MXPA00011625A - Audience rating system for digital television and radio - Google Patents

Abstract

An audience rating system for digital television and radio, using identification codes in control streams (C) of time-multiplexed digital transmissions (12). When a television set (22) or radio, that is being monitored pursuant to the system is turned on and tuned to a channel, and each time that the channel is changed, an identification code for each audio, video or auxiliary digital stream of the channel is extracted from the control stream, and recorded along with the time. The time is also recorded when the television set or radio is turned off. This data makes it possible to determine what stations, channels, and programs members of the audience being monitored are watching or listening to at any particular time.

Description

SYSTEM. TO ESTIMATE THE AUDIENCE FOR DIGITAL TELEVISION AND RADIO BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to methods and apparatus for systems for the estimation of the audience for digital television and radio. 2. DESCRIPTION OF THE PREVIOUS TECHNIQUE The television and radio industries and commercial advertisers have an obvious interest in knowing how many people are watching or listening to particular stations and programs. Various systems have been developed to estimate the audience for analogue television and radio, of which the most accurate uses a meter that is connected to the television or radio, which registers when the receiver is on and off, and which channels or frequencies They are tuned. Digital television and radio are now being introduced, and are expected to eventually completely replace analog television and radio. The existing estimation devices for analogue television and radio will not work at all with digital television and radio, or will only work poorly.

The present invention is a method for estimating the audience for digital television and radio, which uses an apparatus that can be connected to a television or digital radio apparatus. It makes use of identification codes in the control flow of digital multiplexed transmissions to register the channel that is being received. U.S. Patent No. 4,547,804, issued October 15, 1985, to Burton L. Greenberg, discloses a method and apparatus for the identification and automatic verification of commercial transmission programs. A digital coded identification number is included in the programs, through which it can be automatically verified, to verify how and when the transmission has been attempted. However, the digital number is included in what in other circumstances is an analog program. This method is useful only during the transition period from analog to digital transmission technology, when some equipment or digital connection is in use together with older analog equipment or connections. This will not work when the transmitting stations have completely digital operations, for example, recording a program in digital form, storing this digitally on a tape or disc, developing non-linear digital editions and insertions of digital commercials, and digital broadcasting on air. , or distribution of a digital flow to a key or satellite operator to multiplex with other digital flows. The present invention is distinguished, in that it is completely digital and will work with transmissions that are completely digital, and is designed to estimate the audience, instead of verifying the transmission. U.S. Patent No. 4,647,974, issued March 3, 1987 to, Robert J. Butler and Ronald G. Schlameuss, discloses a system for automatically inserting auxiliary video information into an analog television signal. The system can be used by a local station to insert its initials or identification logo into the network programming. The present invention is distinguished in that it uses digital signals in digital transmissions, and is designed to verify the receivers. U.S. Patent No. 4,697,209, issued September 29, 1987, to David Kiewit and Daozheng Lu, describes a method and apparatus for identifying television programs, detecting the occurrence of events such as scene changes in a video signal, and extraction of a form of the signal. The signatures and their time of occurrence are stored and compared with reference signatures to identify the program. Since the system is independent of the format used to transmit the signal, it will work with analog and digital television. This has the disadvantage of requiring that a large volume of reference data be collected for each possible station and program that is being transmitted, and for each verified site, which will require a large computing capacity and a long computation time to correlate the two data sets to determine which station or program is being received at each verified site at each time each receiver is tuned. or on The present invention is distinguished in that it is designed to verify the reception of digital transmission only, and will work efficiently with such transmissions, using