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EP0412335A2 Expired / Lapsed EP ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Method and apparatus for determining audience viewing habits

Assignee: TNC US Holdings Inc
•
Filing: 1990-07-20
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2010-07-20
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Abstract

Abstract A method and apparatus (10) for determining the channel of a plurality of predetermined channels to which a remotely controlled receiver (12) is tuned. A viewer transmitter device (24) includes a keyboard (26) for receiving viewer entered selections and a remote transmitter which transmits infrared, ultra­sonic, radio frequency or other radiated control sig­nals for each of the viewer selections. A receiver device (28) in a channel detection system (10) receives a signal in the selected transmission medium, and immediately signals a jamming device (44) to broadcast interference which precludes the remotely controlled receiver (12) from identifying and acting upon the transmitted control signal. The receiver device (28) applies the received signal to a processor device (30) that performs a stored program to determine if the received signal corresponds to a transmitted con­trol signal from the viewer transmitter device (24) and, if so, to identify the channel to which the moni­tored remotely controlled receiver (12) is to be tuned. An associated memory device (52) is used for storing the identified channel reception data. The processor device (30) identifies the user selection and either applies a corresponding control signal to a second transmitter device (48) which transmits a control signal of sufficient strength to overcome the inter­ference, or instructs the jamming device (44) to cease the broadcasting of interfering signals. In either case, the remotely controlled receiver (12) will now receive and implement the viewer selection. The pro­cessor device (30) will periodically broadcast a com­mand to the remotely controlled receiver (12) contain­ing the last identified channel data to ensure that a viewer does not manually adjust the channel being viewed.

Inventors

  • 👤 Everett V. Zurlinden

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction EP
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-10-28 18:18
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04N; H04N5/00; H04N5/44; H04N5/50; H04N7/00; H04N7/16; H04N7/173; H04N7/17309; H04N7/17327; H04H; H04H60/00; H04H60/29; H04H60/33; H04K; H04K3/00; H04K3/20; H04K3/22; H04K3/224; H04K3/228; H04K3/40; H04K3/41; H04K3/80; H04K3/92; H04H60/35; H04H60/38; H04H60/39; H04K3/42; H04K3/45

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 10
Claim 1
Independent Claim 132 words
Apparatus (10) for monitoring and con­trolling a remotely controlled receiver (12) deter­mine the particular channel of a plurality of channels to which the remotely controlled receiver is tuned, comprising: means (28) for receiving a predetermined control signal representing a viewer command trans­mitted from a remote control unit (24) to said remotely controlled receiver (12), means (30, 44) responsive to said receiving means (28) for interfering with transmission of said predetermined control signal to said remotely controlled receiver (12), means (30) responsive to said receiving means (28) for identifying the viewer command repre­sented by said predetermined control signal, means (52) responsive to said identifying means (30) for storing a representation of the identi­fied viewer command, and means (48) responsive to said identifying mean (30) for controlling the operation of said re­motely controlled receiver.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 132 words
Apparatus (10) for monitoring and con­trolling a remotely controlled receiver (12) deter­mine the particular channel of a plurality of channels to which the remotely controlled receiver is tuned, comprising: means (28) for receiving a predetermined control signal representing a viewer command trans­mitted from a remote control unit (24) to said remotely controlled receiver (12), means (30, 44) responsive to said receiving means (28) for interfering with transmission of said predetermined control signal to said remotely controlled receiver (12), means (30) responsive to said receiving means (28) for identifying the viewer command repre­sented by said predetermined control signal, means (52) responsive to said identifying means (30) for storing a representation of the identi­fied viewer command, and means (48) responsive to said identifying mean (30) for controlling the operation of said re­motely controlled receiver.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 32 words
The apparatus (10) of claim 1, wherein said identifying means (30) includes means for deter­mining the last channel to which the remotely con­trolled receiver (12) is tuned from said stored viewer command.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 38 words
The apparatus (10) of claim 2, wherein said controlling means (48) periodically broadcasts a remote control signal to said remotely controlled receiver (12), said remote control signal instructing said remotely controlled receiver to tune to said last channel.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 36 words
The apparatus (10) of claim 1, wherein said receiving means (28) includes means (46) for filtering the interference generated by said interfer­ing means (44), whereby said predetermined control signal can be processed by said identifying means.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 27 words
The apparatus (10) of claim 1, wherein the interfering means (44) includes means for generat­ing an interfering signal at the same frequency as the predetermined control signal.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 52 words
The apparatus (10) of claim 1, wherein the predetermined control signal is in serial data format, and the interfering means (44) produces an interfering signal during periods of non-transmission which separate serial data transmissions, whereby the serial data format of the predetermined control signal is not readable by the remotely controlled receiver.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 22 words
The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the transmission medium for said predetermined control signal is one of infrared, ultrasound, or radio fre­quency.
Claim 9
Independent Claim 91 words
A method for determining the channel of a plurality of channels to which a remotely controlled receiver (12) is tuned, comprising the steps of: monitoring a transmission medium for signals, detecting a signal transmitted in said medium, interfering with the transmission of said signal in said transmission medium, determining whether said signal corresponds to any one of a plurality of predetermined, information containing, allowable signals, preserving the information content of said predetermined allowable signal, and controlling said remotely controlled receiver in accordance with the information content of said predetermined allowable signal.
Claim 10
Independent Claim 91 words
A method for determining the channel of a plurality of channels to which a remotely controlled receiver (12) is tuned, comprising the steps of: monitoring a transmission medium for signals, detecting a signal transmitted in said medium, interfering with the transmission of said signal in said transmission medium, determining whether said signal corresponds to any one of a plurality of predetermined, information containing, allowable signals, preserving the information content of said predetermined allowable signal, and controlling said remotely controlled receiver in accordance with the information content of said predetermined allowable signal.

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