JP2002271286A - Audiovisual data collection system of digital broadcasting and audiovisual data collection method - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a plan for an audiovisual data collection for audience rating examination directing to convenient digital data broadcasting services. SOLUTION: A digital broadcasting receiver is provided with an audiovisual examination executing means, which records identification information of an audiovisual broadcasting station or an audiovisual program in a fixed time interval with a time at that time, in a nonvolatile storage part, and data stored in the nonvolatile storage part in a much greater fixed time interval is transferred to a center server via a communication line interface. This audiovisual examination executing means is one of broadcasting data which constitute a data broadcasting program described as a script, which is interpretable by a central processor of a receiver, and all the broadcasting stations continue to broadcast at all times the audiovisual examination executing means as the broadcasting data of the data broadcasting program.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a viewing data survey method and a viewing data survey system in a digital data broadcasting service.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, terrestrial TV broadcasting (analog broadcasting)
In the above, a viewer survey was realized by installing a dedicated surveying device in a TV receiver at a part of the viewers' homes to which they agreed.

[0003]

However, in the digital data broadcasting service, a method of checking the audience rating has not been established at present. Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a more convenient mechanism for collecting audience data for audience rating survey for digital data broadcasting services utilizing the features of data broadcasting without requiring a dedicated surveying device.

[0004]

Means for Solving the Problems A first method for solving the above problems is described below.
The invention of the present application generates a data broadcast screen by receiving a digital broadcast station performing a data broadcast service, a nonvolatile storage unit for storing data, a communication line interface, and data broadcast program data transmitted from the broadcast station, and interpreting them. A digital data broadcast receiver provided with a central processing processor, and a center server that receives a data transmitted from the receiver via a communication network as needed and manages a database for summing the data. A first aspect of the present invention is a viewing data collection system for a digital data broadcasting system, comprising: the receiver, at fixed time intervals, identification information of a viewing broadcast station or a viewing program together with the time at that time. Data recorded in the non-volatile storage unit, and data recorded in the non-volatile storage unit at even larger fixed time intervals. By providing a viewing investigation execution means for transferring to the center server through the communication line interface, and is obtained by allowing collect viewing survey data.

[0005] A viewing survey data collection system can be realized by the viewing survey execution means effectively utilizing the hardware function provided in the digital broadcast receiver. If the data received by the center server is compiled and arranged at each survey time, the audience rating and the like at each survey time can be calculated.

[0006] A second aspect of the first invention is the above-mentioned first aspect.
In the digital broadcast viewing data collection system using data broadcasting according to the aspect, the viewing survey execution means includes a broadcast data forming a data broadcast program described as a script interpretable by a central processing processor of the receiver. One digital broadcasting station continuously broadcasts this viewing survey execution means as broadcast data of a data broadcast program, so that the viewing survey execution means can always be operated on the receiver. By doing so, without using a special hardware device in the receiver and without using a dedicated receiver having special software installed, a viewing survey using a normal digital broadcast receiver is performed. Digital broadcast viewing data collection system using data broadcasting characterized by being able to collect data It is.

By utilizing the mechanism for interpreting and executing a script provided in a digital broadcast receiver, it is not necessary to attach a special hardware device to the receiver. In addition, since all the broadcasting stations continuously broadcast the viewing survey execution means as the broadcast data of the data broadcast program, there is no need to install special software in the receiver.

According to a third aspect of the first invention, in the digital broadcast viewing data collection system utilizing the data broadcasting of the second embodiment, the viewing survey execution means is determined in advance. A script part for determining whether or not the user is a viewing survey cooperator from the IC card inserted into the receiver, a script part which is activated once every N minutes and executes a viewing data recording process for recording a viewing program, and a M part 1
A script part for executing a viewing data collection process for sending the recorded viewing data to the center server which has been started up twice and a central processing processor of the receiver to monitor the time and monitor the time every N minutes and every M minutes. A script portion for setting a timer interrupt for starting the viewing data recording process or the viewing data collection process when the time comes.

