RU2099900C1 - System for acquiring and processing data on distribution of observers' sympathies among television programs - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: systems using wireless data acquisition channels for acquiring, transmitting, and processing data generated by analyzers placed near television sets. SUBSTANCE: system has analyzer 1, television sets 2, monitoring system center 3, antenna cable 5, binary coded message amplifier 6, head-end 7 with TV line equipment unit 8, separation filter 9, adding and converting assembly 10 for binary coded messages, converted message transmitter 11, and antenna separation filter 12, antenna 13, transmitting antenna support 14, receiving antenna 15, transmitting antenna 16, isolation circuit 17, monitoring receiver 18, control and shaping unit 19 for binary coded messages, transmitter 20, receiver 21 for acknowledging call signals, receivers 22, data processing and storage unit 23, transmitter 24 for acknowledging call signals, intermediate amplifiers 25. EFFECT: improved design. 2 cl, 3 dwg

Description

 The invention relates to a technique for collecting, transmitting and processing data generated by analyzers placed near television receivers, and more particularly to a technique that uses wireless data collection channels for this purpose.

 The development of receiving equipment required the use of automatic principles for analyzing the tuning of the received channel. Some methods required the integration of analysis tools inside the television receiver (US patent N 3514530, H 04 7/16, 7/10 1970). In these devices, channel identification is performed by the local oscillator frequency. Their disadvantage is obvious, since embedding in a television set, the owner’s property, analysis tools does not cause a positive reaction, and, moreover, the method is laborious.

 In terms of analyzing the settings of the television receiver, a close to this invention is the invention set forth in US patent N 4577220 "Device designed to detect the channel on which the TV is tuned" (H 04 7/00 1986). Here, the definition of the received TV channel is made, as in the mentioned inventions, according to the local oscillator frequency, but without implementation in the television receiver. The local oscillator signal is taken by an inductive frame placed on the outer surface of the television receiver.

 Having an undeniable advantage over methods that use the local oscillator frequency for analysis and require implementation in a television receiver, this method of recording nevertheless has a drawback that arises due to the large uncertainty of the local oscillator field outside the television receiver even of one type, not to mention the spread of the field between the types .

 Technical solutions related to another aspect of the proposed invention to a method for collecting, transmitting and processing data are presented in many patents. It follows from them that the collection of data from analyzer instruments in most cases is carried out by telephone lines. Examples of such systems in US patent N 3483327 H 04 11/08, 1972, N 4008369, H 04 H 7/16, 1977, N 4258386, H 04 H 7/00) 1981. For these systems, the characteristic diagram: the interrogation of each device - analyzer on command from the center of the network of collective television reception (SCTP), the accumulation of data in memory located in the center of the SCTP, and transferring them over the phone, usually at night.

 The main disadvantages of such systems and the requirements put forward by them to telephone networks: data delay from the moment, at least, for most of the day; high demands on the quality and throughput of telephone networks; high level of telephonization of all walks of life

 As regards the collection of data from analyzer devices, the closest in technical essence to the alleged invention is the system “Transmission of information by radio from a television receiver to a television station”, containing response units that send signals through radio frequency transmitters to the information processing center, the antennas of which are located on support of television transmitting antennas. In this system, the data channels are wireless, over-the-air. A particular analyzer device emits a message at the allotted time for it, measured by the number of lines from the synchronization pulse, which is specially introduced into the structure of the television signal for this purpose. Response blocks having a radio frequency transmitter send a response to a station request in the scan line specified for this particular block. Thus, the identification is made, (US patent N 4577220, H 04 N 7.00, 1986).

 From the foregoing it is clear that the identification of the analyzer response in the center of the monitoring system, which is located on the transmitting television station, is performed by the assigned line number in counting from the synchronization pulse.

 Such a construction of a monitoring system sharply limits it in space. Indeed, due to the different distance of the television receivers from the transmitting center, the time of arrival of the television signal to them is different and, therefore, twice the time of receipt of the response signals to the center of the monitoring system. If the arrival time exceeds the line length (64 microseconds), then the responses from the television receivers will be mixed up and can be mutually destroyed. It follows that geometrically this system cannot be larger than a circle with a radius of 9.6 km. The geometric smallness of the served area, which is significantly smaller than the broadcast area from this support of the television transmitting antennas, and the need to incorporate a synchronization monitoring pulse into the television signal are the main disadvantages of this system.