identification codes in its control flows. U.S. Patent No. 4,972,503, issued November 20, 1990, to Everett V. Zurlinden, describes a method and apparatus for determining the channel to which the remotely controlled television receiver was tuned. Although it is independent of the format (analogue or digital) used to transmit the signal, its implementation on a mass scale to estimate audiences will not be practical, since it requires the adaptation of physical components or programs and individual programming systems to each remote control used in the verified sites to determine which function is activated when a key has been detected. The present invention is distinguished in that it does not require such adaptation to the remote controls, and can be implemented even if a remote control is not used. U.S. Patent No. 5,019,899, issued May 28, 1991, to Glenn M. Boles et al., Discloses an electronic data encoding or recognition system for creating digital signatures of frames of selected video segments, such as television commercials. through a process of digitization, compression and selection, which produces a multi-digit signature for each frame. The present invention is distinguished in that it uses digital signals in digital transmissions, and can be used to verify receivers. U.S. Patent No. 5,278,988, issued January 11, 1994, to Jean P. Dejean, Enrico Massetti, Ken Straub and Everett Zurlinden, describes a method and apparatus for determining the transmission station from which signals are received and translated. analog programs by a verified receiver within a test area. The present invention is distinguished in that it is designed to detect and record the reception of digital transmissions by digital receivers. U.S. Patent No. 5,425,100, issued June 13, 1995, to William L. Thomas, Paul C. Kepter and David H. Harkness, discloses a multi-level encoded signal verification system and a universal transmission code for identifying programs , commercial, networks, stations, etc. The present invention is distinguished in that it is designed for and will work with a fully digital programming, and does not require multiple levels of coding. U.S. Patent No. 5,450,122, issued September 12, 1995, to Leonard D. Keene, describes a method and apparatus in the station for coding analogue television programs, including commercial ones, with a digital identification code registered on a line of analogue television. selected send scan that is not normally visible to the viewer, and to verify the appropriate air transmission of such programs by the television transmitting stations. The present invention is distinguished in that it is designed to determine audience estimates for digital television and radio. U.S. Patent No. 5,450,490, issued September 12, 1995, to James M. Jensen et al., Describes apparatus and methods for including an inaudible code in an analog audio signal, and for decoding it. The present invention is distinguished in that it uses identification codes in the control flows of digital multiplexed transmissions. U.S. Patent No. 5,512,933, issued April 30, 1996, to Mar A. Wheatley and Peter Wilcox, describes a system for identifying a program flow that is being presented at a receiving location., by measuring the relative luminance of a plurality of predetermined areas in each frame of a television transmission, both in the transmitting station and in the receiver. Since the system is independent of the format used to transmit the signal, it will work with analog and digital television. But, as with Kiewi t et al. , supra, has the disadvantage of requiring that a large number of reference data be collected for each possible station and program that is being transmitted, and for each verified site, as well as requiring a large computing capacity and a long computation time to correlate the two sets of data to determine which station or program has been received at each verified site at each time the receiver was turned on or tuned. As above, the present invention is distinguished in that it is designed to verify the reception of digital transmissions only, and will work efficiently with such transmissions, using identification codes in its control flows. U.S. Patent No. 5,574,962, issued November 12, 1996, to Michael Fardeau et al., Discloses a method and apparatus for automatically identifying a program by adding an inaudible encoded message to the audio signal. The present invention is distinguished in that it is designed for multiplexed digital transmissions, and uses identification codes already present in its control flows. U.S. Patent No. 5,646,675, issued July 8, 1997, to Robert C. Copriviza et al., Describes a system and method for verifying the reception of the material of a video program, using codes inserted in scanning lines. Again, the present invention is distinguished in that it is designed for multiplexed digital transmissions, and uses identification codes already present in its control flows.