[0009] By including a script portion for determining from the IC card inserted into the receiver whether or not the viewer is a viewing viewer determined in advance, a receiver of a general viewer who is not a cooperator can record viewing data, The collection operation can be prevented from being performed.

A second invention for solving the problems is a digital broadcasting station for performing a data broadcasting service, a non-volatile storage unit for storing data, a communication line interface, and data broadcasting program data transmitted from the broadcasting station. A digital data broadcasting receiver equipped with a central processing processor that interprets the data and generates a data broadcasting screen, and a database that accepts data transmitted from this receiver via a communication network as necessary and aggregates them And a center server for managing the broadcast data of the digital broadcast of the digital data broadcast system, comprising: The data recorded in the non-volatile storage unit is recorded in the non-volatile storage unit at even larger fixed time intervals. A viewing survey execution means described as a script interpretable by the central processing processor of the receiver, which causes the data to be transferred to the center server through the communication line interface, is prepared as one of the broadcast data constituting the data broadcast program. All broadcast stations continuously broadcast the viewing survey execution means as broadcast data of a data broadcast program, and as a result, the viewing survey execution means can always be operated on the receiver, thereby achieving the reception. Audience survey data can be collected by a normal digital broadcast receiver without installing special hardware equipment on the machine and without using a special receiver with special software installed This is a digital broadcast viewing data collection method using data broadcasting.

[0011] In a more preferable aspect of the second invention, a program for recruiting co-workers including a script for providing an interactive screen interface for recruiting co-workers who cooperate with the viewing survey is broadcast as a data broadcast program. This is a digital broadcast viewing data collection method using a data broadcast provided with a step of recruiting a viewing survey cooperator in advance.

[0012] Since the recruitment of viewing data survey co-workers and the implementation of the viewing data survey can all be carried out together with ordinary work as the broadcasting of a data broadcast program, the load on the broadcasting station is small. It is expected that the cooperator can easily cooperate simply by operating the remote control toward the receiver.

[0013]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS As an embodiment of the present invention, a viewing data investigation system for a BS digital broadcasting system will be described below. FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating components of a BS digital broadcasting system. Reference numeral 60 denotes a broadcasting station.
The broadcast signal is sent from the broadcast antenna 5 to the broadcast satellite 6. The broadcasting satellite is a geostationary satellite located above the southwest (110 degrees east, north latitude). The broadcast satellite 6 emits the broadcast signal toward the receiving antenna 7. 10 is a receiver. The viewer connects the cable of the receiver 10 to the television monitor 20, inserts the IC card 30, and receives the program. The viewer can operate the remote controller 40 to select and enjoy a desired program. During data broadcast reception, the contents of the remote control operation can be transmitted to the customer center 50 through the uplink 8 and the uplink network 9. The uplink can be used as a communication channel for transmitting a request for data from a viewer or a questionnaire response, depending on the content of the program of the broadcasting station. In the customer center 50, a customer server 51 that manages a customer database 52 and a viewing survey data management database 53 is installed.

Before describing the viewing data investigation system based on the present invention, the broadcasting system of the BS digital broadcasting service will be described. The broadcasting system adopted in BS digital broadcasting is MPEG2-systems defined by DVB (Digital Video Broadcasting: a private standardization organization or a standard for promoting and standardizing digital broadcasting systems in Europe). The broadcasting station digitizes elements (video, audio, data of data broadcasting) constituting the program in the BS digital broadcasting, multiplexes and sends out them. These elements are sent to the receiver as a transport stream (TS), which is a stream format that can be received by the receiver by bundling several broadcast channels or programs.