 The technical result provided by this invention is that the system gives the distribution of viewers included in it, according to the programs, taking into account the switched off television sets; the system gives a distribution for each social group of viewers; the system provides a time resolution of these distributions with a discretion of tens of seconds units of minutes (in a specific application of the system, a certain value is assigned from the given range, depending on the tasks); The system provides the transmission of emergency call signals, fire service, police and the caller receives confirmation of the call.

 The specified technical result is achieved by the fact that in the system for collecting and processing data on the distribution of spectator interest between television programs, which contains analyzers that determine television programs (channels) received by television receivers at their local oscillation frequencies, and then broadcast messages containing received in a specific application of the system, the number corresponding to the channel, as well as the response code to the survey conducted according to the program, the analyzers are connected between the antenna connector of the telep the receiver and the antenna cable and are designed to be able to determine the received program (channel) by the local oscillator voltage leaking to the antenna terminal of the television receiver, provided that the television signal is received to this connector from an individual antenna or from an SCTP, i.e. in the presence of a signal in the output signal as an interference for the analysis of the component spectra of television signals that coincide with the local oscillator frequencies and the local oscillator voltages of other network receivers, the magnitude of which can be many times the leakage voltage of the analyzer, the analyzers generate messages that are transmitted to the center of the system using any such as antennas of these networks and ether channels, using the same properties of antennas for receiving and transmitting as guiding systems, for which they will distribute Ordering Network SCFT dooboruduetsya amplifiers binary posts to be installed on the network where it is violated, ie, at the locations of the intermediate network amplifiers, and giving the network the property of transmitting a signal from the periphery to the center, and in series with the block of television network equipment connected to the SKTP distribution network and to the SKTP antenna, a series-connected separation filter, a summation and binary code conversion unit are additionally introduced messages, the transmitter and the antenna separation filter, which is connected to the SCTP antenna, and the separation filter is connected to the distribution network of the SCTP.

 The service area coincides with the area served by broadcasting from the support of the television transmitting antennas, where the receiving antennas of the system as well as the transmitting antennas of the subscriber confirmation subsystem are installed, for which purpose their individual numbers are entered into the analyzer message, and the messages are generated asynchronously at approximately the same repetition periods (equal to the time discrete of the system), in the output message of the analyzers there is a place for transferring a call to emergency services: public order service, ambulance, fire department, while subscribers receive a signal that the call center has received.

 The analyzer is connected through the decoupling circuit to the CCPP and the television receiver, the measuring receiver is connected to the decoupling circuit and the binary code message control unit, which is connected to the transmitter, the output of which is connected to the CCPP, where the input of the call acknowledgment receiver is connected.

 Depending on the set time discretization and the design array of analyzers, as well as on the geometric dimensions, the system can be single-channel with one receiving antenna with a circular radiation pattern in the horizontal plane, with one receiver, while the transmitters operate on the same carrier frequency, or multi-channel, while each channel is geometrically a sector with a vertex on the support of the transmitting television antennas and receiving antennas of the system, and each channel at least with a geometrically adjacent one works on a separate carrier frequency with a carrier spacing that allows mutual selection, while the antennas, each of which is directed to the middle of its sector channel, are connected to the inputs of the receivers of the monitoring system center, the outputs of which are connected to the data processing and storage unit, the output of which is through the call confirmation transmitter connected to a transmitting antenna for confirming calls of system subscribers.

 In FIG. 1 shows the scheme of SCTP with the system elements introduced from it (the risers of the two entrances of a multi-storey building are conventionally shown); in FIG. 2 - embodiment of the analyzer; in FIG. 3 center monitoring system.

 The data acquisition and processing system includes an analyzer 1, television receivers 2, a monitoring system center 3, an antenna cable 5 of an SCTP, an amplifier 6 for a binary code message, a head station 7 with a block of television network equipment 8, a separation filter 9, a summing and converting unit 10 for binary code messages , the transmitter 11 of the converted messages and the antenna separation filter 12, the antenna 13 SKPT, the support 14 of the television transmitting antennas, the receiving antenna 15, the transmitting antenna 16, the isolation circuit 17, the measuring receiver 18, the control unit and the formation of 19 binary code messages, the transmitter 20, the receiver 21 confirmation of call signals, receivers 22, the processing unit and data storage 23, the transmitter 24 confirmation of call signals, intermediate amplifiers 25.