It is noted that none of the above inventions and patents, whether taken alone or in combination, describe the present invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention is a system for the estimation of the audience for digital television and radio, which uses identification codes in control flows of time-multiplexed digital transmissions. When a television or radio device, which is being verified according to the system, is turned on and tuned to a channel, and each time the channel is changed, an identification code is extracted for each digital audio, video or auxiliary stream of the control flow channel, and it is recorded along with time. Time is also recorded when the television or radio is turned off. These data make it possible to determine what stations, channels, and program members of the audience that is being verified that are being seen or heard at any particular time. In the first preferred embodiment, the multiplexed digital transmission is received separately by the television or radio apparatus (or an integrated receiver and decoder annexed thereto) and a meter connected thereto. The meter compares the elementary digital flows of the channel that is being received by the television or radio apparatus with the digital flows of each of the channels in the multiplexed digital transmission, until it finds an equal one. In the second preferred embodiment, the meter does not receive the digital transmission multiplexed separately, but has access to an elementary stream extracted from the digital transmission multiplexed by an integrated receiver and decoder. In both modes, the meter extracts identification codes for the channels that are being received from the elementary stream. The elementary flow can be accessed through an auxiliary connector in a digital decoder, or through an access control card connector or through electrical connections welded to internal points in the integrated receiver and decoder. In any mode, the digital transmission can be a terrestrial or satellite transmission, or cable. The recorded data can be stored on the site in the meter memory and / or transmitted to a central computer for immediate processing. Although it is designed as a system to estimate the audience, the invention can also be used in the registration of the reception of, and billing of client for, pay-per-view digital television programs (or even digital radio programs of "pay per view"). event ", if they have already been developed). Accordingly, the main object of the invention is to provide efficient means to create reliable audience estimation reports for digital television. Another object of the invention is to provide efficient means to create reliable audience estimation reports for digital radio. A further object of the invention is to provide means for recording the reception of digital programs for which a fee must be charged to the consumer. An object of the invention is proportionally improved elements and arrangements thereof in an apparatus for the purposes described, which are cheap, dependent, and fully effective in carrying out the intended purposes. These and other objects of the present invention will become more readily apparent upon review of the following specification and drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Figure 1 is a flow diagram showing the method of the first preferred embodiment of the invention.