FIG. 3 schematically shows a TS. Information transmitted as a TS can be classified into the following three types. (1) Broadcast program (program itself) A digital broadcast program is composed of main video, main audio, and data of data broadcast. Data for data broadcasting is described in BML (Broadcast Markup Language). A plurality of BML files are collected to become data of one data broadcast program. File1, f in Fig.3
ile2,. . , FileN indicate a BML file. Data broadcasting programs are on the main line (so-called ordinary television broadcasting)
There are cases where the contents are related to the main line and cases where the contents are different from the main line. (2) Broadcast directory / detailed program information In order for the receiver to receive a specific program or channel selected by the viewer, the correspondence between the program and the TS packet group constituting the program and the TS packet and its transmission are transmitted. Transponder support is required. Each program is assigned an event ID that can be uniquely identified, and is associated with a program and a channel, and a channel and a packet identification number. The configuration information of such a program is transmitted as table information called PSI (Program Specific Information). Also, the program
Detailed information such as title, broadcast time, channel, and program contents is transmitted in a data format called SI (Service Information). (3) Limited reception information Information for setting individual receivers to be able to receive only specific channels or specific programs. In order to carry out pay broadcasts, scramble specific channels and specific programs so that they can be viewed only with the specified receiver (IC card number). There is information for collecting information viewing results for recording and collecting the viewing results required for broadcast billing processing (PPV).

FIG. 5 shows an example of a data broadcast screen.
FIG. (A) is a screen at the time of drama broadcasting. A data broadcast portion composed of a BML file is arranged around a display frame of a drama (main line video). (B) shows the time when it became a commercial video (CM). At this time, the data broadcast portion can have different contents. FIG. 6 is a time chart of the example of FIG. In sync with the main line video changing from drama to CM to drama,
The data broadcasting content transmitted from the broadcasting station is changed.

In data broadcasting, the data of the data broadcasting program at that time is repeatedly broadcast in order to allow the user to view the contents no matter when the channel is tuned. This is called a carousel transmission method. FIG. Then
file1 to fileN are one carousel (= 1 data broadcast program). FIG. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a carousel transmission method. In the figure, squares numbered 1 to 4 are BML files (files 1,..., File 4) that form each screen of one program composed of a top screen 1 and selection screens 2, 3, and 4. Is shown. These four files are broadcast simultaneously while the program contents are the same.

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of a basic function receiver used in BS digital broadcasting. The tuner section 102 and the demodulation section 103 perform channel selection and select one TS stream. The descrambling 104 descrambles the broadcast signal. By selecting a desired packet by the TS decoder 105, a specific program of a specific channel is selected. The main line video / audio signal is converted into a signal accepted by the TV monitor 20 by the MPEG decoder 113 and presented.

The work memory 106 is a storage area in which the data broadcast data of the selected channel is cached (temporarily stored). When a channel is changed, or when a message indicating that the content of the data carousel has been changed is received from a broadcasting station, a new data carousel is fetched and held here.

Reference numeral 110 denotes an input / output port for receiving a signal from a remote controller operated by a viewer. Reference numeral 109 denotes a modem interface. 108 is a non-volatile memory,
Usable areas are determined for each broadcaster. The data recorded in the non-volatile memory is retained even when the power of the receiver 10 is turned off. 115 is a volatile memory. This is a temporary storage area where data can be stored only while the same channel is selected. When moving to another station, the data on the volatile memory 115 is erased. Reference numeral 111 denotes an IC card interface. It reads and writes data of the IC card 112 in which the identification information of the viewer, personal information, and the like are recorded. Reference numeral 107 denotes a central processing processor (hereinafter, CPU). The CPU 107 receives a remote control operation command or the like from the input / output port 110 and controls the receiver 10. When selecting data broadcasting, the CPU 107 reads and interprets the BML file cached in the working memory 106 to convert the data broadcasting screen data. And writes it to the video memory of the graphic controller 114. Thus, the data broadcast screen is displayed on the TV monitor 20.

A trigger signal called an event message can be sent from a broadcasting station during program broadcasting. The event message can be used for a purpose such as changing the display of the data broadcast content at a certain timing of the program.

