Method and system for ascertaining the consumption habits of a test population.

DESCRIPTION

GIVES

PATENT OF INVENTION

No. 89 744

APPLICANT: SRG SCHWEIZERISCHE RADIOUND FERNSEHGESELLSCHAFT, Swiss, industrial, established in Giacomet tistrasse 3,3000 Bern 15, Switzerland.

EPIGRAPH: »PROCESS AND INSTALLATION FOR

CONSUMPTION HABITS OF A TEST POPULATION

INVENTORS: Mathias Steinmann.

Claim of right of priority under Article 4 of the Paris Convention of 20 March 1883.

tNR MOQ 113 RF 16732

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Γ 68 884

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Μ Μ3. 89 744

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Measurement process and facility donates consumption habits of a test population so that

SRG SCHWEI2ERISCHE RADIOUND FERNSE HGESELLSCHAFT, intends to obtain privilege of invention in Portugal.

SUMMARY The present invention relates to a method and installation for measuring the consumption habits of a test population, and more particularly for measuring the television consumption habits, in which data is acquired in relation to the program which is viewed and / or recorded and the acquired data is transmitted via telephone connection to a central computer for evaluation. The data acquisition is done so that the central computer can decrypt the data in such a way that at the data acquisition site no intervention or supervision by specialized personnel is required. Data not decoded or decoded with uncertainty can be verified by a central computer dialog and then safely decoded.

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-2Descriptive Memory

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a method and installation for measuring consumption habits, more particularly for measuring television consumption habits of a test population, wherein data about habits, more particularly by determining the channel respectively the connected program and / or by questioning the population, they are automatically stored in locally disposed devices and the stored data is preferably transmitted by telephone to a central computer for measurement. Installations as described above are for sale on the market from various sources and are used in various countries, more particularly for the measurement of television consumption habits.

A first decisive object of those processes and the corresponding installations concerns the reliable automatic determination of the television channel and the corresponding connected program. Published application DE-OS 33 42 949 relates to a method for determining channel choice in a television receiver (TV receiver). This known process assumes that each TV receiver is associated with a locally arranged apparatus which must determine from the tuning voltage which channel is on as well as which channel is being received. This known process presupposes an individual adaptation of each of the locally arranged Individual TV receivers, and this not only at the time of the first installation of the apparatus, but also in general at each change of the transmitted frequencies and the start-up of new transmitters.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An object of the present invention is to simplify data acquisition, more particularly the determination of the television channel and the corresponding television program. Such simplification may have the effect that the scope of data that can be captured

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-3can generally be extended. According to claim 1, the solution of this problem is a process which is characterized in that the data, more particularly the data of a television channel is locally acquired in a form that can be decoded directly by the central computer without preliminary local decoding by the whereas the carrier frequency is preferably determined with the corresponding programs, preferably also data relating to video recording and playback, data relating to interactive modes between the local machine, the central computer and test sounds, teletext or video reception data, computer game data, and data on other consumer habits, and therefore local data from accessory devices is transmitted with a high-frequency carrier via the power supply network. a main device connected to the central computer.

*

As already mentioned, the present invention also relates to a plant for the application of the process according to the invention, which plant according to claim 8 is characterized by switching means which can effect local acquisition of data, more particularly data from a television channel, in a form that can be decoded directly by the central computer without preliminary local decoding, whereby the carrier frequency is preferably determined θ and, in addition, switching means for determining data relating to television channels, and corresponding programs, switching means for determining data relating to interactive modes are also provided. the local apparatus, the central computer and the test persons, data relating to computer games and data relating to teletext reception or video reception, data on computer games and data on other consumer habits and preferably switching means are provided for the local data transmission of high bearer accessory apparatus

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through the power supply to a main unit connected to the central computer. Other objects of the present invention and corresponding solutions are set forth in the appended claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The present invention will be described in more detail by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a schematic representation of apparatus installed in a dwelling, Figure 2 and a block diagram of a channel determination adapter, Figure 3 and a circuit with a video recorder, Figure 4 and a diagram of pulses representing the operation of the circuit of Figure 3, z _z Fig. 5 is a block diagram of a variant of the video module for integrating data into the video signal; and Fig. 6 is a pulse diagram representing the conditions under which Fig. 5 is integrated.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Figure 1 shows the appliances present in a dwelling, more particularly two TV sets 1a and 1b which are installed in different compartments. A video recorder (VCR) 2 is connected to the TV la receiver. Each of the two TV receivers 1a and 1b is associated with a remote control, only one of which is shown in Figure 1. A monitor 4a which will hereinafter be referred to as a TCG (remote control apparatus) is connected to the TV 1a receiver and VCR 2, and the TCG 4a is also connected to a central computer 6 via the home telephone. A TCG 4b is also connected to the TV 1b receiver, which TCG is also connected via high frequency signals via the feed means 7 to the TCG 4a. Apparatus 4b is different from apparatus 4a in that it does not comprise a module for connection to the telephone network. However, both devices comprise circuitry

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Transmitters and receivers for digital data transmission from apparatus 4b to apparatus 4a from apparatus 4a and releasing the transmission. Finally, each TGG 4a, 4b has a remote control 8. Both apparatuses 4a and 4b have an electroluminescent display that can display any numerals, texts and symbols.