 The system of data collection and processing works as follows.

 With the consent of the owner of the television receiver 2, which is included in the geographical area of the monitoring system, which coincides with the television service area from this support of the television transmitting antennas, it is equipped with an analyzer 1. Using two connectors, the analyzer 1 is connected between the antenna input of the television receiver 2 and the antenna cable 4, through which the total signal is received from SKTP 5, i.e. analyzer 1 is included in the gap of the antenna cable 4.

 The main functional unit of the analyzer 1 is a measuring receiver 18, automatically tuned in frequency in search of one of the possible frequencies of the local oscillator, the voltage of which leaks to the antenna connector of the television receiver 2 of a greater or lesser magnitude, depending on its type.

 Tuning to the frequency that is significant at the moment and highlighting the signal about it in the internal circuits of the analyzer 1 this is the definition of the channel received by the television receiver 2.

 The restructuring of the measuring receiver 18 stops until the signal disappears at its output. If the television receiver 2 is turned off and, therefore, there is not a single heterodyne frequency, the search process is continuous, and this state is assigned the number "0" - the television receiver is turned off.

 To avoid a false determination, the analyzer 1 is connected through a resonant tunable or non-resonant isolation circuit 17, which is a six-terminal, the poles of which are connected in pairs to the antenna cable 4, the television receiver 2 and the input of the measuring receiver 18. Transient attenuation between the connecting poles of the antenna cable 4 and the input of the measuring receiver 18 has such a value at which the voltage of "their" local oscillator is always greater than the sum of the voltages of "foreign" local oscillators and part of the spectrum of television signals falling into the field su transmitting the measuring receiver 18.

 Spontaneously with an average period equal to the time discrete of the system, the transmitter 20 of the analyzer 1 emits a radio frequency short-term signal in the SCTP 5, the message of which contains: the number of this analyzer 1 or, which is the same, the identifier assigned to the owner of the television receiver 2 to the respondent of this monitoring system; number of the received channel 2 channels; one of the response signals to the question of the television studio; One of the signals for calling an ambulance, fire department or police.

 In a single functional unit, the analyzer 1 organizes and connects the control and formation unit 19, through which, using the buttons, the viewer enters information during television polls and calls the city services, as well as receives a receipt signal about the receipt of the help signal by the system.

 A small part of analyzers 1, the owners of which are specially allocated by sociological services, generate messages with a period 4 times smaller than the bulk.

 The radio frequency signal of each analyzer 1 of this SCTP passes along its network in the same way as a television signal, but in the opposite direction, i.e. from the connection points of devices and television sets to the antenna.

 To ensure the path of these signals at points of the network 5 with one-sided directivity (intermediate network amplifiers of a television signal), the network 5 (SCTP) is equipped with amplifiers 6, which give these points the property of two-way direction with the mutual independence of television signals and analyzer signals 1.

 In the center of SKTP 5, which is usually called the head station 7, a node for summing and converting 10 of all SKTP analyzers is installed. The input of this node 10 through a separation filter 9, which provides frequency isolation of the television signals coming from the output of the television equipment unit 8 of the head station 7, and the signals of the analyzers 1, is connected to the top of the distribution network, i.e. joins the point where the output of the mentioned equipment 8 of the head station 7 is usually turned on.

 The output signal of the summing and converting unit 10 is supplied as a modulating signal to the input of the transmitter 11, the output of which through the antenna isolation filter 12, which provides frequency isolation of its output signal and television signals, is connected to the SCTP antenna 13, where the input of the television equipment of the head station is usually turned on.

 Since the antenna pattern for receiving and transmitting is essentially the same, the maximum radiation when transmitting signals of this system by the receiving antenna 13 SCTP is directed to the support 14 of the television transmitting antennas, where the receiving antennas 15 of this monitoring system are located.