BML stands for XML (eXtensible Markup La
nguage) is a description language dedicated to data broadcasting applications. In order to be able to express a dynamic operation on a data broadcast screen, a processing procedure can be described in a procedural description language called ECMAScript. ECMAScript is JavaScri
An object-oriented scripting language based on pt. Also, DOM Level1 I / F is provided to dynamically operate each object in the document. DOM (Document Obje
ct Model) is a document structure model defined for dynamically manipulating the content structure of an HTML document or an XML document.
With the preparation up to this point, an embodiment of the present invention will be described below.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart for explaining the outline of the viewing data collection method of the present invention. First, a data broadcast program for recruiting viewers (cooperators) to cooperate with the survey is broadcasted to recruit cooperators (S100). Then, data broadcast data including a statement (hereinafter simply referred to as a script) described in ECMAScript for executing the audience rating survey is broadcast as a part of the data broadcast program (S102). The audience rating survey execution script is always broadcast from each digital broadcasting station together with normal data broadcast program data. Therefore, no matter when the receiver 10 is turned on or the channel is changed, the working memory 1 of the receiver 10 is
06 will be substantially resident. Then, the audience rating survey execution script stores the program identifier of the program being viewed at a predetermined time interval, for example, every N minutes, in the nonvolatile memory 10.
8, and the operation of transferring the recorded data accumulated every M minutes from the receiver to the center via the uplink and collecting it is performed. This operation is actually activated and executed only in the receiver of the cooperator registered in S100. The viewing data is downloaded to the server 51 of the customer center and is collected in the viewing data management database 53.

A program for recruiting audience rating survey cooperators broadcasted in step S100 of FIG. 9 (hereinafter referred to as a cooperator recruitment program)
Also include a script for operating the interactive interface. FIG. 8 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of the cooperator recruitment process executed by the CPU 107 of the receiver 10 interpreting the script of the cooperator recruitment program. The operation of the cooperator recruitment process will be described with reference to FIG. First, the data of the cooperator recruitment program includes a list of IC card numbers of the cooperator candidates, and the IC inserted in the receiver.
By referring to the card number, it is checked whether there is a possibility that the card number matches the IC card number list of the cooperator candidate (S30). The list of the IC card numbers of the cooperator candidates is stored in the database 52 in which the digital broadcasting station organization stores the customer information.
It was extracted with more appropriate criteria (or at random). If the IC card number inserted in the receiver is not in the candidate list, the cooperator recruitment process ends.

If the IC card number inserted in the receiver matches one of the candidate lists, a description of the cooperator,
The contents of the request are displayed on the data broadcast screen (S32). In this screen, a dialogue interface (remote controller 40) for agreeing or not agreeing with the request for cooperation or answering the viewer's intention is displayed.
Selection button operated by the user).
Here, if the owner of the inserted IC card selects not to approve, a confirmation message is displayed (S38), and the cooperator recruitment process ends immediately. IC
If the card holder agrees, the agreement and the IC card number of the cooperator are transmitted in the form of a support message to the center on the up line (S36), and the cooperator recruitment process ends. In step S36, a flag may be set at an address in the nonvolatile memory of the inserted IC card to indicate that it is a viewing survey cooperator.

The center accepts the approval messages sent from the receivers at various locations on the uplink and creates a cooperator list.

Thereafter, all the BS digital broadcasting stations continuously broadcast the audience rating survey execution script in one carousel together with other normal program data. The audience rating survey execution script is executed once every N minutes to execute a viewing data recording process for recording a viewing program, and is executed once every M minutes to send a recorded record to the center. The script portion for executing the data collection process and the CPU 107 of the receiver 10 monitor the time and execute the viewing data recording process or the viewing data collection process at the time of every N minutes or the time of every M minutes. Includes a script part to set a timer interrupt to be activated. Here, N <M, for example, N =
It is determined that M = 240 minutes (4 hours) for 5 minutes.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart for explaining the viewing data recording process and the viewing data collection process of the audience rating survey execution script. First, it is checked whether or not the IC card attached to the receiver belongs to the research cooperator (S20). In this inspection, the ID number list of the survey co-workers is broadcasted together with the audience rating survey execution script, and some of the survey co-workers' ID number lists match those of the IC card inserted in the receiver. The inspection may be performed by examining whether or not the viewer agrees with the research cooperation, or by setting a flag at an address of the nonvolatile memory in the viewer's IC card and inspecting this flag. . In any case, if the user is not a research cooperator, the process is immediately terminated. If it is confirmed that the receiver is used by the cooperator, it is checked whether the current time is the viewing data collection time (S21).
(Here, the current time is the time at which the audience rating survey execution script was called.) If the current time is the viewing data recording time, the program identifier of the program currently selected (viewed) by the receiver. And the current time as one record and store it in the nonvolatile memory 108 of the receiver 10 (S22).
If the current time is not the viewing data recording time, the processing jumps to step S26 because it is the viewing data collection time.

