signal generator that is connected to a TV or probe. The signal comparison module is connected, on the other hand, to a reference signal generator or a memory table with programmed frequency values. The reference signal shaper generates signals containing the characteristics of frame, line, and pixel signals of the frames. A memory table is a device representing a permanent memory in which programs / frequencies of programs received at the allocated point are pre-recorded / by training the device.

The viewer recorder is an event recorder that contains the viewer code and the calendar time of its registration and registration. The viewer rating recorder is an event recorder that contains the viewer code, the rating of that viewer and the calendar time of the rating registration.

The data transfer environment is an environment that enables online data transfer.

Computers for information analysis are provided with the necessary software for online data reception, online data control, and online information analysis.

The advantages of the proposed solution lie in the immediate analysis of the television program audience / channels / and the possibility of direct visualization of the characteristics of the television audience, which has not been done so far. The evaluations of the behavior of the presenters and participants in the programs are directly analyzed.

Explanation of the attached figure

The attached figure shows a device for monitoring the behavior of a television viewer.

Examples of carrying out the invention

The accompanying figure gives an exemplary embodiment of the device performing the above method.

The device includes an online data transmission module 7 which is coupled to a signal comparison module 2, a viewer recorder 5, a viewer ratings recorder 6, and an online data transmission medium 10.

Signal Comparison Module 2 is coupled to Comparison Signal Generator 1 that is connected to the TV or probe. Signal Comparison Module 2 is connected, on the other hand, to a reference signal generator 3 or a memory table 4 with program frequency values pre-recorded. The reference signal generator 3 generates signals containing the characteristics of frame, line, and pixel signals of the frames. The memory table 4 is a device representing a permanent memory in which the programs / frequency values of the programs received at the allocated point are pre-recorded / trained.

Spectator Registrar 5 is an event recorder that contains the spectator code and the calendar time of its registration and registration. Spectator Ratings Recorder 6 is an event recorder that contains the viewer code, the rating code from that viewer, and the calendar time of the rating registration.

The data transfer medium 10 is an environment that enables online data transfer (for example, the Internet).

Information analysis computers 9 are provided with the necessary software for online data reception, online data control and online information analysis.

Application of the invention

Television programs are recognized as follows:

Module 2 compares the signal coming from shaper 1 and instantly transmits to module 7 data about the program currently on the TV monitor. Module 7 transmits directly data from module 2 to PC 9 via the online medium 10. Computer 9 checks the quality of the incoming data and, by filling in the current status database, the audience analyzes / calculates / directly the characteristics of the audience.

Spectators register with 5 when they start watching television and register when leaving the TV room or stopping the TV. Registrar 5 accepts the registration and registration of viewers and forms events - registration / registration / - viewer code, registration code / registration time, registration time / registration time / indirectly transmits data to module 7. Module 7 transmits data directly through the online environment 10 from the registrar 5 to the computer 9. The computer 9 checks the quality of the arriving data and analyzes / calculates / directly evaluates the audience by filling in the data on the current state of the audience.

Spectator ratings are recorded through a registrar 6.

Registrar 6 generates an event with a viewer code, a rating code from that viewer, and a calendar time of the registration of the rating and transmits directly to module 7 the data for the event “rating”. Module 7 transmits directly from the registrar 6 to the computer 9 via the online medium 10. The computer 9 checks the quality of the data received and, by filling in the audience's current state of affairs data, analyzes / calculates / directly evaluates the audience.

The above devices 1 to 7 can be placed in one box or can be arranged in several boxes.

Claims

Claims (8)

1. A method for observing the behavior of a television viewer, through which points are monitored / receivers / in certain geographical areas, selected by the socio-demographic characteristics of the viewership, characterized in that the observation of the television audience consists in online identification of currently viewed programs at allocated points, with the identification of television programs by the direct sending of a signal formed by a device that is connected to the output of a complex video signal on the TV, or connected to a tuner varicap, or connected to a tuner reading the tuned frequency of the tuner, or connected to a probe (special antenna), reading the frame, line and pixel signals of the TV, wherein the generated signal is directly compared to the signal from the tuner of the device, which continuously monitors the television programs at a given point or compares with a predetermined value of the program frequency, as the program it immediately identifies and its identification data is transmitted directly to a computer for monitoring and analysis, identifying viewers and their ratings for television programs. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that the identification of the spectators is accomplished by their registration in a spectator register (5), which directly transmits the registration data to a computer for control and analysis. A method according to claim 1, characterized in that the evaluation by the viewers is performed by registering the ratings with an evaluation recorder (6), which directly transmits the evaluation data to a computer for control and management. A television viewer behavior monitoring device performing the method of claim 1, characterized in that it comprises an online data transmission module (7) which is coupled to a signal comparison module (2), and on the other hand is connected to the viewer registrar (5), the online data transmission module (7) is also connected to the viewer rating recorder (6) and to the online data transmission medium (10), wherein the signal comparison module (2) is coupled to a signal comparison generator (1), k which is connected to the TV or probe, and on the other hand the signal comparison module (2) is connected to a reference signal generator (3) or a memory table (4) with pre-recorded program frequency values whereby the generator the reference signals (3) form signals containing the characteristics of frame, line and pixel signals of the frames, and the memory table (4) is a device representing a permanent memory, in which the values of the frequencies of the programs received at the allocated point are pre-recorded, and os This module for online data transmission (7) is connected to computers (9) for information analysis, provided with the necessary software for online data reception, online data control and online information analysis. A device according to claim 4, characterized in that the viewer recorder (5) is an event recorder that contains the viewer code and the calendar time of its registration and registration. A device according to claim 4, characterized in that the viewer rating recorder (6) is an event recorder that contains a viewer code and a calendar time for recording the ratings. Device according to claim 4, characterized in that the data transmission medium (10) is an environment that enables online data transmission. Device according to claims 4 and 7, characterized in that the online data transmission medium is the Internet.