As described above, data relating to the use of TV 1a and 1b receivers as well as VCR 2, more particularly the data relating to television broadcast which is received at a given time, for playback reproduced from the VCR or for recordings. personal and similar devices are stored in apparatus 4a and 4b. This data is periodically called again by the central computer 6 from the apparatus 4a in which the data from the apparatus 4b is also stored. The recalled data is then processed with data from many other families and is memorized centrally.

A first central task of the illustrated installation is to correctly and simply determine the specific operating state, more particularly the specific television channel and the corresponding television program connected. As mentioned above, it is of particular interest to make this determination with great independence with regard to individual pairing operations at the place of installation in the dwelling houses. The determination must also be very independent of the individual characteristics of TV receivers of various types. For this purpose and in accordance with the present invention, the carrier frequency of the connected TV channel is determined, and this frequency is fixedly assigned to this channel to reliably characterize this particular channel. However, one can also take the digitally transformed tuning voltage that drives the capacity dependent on a variable capacity diode as a characteristic and by interpolation, for example by systematic interrogation, to identify the channel in the computer. center and also to correctly classify fre68 884

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-6 new or modified channel frequencies without any intervention in the dwelling houses. This avoids checking and adjusting appliances 4a and 4b in dwelling houses.

Figure 2 represents an adapter for channel determination. Reference 9 designates the tuning circuit (tuner) for UHF and VHF. The input frequency is delivered to a microprocessor 12 via a broadband amplifier and frequency divider 10 as well as an interface 11.

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Alternatively, it is also possible to provide the analog tuning voltage to an analog interface 13 comprising an associated calibration circuit 14. In addition, a digital interface 15 is provided whereby the tuning information from the TV receiver can be transmitted to the processor 12. 0 The circuit of FIG. 2 also allows, if desired, the digital transformation of different kinds of specific information which are finally provided to apparatus 4a and 4b via a main controlled interface 16 (optoligador). However, the carrier frequency of the received channel is preferably chosen because this leads to the lower probability of false interpolations. Following are some particular specifications of the circuit of Figure 2.

A digital adapter can be used with virtually all entertainment electronics devices on the market where information received in all frequency bands is retrieved according to the heterodyne principle. More particularly, it can be used on TV receivers, video recorders and radio receivers. It has the function of selectively determining the emission channels which are transformed into images and sounds by the heterodyne principle in the aforementioned apparatus. The adapter that is integrated into the TCG device collects the data that is required for recognition of the appropriate condition for public inquiry. The digital adapter has basically three different ways to determine the data needed to measure consumption habits:

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-7a) Measurement of oscillator frequency in the range 30 'Ήζ at 1 GHz. The measured frequency is assigned directly to a given channel in accordance with CCIR Standard assignment 3 or G.

(b) Analog determination: The adapter may also determine analogous measured values ​​or logic conditions that come from the receiving part of the processing part of the apparatus and assign them to a certain output value.

c) Determination of sequential data: The adapter can determine and analyze sequential signals in narrow displacement devices in the digital part of the apparatus. Bit sequence frequencies up to 40 KSits are possible.

The adapter comprises a high speed microprocessor device. On its periphery there are three transformer devices for analog-digital signal processing.

(a) oscillator frequency setting; in the immediate vicinity of the tuner unit is broadband amplifier 10 installed? of high sensitivity, which is connected to the oscillating portion of the tuner 9 by means of an exposed probe. The oscillator signal is received via transparent AF location and in the tuning casing, amplified and supplied to the processor after analog-digital transformation. 0 The processor acts as a frequency measuring device and can recognize the desired channel in the receiver. Running the AF amplifier allows you to recognize the VHF (very high frequency) and UHF (ultra high frequency) frequencies in the tuner.

b) Analog input device: Analog inputs are provided to the processor via an analog-digital transformer (AD transformer) and a multiplex device. Especially provided is an input for determining the tuning voltage of the variable capacity diode. Six inputs are used to determine the condition signal threshold values.

c) Digital determination: several inputs serve for direct, parallel or sequential recognition of data

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Depending on the programming used, synchronous or asynchronous flows can be determined and analyzed. The input functions of the adapter are digitally filtered and the data obtained are formed to be adapted to the device and the adapter usage programs can be individually prepared or partially recalled from read-only memories.