After the execution of step S22, it is checked whether or not a recording space remains in the nonvolatile memory 108 and whether or not the current time is a recording data collection time for every M minutes (S24). If neither is applicable, the process ends. This means that only the viewing data recording process has been executed. FIG. 10 shows viewing data recorded and accumulated in the nonvolatile memory 108. If either one of the conditions is satisfied, the viewing data collection process is subsequently performed. In other words, the recording data (time, a set of identifiers of the program watched at that time as one record) stored in the non-volatile memory 108 is attached with the IC card number of the cooperator, and A data collection message is transmitted to the center (S26). Finally, the recording data recorded in the nonvolatile memory 108 is deleted (S
28). Thus, the viewing data collection processing has been executed once. Whether or not the recording space remains in the nonvolatile memory 108 may be determined by recording the number of records recorded in the viewing data recording process at a certain address of the nonvolatile memory 108 and making the determination. By determining whether the memory is full in the audience rating survey execution script, the nonvolatile memory 108 may overflow even if the receiver 10 is not powered on several times at the collection time every M minutes. There is no.

In the processing flow of FIG. 7, when the viewing data collection interval M is a multiple of the viewing data recording interval N, step S21 can be omitted. As a measure to prevent the non-volatile memory 108 from overflowing even if the power of the receiver 10 is not turned on several times at the collection time every M minutes, the first time after the power of the receiver 10 is turned on. There is also a method of describing the audience rating survey execution script so that the audience rating survey execution script always executes the audience data collection steps S26 and S28.

In the above, in the digital broadcasting accompanied by the data broadcasting, the mechanism of the investigation and collection of the viewing data using the data broadcasting mechanism has been described. The present invention is not limited to a collection system or a collection method limited to BS digital broadcasting, but can be applied to other digital broadcasting of a similar standard.

[0032]

According to the method of the present invention, all the broadcasting stations continuously broadcast program data including the audience rating survey execution script, so that viewing and listening can be performed without any special hardware attached to the viewer's receiver. A remarkable effect that a rate survey can be performed can be achieved. In addition, the method of the present invention is very convenient for broadcasters because the procedure for recruiting audience rating survey coordinators and the preparation for implementation are very simple.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram of a BS digital broadcast.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a BS digital broadcast receiver.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of a data format of a BS digital broadcast.

FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a transmission method of data broadcasting data of BS digital broadcasting.

FIG. 5 is an example of a data broadcast reception screen.

FIG. 6 is a transition diagram illustrating an example of a data broadcast program configuration.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating a flow of processing by an audience rating survey execution script.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of a script for the program data for recruiting cooperators.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart illustrating an overview of a viewing data collection method according to the present invention.

FIG. 10 shows viewing data recorded and stored in a nonvolatile memory 108.

[Explanation of symbols]

 5 Broadcasting Antenna 6 Broadcasting Satellite 7 Receiving Antenna 8 Uplink 9 Uplink Network 10 Digital Broadcasting Receiver 20 TV Monitor 30 IC Card 40 Remote Control 50 Customer Center 51 Customer Server 52 Customer Database 53 Viewing Survey Data Management Database 60 Broadcasting Station 101 Antenna 102 Tuning circuit 103 Demodulation circuit 104 Descramble circuit 105 Transport stream decode circuit 106 Work memory 107 CPU 108 Non-volatile memory 109 Modem interface 110 Input / output interface 111 IC card interface 112 IC card 113 MPEG decoder 114 Graphic controller 115 Volatile memory

