CA1200895A - Television viewer reaction determining systems - Google Patents

Television viewer reaction determining systems

Info

Publication number
CA1200895A
CA1200895A CA000374086A CA374086A CA1200895A CA 1200895 A CA1200895 A CA 1200895A CA 000374086 A CA000374086 A CA 000374086A CA 374086 A CA374086 A CA 374086A CA 1200895 A CA1200895 A CA 1200895A
Authority
CA
Canada
Prior art keywords
viewer
reactions
indicating
programs
persons
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired
Application number
CA000374086A
Other languages
French (fr)
Inventor
Penelope C. Percy
Roger D. Percy
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Percy (rd) & Co
Original Assignee
Percy (rd) & Co
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Percy (rd) & Co filed Critical Percy (rd) & Co
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of CA1200895A publication Critical patent/CA1200895A/en
Expired legal-status Critical Current

Links

Classifications

    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04H—BROADCAST COMMUNICATION
    • H04H60/00—Arrangements for broadcast applications with a direct linking to broadcast information or broadcast space-time; Broadcast-related systems
    • H04H60/29—Arrangements for monitoring broadcast services or broadcast-related services
    • H04H60/33—Arrangements for monitoring the users' behaviour or opinions
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04H—BROADCAST COMMUNICATION
    • H04H60/00—Arrangements for broadcast applications with a direct linking to broadcast information or broadcast space-time; Broadcast-related systems
    • H04H60/35—Arrangements for identifying or recognising characteristics with a direct linkage to broadcast information or to broadcast space-time, e.g. for identifying broadcast stations or for identifying users
    • H04H60/45—Arrangements for identifying or recognising characteristics with a direct linkage to broadcast information or to broadcast space-time, e.g. for identifying broadcast stations or for identifying users for identifying users

Abstract

ABSTRACT
Television viewer reaction determining systems generate distinct signals indicative of different viewer reactions to television programs. These systems generate a further signal identifying any of the mentioned distinct signals as indicative of a viewer reaction to an unspecified person appearing in any video program. The mentioned distinct and further signals are gathered, and the unspecified person is identified from such gathered signals.
The gathering of the mentioned signals is preferably effected in real time within a tolerance corresponding of an average rate of change of persons appearing in the video programs.

Description

a ..... .- -7934 1 TELEVISION VIEWER REACTION I)ETE~MINING SYSTEMS
~ _ , . .. .

16 The subject invention xelates to audience survey 17 and response systems, to broadcast audience survey and 18 response systems, to televisic)n viewer survey and 19 response systems and, more specifically, to systems for determining viewing habit~ of television view~r~
21 and televisi~n viewer response and reactionO

~, .

1 Television in the United States and some other
2 countries has been in serious danger of hecoming a
3 medium fordelivering masses to advertisers. The net-
4 works' obsession with rating points has led to pro-graming for the lowest common denominator. Any 6 television program with less than a 30 percent sharP
7 of the Nielson television audience is in trouble, and 8 is likely to be cancelled, even though it has 10 to 9 15 million faithful viewers. This blind reliance on a cut-off point makes television the only medium in 11 history which considers a regular audience of tens 12 of millions to be a failure.
13 By way of contrast, other media have lately become 14 increasingly specialized and narrowly focused on particular audiences. This, for instance, applies to 16 radio programing designed to attract special or parti-17 cular audiences here and there, to the current pro-18 fusion of magazines devoting themselves to the special 19 interests of relatively small groups of readers, and even to metropolitan newspapers which have been intro~
21 ducing zoned editions, targeted to readers and adver-22 tisers in specific neighborhoods. As long as the 23 dominance of the current Nielson rating system persists, 24 such a development is believed impossible for commercial television.
26 To put the problem succinctly, what has been in the 27 way of more satisfactory and fairer television programing 28 was the lack of an effective and efflcient rating system 29 that wou~d respect television viewers not only in terms of their quantity, but also of their opinion on 31 particular programs and on specific portions thereof 32 and on commerciais aired during program breaks.

~2~ 5 1 Great strides in this respect have recently been 2 made by the systems disclosed in US Patents 4,107,734 3 and 735~ issued August 15, 1978 to the subject 4 assignee. Reference may also be had to the patent documen-ts cited in the latter patents.

,~
~3 ~2~

It is a general object oE this invention to provide improved audience survey systems.
It is a germane object of this invention to provide improved television viewer survey systems and, more specifically, improved systems for determining viewing habits of television viewers and television viewer reaction.
It is a related object of this invention to provide television viewer response systems with a specific identification facility, including an identification of individual reacting viewers and an identification of persons appearing in video programs to which a viewer reaction pertains.
It is also a general object of this invention to provide a program rating system that is more qualitative in its content and impact, rather than being merely quantitatively oriented.
It is also an object of this invention to provide improved methods and apparatus for television audience survey systems.
In accordance with the present invention there is provided in a method determining viewer reaction to video programs including persons displayed by different video display sets, the improvement comprising in combination the steps of:
providing switching devices for receiving different reactions to said programs;
employing said switching devices for distinctly indicating different viewer reactions to said programs;
generally classifying part of said viewer reactions as reactions to unspecified persons;
gathering said viewer reactions; and identifying said unspecified persons from said gathered viewer reactions.
Also in accordance with the invention there is provided in a method of determining viewer reaction to video programs including persons displayed by different video display sets, the improvements comprising in combination the steps of:

_ - ~a ,~.
I

generating ~istinct el.ectric signals indicative of different viewer reactions to said programs;
generating a further electric signal identifying any of said distinct signals as indicative of a viewer reaction to an unspecified displayed person;
gathering said distinct and further signals; and identifying said unspecified person from said gathered signals.
Further in accordance with the present invention there is provided in a method of determining viewer reaction to video programs displayed by different video display sets, ~he improvement comprising in combination the steps of:
providing on/off type push buttons;
distinctly indicating viewer reactions origi-nating with individual viewers; and specifically identifying said viewer reactions in terms of said individual viewers, by having viewers selectively actuate more than one of said push buttons at a time.
Further in accordance with the present invention there is provided in a method of determining viewer reaction to ~ideo programs displayed by different`video display sets, the improvement comprising in combi~ation the steps of:
generating distinct electric signals indicative of different viewer reactions to said programs;
generating a further electric signal identifying any of said distinct signals as originating with a particular viewer; and gathering said distinct and further signals essentially in real time.
Further in accordance with the present invention there is provided in a method of determining viewer reaction to video programs broadcast over different television channels and displayed by different video display sets, the improvement comprising in combination the steps of:

,.
., 3 .~
_ - 4b providing switching devices Eor receiving ~ifferent reactions to said programs;
employing said switching devices for distinctly indicating viewer reactions originating with individual viewers;
determining for each viewer reaction the channel over which the program watched by the paeticular viewer is being broadcast;
specifically identifying said viewer reactions in terms of said individual viewers and television channels; and gathering said viewer reactions essentially in real time.
Further in accordance with the present invention there is provided in a method of determining viewer reaction to video programs including persons displayed to participating viewers by different video display sets, the improvement comprising in combination the steps of:
providing switching devices for receiving different reactions to said programs;
employing said switching devices for distinctly indicating viewer reactions originating with individual viewers, specifically identifying said viewer reactions in terms of said individual viewers;
generally classifying part of said viewer reactions as reactions to unspecified persons; and identifying said unspecified persons from said classified part of said viewer reactions.
Further in accordance with the present invention there is provided in a method of determinin~ vie~er reaction to video programs including persons displayed by different video display sets, the improvement com-Prising in combination the stepsAof.:
generating distinct electric signals indicative of different viewer reactions to said programs;
generating a first further electric signal identifying any of said distinct signals as originating with a particular viewer;
generating a second further electric signal identifying any of said distinct signals as - ~c indïcative of a viewer reaction to an unspecified displayed person; and identifying said unspecified persons from said second further signal.

Further in accordance with the present invention there is provided in a method of determining viewer reaction to video programs including persons and being broadcast over different television channels and displayed by di~ferent video display sets, the improvement comprising in combination the steps of:
providing switching devices ~or receiving different reactions to said programs;
employing said switching devices for distinctly indicating viewer reactions originating with individual viewers;
determining for each viewer reaction the channel over which the program watched by the particular viewer is being broadcast, generally classifying part of said viewer reactions as reactions to unspecified persons; and specifically identiying said viewer reactions and unspecified persons in terms of said individual viewers and said television channels.
Further in accordance with the present invention there is provided in a method of determining, in terms of different criteria, viewer reaction to video programs displayed b~
differen~ video display sets, the i~.provement comprising in combination ~he steps of:
providing a number of possible types o~ viewer reactions and indicating viewer reactions in terms of said possible types;
providing distinct ~irst electric signals representative of said indicated viewer reactions in terms of a first criterion; and providing distinct second electric signals representative of said indicated viewer reactions in terms of a second criterion, including the step - 4d of expressing said second signals in terms of a reaction to the performance of a person displayed in one of said video programs.
Further in accordance with the present invention there is provided in a method of determining viewer reaction to video programs displayed by different video display sets, the improvement comprising in combina-tion the steps of:
providing a plurality of input devices for selective actuation by viewers;
having ~iewers selectively actuate said input devices, one at a tlme, to indicate different first viewer reactions; and having viewers selectively actuate said input devices, more than one at a time, to indicate dif~erent second viewer reactions.
Further in accordance with this invention there is provided in apparatus for deter~ining viewer reaction to video programs including persons displayed by different video display sets, the improvement com-prising in combination:
means for distinctly indicating different viewer reactions to said programs;
means connected to said indicating means for generally classifying part of said viewer reactions as reactions to unspecified persons;
means connected to said indicating and classifying means for gathering said viewer reactions; and means connected to said gathering means for identifying said unspecified persons from said gathered viewer reactions.