Figure 2 is a schematic diagram showing the apparatus used in the first preferred embodiment of the invention. Figure 3 is a flow chart showing the method of the second preferred embodiment of the invention. Figure 4 is a schematic diagram showing the apparatus used in the second preferred embodiment of the invention. Similar reference characters denote corresponding characteristics consistent through the attached drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED MODALITIES The present invention is a system for estimating the audience for digital television and radio, which uses identification codes in control flows, of digital transmissions multiplexed by time. The multiplexed digital transmissions can be transmitted through the atmosphere by electromagnetic radiation, and / or reflected from satellites that rotate around the earth in outer space. Or they can be transmitted by electricity through metal cables, and / or by light through fiber-optic cables. Figure 1 is a flow chart illustrating the method in the first preferred embodiment of the invention. The multiplexed digital transmissions are simultaneously received by both of an integrated receiver and detector (hereinafter referred to as the "IRD") connected to the television or radio device (hereinafter referred to as the "receiver"), and by a meter which also is connected to the receiver. (The IRDs are now usually separate units connected outside the receiver, but it is expected that they will eventually be placed inside the digital receivers during manufacturing.The transmission can be received by the meter through an access control card connector, or the meter can have its own tuner, which can be an IRD). Both the IRD and the receiver must then identify the control flow (sometimes also called the system flow) in the multiplexed digital transmission. The next step is to demultiplex the multiplexed digital transmission into separate digital streams. The control flow is used to assign digital frames to separate digital flows. In digital television, separate digital flows include at least one video stream per channel, at least one audio stream per channel, the control flow itself, and may also include auxiliary flows per channel. (In digital radio, of course there is no, video stream). (As used in this application, a "channel" means one or more digital streams that transmit only one program or commercial warning at a time, and applies to digital radio as well as television. Control is used to make only the digital streams of the channel to which the receiver is tuned go to the receiver, so that the digital streams of the channel are converted to sound, and the digital video streams of the channel are converted to images. meter receives a signal indicating that the receiver has been turned on, or that the channel to which the receiver is tuned has been changed, the meter selects one or more digital audio, video and / or auxiliary streams belonging to a first channel in the multiplexed digital transmission to compare with the digital flows of the channel to which the receiver is tuned in. If the comparison shows that the digital flows are identical, the meter it then extracts the identification codes of the flows that are comparable with the control flow. If the digital flows are not identical, a meter selects digital flows belonging to the next channel for comparison, and continues selecting and comparing digital flows belonging to each channel in the multiplexed digital transmission, until an identity is found, and the identification codes of The digital comparison flows received by the meter are extracted from the control flow received by the meter. The extracted identification codes are recorded by the meter, along with time and date. (If no identity is found, a message can be recorded that the digital stream can not be identified). (Alternatively, the meter can continuously compare the digital flows in each of the channels in the multiplexed digital transmission as digital flows in the channel to which the receiver is tuned., and it extracts and registers the identification codes and the time or date and time when the continuous comparison shows that the channel has been changed). The meter also records the time or time and date when the receiver is switched off or the reception ends otherwise. Assuming that the hours at which each program and each commercial are transmitted on each channel belonging to each channel are known, the data recorded by the meter makes it possible to determine which stations, channels, programs and commercial members of the audience that is being verified are being observed or listened to at any particular time. Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the apparatus used in the first preferred embodiment of the invention. The digital television station 10 transmits (or transmits by cable) a multiplexed time-lapse digital stream 12 containing segments of a control stream C, a video stream V, and an audio stream A. (In practice, many video and audio streams would normally be transmitted together in a single stream, multiplied by time, but in order to be clear, only one channel is shown with one of each). The multiplexed stream is then received and demultiplexed by an integrated receiver and decoder 14 in the control stream (not shown), the video stream 16, and the audio stream 18. The meter 20 independently receives the same multiplexed stream, and it also demultiplexes it in the control flow and the video and audio streams. The video stream of the selected channel is passed to both cathode ray tubes 22 (or liquid crystal display or other visual display device) and the meter, which compares this with each video stream and the multiplexed digital stream. The audio flow of the selected channel is passed to both of the horn 24 and the meter, which compares this with each audio stream in the multiplexed digital stream. (Of course, in the case of the radio, there are no video streams to be compared). The received video stream causes images to be presented by means of the visual display device, and the received audio stream causes sound to be emitted by the speaker. The information registered by the meter can be stored in an internal memory unit for later retrieval. Optionally, to instantly generate audience estimates in real time, the information recorded in the meter can be transmitted by a cable 26 or other means to a computer 28 where the data of the different receivers that are being verified simultaneously can be collected. Figure 3 is a flow chart showing the method of the second preferred embodiment of the invention. In the second mode, only the IRD receives a multiplexed digital transmission, identifies its control flow, and demultiplexes the separated digital flows. As in the first mode, the IRD uses identification codes in the control flow to select the audio and video streams in the channel to which the receiver is tuned, and pass the flows to the receiver, where they are converted into sound and / or images. The IRD extracts the elementary stream for the channel (that is, the audio, video and auxiliary streams for the channel, and the identification code for those streams) and makes them available over an auxiliary connector (usually for the purpose of decoding a controlled access channel) and passes these to the meter, which extracts the identification codes and records them together with the time and date when the receiver is on or the channel to which the receiver is tuned to be changed. (Alternatively, the meter may have its own tuner, which may be an IRD with a conditional access module for a specific transmitter). As before, the meter also records the time or time when the receiver is switched off or the reception is interrupted in another way. Figure 4 is a schematic diagram showing an apparatus used in the second preferred embodiment of the invention, which shows the multiplexed digital transmission 12 which is received only by the IRC 14, which passes the elementary stream 30 (which includes an audio stream, a video stream, and identification codes) to the channel to which the receiver is tuned to the meter 20. In the second mode, the meter can access the elementary flux through an auxiliary conductor and a digital decoder, or through an access control card connector, or by welding an electrical connection to an internal point in the IRD. In any mode, it is possible that a plurality of digital transmissions multiplexed at different frequencies may be received. In this case, when the receiver is on, the meter registers a first received power, and the time at which the first frequency reception begins, and when the received frequency is changed, the meter registers any received later frequency, and the time at which the reception of the next frequency begins. Auxiliary streams for a channel may contain ordered binary sequences or text characters, by means of which information related to the station or the program being transmitted by the receiver may be presented. The information related to the programs and / or stations can be presented in a menu to allow the observers to select the transmissions, or to allow the observer to see which transmissions have been selected. The invention is designed and intended to be used primarily to be used in the compilation of audience estimate reports, but also to be used in the recording of the receipt, and billing of, users of pay-per-view digital television programs ( or even "pay-per-view" digital radio programs, if they have already been developed). It should be understood that the present invention is not limited to the preferred embodiments described above, but encompasses any of all embodiments within the scope of the following claims. It is noted that in relation to this date, the best method known to the applicant to carry out the aforementioned invention, is that which is clear from the present description of the invention.