Whatever the way of channel determination, the host computer can directly decode the received digital information. All channel specific data is stored in the computer and the received channel is identified by comparing its data characteristics with the stored data. If information is missing in memory, the viewer can be interrogated from the central computer. In this case, the question, for example, “Do you see channel X?” Appears on the TCG and it is assumed that the channel corresponds to a new channel or an existing channel whose frequency has changed. The answer yes '' confirms the assumption and new data can be memorized and assigned to the new or (at frequency) modified channel. In this respect there is even the possibility of detecting false indications made by the observer, as these indications lead to particular conclusions.

As mentioned, it is desirable to obtain information regarding the use of the video recorder (VCR). Figure 3 is a block diagram of the circuitry essential for determining data relating to the use of the VCR. A video module 17 is part of TCG 4a, this module being connected to processor 12 via a transport device. 0 The video module is also connected on the VCR to a printer probe 1 son which, in turn, is connected to the CTL 19 head (CTL is the ribbon track in accordance with the VCR). Particular specifications are as follows video module 17, as a sub-device of TCG 4a, makes data recording and playback possible. It is limited

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VHS and Betamax standard systems. At the time of recording, the data is magnetically recorded on the video tape and can be read back at playback time without any interference to the user. The device has no qualitative influence on picture and sound recording.

All VHS and Betamax video recorders can be equipped for data recognition with the video module.

17 CTL head synchronization was chosen as a constant modulating arrangement. The assembly of the video module is very simple because it only requires a two-wire connection to the audio head. In addition, an adapter for channel voltage, on-off and playback status determination is mounted. The CTL track comprises synchronization to the rotary video head. Needle pulses are recorded synchronously with the beginning of the image on the track, vibrations that allow stabilizing the image at the moment of reproduction.

The video module allows recording the media between the synchronization pulses. Data transmission takes place sequentially at 1 bit per image. The maximum data transmission speed, therefore, is 30 bits / second.

The video module comprises a microprocessor that sequentially takes data from TCG 4a and sequentially records it to tape.

The printer probe 18 is a bi-directional analog amplifier. The inputs are directly connected to two CTL recording and playback head jacks. The input signal is supplied via a magnetic coupling device to the amplifier without DC component. Input and output signals are separated from each other via a circulator Differences in input signal levels allow the installation to automatically recognize VCR recording and playback modes. In addition, the dynamics of the installation are reduced to a minimum by means of keyboard adjustment and filter components.

video module 17 comprises a microprocessor and processes the signals read according to certain

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-10filtration for data collection. Tunes to VCR recording with vertical sync pulses and sequentially modulates a data stream in the intervals between vertical blank pulses and can accurately and accurately reproduce recorded data. Distortions in the length of the vertical blank pulse period are automatically corrected by the processor. Normal and slow tape speeds are also automatically determined and controlled by the installation.

The CTL recording track is used for synchronization of the drive device to the image frequency (start of image). This signal is provided to the recording head via a differentiator. In this way it becomes a system of specific norm. Figure 4 represents:

a) the differentiated signal at the time of recording; during playback, the same signal is obtained but at a lower level 6 0 dB;

b) the digital data flow at the processor interface;

c) the data synchronization pulses determined by the digital processor filtering; and

d) a modulated CTL data signal (increase after positive peaks represents a logical 1).

It is also possible to determine data relating to the type of broadcast and the time of its recording and playback, to store this data and to transmit it to the central computer.

It is also possible to determine recorded television broadcasts, purchased videotapes or video recordings made by the proprietor himself. This determination is made according to the dialogue process described above. If the computer determines that the data for a video playback does not correspond to a television channel and the corresponding program, a question may be asked via the TCG display regarding the type of video recording being viewed. .

For media and market studies, it is also desirable to determine whether teletext is being

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-11 teletext pages are being viewed. You also have to finish when and which teletext page is chosen. However, because many teletext decoders on TV sets were able to store teletext pages in a memory without displaying them on the TV display, it was necessary to create a special adapter. This adapter differs from the code (page number) coming from the RGB (red, green, blue) of the color signal or the blank signal just before the CRT (all cathode ray). This allows you to recognize the code (page number) of the teletext page that is actually being displayed.

The image content of a teletext page is read in a digital memory with a sample frequency of 6 MHz.

The initial instruction is given by processor 12 after this processor has determined by means of a teletext category entry that teletext is on. The clock frequency of 6 MHz is taken from the teletext decoder in the TV set so that the samples that are read correspond to the image points that are used by the teletext encoder for displaying symbols. 0 Red start in cycle is associated with image and line sync pulses to ensure that a complete image is read at the correct sync. The image is memorized line by line. In order for each sample to receive an address in memory, the clock frequency of 6 MHz triggers an address counter which at the time of reading replaces the RAM addresser. The clock frequency is suppressed during the time when there are synchronization impulses of the lines in order not to unnecessarily take place in memory. An additional activation input on the clock connection allows you to start and stop the clock anywhere on the image lines. This allows you to read only certain portions of an image.