_ - ~ e - ,.
I

Further in accordance with the invention there is provided in apparatus for determining viewer reaction to video programs including persons displayed b~
dif~erent video display sets, the improvement com-prising in combination:
means for generating distinct signals indi-cative of different viewer reactions to said programs and for generating a further signal identifying any of said distinct signals as indicative of a viewer reaction to an unspecified displayed person;
means connected to said generating means for gathering said distinct further signals, and means connected to said gathering means for identifying said unspecified persons from said gathered signals~
Further in accordance with the invention there is provided in apparatus for determining viewer reaction to video programs displayed by different video display sets, the imprc~vement comprising:
means for distinctly indicating viewer reactions originating w~ith individual viewers; and means combined with said indicating means in-cludin~ on/off-type push button means for specifically identifying said viewer reactions in terms of said individual viewers.
Further .in accordance with the invention there is provided in apparatus for determining viewer reaction to video programs displayed by different ~ideo display sets, the improvement comprising:
means for generating distinct signals indicative of different viewer reactions to said programs;
means combined with said generating means for generating a further signal identifying any of said distinot signals as originating with a particular viewer; and means connected to said means for generating distinct signals ancl said means for generating a further signal for gathering said distinct and further signals essentially in real time.

_ ~ 4~
Further in accordance with the invention there is provided in apparatus for determining viewer reaction to video programs broadcast ovex diiferent television ch~nnels and displayed by different video display sets, the improvement comprising in combination:
means for distinctly indicating viewer reactions originating with individual viewers;
means for determining for each viewer reaction the channel over which the program watched by the particular viewer is being broadcast;
means connected to said indicating and determin-ing means for specifically identifying said viewer reactions in terms of said individual viewers and television channels; and means for gathering said viewer reactions essentially in real time.
Further in accordance with the invention there is provided in apparatus for determining viewer reaction to video programs including persons displayed ~o participating viewers by different video display sets, the improvement comprising in combination:
means for distinctl~ indicating viewer reactions originating with indi~idual viewers;
means for specifically identifying said viewer reactions in terms of said individual viewers;
means for generally classiEying part of said viewer reactions as reactions to unspecified persons; and means connected to said classifying means for identifying said unspecified persons from said classi~ied part of said viewer reactions.
Further in accordance with the invention there is provided in apparatus for determining viewer reaction to video programs including persons displayed by different video display sets, the improvement com-prising in combination:

9~c9~
~ g means for generating distinct signals indi-cative of different viewer reactions to said programs, for generating a first further signal identifying any of saict distinct signals as originating with a particular viewer and for generating a seeond further signal identifying any of said distinct signals as indicative of a viewer reaction to an unspecified displayed person; and means eonneeted to said generating means for identifying said unspecified persons from said seeond further signals.
Further in accordance with the invention there provided in apparatus for determining viewer reaction to video programs ineluding persons and being broad-east over different television channels and displayed by different video display sets, the improvement eom-prising in eombination:
means for distinetly indicating viewer reaetions originating with indi~idual viewers;
means for determining for each viewer reaetion the ehannel over whieh the program watehea by the partieular viewer is being broadeast;
means for generally classifying part of said viewer reactions as reaetions to unspecified persons; and means connected to said indicating, deter-mining and elassifying means for specifically identifying said viewer reactions and unspeci-fied persons in terms of said individual viewers and said television ehannels.
Further in accordance with the invention there is provided in apparatus for determining, in terms of different eriteria, viewer r~aetion to video prosrams displayed by different video display sets, the improve-ment comprising in combination:

~. .

.3~
5 - ~
I

means for indicating viewer reactions in terms of number of possible types of viewer reactions;
means connected to said indicating means for providing distinct first signals representative of said indicated viewer reactions in terms of a first criterion; and means connected to said indicating means for providing distinct second signals representative of said indicated viewer reactions in terms of a second criterion, including means for expressing said second signals in terms of a reaction to the performance of a person displayed in one of said video programs.
Further in accordance with the invention there is provided in apparatus for determining viewer reaction to video programs displayed by dif~erent video display sets, the improvement comprising in combination:
- a plurality of input devices for selective actuation by viewers;
means connected to said input devices for indicating different first viewer reactions in response to actuation of said input devices, one at a time; and means connected to said input devices for indicating different second viewer reactions in response to actuation of more than one of said input devices at a time.
Further in accordance with this invention there is provided in a unit for receiving viewer reactions to video programs, the improvement comprising in combination:
a series of switching devices for receivin~ a number of possible types of viewer reactions; and a further switching device for indicating that any of said viewer reactions is a reaction to a person appearing in any of said video programs.

2 The subject invention and its various objects and 3 aspects will become more readily apparent from the 4 following detailed description of preferred embodimen-ts thereof, illustrated by way of example in the accompany-
6 ing drawings, in which like reference numerals desig-
7 nate like or functionally equivalent par-ts, and in which:
8 FIG. 1 is a top view of a viewer reaction input-ting
9 unit according to a preferred embodiment of the subject invention;
11 FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG. 1, speci~ically 12 showing a viewer identification technique or facility 13 according to a preferred embodiment of -the invention;
14 FIG. 3 is a fractional showing of the unit of FIG. 1, showing a phase of the operation thereof;
16 FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 3, showing a 17 special techni~ue and facility for indicating a reaction 18 to a specific person, according to a further embodiment 19 of the subject invention;
FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of important parts 21 of the circuitry of the unit shown in FIGS. 1 to 4;
22 FIG~ 6 is a block diagram of a viewer response or 23 reaction processing system employing the unit shown 24 in FIGS. 1 to 4; and FIG. 7 is a simplified version of a viewer re-26 sponse printout produced by the equipment shown in 27 FI~S. 1 to 6 according to a preferred embodiment of 28 the subject invention.

~g~

2 The unit or console 10 shown in FIGS. 1 to 4 3 may be a part of a remote control which is preferably 4 positioned across the room from a -television set, or at the preferred and most comfortable viewing position, 6 for conveniently effecting channel selections and - 7 other control func-tions relative to the particular 8 video display set. Reference may in this respect be 9 had to the above mentioned commonly owned US Patents 4,107,734 and 735. These two issued patents 11 show, for instance, various television broadcast 12 stations, a video or television broadcast display 13 set in a multichannel broadcast reception area and a 14 remote control with channel selection, sound control and viewer response receiving sys~em.
16 The illustrated unit 10 accordingly includes 17 means for selecting video program transmission channels 18 or channel tuning facilities for the video programs ~to 19 be displayed and reacted to. In particular, the unit
10 includes push buttons 12 for individually selecting 21 VHF channels 2 to 13. A fine tuning facility 14 is 22 also provided in addition to an ON-OFF switch 15 for 23 the unit and for the television set.
24 If desired, the unit 10 may also be equipped with a UHF or any other channel selection facility. Within 26 the broad scope of the subject invention, the VHF, VHF
27 or othex program selection facility need not be part 28 of the unit 10, but may be located at -the corresponding 29 television set or elsewhere, depending on the needs and goals of the system.

., , i 1 On the other hand, the unit 10 may be equipped 2 w.ith additional controls (not shown) for such para 3 meters as volume, brightness, hue, etc.
4 The uni.t 10 Eor receiving viewer reactions to video programs includes a series of switching devices 6 17 for receiving a number of possible types of viewer 7 reactions. By way of example, the illustrated embodi-8 ment provides for eight possible types of v:iewer 9 reaction, including E for excellence, I for informa-tive, C for credible, F for funny, B for boring,
11 U for unbelievable, D for dumb, and ZAP for absolutely
12 objectionable. A participating viewer is thus enabled
13 to exp:ress his or her reactions to a displayed video
14 program or its contents positively and negatively in multi-dimensional types of expression.
16 Often, a viewer wishes to express his reaction 17 relative to a person appearing in a program. So far, 18 this has not been practically possible, and much 19 useful information therefore never reached the people responsible for creating or airing video programs.
21 According to the currently discussea aspect of 22 the invention~ the unit 10 includes a further switching 23 device 18 for indicating that any of the viewer reactions 24 is a reaction to a person appearing in any of the video pxog~ams, as more fully explained below.
26 Also in accordance with an aspect of the subject 27 inYentiOn~ the unit 10 includes a sPcond further 28 switching device 19 for indicating that any of the 29 viewer reactions originates with identified viewers.

1 In this respect, it is within the scope of the 2 subject invention that either the switching device 3 18 or the switching device 19 may be the only further 4 switching device of the unit 10, or that both further switchiny devices 18 and 19 may be present as shown 6 in FIGS. 1 et seq.
7 Also, while it is within the scope of the invention to ~ employ different switching devices at 17, 18 and 19, on-off 9 type push hu-ttons have been employed for this purpose in the illustrated pre~erred embodiment. A first label 21 11 designates for each push button 17 a corresponding one 12 of the eight different types of viewer reaction.
13 Similarly, the label 21 designates the further push 14 button 18 as a person-reaction button PSN and the push button 19 as a viewer identification button I.D~
16 A second label 22 individually designates at least 17 some of the switching devices or push buttons in the 18 series 17 in terms of individual viewers using the 19 unit 10. By way of example, and in terms of a parti-cipating household, the label 22 designates one of the 21 push buttons 17 as pertaining to AL who is the father 22 named Albert in the particular household. Another push 23 button 17 is designated to PAT, who is the mother 24 named Patricia in that household. Another push button 17 is dedicated to the son ED, and another push button 26 17 to the daughter LI~. A further push butto~ 17 is 27 labeled as OTHER, indicating a response by any person 28 other than A1, Pat, Ed and Liz.

1 A possible sequence of use of -the unit 10 will 2 now be explained with the aid of FIGSo 2 to 4~ In 3 particular~ the user first switches the unit ON, as 4 indicated at 15 in FIG. 2. This may at the same time turn _ the corresponding television set, which 6 preferably is not turned on independently.
7 The user then selects a desired v.ideo channel 8 by depression of on- of the push buttons 12. For 9 instance, the push button 12' may be depressed for channel 4~
11 The viewer identifies himself or herself by 12 simultaneous depression of the I D. button 19 and 13 one of the dedicated buttons 17. For instance, the 14 mother of the particular household may identify her-self by simultaneously depressing with two fingers 16 23 and 24 the I.D. button 19 and the PAT button 17, 17 as shown in FIG. 2. As more fully described below, 18 the equipment thus takes note of the fact that 19 responses.following such identification are the responses of the mother of the household~ In practice r 21 this is important in evaluating video program per-22 . formance and in optimizing the provision of programs 23 of special interest and appeal to different age groups 24 and other strata of society.
The identified mother may then express her views 26 on the particular video program, such as by depressing 27 the push button 17 under F with a finger 23, when 23 she thinks that a particular part of the program 29 or the program itself is funny(see FIG. 3). In this respect, while FIG. 7 draws a distinction between 31 commercials, and progr~ms themselves, the word 32 "program" is employed herein and in the claims 33 generically, as further mentioned below.