 The center of the monitoring system includes: a receiving antenna or a unit of receiving antennas 15, each of which receives signals from one sector, the number of receiving antennas is determined by the geographical dimensions of the monitoring system, which is always equal to the coverage area of the television broadcasting from the given support of the television transmitting antennas, and the number of broadcasting receivers per unit area; a receiver or receivers 22 (according to the number of antennas), the inputs of which are connected to the outputs of the antennas, respectively; a processing and storage unit 23 of data whose inputs (or input, if there is only one receiver) are connected to the outputs (output) of the receivers.

 As a node for processing and storing 23 data, several computers are used that are connected to the network and equipped with special software for the task of this system.

 For a sociological analysis of the rating of television programs and for emergency assistance for each respondent, the node 23 stores the name, address, analyzer 1 settings, phone number, social group number determined by sociologists when the respondent entered the system and is subsequently updated periodically.

 From the above it is clear that the installed analyzer 1 operates in a continuous mode, and its operation does not depend on the mode of operation of the television receiver it is analyzing or the VCR. The continuous mode provides an analysis of the “off” state of the television receiver 2 and enables the respondent to notify the city emergency services regardless of whether the television receiver is turned on or off or simply not there. The mutual independence between the analyzer 1 and the analyzed receiver 2 opens up the multifunctionality of the system, i.e. for some respondents, the system performs both the functions of collecting data on the programmed state of television receivers 2 (monitoring) and serves as a warning tool, for others it can only serve as a warning tool. An economically continuous mode of operation is not burdensome for any respondent, since the analyzer 1 consumes about 4 watts.

 In the search mode of the switched on television channel, the internal local oscillator of the analyzer 1 changes its frequency in such frequency bands that make it possible to isolate the presence of the local oscillator voltage of the television receiver 2 of any television channel and for any of the 4 world standards of intermediate frequencies received in TV.

 Upon detection of the local oscillator frequency of the television receiver 2 at the output of the measuring receiver 18, the search is completed. The number of the received TV channel is uniquely associated with the digital expression of the voltage, which controls the tuning element of the internal oscillator of the analyzer 1 and which is fixed at the end of the search. In the case of switching the television receiver 2 to another channel, the logical state of the output of the measuring receiver 18 is set in accordance with the logical “0” search mode, which is a command for the control unit and generation 19 to resume searching for a new oscillator local oscillator frequency 2.

 The digital value of the voltage that controls the internal local oscillator, the control unit and the formation of 19 sets the number of the received channel.

 This number, as well as the number assigned to this respondent, identifier number, result code and call code of city services in the aggregate are a message from a specific analyzer 1. The signal generated by the control unit and generating 19 from this message serves to modulate the transmitter 20 of analyzer 1.

 The transmitter 20 with a period, on average, equal to the time discrete of the system, emits to the collective reception network 5 a radio packet modulated by a binary message code. The power, carrier frequency, type of modulation of the package are selected such and such values that ensure the transmission of the package to the head station 7 of the collective reception network 5 and the absence of interference in the television image on any television receiver of this network.

 Along with the mutual structural independence of the analyzer 1 and the television receiver 2, the most important difference between the system is the mutual temporal randomness of the generation of the radio packages by the analyzers 1. The randomness of the generation moment and, therefore, the mutual independence between the transmission times of the packages determines for this monitoring system: independence of geometric dimensions from whatever was (the total propagation time of the signal from the analyzer 1 to the center of the system, including propagation in the network and on the air, for the function It is unimportant to use the system because it belongs to the respondent alone; it is independent of television, since nothing in the system requires general synchronization, which (if it were needed) should naturally be emitted from the center of the system, i.e. the location TV transmitters or a separate transmitter or be included in the structure of the TV signal.

 The technical randomness of the generation is ensured by the self-oscillating mode of the generator of the radio parcel period, which is an integral part of the control unit and the formation of analyzer 19 1. The generator is carefully protected from any electromagnetic oscillations common to all analyzers (power supply network, television signals, radio stations signals). To ensure a high degree of mutual independence, the phase of self-oscillations breaks down once in several tens of periods of oscillation.