If an image is stored, the processor 12 can choose each individual point, and after calculating the addresses, can sum all the related points again as one

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-12 array according to teletext standard. This makes it possible to recognize the page number in the teletext title line or other optional page indications and transfer them to the TCG evaluation. It also allows decoding any bit sequence of a line.

As mentioned, it is possible and desirable to further determine data on consumption habits and to transfer them to the central computer. At present, a large percentage of products have indications in the Universal Product Code (UPC) so that it is possible to give the consumer a UPC explorer with which the consumer can read the UPC code in the article wrapper or packaging. purchased and transfer this code to TCG via an appropriate adapter. Other indj. using the remote control manipulator 8. Accordingly, data can also be determined at points of sale that allow an investigation into consumer behavior.

The auxiliary device for reading the UPC code is preferably designed to be powered by the main current and to transmit the high frequency determined data by supplying the main current to the TCG as described above. This UPC explorer for reading data can be installed anywhere in the home, for example in the kitchen, for data determination. You can also have a keyboard for recording non-readable data automatically. Other data may also be recorded by scanning UPC-coded or manually-recorded tables, for example newspaper and journal reading, radio listening and other habits.

Several modifications are possible, so installations can be used at the most different stages of finishing. For example, it is possible to use more than two secondary devices 4b. With regard to the present invention, it should be noted that in all cases it is necessary to determine data from

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channels and their broadcasts, while any acquisition of other necessary data regarding the use of the video recorder or information from teletext or central decoding data, as appropriate through dialogue , has its own innovative meaning and must be protected independently.

It has been seen above that all VHS and Betamax video recorders can be equipped for data identification with video module 17. Figure 5 shows a block diagram of a video module variant for data integration, not as before on the CTL track, but on the video signal before recording, and to record this video tape signal on the image track.

The data to be written to the video signal is as follows:

channel number 1 byte local time 3 byte data 3 byte checksum 1 byte

Total 8 byte per frame

The information to be entered comprises 8 (byte) xx 8 bits = 64 bits. This information should be written in the first. The first 16 lines of each video signal structure means that each line gets 4 bits. These conditions are shown in figure 6.

The first lines of each frame of a video signal received from a TV broadcaster do not comprise image content, but teletext data, vertical vibration synchronization (VPS) and special transmitter identification signals. In the case of a recording of this video signal on a videotape, this data from the sender is not considered. VPS data is only required for the exact start and stop of a video recorder. Instead of the data contained in the video signal from the sender and related to teletext, VPS and sender identification, the video module of the

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Input the video signal other than the transmitter, time and date of transmission, normal recording or installation

14MS / ba / 22 931 / / case 2 The present invention allows as a channel number without disturbing the work of the TV.

The exact timing ratios for inputting data to the video signal are controlled by a microprocessor 20 of the video module 17 such that the normal operation of the video recorder 2 is not disturbed. In addition, the image content is not influenced. Figure 5 shows that the video signal to be recorded is recovered from the TV signal after this TV signal which is received at the antenna has been amplified at the HF portion 21 of the TV receiver and demodulated at the demodulator 22. Normally, if the video signal has not been supplied with data prior to recording, this video signal will be amplified in a recording amplifier 23 and provided to the video head 24 for recording. However, in the present case, the direct connection between the demodulator 22 and the recording amplifier 23 is broken and the demodulated video signal is provided to a video switch module 25 of the video recorder 2. 0 The video switch module essentially comprises a relay 26 with an SPDT contact device. The video signal on which data is to be written is provided by the video switch module 25 to a video amplifier 27 which, in turn, also provides the video signal to a writing circuit 28 in which the above-mentioned data is written to first 16 lines of each frame, and at the same time to a reading circuit 29 in which data recorded on the videotape is retrieved. The output of circuit 28 is provided via a video amplifier 30 to the video switch module 25 which is connected to the recording amplifier 23. The data to be written to the video signal is provided to circuit 28 by the video module microprocessor 20 which is connected to the TCG printer.

If the VCR adapter and TCG determine that video recorder 2 has been switched to recording, video module 17 receives an enable signal and the video module automatically synchronizes to the vertical and horizontal sync pulses.

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of the video signal to be recorded. The video signal is also rendered white by blank synchronous pulses and blocking pulses such that these values ​​are not modified by the video module. The data in the first 16 lines of each frame for VPS, teletext, etc. are rewritten by the above data (channel number, time, date).

If the video recorder is switched for playback, the video signal from the head 24 is supplied to the video switching module via the display amplifier 31 and from the video switching module via the video amplifier 27 to the reading circuit 29 The video module is synchronized to the video signal so that the written data can be read each time the tape is played. Data from circuit 29 is provided via microprocessor 20 to the TCG apparatus for display.

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