1 According to FIG. ~, the identified mother may 2 further express her opinion on a person appearing in 3 the displayed program by simultaneously depressing with her fingers 23 and 2~ -the person button 18 and one of the reaction buttons 17. In this manner, the 6 mother may, for example, credit a person appearing, 7 for instance, in a commercial as being credible (C)~
8 In practice, the implementation of the viewer g response or reaction unit 10 may be similar to that of the viewer reaction unit shown in the above 11 mentioned US Patents 4,107,734 and 735.
12 For instance, the push buttons 17 to 19 13 may be similar to the push buttons 25 to 28 shown in 14 these patents, and the viewer reaction input circuitry 26 shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 may be similar to the 16 corresponding circuitrv shown in the upper part of 17 FIG. 2 in the latter patents. The digital encoder 18 shown in the lower part of that FIG. 2 may also be 19 employed in the viewer reaction input circuitry 26 to indicate the tuning of the participating displayed 21 set to any particular television channel.
22 According to FIG. 5, the illustrated unit 10 23 with associated input circuitry 26 does employ eight 2~ switching channels serviced by in~ividual push buttons 17, for indicating the possible types of viewer re-26 actions, one further switching channel serviced by 27 the pus~. button 18 for ~ualifying any reaction as 28 a reaction to a person appearing in a program, and 29 a still further switching channel serviced ~y the push button 19, for identifying any viewer reaction 31 as the reaction of a designated person. These 32 switching channels serviced by push buttons 17 to 19 33 may in principle be identical and separate in practice.

'~.
.~

1 To assure a viewer of his or her proper actwation 2 of push buttons 17 to 19, each switching channel or 3 push button may be individually provided with a light-4 emitting diode (LED) or other signal lamp 28. The bank of signal lamps 29 thus provided is seen in 6 FIGS. 1 to 4 in its individual association with the 7 push buttons 18 to 19. As also seen in FIGS. 2 to 8 4, indi.vidual lamps 28 light up adjacent specific 9 actuated push buttons. As seen in FIG. 5, LED's Z8 may be individually conn~cted to the push buttons 11 through current limiting .resistors 31.
12 The ten viewer response or reaction and identi-13 fication channels shown in FIG. 5 may be handled by 14 the system shown in FIG. 6 in essentially the same manner as the four viewer reaction channels shown 16 at the top of FIG. 2 in the above mentioned US
17 Patents 4~107,73~ and 735. The viewer reaction and 18 response processing system 31 may also include a 19 channel for ascertaining the ON-OFF condition of the particular television set, as shown at 29 and 85 21 in the upper part of FIG, 2 of the latter paten~s, and 22 a television channel sensing and encoding arrangement 23 with binary outputs as shown at 65 to 67 and 71 to 74 24 in the lower part of that FIG. 2. The resulting ~iewer response or reaction and channel selection 26 input apparatus, including the equipment shown in 2~ FIG. 5 hPreof, is indicated at 32 in FI&~ 6.

1 As indicated at 33 in FIG. 6, the system of the 2 subject invention may also include equipment for 3 altering the display of a television broadcast in 4 response to actuation of the push button 17 labeled ZAP in the unit 10 shown in FIGS. 1 to 4. As explained 6 in the above mentioned US Patents 4,107,734 and 735 7 with the aid o the upper parts of FIGS. 2 and 3, such 8 ZAP reaction represents the ultimate in viewer dissa-tis-9 faction, resulting, for instance, in a temporary audio and visual blanking of loudspeaker and television screen.
11 As indicated at 34 in FIG. 6 and a.s diagrammati-12 cally shown at 76, 100 and 115 in FIG. 3 of the above 13 mentioned Patents 4,107,734 and 735, the viewer re-14 action identification and channel selection signals may be timed or encoded and multiplexed for modulation 16 and transmission to the data processing center shown 17 in the lower part of FIG. 6. By way of example, the :L8 modulator shown at 127 in FIG. 3 of the above mentioned 19 Patents 4,107,734 and 735 may be employed at 35 in the system 31 for preparing the multiplexed signals 21 for transmission over a channel 37. In practice, 22 such transmission channel may, for example, be a 23 leased telephone line, a cable or wireless transmission 29 channel, or a channel of a multiplexed transmission, to name some representative examples.
26 At the receiving end of the channel 37 r the 27 transmitted signals are demodula-'ed and demultiplexed 28 at 38. Reference may in this respect be had to the 29 upper part of FIG. 5 and its corresponding description in the above mentioned US Patent 4,107,735 showing 31 detection~ demultiplexing and identification equipment 32 for several transmission channels 37, 37l and 37".

l As shown at 138 in FIG. 5 of the above mentioned 2 Patent 4,107,735 and in FIG. 6 hereof, the viewer 3 reaction determining system also includes a viewer 4 identification device or function which identifies the household or entity equipped with -the particular 6 responding unit 10 and which, in the system of the 7 illustrated preferred embodiment of the subject in-8 vention, also identifies each reaction for which an 9 D. button 17 has been depressed, as the reaction of the viewer particularly identified in the manner 11 shown, for instance, in FIG. 2 hereof. All this can 12 be conveniently handled in practice by the employment 13 of codes designating particular participating house-14 holds and individual viewers, as more fully explained below~
16 The viewer identification ascertained at 138 may 17 be fed into a microprocessor 39 along with the de~
18 modulated and demultiplexed viewer reaction, identi-19 fication, and ON-OFF determination signals. Reference - may in this respect also be had to FIGS. 5 to 8 of 21 the above mentioned Patent 4V107,73~. As shown at 22 41 and 42 in FIG. 6 hereof, and in FIGS. 4, 7 and 8 23 in the above mentioned US Patent 4,107,735, a video 24 monitor and tape recorder may be employed for graphi-cally displaying and recording viewer response or 26 reaction. Such data may also be printed out in real 27 time as indicated at 43 and stored in a memory for 28 further processing as indicated at 44 in FIGS. 6 29 hereof. By ~ay of example, and ~ithin the scope of the subject invention, such further processing may 31 reside in the preparation of a detailed viewer response 32 printout 45 of the type shown in FIG. 7.

~.2l~g~
- 15 l To this end, -the system 31 includes a rnulti-2 channel television reception facility which preferably 3 receives all kelevision channels in the particular 4 suxvey area. A video tape recording facility records or transcribes the received video programs, commercials 6 and all other contents of each channel at 47. The 7 various video channels are received and recorded at 8 47 in real time. Preferably, the system 31 includes 9 a time date generator which continuously records the exact date and time at 47 right onto the video tape ll or other recording medium, so that the accurate time 12 appears in each image field or frame when the recorded 13 program is played back. Xeypunch or other facilities 14 may be employed at 48 to provide for each recording such channel identification, broadcast content and
16 other data as may be helpful to the compiler and
17 collator.
18 Data compilation and collation at 49 may be d~ne
19 electronically or with the aid of a person From the memory 44, the compiler and collator also re-21 ceives information about all viewer reactions and 22 identification received at particular times. Each 23 bit or other quantum of such information is accompanied 24 by an indication of the exact time of its receipt, as well as an indication of the channel having been 26 received at the set o~ the reacting viewer at the 27 particular time.

~r~n~

1 By comparing the time-indicated viewer data 2 received from memory ~4 with the time-indicated 3 hroadcast data received from the recording 4 facility 48, the compiler is able to place each viewer reaction within the essentially exact spot of 6 the particular program which prompted that reaction.
7 Accurate viewer response or reaction data may thus 8 be compiled and collated at 49.
9 An example of a result of such compilation and collation is apparen-t in the viewer response printout 11 shown in FIG. 7. In partîcular, FIG. 7, starting from 12 the le~t-hand side, has a first column listing products 13 advertised during, or in commerical breaks bètween, 14 specific television programs. The second column of FTG. 7 lists the p~rticular television channels or 16 stations. The third column lists the particular 17 television programs. In this respect, and in terms of 18 ~he first and third col~unns of FIG. 7, a distinction 19 is made between a program, on the one hand, and a commercial, on the other hand, with commercials being 21 listed by brand name in the Eirst or product col~mn, 22 and programs being lis~ed by title in the third column 23 of FIG. 7. .~part from such distinction, the word 24 "programs" is, however, employed herein and in the claims generically to cover commercials, shows, and 26 any other video presentation, observable display or 27 broadcast.

1 The fourth column in FIG. 7 lists each -time, 2 down to the second, in which a particular viewer 3 reaction was received. In this respect, it should 4 be understood that viewer rea~tions preferably are received in essentially real time. In principle, 6 this includes a system in which each viewer reaction 7 is instantly transmitted to the memory 44. In 8 practice, substantially instantaneous transmission 9 of viewer reactions, such as once every second, have, however J been found satisfactoryO According to a 11 preferred embodiment oE the subject invention, the 12 system 31 gathers the viewer reactions in real time 13 within a tolerance for corresponding to an average 14 rate oE change of per~ons appearing in a video program. In practice, this also ties in with an 16 average person's reaction time, since it is unlikely 17 that a viewer would meaningfully react to a person 18 appearing for, sayl less -than a second.
19 The fifth column in FIG. 7 contains viewer identification data. For instance, each household 21 or television set participating in a continuous viewer 22 reaction or response survey may be designated by a 23 three-digit number, if there are more than 100 and less 24 than 1,000 participating households or sets. Accor-dingly, the fifth column of FIG. 7 contains responses 26 from households Nos. 8, 102, 108, 178 and 182.
27 Connected to each household number by a hyphen is a 28 digit indicating the identity of the particular 29 reaction viewer. By way of example, we may assume that the unit shown in FIGS. 1 to 4 hereof belongs to 31 household No. ~08.

