EP0195639A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Improvements relating to television audience research systems
Assignee: Morgan Gary C
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Filing: 1986-03-17
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2006-03-17
Abstract
Abstract System and apparatus for television audience research in relation to use of V.C.R., live T.V. or cable T.V., including a signature generator associated with an encoder related to a series of programmes or channels available to the television audience, apparatus to substitute the signature frequency for the UHF or VHF signals received by a television receiver tuner or V.C.R. tuner and apparatus already present in the T.V. or V.C.R. to accept the signature frequency to the exclusion of all others and a decoder collecting output intelligence contained in the signature to establish whether the T.V. or V.C.R. is switched to a particular program representative of the signature. The encoder may be variable to provide a sweep of frequencies and signatures representative of all channels in the viewing area and multiple decoders may be used one for each receiver feeding into a multiplexer.
Inventors
- 👤 Thomas c/o The Roy Morgan Mewes
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-30 12:33
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04H; H04H60/00; H04H60/35; H04H60/38; H04H60/41; H04H60/43; H04H20/00; H04H20/28; H04H20/30; H04H20/31
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 14
Claim 1
Independent Claim
77 words
A system of television audience research comprising the steps of applying a signature at varying times to and into various parts of a television V.C.R. installation, including the steps of encoding said signature, detecting said signature in the installation in real time or at a subsequent time to obtain information as to programmes or channels being watched, recorded or being played back, such signature permitting collection of a range of data for the purpose of audience research.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
77 words
A system of television audience research comprising the steps of applying a signature at varying times to and into various parts of a television V.C.R. installation, including the steps of encoding said signature, detecting said signature in the installation in real time or at a subsequent time to obtain information as to programmes or channels being watched, recorded or being played back, such signature permitting collection of a range of data for the purpose of audience research.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
136 words
Apparatus for a system of television research comprising signature generating means adapted to modulate oscillator means to provide a modulated carrier frequency related to one of a series of programmes or channels available to a television viewing audience, means adapted to substitute said carrier frequency for the UHF or V H F signals received by a television receiver tuner or V.C.R. tuner, when in use, means already present in the TV or V.C.R. to accept only the signature frequency to which the tuner is tuned to the exclusion of all other signature frequencies, decoder means to collect the output which is in the form of a demodulated signal representative of the original intelligence contained in the signature to establish whether the TV receiver or V.C.R. is switched to the channel or programme representative of said signature.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
136 words
Apparatus for a system of television research comprising signature generating means adapted to modulate oscillator means to provide a modulated carrier frequency related to one of a series of programmes or channels available to a television viewing audience, means adapted to substitute said carrier frequency for the UHF or V H F signals received by a television receiver tuner or V.C.R. tuner, when in use, means already present in the TV or V.C.R. to accept only the signature frequency to which the tuner is tuned to the exclusion of all other signature frequencies, decoder means to collect the output which is in the form of a demodulated signal representative of the original intelligence contained in the signature to establish whether the TV receiver or V.C.R. is switched to the channel or programme representative of said signature.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
39 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 2 wherein the oscillator means is variable to provide variable modulated carrier frequencies and signatures representative of all the channels available in the viewing area to ascertain the TV channel or programme being used.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
89 words
Apparatus for a system of television research comprising microprocessor means for generating a signal marker adapted to modulate or switch a variable frequency oscillator to provide a modulated carrier or pulsed carrier, means for momentarily substituting said carrier for the antenna of a TV set or V.C.R., means already present in the TV or V.C.R. to accept said signal to the exclusion of all other signal frequencies, computer signalling means detecting the presence of a signal marker indicating the frequency to which the TV receiver or V.C.R. is tuned.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
89 words
Apparatus for a system of television research comprising microprocessor means for generating a signal marker adapted to modulate or switch a variable frequency oscillator to provide a modulated carrier or pulsed carrier, means for momentarily substituting said carrier for the antenna of a TV set or V.C.R., means already present in the TV or V.C.R. to accept said signal to the exclusion of all other signal frequencies, computer signalling means detecting the presence of a signal marker indicating the frequency to which the TV receiver or V.C.R. is tuned.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
79 words
Apparatus for a system of television research comprising signature generating means adapted to modulate oscillator means to provide a modulated carrier frequency related to the video channel recording frequency of a V.C.R., means adapted to substitute the video content being recorded with said signature modulated carrier means, decoder means operable when a recording is played back whereby the signature is decoded to provide intelligence to a computer as to the time and channel from which the recording was made.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
79 words
Apparatus for a system of television research comprising signature generating means adapted to modulate oscillator means to provide a modulated carrier frequency related to the video channel recording frequency of a V.C.R., means adapted to substitute the video content being recorded with said signature modulated carrier means, decoder means operable when a recording is played back whereby the signature is decoded to provide intelligence to a computer as to the time and channel from which the recording was made.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
22 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 5 wherein multiple decoder means are adapted to provide information from an equal number of TV receivers.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
21 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 5 wherein the output of said decoders is fed into a multiplexer to simplify the output.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
50 words
Apparatus as claimed in claims 5 or 6 comprising means for recording said signature onto the V.C.R. tape synchronous with a specific event in time, said decoding means asynchronously identifying said specific event upon replay of the V.C.R. tape to signal to the computer the imminent arrival of said signature.
Claim 13
Independent Claim
69 words
A system of television audience research comprising the steps of applyling a subliminal descriptive code to a tape during the duration of an advertising segment including the steps of encoding said tape with said code, decoding said tape on transmission or replay of said tape to obtain said information in relation to the nature of the programme or channel to permit data collection for the purpose of audience research.
Claim 14
Independent Claim
69 words
A system of television audience research comprising the steps of applyling a subliminal descriptive code to a tape during the duration of an advertising segment including the steps of encoding said tape with said code, decoding said tape on transmission or replay of said tape to obtain said information in relation to the nature of the programme or channel to permit data collection for the purpose of audience research.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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