 The radio packets of the analyzers 1 are sent by the collective reception network 5 to the center of the network to the head station 7, bypassing the network devices having a one-way direction (from the center to the periphery) with the help of amplifiers 6, which are radio package amplifiers, as well as separation filters between the TV frequency spectra and the band radio frequency system. The essence of the separation is to prevent short circuit of the radio packages on the low output resistance of the linear TV amplifier and also to prevent the short circuit of the TV signal on the low output resistance of the amplifier of radio packages.

 Through the separation filter 9, the radio packages of all analyzers 1 of this network are fed to the input of the summation and conversion unit 8.

 It is necessary to note the property of the system arising from the independence of the moments of generation of parcels. As mentioned above, the randomness of the appearance of the premises determines the independence of the geographical dimensions of the system and does not require the inclusion of the signals necessary for its functioning in the television, which is typical for synchronous systems. On the other hand, in the asynchronous systems to which this applies, situations are unavoidable in which simultaneous or with partial overlap the arrival of two or more packages to the input of the summing and converting node 8. Naturally, the overlapping parcels mutually spoil each other, and the summing node 8 is constructed so that it does not perceive them. It follows that some of the messages from analyzers 1 disappear.

 The probability of loss over a time equal to the period of repetition of parcels by analyzer devices unambiguously depends on the ratio of this period to the total duration of all messages in a given network and the smaller the greater this ratio.

 The summing and converting unit 8 from each received package of analyzers 1 generates an output signal, which is the modulating signal of the transmitter 11, converting the input binary code to octal, and also changes (decreases) the duration of the clock sequence in the output signal in accordance with the allocated band of the radio frequency signal and enters composition of the signal is the technical part that precedes the information part and is necessary for the operation of the receiver.

 The output signal of the summation and conversion unit 8 is fed to the input of the transmitter 11, which emits a package during the operation of the input signal.

 The transmitting antennas of the system are the antennas 13 of the collective reception network 5. These are antennas for receiving decimeter channels, to which the output of the transmitter 11 is connected through the antenna isolation filter 12.

 At the input of the receivers 22 of the system, the situation is repeated, which is described above for the input of each node summation and conversion 8, i.e. some of the radio packets arrive simultaneously or with overlapping, and the receiver also filters them out. Recall that the moments of the generation of packages generated by each analyzer 1 with an average period equal to the time discrete of the system are random and not correlated with each other. It follows that, according to probability theory, the mathematical expectation of the probability of loss of any particular message from analyzer 1 is functionally strictly determined only by the ratio of the period of generation of parcels to their total duration. The output signal of the receiver (or receivers) 22 is a sequence of packets, each of which carries a message from one analyzer 1. In turn, a packet is a serial binary code that complies with the standard that governs serial communication with external devices of IBM-compatible computers.

 Processing, display, transmission to users and storage of information is performed by a complex of computers connected to the network and equipped with special software for the system.

Claims (2)

 1. A system for collecting and processing data on the distribution of spectator interest between television programs, comprising a collective television reception antenna (SCTP) connected to the headend, which includes a block of television network equipment, as well as intermediate amplifiers connected to the antenna cable, television receivers and analyzers that determine television channels by their heterodyne frequencies and generate messages that include a channel number, numbers assigned to television receivers, each of which includes a measuring receiver, as well as the center of the monitoring system, characterized in that the center of the monitoring system is made in the form of a receiving antenna, the output of which is connected to the inputs of the receivers, the outputs of which are connected to the corresponding inputs of the processing and storage unit, the input of each television receiver is connected to the antenna cable through decoupling circuit with an antenna connector, a binary code message amplifier is connected in parallel to each intermediate amplifier, series-connected sections are introduced into the headend an output filter, a node for summing and converting binary code messages, a transmitter of the converted signals and an antenna separation filter, the output of the separation filter being connected to the input of the television network equipment unit, the output of which through the antenna filter is connected to the SKPT antenna, the analyzer has serially connected control unit and generating a binary code message and a transmitter, the control unit and generating a binary code message connected to the measurement m receiver, the input of which is connected to the corresponding output of the isolation circuit, to the input of which the output of the transmitter is connected.  2. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that a signal confirmation signal transmitter is included in the center of the monitoring system, included at the output of the data processing and storage unit, and the output is connected to a newly introduced transmit antenna, a signal confirmation signal receiver is input to the analyzer, input which is connected to the output of the binary code message transmitter.

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