1 We may further assume that the persons Al, Pat, 2 ~d and Liz represented in the label 22 in FIGS. 1 to 3 4 have, respec-tively been allocated the I.D. numbers 4 1, 2, 3 and 4.
Further columns of FIG. 7 list buttons activated 6 in terms of the above mentioned possible viewer re-7 actions E to Z, signifying the action of any of the 8 buttons 17, one at a time, as shown by way of example 9 in FIG. 3. The remaining columns of FIG. 7 show buttons activated in terms of the possible viewer 11 react.ions to persons, PE to PZ, received in response 1~ to simultaneous actuation of the person button 18 13 and of any of the buttons 17 as shown, for instance, 14 in FIG. 4,with Z and ZAP denoting the same reaction.
The operation of the disclosed system will now 16 be further explained with the aid of the master 17 printout 45. In particular, as indicated in the first 18 d~ta row of FIG. 7, a viewer reaction was received 19 -at 40 seconds after 12:48. Prior to inputting that reaction, the viewer identified herself as Pat by 21 simultaneously depressing the viewer identification 22 button 19 and the appropriate one of the general 23 ~uttons 17 above ~he label PAT, as shown in FIG. 2.
24 The viewer reaction recorded in the first row of ~IG. 7 then ar~se when Pat thought at the parti-26 cular instant that the contents of a video display 27 aired over stationKOMO was funny~ She thus depressed 28 the _ button 17, as shown in FIG. 3. That viewer 29 reac ion then was modulated and transmitted via line - 37, to be demodulated and correlated to identifica-31 tions of the particular viewer and channel ~iewed, 32 transmitted along &hannel 37 previously or shortly 33 preceding the actual viewer reaction.

p~
_ ]9 _ 1 As a result, the channel or sta-tion 9 time, 2 viewer identification and v.iewer reaction clata shown 3 in the first row of FIG. 7 are printed out, such as 4 with the real time printout 43. On the basis of such station and time in~ormation, the collator 6 can keypunch at 48 or otherwise insert the name of 7 the particular program and, if of interest, the name 8 of the product advertised at the time. As a result, 9 the data shown in the first row of FIG. 7 are compiled and printed out at 45.
11 As a result of the essentially real time 12 gathering of the viewer reaction, and on the basis 13 of~the time data indicated in the first row of 14 FIG. 7, the observer or user of the particular viewer response printout can tell that Pat did not 16 actually react to the show "All my Children," but 17 rather considered the commercial of the Brand A
18 product as funny. This is very important, since 19 other systems have tended to confuse viewer .reaction among commercials and adjacent shows... In the past, 21 such confusion has stood in the way of a meaningful 22 impro~ement of television programing and commercial 23 messages.
24 Turning now to the seco~d data row of FIG. 7, we find that Rat, at a specific instan~, was im-26 pressed by the credibility of a then appearing 27 person, and regis-tered such impression by actuating 28 the button 18 and appropriate button 17 simultaneous-29 ly, as shown in FIG. 4. As an important point, it will be noted in this respect that the unit 10 31 according to the illustrated preferred embodiment 32 of the subject invention does not have any facility 33 for registering the identity of the person to whom 34 the viewer reacted.

- ~o -1 In other words, while the label 22 idcntifies 2 participating viewers at the location of the parti-3 cular unit 10, no such identification is provided 4 for persons reacted to. In fact, such an identifi-cation would severely limit the number of persons 6 to which viPwers could react, and it would be out~
7 right impossible in practice to provide any meaningful 8 list of persons appearing in various television 9 programs, commercials or other displays.
As a solution to this heretofore overwhelming 11 problem, the illustràted preferred embodiment of the 12 subject invention does not at the unit 10 specify 13 the person to whom a viewer is reacting when de-14 pressing the button 18. Rather, the unit 10 classi-fies part of the viewer reactions E to ZAP as reactions 16 to unspecified persons in response to simultaneous 17 actuation of the push button 18 and an appropriate 18 push button 17. The system 31 then gathers viewer 19 reactions, and identifies the unspecified persons from such gathered viewer reactions. The specifically 21 disclosed system effects such identification of un-22 specified persons by means or with the aid of a 23 gathering of the viewer react:ions ~ssentially in 74 real time~ such as within a tolerance corresponding to an average rate of change of persons displayed in 26 video programs. According to a preferred embodiment 27 of the subject invention, exemplified in FIG. 6, the 28 identifying step includes a timewise comparison of 29 (a) viewer reactions to unspecified persons to (b~
video programs in a broad sense.

~` ~

l By checking on the time monitor at 47, the 2 user of the viewer response printout of FIG. 7 can 3 tell from the time and other data indicated in the 4 second row of FIG. 7 that Pat responded to one John Abner who appeared in a commercial of Brand s and who 6 at 59 seconds after 13:26 creditably made a rather 7 credible statement about that product, in the opinion 8 of Pat. A larger number of responses of this type 3 may encourage sponsors to put on more credible commercials, resulting eventually in more satisfactory 11 marketing techniyues.
12 Turning now to the third row of FIG. 7, we find 13 that viewer number 4 in participating household number 14 178 considered a specific presentation at 14 seconds after 13:32 as dumb. In a practical situation, close 16 scrutiny of the parti.cular time would indicate that 17 the viewer could not have reacted to a commercial lE~ since "One Life to Live" had already started moments 19 before. Accordingly, what might erroneously have been interpxeted as an adverse reaction to a com-21 mercial, turns out to have been an adverse reaction 22 to the show itself. From an expansion of the parti-23 cular third row, we also learn that viewer number 2 24 in household number 182 considered a person appearing in tne show at the particular instant as being funny, 26 From data available about the participating viewer 27 numbers 2 and 4, such as respective ages and other 28 differences, it may with a sufficiently large sample 29 collected over weeks eventually be possible to identify programs which appeal to particular groups~

1 The subject invention thus enabLes thc important 2 transfer of special interest programing to commercial 3 television in a manner not hereto~ore possible.
4 The fourth data row in FIG. 7 shows that two viewers reacted to a commercial of Brand X wi-th the 6 disgusted outcry ZAP. Given a large enough sample, 7 this should have the beneficial effect of convincing 8 the particular manufacturer to improve its performance 9 or get off the air. At the same time, the subject invention saves the otherwise good movie '~IFraternity 11 Row" since the user or compiler of the particular 12 printout can tell that the co~mercial o Brand X, 13 rather than the motion picture "Fraternity Row," was 14 aired at 13 seconds after 14:12.
At 4 seconds after 22:32~ a disgusting character 16 in a commercial of Brand Y drew the utmos-t negative 17 reaction "Person ZAP" from Al who was watching the 18 series "Supertrain" at about that time. A~ain, on 19 the basis of th~ essentially real time data gathering by the subject system, and the real time printout 21 thereof, the evaluator of the viewer response printout 22 can identify the particular person reacted to, thereby 23 helping the particular actor to improve his performance 24 or the screenwriter in terms of his characterization.
According to the 7ast row of FIG. 7, the son 26 Ed indicated his finding that a commercial of Brand 27 Z was unbelievable. Given a large enough sample, this 28 may eventually indicate to sponsors and marketing 29 people that the younger generation requests more credibility in the advertisement and marketing of 31 a product. Again, the effect may be rather beneficial 32 to consumers at large.

1 In terms of the illustrated equipment and in 2 general, the subject invention, from one aspect 3 thereof, resides in methods and apparatus for de-4 termining viewer reaction to video proyrams in-cluding persons displayed by different video display 6 sets. The invention according to this aspect resides 7 in the combination of distinctly indicating different 8 viewer reactions to the programs, such as by means 9 of push buttons 17 t generally classifying part of the viewer reactions as reactions to unspecified persons, 11 such as by means of a push button 18, gathering the 12 viewer reactions, such as by means of the system 31, 13 and identifying the unspecified persons from the 14 gathered viewer reactions. As disclosed above, the identification of unspecified persons proceeds pri-16 marily by means of a gathering of the viewer reaction 17 in real time within a tolerance corresponding to an 18 average rate of change of the persons in the video 19 programs. As explained with the aid of blocks 44, 47, 48 and 49 in FIG. 6~ the identification of un-21 specified persons reacted to is preferably effected 22 by means of a comparison of (a) the reactions to 23 unspecified persons timewise to (b) video programs 24 received over a mlllti-channel television recei~er 47.
The viewer reaction indicating step preferably 26 includes a provision of a number of possible types 27 or viewer reactions and an indication of viewer 28 reactions to displayed programs in terms of these 29 possible types. For instance, the indicating means or unit 10 includes push buttons 17 for indicating 31 viewer reactions to displayed programs in terms of 32 a number of possible types of viewer reactions E
33 to ZAP.

- 2~ -1 A further push button 1~ is employed ~or generally 2 classifying part of the viewer reactions as reactions 3 to unspecified persons in terms of the lat-ter viewer 4 classification types E to ZAP.
In the illustrated preferred embodiment of the 6 subject invention, actuation of push buttons 17 7 generates distinct signals indicative of different 8 viewex reactions to displayed progxams. Actuation oE
9 push button 18 generates a further signal identifying any of the latter distinct signals as indicative of 11 a viewer reaction to an unspecified displayed person.
12 The system 31 shown in FIG. 6 gathers the latter 13 distinct and further signals and identifies the un-14 specified persons from such gathered signals such as disclosed above with respect to blocks 44, 47, 48 and 16 49 in FIG. 6.
17 From another aspect thereof, or in combination 18 with the aspect just discussed, the subject invention 19 specifically identifies viewer reactions in terms -of individual viewers. As disclosed above, this may, 21 for instance, be accomplishecl with the aid of viewer 22 identification equipment including a further push 23 button 19. As disclosed above with the aid of ~IG. 2, 24 simultaneous actuation of a further push button 19 and a personally dedicated push button 17 may generate 26 a further signal identifying any of the distinct 27 viewer reaction signals as originating with a parti-28 cular viewer. These distinct and further signals 29 preferably are also gathexed essentially in real time.