──────────────────────────────────────────────────の Continued on the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁷ Identification symbol FI Theme coat ゛ (Reference) H04N 7/08 H04N 17/00 M 7/081 7/08 Z 17/00 (72) Inventor Keisuke Handa Tokyo 1-1-1, Ichigaya-Kagacho, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo F-term (reference) in Dai Nippon Printing Co., Ltd. 5C025 AA25 AA30 BA30 DA04 DA10 5C061 BB20 5C063 AA20 AB03 AB07 AC01 AC05 DA07 5K101 KK16 KK18 LL01

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. A digital broadcast station for performing a data broadcast service, a non-volatile storage unit for storing data, a communication line interface, and data broadcast program data transmitted from the broadcast station are received and interpreted to display a data broadcast screen. A digital data broadcast receiver having a central processing processor for generating the data, and a center server for receiving a data transmitted from the receiver via a communication network as necessary and managing a database for summing the data. In the digital data broadcasting system configured to include, the receiver causes the non-volatile storage unit to record identification information of the viewing broadcast station or the viewing program at a certain time interval together with the time at that time, and further at a larger time interval. The data recorded in the non-volatile storage unit is transferred to the security A digital broadcast viewing data collection system using a data broadcast that includes a viewing survey execution means for transferring the data to a server. 2. The viewing data collection system for digital broadcasting using data broadcasting according to claim 1, wherein the viewing survey execution means is a script described as a script interpretable by a central processing processor of the receiver. One of the broadcast data that constitutes a broadcast program, all digital broadcasting stations constantly broadcast the viewing survey execution means as the broadcast data of the data broadcast program, and as a result, the viewing survey execution means, By being always operable on the receiver, the receiver can be installed without special hardware devices and without using a special receiver with special software installed.
A digital broadcast viewing data collection system using data broadcasting, characterized in that viewing survey data can be collected using a normal digital broadcast receiver. 3. The viewing survey execution means determines whether or not the viewing survey cooperator has been determined in advance by an IC inserted into the receiver.
A script part to be judged from the card, a script part to be executed once every N minutes to execute a viewing data recording process for recording a viewing program, and the viewing data started and recorded once every M minutes to be sent to the center server. A script portion for executing a viewing data collection process, and a central processing processor of the receiver, wherein the time is monitored and the viewing data recording process or the viewing data is performed when the time becomes every N minutes and every M minutes. 3. A script part for setting a timer interrupt for activating a collection process.
A digital broadcast viewing data collection system using the data broadcast described in 1 above. 4. A digital broadcast station for performing a data broadcast service, a non-volatile storage unit for storing data, a communication line interface, and data broadcast program data transmitted from the broadcast station. A digital data broadcast receiver having a central processing processor for generating the data, and a center server for receiving a data transmitted from the receiver via a communication network as necessary and managing a database for summing the data. A method for collecting digital broadcast viewing data of a digital data broadcasting system configured to include, at a fixed time interval, identification information of a viewing broadcast station or a viewing program together with a time at that time in the nonvolatile storage unit, and furthermore, Data recorded in the non-volatile storage unit at a large fixed time interval is stored in the communication line interface. A viewing survey execution means described as a script that can be interpreted by the central processing processor of the receiver, which is transmitted to the center server through the interface, is prepared as one of the broadcast data constituting the data broadcast program, and all digital broadcasts are provided. The station continuously broadcasts the viewing survey execution means as broadcast data of a data broadcast program, and as a result, always enables the viewing survey execution means to operate on the receiver. Uses data broadcasting that can collect viewing survey data with ordinary digital broadcast receivers without installing special hardware devices and without using special receivers with special software installed Digital broadcasting viewing data collection method. 5. Recruiting a viewing survey cooperator by broadcasting a collaborator recruiting program including a script for providing an interactive screen interface as a data broadcast program for recruiting a cooperator who cooperates with the viewing survey. 5. The digital broadcast viewing data collection method using data broadcasting according to claim 4, wherein steps are provided in advance.