Claims (20)

1. CLAIMS Having described the invention as above, the content of the following claims is claimed as property. A system for estimating the audience for digital television and radio, characterized in that it comprises the steps of: extracting at least one identification code for at least one digital flow of a first channel, of a control flow of a multiplexed digital transmission , when the reception of a first channel by a receiver begins; register at least one identification code extracted and the time at which the reception of the first channel begins; extracting at least one identification code for at least one digital stream of any subsequent channel, from the control flow of the multiplexed digital transmission, when the reception of the next channel by the receiver begins; register at least one identification code extracted and the time at which the reception of the next channel begins; and record the time at which reception ends by the receiver.
2. 2. A system for estimating the audience for digital television and radio in accordance with claim 1, characterized in that the multiplexed digital transmission is transmitted by electromagnetic radiation.
3. 3. A system for estimating the audience for television and digital radio in accordance with claim 1, characterized in that the multiplexed digital transmission is transmitted by electricity.
4. 4. A system for estimating the audience for digital television and radio according to claim 1, characterized in that the identification codes, the time at which the reception of each channel begins, and the time at which the reception ends, they are registered by a meter and stored in a meter's memory unit.
5. 5. A system for estimating the audience for digital television and radio in accordance with claim 1, characterized in that the identification codes, the time at which the reception of each channel begins, and the time at which the reception ends, they are registered by a meter and transmitted to a computer.
6. 6. The system for estimating the audience for digital television and radio according to claim 1, characterized in that the multiplexed digital transmission is received separately by the receiver and by a meter; when the receiver is tuned, and when the channel to which the receiver is tuned is changed, the meter compares the digital flows of the channel to which the receiver is tuned, with the digital flows of each of the channels in the multiplexed digital transmission, until it finds an identity and extracts at least one identification code for at least one digital flow of the channel for the control flow, and registers the identification code along with the time; and when the reception by the receiver ends, the meter records the time or time. The system for estimating the audience for digital television and radio according to claim 6, characterized in that the plurality of multiplexed digital transmissions can be received at different frequencies; when the receiver is on, the meter records a first received frequency, and at the time at which the reception of the first frequency begins; and when the received frequency is changed, the meter registers any frequency received later, and achieves that the reception of the next frequency begins. 8. The system for estimating the audience for digital television and radio according to claim 7, characterized in that: the receiver has a first tuner; and the meter has a second tuner which is automatically tuned to the first received frequency when reception begins, and to any subsequent frequency when the received frequency is changed. 9. The system for estimating the audience for digital television and radio in accordance with claim 6, characterized in that the meter has access to the control flow through an access control card collector. 10. The system for estimating the audience for digital television and radio according to claim 1, characterized in that, when the receiver is turned on, and when the channel to which the receiver is tuned is changed, an elementary stream is extracted of the multiplexed digital transmission, the elementary flow is passed to a meter, the meter extracts at least one identification code of the elementary flow, and the meter registers the identification code along with the time; and when the reception by the receiver ends, the meter registers a flow now. 11. The system for estimating the audience for digital television and radio according to claim 10, characterized in that the meter has access to the control flow through an auxiliary connector in a digital decoder. 12. The system for estimating the audience for digital television and radio in accordance with claim 10, characterized in that the meter has access to the control flow through an access control card collector. 13. The system for estimating the audience for digital television and radio according to claim 10, characterized in that the plurality of multiplexed digital transmissions can be received at different frequencies; when the receiver is on, the meter records a first received frequency, and at the time at which the reception of the first frequency begins; when the received frequency is changed, the meter registers any frequency received later, and achieves that the reception of the next frequency begins. 14. The system for estimating the audience for digital television and radio according to claim 13, characterized in that: the receiver has a first tuner; and the meter has a second tuner, which is automatically tuned to the first received frequency when reception begins, and to any subsequent frequency when the received frequency is changed. 15. The system for estimating the audience for digital television and radio according to claim 14, characterized in that the first tuner and the second tuner are both integrated receivers and decoders, and the second tuner has a conditional access module for a specific transmitter. 16. A system for recording the reception of paid programs on a digital television or radio, characterized in that it comprises the steps of: extracting at least one identification code for at least one digital flow of a first channel, of a control flow of one multiplexed digital transmission, when the reception of the first channel by a receiver begins; register at least one identification code extracted and the time at which the reception of the first channel begins; extracting at least one identification code for at least one digital stream from any subsequent channel, from the control flow of a multiplexed digital transmission, when reception of the subsequent channel by a receiver begins; register at least one identification code extracted at the time at which the reception of the next channel begins; and record the time at which reception ends by the receiver. 1
7. 7. An apparatus for estimating the audience of digital television and radio, characterized in that it comprises: means for extracting at least one identification code for at least one digital flow of a first channel, of a control flow of a digital transmission multiplexed, when the reception of the first channel begins by the receiver; means for registering at least one extracted identification code and the time or time at which the reception of the first channel begins; means for extracting at least one identification code for at least one digital stream from any subsequent channel, from the control flow of the multiplexed digital transmission, when the reception of the next channel by the receiver begins; means for registering at least one extracted identification code and the time or time at which the reception of the next channel begins; and means to record the time and time at which reception by the receiver ends. 1
8. 8. The apparatus for estimating the digital television and radio audience according to claim 17, characterized in that the multiplexed digital transmission is received separately by the receiver and by a meter; when the receiver is on and when the receiver channel is tuned is changed, the meter compares the digital flows of the channel to which the receiver is tuned, to digital flows of each of the channels in the digital multiplexed transmission, until it finds the identity and extracts at least one identification code for at least one digital flow from the channel of a control flow, and records the identification code together with the time; and when the reception by the receiver ends, the meter records the time. 1
9. 9. The apparatus for estimating the digital television and radio audience according to claim 18, characterized in that a plurality of multiplexed transmissions at different frequencies can be received; when the receiver is on, the meter records the first frequency received, and the time or time at which the reception of the first frequency begins; and when the received frequency is changed, the meter records any subsequent received frequency, and the time and time at which the reception of the next sequence begins. 20. The apparatus for estimating the digital television and radio audience according to claim 17, characterized in that when the receiver is turned on, and when the channel the receiver is tuned is changed, ß is extracted an elementary flow of the multiplexed digital transmission, the elementary flux is passed to the meter, the meter extracts at least one elementary flux identification code, and the meter records the identification code along with the time; and when the reception by the receiver ends, the meter records the time.