1 Moreover, there preferably is determined for each 2 viewer reaction the channel over which the 3 program watched by the particular viewer is being 4 broadcast. The viewer reactions are then specifically identified in terms of individual viewers and television 6 channels, and preferably also in terms of persons re-7 acted to, as disclosed above with -the aid of FIGS. 6 8 and 7.
9 Simultaneous actuation of the push button 19 and a dedicated push button 17 preferably generates a 11 first further signal identifying distinct signals 12 generated in the response channel.s including push button 13 17 as originating with a particular viewer. Actuation 14 of the push button 18, on the other h~nd, preferably generates a second signal identifying any of the 16 distinct signals generated in the channels including 17 push button 17 as indicative of a viewer reaction to 18 an unspecified displayed person, which is thereafter 19 identified as explained above with the aid of FIGS. 6 and 7.
21 Rroadly speaking~ the subject invention and its 22 disclosed equipment thus prov:ides a number of possible 23 t~pes of reviewer reactions and indicates viewer 24 reactions in terms of these possible types~ Distinct first signals representative of indicated viewer 26 reactions are provided in terms of a first criterion, ~7 while distinct second signals are provided as re-28 presentative of indicated viewer reactions in terms 29 of a second criterion. By way of example, the first criterion may be the manner in which viewers react 31 to video displays, such as in terms of the above men-32 tioned viewer reactions E to ZAP. The second criterion 33 may then be the performance of a person displayed in 34 one of the video programs or the identity oE a reacting viewer.

1 The provision of the men~ioned second signals 2 may include a modification of the mentioned first 3 signals. In particular, second signals may be 4 provided by qualifying the ~irst signals pursuant to the second criterion, such as with the aid of 6 push bu-tton 18 or 19. Additionally, the first 7 signals may be qualified pursuant to a third cri-8 terion, and may thus be qualified as signal viewer 9 reactions in terms of a third criterion. For instance, when the second criterion is the identity 11 of a reacting viewer, the third criterion may con-12 cern the performance of a person appeaîing in a 13 video broadcast. Conversely~ a generated third 14 signal may be indicative of the identity of a reacting viewer.
16 Also, where video programs are broadcast over dîf-17 ferent television channels, viewer reactions may be 18 qualified in terms of the different channels over which 19 the programs watched by reacting viewers are broadcast, as, for instance, explained above with the aid of FIGS.
21 6 and 7.
22 In this respect, the sub~ect disclosure and claims 23 employ the words "person," "performance of a person"
24 and expressions of like import generically to cover, for instance, a person's performance, character, 2~ persona,appearance or other feature.
27 From another aspect thereof, the subject invention 28 provides a plurality of input devices 17, 18 and 19 29 for selective actuation by viewers, and has viewers selectively actuate these input devices, one at a 31 time, to indicate different first viewer reactions, 32 and further has viewers selectively actuate the input 33 devices 17 and 18 or 19, more than one at a -time, to 34 indicate different second viewer reactions.

1 For instance, the step oE .indicating diEferent 2 first viewer reactions may :include having viewers 3 selectively actuate first input devices 17, one at 4 a time, and the step of indicating different second viewer reactions may include having viewers actuate 6 a second input device 18 or 19 simultaneously with 7 each actuated first input device 17. Therefore, 8 input devices may.be selectively actuated, one at a 9 time, to indicate general reactions to any of the video programs, and input devices 17 and 18 may be 11 selectively actuated more than.one at a time to 12 indicate reactions to specific persons appearing in 13 video programs.
14 In this respect, viewers may ac.uate the second input device 18 simultaneously with an input device 16 17 to indicate reactions to specific persons, as dis-17 closed above with the aid of FIG. 4.
18 Conversely or additionally, viewers may selectively 19 actuate input devices 17 and 19, more than one at a time, to indicate the identity of reacting viewers.
21 In this respect, viewers may actuate a second or further 22 input device 19 simultaneously with each actuated 23 first input device 17 to indicate the identity of re-24 acting ~iewers, as disclosed above with the aid of FIG. 2~ Also, where the push button 19 represents a 26 second input device, viewers may actuate a third input 27 device 18 to indicate reactions to specific persons 28 appearing in video programs.
29 The input device at 18 may thus be dedicated as a device for indicating reaction to a person appearing 31 in a displayed video program, while the input device 32 at 19 may be dedicated as a device for identifying a 33 reacting viewer.

1 It will thus be recoynized that the :invention 2 meets all of its above menti.oned objec-tives and 3 provides novel viewer reaction systems and features 4 that will have a signifîcant beneficial effect on the most prolific mass medium of the world.
6 While specific embodiments and .inventive 7 aspects have been disclosed herein, the subject 8 extensive disclosure will render apparent or suggest 9 to those skilled in the art various modifications and variations within the spirit and scope of the 11 subject invention.

--xyz--

Claims (83)

THE EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION IN WHICH AN EXCLUSIVE PROPERTY
OR PRIVILEGE IS CLAIMED ARE DEFINED AS FOLLOWS:
1. In a method of determining viewer reaction to video programs including persons displayed by different video display sets, the improvement comprising in combination the steps of:
providing switching devices for receiving different reactions to said programs;
employing said switching devices for distinctly indicating different viewer reactions to said programs;
generally classifying part of said viewer reactions as reactions to unspecified persons;
gathering said viewer reactions; and identifying said unspecified persons from said gathered viewer reactions.
2. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein:
said viewer reaction indicating step includes providing a number of possible types of viewer reactions and indicating with said switching devices viewer reactions to said programs in terms of said possible types; and said classifying step including generally classifying part of said viewer reactions as reactions to unspecified persons in terms of said possible types.
3. A method as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein;
said unspecified persons are identified by means of a gathering of said viewer reactions in real time within a tolerance corresponding to an average rate of change of said persons in said video programs.
4. A method as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein:
said identifying step includes comparing (a) said reactions to unspecified persons timewise to (b) said video programs.
5. A method as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein:
said identifying step includes comparing (a) said reactions to unspecified persons timewise to (b) said video programs; and said gathering and comparing are effected in real time within a tolerance corresponding to an average rate of change of said persons.
6. In a method of determining viewer reaction to video programs including persons displayed by different video display sets, the improvement com-prising in combination the steps of:
generating distinct electric signals indicative of different viewer reactions to said programs;
generating a further electric signal identifying any of said distinct signals as indicative of a viewer reaction to an unspecified displayed person;
gathering said distinct and further signals;
and identifying said unspecified person from said gathered signals.
7. A method as claimed in claim 6, wherein:
said unspecified persons are identified by means of a gathering of said signals in real time within a tolerance corresponding to an average rate of change of said persons in said video programs.
8. A method as claimed in claim 6 or 7, wherein:
said identifying step includes comparing (a) said reaction to an unspecified person timewise to (b) said video programs.
9. In a method of determining viewer reaction to video programs displayed by different video display sets, the improvement comprising in combination the steps of:
providing on/off type push buttons;
distinctly indicating viewer reactions origi-nating with individual viewers; and specifically identifying said viewer reactions in terms of said individual viewers, by having viewers selectively actuate more than one of said push buttons at a time.
10. A method as claimed in claim 9, wherein:
said viewer reaction indicating step includes providing a number of possible types of viewer reactions and indicating viewer reactions to said programs in terms of said possible types.
11. In a method of determining viewer reaction to video programs displayed by different video display sets, the improvement comprising in combination the steps of:
generating distinct electric signals indicative of different viewer reactions to said programs;
generating a further electric signal identifying any of said distinct signals as originating with a particular viewer; and gathering said distinct and further signals essentially in real time.
12. In a method of determining viewer reaction to video programs broadcast over different television channels and displayed by different video display sets, the improvement comprising in combination the steps of:
providing switching devices for receiving different reactions to said programs;
employing said switching devices for distinctly indicating viewer reactions originating with individual viewers;
determining for each viewer reaction the channel over which the program watched by the particular viewer is being broadcast;
specifically identifying said viewer reactions in terms of said individual viewers and television channels; and gathering said viewer reactions essentially in real time.
13. A method as claimed in claim 12, wherein;
said viewer reaction indicating step includes providing a number of possible types of viewer reactions and indicating with said switching devices viewer reactions to said programs in terms of said possible types.
14. In a method of determining viewer reaction to video programs including persons displayed to participating viewers by different video display sets, the improvement comprising in combination the steps of:
providing switching devices for receiving different reactions to said programs;
employing said switching devices for distinctly indicating viewer reactions originating with individual viewers;
specifically identifying said viewer reactions in terms of said individual viewers;
generally classifying part of said viewer reactions as reactions to unspecified persons; and identifying said unspecified persons from said classified part of said viewer reactions.
15. A method as claimed in claim 14, wherein:
said viewer reaction indicating step includes providing a number of possible types of viewer reactions and indicating with said switching devices viewer reactions to said programs in terms of said possible types; and said classifying step includes generally classifying part of said viewer reactions as reactions to unspecified persons in terms of said possible types.
16. A method as claimed in claim 14 or 15, wherein:
said unspecified persons are identified by means of a gathering of said viewer reactions in real time within a tolerance corresponding to an average rate of change of said persons in said video programs.
17. A method as claimed in claim 14 or 15, wherein:
said identifying step includes comparing (a) said reactions to unspecified persons timewise to (b) said video programs.
18. A method as claimed in claim 14 or 15, wherein:
said identifying step includes comparing (a) said reactions to unspecified persons timewise to (b) said video programs; and said unspecified persons are identified by means of a gathering of said viewer reactions in real time within a tolerance corresponding to an average rate of change of said persons.
19. In a method of determining viewer reaction to video programs including persons displayed by different video display sets, the improvement com-prising in combination the steps of:
generating distinct electric signals indicative of different viewer reactions to said programs;
generating a first further electric signal identifying any of said distinct signals as originating with a particular viewer;
generating a second further electric signal identifying any of said distinct signals as indicative of a viewer reaction to an unspecified displayed person; and identifying said unspecified persons from said second further signal.
20. A method as claimed in claim 19, wherein:
said signals are gathered in real time within a tolerance corresponding to an average rate of change of said persons in said video programs.
21. A method as claimed in claim 19 or 20, wherein:
said identifying step includes comparing (a) said reaction to an unspecified person timewise to (b) said video programs.
22. In a method of determining viewer reaction to video programs including persons and being broadcast over different television channels and displayed by different video display sets, the improvement comprising in combination the steps of:
providing switching devices for receiving different reactions to said programs;
employing said switching devices for distinctly indicating viewer reactions originating with individual viewers;
determining for each viewer reaction the channel over which the program watched by the particular viewer is being broadcast;
generally classifying part of said viewer reactions as reactions to unspecified persons; and specifically identifying said viewer reactions and unspecified persons in terms of said individual viewers and said television channels.
23. A method as claimed in claim 22, wherein:
said viewer reaction indicating step includes providing a number of possible types of viewer reactions and indicating with said switching devices viewer reactions to said programs in terms of said possible types.
24. A method as claimed in claim 22 or 23, wherein:
said unspecified persons are identified by means of a gathering of said viewer reactions in real time within a tolerance corresponding to an average rate of change of said persons in said video programs.
25. In a method of determing, in terms of different criteria, viewer reaction to video programs displayed by different video display sets, the improvement comprising in combination the steps of:
providing a number of possible types of viewer reactions and indicating viewer reactions in terms of said possible types;
providing distinct first electric signals representative of said indicated viewer reactions in terms of a first criterion; and providing distinct second electric signals representative of said indicated viewer reactions in terms of a second criterion, including the step of expressing said second signals in terms of a reaction to the performance of a person displayed in one of said video programs.
26. A method as claimed in claim 25, wherein:
said provision of second signals includes a modification of said first signals.
27. A method as claimed in claim 25, wherein:
said second signals are provided by qualifying said first signals pursuant to said second criterion.
28. A method as claimed in claim 25 or 27, including the step of:
qualifying said first signals pursuant to a third criterion as signal viewer reactions in terms of said third criterion.
29. A method as claimed in claim 25, 26 or 27, including the step of:
providing a third signal indicative of the identity of a reacting viewer.
30. A method as claimed in claim 25, 26 or 27, wherein:
said second criterion is the identity of a reacting viewer.
31. A method as claimed in claim 25, 26 or 27 wherein:
said video programs are broadcast over different television channels; and said viewer reactions are qualified in terms of the different channels over which the programs watched by reacting viewers are broadcast.
32. In a method of determining viewer reaction to video programs displayed by different video display sets, the improvement comprising in combina-tion the steps of:
providing a plurality of input devices for selective actuation by viewers;
having viewers selectively actuate said input devices, one at a time, to indicate different first viewer reactions; and having viewers selectively actuate said input devices, more than one at a time, to indicate different second viewer reactions.
33. A method as claimed in claim 32, wherein:
said step of indicating different first viewer reactions includes having viewers se-lectively actuate first input devices, one at a time; and said step of indicating different second viewer reactions includes having viewers actuate a second input device simultaneously with each actuated first input device.
34. A method as claimed in claim 32, wherein:
said step of indicating different first viewer reactions includes having viewers se-electively actuate said input devices, one at a time, to indicate general reactions to any of said video programs; and said step of indicating different second viewer reactions includes having viewers selectively actuate said input devices, more than one at a time, to indicate reactions to specific persons appearing in said video programs.
35. A method as claimed in claim 32 wherein:
said step of indicating different first viewer reactions includes having viewers selectively actuate first input devices, one at a time, to indicate general reactions to any of said video programs; and said step of indicating different second viewer reactions includes having viewers actuate a second input device simultaneously with each actuated first input device to indicate reactions to specific persons appearing in said video programs.
36. A method as claimed in claim 32 , wherein:
said step of indicating different first viewer reactions includes having viewers se-lectively actuate said input devices, one at a time, to indicate general reactions to any of said video programs; and said step of indicating different second viewer reactions includes having viewers se-lectively actuate said input devices, more than one at a time, to indicate the identity of reacting viewers.
37. A method as claimed in claim 32, wherein:
said step of indicating different first viewer reactions includes having viewers se-lectively actuate first input devices, one at a time, to indicate general reactions to any of said video programs; and said step of indicating different second viewer reactions includes having viewers actuate a second input device simultaneously with each actuated first input device to indicate the identity of reacting viewers.
38. A method as claimed in claim 37, including the step of:
having viewers actuate a third input device simultaneously with each actuated first input device to indicate reactions to specific persons appearing in said video programs.
39. A method as claimed in claim 32, 33 or 36, wherein:
said video programs are broadcast over different television channels; and said viewer reactions are qualified in terms of the different channels over which the programs watched by reacting viewers are broad-cast.
40. In apparatus for determining viewer reaction to video programs including persons displayed by different video display sets, the improvement com-prising in combination:
means for distinctly indicating different viewer reactions to said programs;
means connected to said indicating means for generally classifying part of said viewer reactions as reactions to unspecified persons;
means connected to said indicating and classifying means for gathering said viewer reactions; and means connected to said gathering means for identifying said unspecified persons from said gathered viewer reactions.
41. Apparatus as claimed in claim 40, wherein:
said indicating means include means for indicating viewer reactions to said programs in terms of a number of possible types of viewer reactions; and said classifying means include means for generally classifying part of said viewer re-actions as reactions to unspecified persons in terms of said possible types.
42. Apparatus as claimed in claim 40 or 41;
wherein:
said identifying means and said gathering means include means for gathering said viewer reactions in real time within a tolerance cor-responding to an average rate of change of said persons in said video programs.
43. Apparatus as claimed in claim 40 or 41, wherein:
said identifying means include means for comparing (a) said reactions to unspedified persons timewise to (b) said video programs.
44. Apparatus as claimed in claim 40 or 41, wherein:
said identifying means include means for comparing (a) said reactions to unspecified persons timewise to (b) said video programs; and said gathering means and said comparing means include means for effecting said gathering and comparing in real time within a tolerance cor-responding to an average rate of change of said persons.
45. In apparatus for determining viewer reaction to video programs including persons displayed by different video display sets, the improvement com-prising in combination:
means for generating distinct signals indi-cative of different viewer reactions to said programs and for generating a further signal identifying any of said distinct signals as indicative of a viewer reaction to an unspecified displayed person;
means connected to said generating means for gathering said distinct further signals;
and means connected to said gathering means for identifying said unspecified persons from said gathered signals.
46. Apparatus as claimed in claim 45, wherein:
said identifying means and said gathering means include means for gathering said signals in real time within a tolerance corresponding to an average rate of change of said persons in said video programs.
47. Apparatus as claimed in claim 45 or 46 wherein:
said identifying means include means for comparing (a) said reaction to an unspecified person timewise to (b) said video programs.
48. In apparatus for determing viewer reaction to video programs displayed by different video display sets, the improvement comprising:
means for distinctly indicating viewer reactions originating with individual viewers; and means combined with said indicating means in-cluding on/off-type push button means for specifically identifying said viewer reactions in terms of said individual viewers.
49. Apparatus as claimed in claim 48 wherein:
said indicating means include means for indi-cating viewer reactions to said programs in terms of a number of possible types of viewer reactions.
50. In apparatus for determining viewer reaction to video programs displayed by different video display sets, the improvement comprising:
means for generating distinct signals indicative of different viewer reactions to said programs;
means combined with said generating means for generating a further signal identifying any of said distinct signals as originating with a particular viewer; and means connected to said means for generating distinct signals and said means for generating a further signal for gathering said distinct and further signals essentially in real time.
51. In apparatus for determining viewer reaction to video programs broadcast over different television channels and displayed by different video display sets, the improvement comprising in combination:
means for distinctly indicating viewer reactions originating with individual viewers;
means for determining for each viewer reaction the channel over which the program watched by the particular viewer is being broadcast;
means connected to said indicating and determin-ing means for specifically identifying said viewer reactions in terms of said individual viewers and television channels; and means for gathering said viewer reactions essentially in real time.
52. Apparatus as claimed in claim 51, wherein:
said indicating means include means for indicating viewer reactions to said programs in terms of a number of possible types of viewer reactions.
53. In apparatus for determining viewer reaction to video programs including persons displayed to participating viewers by different video display sets, the improvement comprising in combination:
means for distinctly indicating viewer reactions originating with individual viewers;
means for specifically identifying said viewer reactions in terms of said individual viewers;
means for generally classifying part of said viewer reactions as reactions to unspecified persons; and means connected to said classifying means for identifying said unspecified persons from said classified part of said viewer reactions.
54. Apparatus as claimed in claim 53, wherein:
said indicating means include means for indicating viewer reactions to said programs in terms of a number of possible types of viewer reactions; and said classifying means include means for generally classifying part of said viewer reactions as reactions to unspecified persons in terms of said possible types.
55. Apparatus as claimed in claim 53 or 54, wherein:
said identifying means include means for gathering said viewer reactions in real time within a tolerance corresponding to an average rate of change of said persons in said video programs.
56. Apparatus as claimed in claim 53 or 54, wherein:
said identifying means include means for comparing (a) said reactions to unspecified persons timewise to (b) said video programs.
57. Apparatus as claimed in claim 53 or 54, wherein:
said identifying means include means for com-paring (a) said reactions to unspecified persons timewise to (b) said video programs; and said identifying means include means for gathering said viewer reactions in real time within a tolerance corresponding to an average rate of change of said persons.
58. In apparatus for determining viewer reaction to video programs including persons displayed by different video display sets, the improvement com-prising in combination:
means for generating distinct signals indi-cative of different viewer reactions to said programs, for generating a first further signal identifying any of said distinct signals as originating with a particular viewer and for generating a second further signal identifying any of said distinct signals as indicative of a viewer reaction to an unspecified displayed person; and means connected to said generating means for identifying said unspecified persons from said second further signals.
59. Apparatus as claimed in claim 58, wherein:
said identifying means include means for gathering said distinct and further signals in real time within a tolerance corresponding to an average rate of change of said persons in said video programs.
60. Apparatus as claimed in claim 58 or 59, wherein:
said identifying means include means for comparing (a) said reaction to an unspecified person timewise to (b) said video programs.

. ..
61. In apparatus for determining viewer reaction to video programs including persons and being broad cast over different television channels and displayed by different video display sets, the improvement com-prising in combination:
means for distinctly indicating viewer reactions originating with individual viewers;
means for determining for each viewer reaction the channel over which the program watched by the particular viewer is being broadcast;
means for generally classifying part of said viewer reactions as reactions to unspecified persons; and means connected to said indicating, deter-mining and classifying means for specifically identifying said viewer reactions and unspeci-fied persons in terms of said individual viewers and said television channels.
62. Apparatus as claimed in claim 61, wherein:
said indicating means include means for indicating viewer reactions to said programs in terms of a number of possible types of viewer reactions.
63. Apparatus as claimed in claim 61 or 62, wherein:
said identifying means include means for gathering said viewer reactions in real time within a tolerance corresponding to an average rate of change of said persons in said video programs.
64. In apparatus for determining, in -terms of different criteria, viewer reaction to video programs displayed by different video display sets, the improve-ment comprising in combination:
means for indicating viewer reactions in terms of number of possible types of viewer reactions;
means connected to said indicating means for providing distinct first signals representative of said indicated viewer reactions in terms of a first criterion; and means connected to said indicating means for providing distinct second signals representative of said indicated viewer reactions in terms of a second criterion, including means for expressing said second signals in terms of a reaction to the performance of a person displayed in one of said video programs.
65. Apparatus as claimed in claim 64, wherein:
said means for providing second signals include means for modifying said first signals.
66. Apparatus as claimed in claim 64, wherein:
said means for providing second signals include means for qualifying said first signals pursuant to said second criterion.
67. Apparatus as claimed in claim 64 or 65, including:
means for qualifying said first signals pursuant to a third criterion as signal viewer reactions in terms of said third criterion.
68. Apparatus as claimed in claim 64, 65 or 66, including:
means for providing a third signal indicative of the identity of a reacting viewer.
69. Apparatus as claimed in claim 64, 65 or 66, wherein:
said means for providing said second signals include means for expressing said second signals in terms of a second criterion concerning the identity of a reacting viewer.
70. Apparatus as claimed in claim 64, 65 or 66, wherin:
said video programs are broadcast over different television channels; and said apparatus includes means for qualifying said viewer reactions in terms of the different channels over which the programs watched by re-acting viewers are broadcast.
71. In apparatus for determining viewer reaction to video programs displayed by different video display sets, the improvement comprising in combination:
a plurality of input devices for selective actuation by viewers;
means connected to said input devices for indicating different first viewer reactions in response to actuation of said input devices, one at a time; and means connected to said input devices for indicating different second viewer reactions in response to actuation of more than one of said input devices at a time.
72. Apparatus as claimed in claim 71, wherein:
said input devices include first input devices and a distinct second input device;
said means for indicating different first viewer reactions include means for indicating said first viewer reactions in response to selective actuation of said first input devices, one at a time; and said means for indicating different second viewer reactions includes means for indicating said second viewer reactions in response to actuation of said second input device simul-taneoulsy with each actuated first input device.
73. Apparatus as claimed in claim 72, wherein:
said second input device is dedicated as a device for identifying a reacting viewer.
74. Apparatus as claimed in claim 72, wherein:
said second input device is dedicated as a device for indicating reaction to a person appearing in a displayed video program.
75. Apparatus as claimed in claim 72, wherein:
said means for indicating different second viewer reactions include means for indicating a reaction to a person appearing in a video program, in response to actuation of said second input device simultaneously with a first input device.
76. Apparatus as claimed in claim 72, wherein:
said means for indicating different second viewer reactions include means for indicating the identity of reacting viewers in response to actuation of said second input device simultaneous-ly with a first input device.
77. Apparatus as claimed in claim 76, including:
a third input device actuable simultaneously with a first input device for indicating reactions to specific persons appearing in said video pro-grams.
78. Apparatus as claimed in claim 71, 72 or 76, wherein:
said video programs are broadcast over different television channels; and said apparatus include means for qualifying said viewer reactions in terms of the different channels over which the programs watched by reacting viewers are broadcast.
79. In a unit for receiving viewer reactions to video programs, the improvement comprising in combination:
a series of switching devices for receiving a number of possible types of viewer reactions; and a further switching device for indicating that any of said viewer reactions is a reaction to a person appearing in any of said video programs.
80. A unit as claimed in claim 79, including:
a second further switching device for indicating that any of said viewer reactions originates with identified viewers.
81. A unit as claimed in claim 80, including:
means for individually designating at least some of the switching devices in said series in terms of individual viewers using said unit.
82. A unit as claimed in claim 79, 80 or 81, wherein:
said switching devices are push buttons.
83. A unit as claimed in claim 79, 80 or 81, including:
means for selecting video program transmission channels for said video programs.
CA000374086A 1980-04-07 1981-03-27 Television viewer reaction determining systems Expired CA1200895A (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US138,058 1980-04-07
US06/138,058 US4646145A (en) 1980-04-07 1980-04-07 Television viewer reaction determining systems

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
CA1200895A true CA1200895A (en) 1986-02-18

Family

ID=22480246

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
CA000374086A Expired CA1200895A (en) 1980-04-07 1981-03-27 Television viewer reaction determining systems

Country Status (2)

Country Link
US (1) US4646145A (en)
CA (1) CA1200895A (en)

Families Citing this family (84)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4965825A (en) 1981-11-03 1990-10-23 The Personalized Mass Media Corporation Signal processing apparatus and methods
US7831204B1 (en) 1981-11-03 2010-11-09 Personalized Media Communications, Llc Signal processing apparatus and methods
USRE47642E1 (en) 1981-11-03 2019-10-08 Personalized Media Communications LLC Signal processing apparatus and methods
US4816904A (en) * 1983-06-09 1989-03-28 Control Data Corporation Television and market research data collection system and method
US4926255A (en) * 1986-03-10 1990-05-15 Kohorn H Von System for evaluation of response to broadcast transmissions
WO1988001117A1 (en) * 1986-08-01 1988-02-11 Video Research Ltd. Apparatus for collecting tv channel data and market research data
US4876736A (en) * 1987-09-23 1989-10-24 A. C. Nielsen Company Method and apparatus for determining channel reception of a receiver
US4870579A (en) * 1987-10-01 1989-09-26 Neonics, Inc. System and method of predicting subjective reactions
FR2628588A1 (en) * 1988-03-14 1989-09-15 Croquet Cie METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR ACQUIRING AND TRANSMITTING INFORMATION ON THE AUDIENCE OF TELEVISION PROGRAMS
US4930011A (en) * 1988-08-02 1990-05-29 A. C. Nielsen Company Method and apparatus for identifying individual members of a marketing and viewing audience
AU4303489A (en) * 1988-08-24 1990-03-23 Sebastiano Scarampi Apparatus and method for monitoring television viewers
US4931865A (en) * 1988-08-24 1990-06-05 Sebastiano Scarampi Apparatus and methods for monitoring television viewers
US5093786A (en) * 1989-01-27 1992-03-03 Fleetwood Furniture Company, Inc. Remote response system
US5155591A (en) * 1989-10-23 1992-10-13 General Instrument Corporation Method and apparatus for providing demographically targeted television commercials
US5870724A (en) * 1989-12-08 1999-02-09 Online Resources & Communications Corporation Targeting advertising in a home retail banking delivery service
US5226177A (en) * 1990-03-27 1993-07-06 Viewfacts, Inc. Real-time wireless audience response system
US5235414A (en) * 1990-05-21 1993-08-10 Control Data Corporation Non-obtrusive programming monitor
FR2681708A1 (en) * 1991-09-25 1993-03-26 Dahan Gerard Device for the real-time entry and for the processing of the reactions of at least one group of persons
FR2681997A1 (en) * 1991-09-30 1993-04-02 Arbitron Cy METHOD AND DEVICE FOR AUTOMATICALLY IDENTIFYING A PROGRAM COMPRISING A SOUND SIGNAL
US10361802B1 (en) 1999-02-01 2019-07-23 Blanding Hovenweep, Llc Adaptive pattern recognition based control system and method
US5438355A (en) * 1993-04-16 1995-08-01 Palmer; Shelton L. Interactive system for processing viewer responses to television programming
US5483276A (en) * 1993-08-02 1996-01-09 The Arbitron Company Compliance incentives for audience monitoring/recording devices
US6321208B1 (en) * 1995-04-19 2001-11-20 Brightstreet.Com, Inc. Method and system for electronic distribution of product redemption coupons
US7917386B2 (en) 1995-06-16 2011-03-29 Catalina Marketing Corporation Virtual couponing method and apparatus for use with consumer kiosk
US6041311A (en) * 1995-06-30 2000-03-21 Microsoft Corporation Method and apparatus for item recommendation using automated collaborative filtering
US6092049A (en) * 1995-06-30 2000-07-18 Microsoft Corporation Method and apparatus for efficiently recommending items using automated collaborative filtering and feature-guided automated collaborative filtering
US5905865A (en) 1995-10-30 1999-05-18 Web Pager, Inc. Apparatus and method of automatically accessing on-line services in response to broadcast of on-line addresses
US5794210A (en) * 1995-12-11 1998-08-11 Cybergold, Inc. Attention brokerage
US20030195848A1 (en) * 1996-06-05 2003-10-16 David Felger Method of billing a purchase made over a computer network
US7555458B1 (en) * 1996-06-05 2009-06-30 Fraud Control System.Com Corporation Method of billing a purchase made over a computer network
US8229844B2 (en) 1996-06-05 2012-07-24 Fraud Control Systems.Com Corporation Method of billing a purchase made over a computer network
US6016475A (en) * 1996-10-08 2000-01-18 The Regents Of The University Of Minnesota System, method, and article of manufacture for generating implicit ratings based on receiver operating curves
US6108493A (en) * 1996-10-08 2000-08-22 Regents Of The University Of Minnesota System, method, and article of manufacture for utilizing implicit ratings in collaborative filters
US5842199A (en) * 1996-10-18 1998-11-24 Regents Of The University Of Minnesota System, method and article of manufacture for using receiver operating curves to evaluate predictive utility
US6007025A (en) 1996-12-23 1999-12-28 The Boeing Company Stowable module airplane lavatory
US6079669A (en) 1997-03-24 2000-06-27 The Boeing Company Dual pivot expandable lavatory
US7308485B2 (en) * 1997-04-15 2007-12-11 Gracenote, Inc. Method and system for accessing web pages based on playback of recordings
US5987525A (en) * 1997-04-15 1999-11-16 Cddb, Inc. Network delivery of interactive entertainment synchronized to playback of audio recordings
NL1006042C2 (en) * 1997-05-13 1998-11-16 Verify International N V Method and apparatus for testing audio-visual stimuli.
WO1999012291A1 (en) * 1997-09-05 1999-03-11 C Y Research, Inc. Portrayal of human information visualization
US7240022B1 (en) * 1998-05-19 2007-07-03 Mypoints.Com Inc. Demographic information gathering and incentive award system and method
EP1450284A3 (en) 1998-12-03 2004-09-15 Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. Advertisement monitoring system
US7949565B1 (en) * 1998-12-03 2011-05-24 Prime Research Alliance E., Inc. Privacy-protected advertising system
US7240355B1 (en) * 1998-12-03 2007-07-03 Prime Research Alliance E., Inc. Subscriber characterization system with filters
US6720990B1 (en) * 1998-12-28 2004-04-13 Walker Digital, Llc Internet surveillance system and method
US20020048224A1 (en) * 1999-01-05 2002-04-25 Dygert Timothy W. Playback device having text display and communication with remote database of titles
US6847373B1 (en) * 1999-04-16 2005-01-25 Avid Technology, Inc. Natural color matching in a video editing system
WO2000072484A1 (en) * 1999-05-20 2000-11-30 Nielsen Media Research, Inc. Viewer identification apparatus for use in a broadcast audience measurement
US7284064B1 (en) * 2000-03-21 2007-10-16 Intel Corporation Method and apparatus to determine broadcast content and scheduling in a broadcast system
US8473342B1 (en) 2000-04-05 2013-06-25 Catalina Marketing Corporation Method and system for generating certificates having unique Id data
EP1146677A1 (en) * 2000-04-11 2001-10-17 Micrologica AG Method and device for determining the reaction of a listener or viewer to a received information item
EP2136306B1 (en) 2000-08-23 2013-03-20 Gracenote, Inc. Method and system for obtaining information
US7409700B1 (en) 2000-11-03 2008-08-05 The Walt Disney Company System and method for enhanced broadcasting and interactive
US7275254B1 (en) 2000-11-21 2007-09-25 Intel Corporation Method and apparatus for determining and displaying the service level of a digital television broadcast signal
US20020143607A1 (en) * 2001-03-29 2002-10-03 Connelly Jay H. System and method for transparently obtaining customer preferences to refine product features or marketing focus
US20020143591A1 (en) * 2001-03-30 2002-10-03 Connelly Jay H. Method and apparatus for a hybrid content on demand broadcast system
US20020178445A1 (en) * 2001-04-03 2002-11-28 Charles Eldering Subscriber selected advertisement display and scheduling
US7185352B2 (en) * 2001-05-11 2007-02-27 Intel Corporation Method and apparatus for combining broadcast schedules and content on a digital broadcast-enabled client platform
US20030005451A1 (en) * 2001-06-15 2003-01-02 Connelly Jay H. Method and apparatus to distribute content descriptors in a content distribution broadcast system
US20020194603A1 (en) * 2001-06-15 2002-12-19 Jay H. Connelly Method and apparatus to distribute content using a multi-stage broadcast system
US20030005465A1 (en) * 2001-06-15 2003-01-02 Connelly Jay H. Method and apparatus to send feedback from clients to a server in a content distribution broadcast system
US20030066090A1 (en) * 2001-09-28 2003-04-03 Brendan Traw Method and apparatus to provide a personalized channel
US8943540B2 (en) * 2001-09-28 2015-01-27 Intel Corporation Method and apparatus to provide a personalized channel
US20030066071A1 (en) * 2001-10-03 2003-04-03 Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. Program recommendation method and system utilizing a viewing history of commercials
US20030160770A1 (en) * 2002-02-25 2003-08-28 Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. Method and apparatus for an adaptive audio-video program recommendation system
US20040032486A1 (en) * 2002-08-16 2004-02-19 Shusman Chad W. Method and apparatus for interactive programming using captioning
US20030196206A1 (en) * 2002-04-15 2003-10-16 Shusman Chad W. Method and apparatus for internet-based interactive programming
US20040210947A1 (en) 2003-04-15 2004-10-21 Shusman Chad W. Method and apparatus for interactive video on demand
JP3867627B2 (en) * 2002-06-26 2007-01-10 ソニー株式会社 Audience situation estimation device, audience situation estimation method, and audience situation estimation program
US7292723B2 (en) * 2003-02-26 2007-11-06 Walker Digital, Llc System for image analysis in a network that is structured with multiple layers and differentially weighted neurons
US20040186813A1 (en) * 2003-02-26 2004-09-23 Tedesco Daniel E. Image analysis method and apparatus in a network that is structured with multiple layers and differentially weighted neurons
WO2006036150A1 (en) 2004-09-28 2006-04-06 Nielsen Media Research, Inc Data classification methods and apparatus for use with data fusion
MX2007011471A (en) 2005-03-17 2007-12-05 Nielsen Media Res Inc Methods and apparatus for using audience member behavior information to determine compliance with audience measurement system usage requirements.
US20080091451A1 (en) 2006-07-12 2008-04-17 Crystal Jack C Methods and systems for compliance confirmation and incentives
US9445353B2 (en) 2006-09-14 2016-09-13 Omnitrail Technologies Inc. Presence platform for passive radio access network-to-radio access network device transition
US20080133327A1 (en) * 2006-09-14 2008-06-05 Shah Ullah Methods and systems for securing content played on mobile devices
US20090298514A1 (en) 2006-09-14 2009-12-03 Shah Ullah Real world behavior measurement using identifiers specific to mobile devices
EP2087464A4 (en) * 2006-10-24 2011-01-19 Hello Hello Inc Method for creating and analyzing advertisements
AU2008221475B2 (en) * 2007-02-26 2012-08-30 Hello-Hello, Inc. Mass comparative analysis of advertising
US20100191689A1 (en) * 2009-01-27 2010-07-29 Google Inc. Video content analysis for automatic demographics recognition of users and videos
US8924993B1 (en) 2010-11-11 2014-12-30 Google Inc. Video content analysis for automatic demographics recognition of users and videos
US8719277B2 (en) * 2011-08-08 2014-05-06 Google Inc. Sentimental information associated with an object within a media
US9355366B1 (en) 2011-12-19 2016-05-31 Hello-Hello, Inc. Automated systems for improving communication at the human-machine interface
US9332363B2 (en) 2011-12-30 2016-05-03 The Nielsen Company (Us), Llc System and method for determining meter presence utilizing ambient fingerprints

Family Cites Families (9)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2766374A (en) * 1951-07-25 1956-10-09 Internat Telementer Corp System and apparatus for determining popularity ratings of different transmitted programs
US3733430A (en) * 1970-12-28 1973-05-15 Rca Corp Channel monitoring system
US3950618A (en) * 1971-03-25 1976-04-13 Bloisi Albertoni De Lemos System for public opinion research
BE791897A (en) * 1971-11-26 1973-03-16 Intomart Nv METHOD AND DEVICE FOR MEASURING LISTENING AND VIEWING DENSITY
JPS4876417A (en) * 1971-11-26 1973-10-15
JPS50120514A (en) * 1974-03-08 1975-09-20
GB1536414A (en) * 1974-12-11 1978-12-20 Kaldor A Television audience survey systems
US3987397A (en) * 1975-04-25 1976-10-19 Belcher Brian E Remote unit for a two-way cable communications system
US4308554A (en) * 1977-04-19 1981-12-29 R. D. Percy & Company Television viewer reaction determining system

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
US4646145A (en) 1987-02-24

Similar Documents

Publication Publication Date Title
CA1200895A (en) Television viewer reaction determining systems
US10419824B2 (en) System and method for metadata-linked advertisements
AU672539B2 (en) Audience measurement system
CN103229513B (en) Video display devices and its control method
US20010021994A1 (en) Television
CN1331348C (en) Broadcasting receiver
US5438355A (en) Interactive system for processing viewer responses to television programming
CN103733637B (en) Receive the method and its reception device of broadcast service
CN1404687B (en) TV programme recommending device with changing audience selection automatic identification
CN103200454A (en) Image display apparatus, server and methods for operating the same
WO2000052928A1 (en) System and method for eliminating redundant listings in an electronic program guide
WO1993023957A1 (en) Apparatus and methods for automatic control and monitoring of the operation of consumer electronic products
US6782551B1 (en) System for indicating when a program has been selected from a program guide display
CN103561300A (en) Method and apparatus for generating a recommendation for at least one content item
EP1483906A1 (en) System for recommending program information in accordance with user preferences
CN1964443A (en) A method and device for Chinese EPG channel classification
CN101167360B (en) Television system, broadcast reception device, and operation terminal
EP0781476B1 (en) System for collecting data concerning viewer response to broadcast programmes
CN1401167A (en) Method foraudience measurement of interactive applications broadcast integrated on a television receiver decoder
KR20040010963A (en) Favorite channel selecting method of Digital TV
KR102287134B1 (en) Method for providing channel type contents based on user's lifestyle information
KR19990041788A (en) Channel selection device and method using EPP information
JP2005006348A (en) Coding method
JP2023163711A (en) Stream viewing analysis system, stream viewing analysis method, and program
EP1248463A2 (en) Television system

Legal Events

Date Code Title Description
MKEX Expiry
MKEX Expiry

Effective date: 20030218