Television viewer meter

Claim 1

Apparatus for determining the television viewing habits of at least one selected individual, which apparatus is usable with recording means coupled to a tuner of a television set for storing a television channel to which said tuner is tuned, said apparatus comprising: a stationary monitoring unit adapted to be placed in close proximity to said television set, said unit including first transmitter means for regularly emitting an activation signal, a first receiver means, and a signal identification means coupled to the output of said first receiver means; and a portable monitoring unit adapted to be worn on the heat of said by least one selected individual and including a second receiver coupled to a signal control means, said second receiver means being responsive to said activation signal only when the individual wearing it is looking in the direction of the television set and including means aimed to point in substantially the same direction in which said head is pointed, said signal control means being responsive only to said activation signal to generate a control signal, and a second transmitter means responsive to said control signal for emitting an identification signal unique to the at least one selected individual wearing said portable monitoring unit; and said signal identification means of the stationary monitoring unit recognizes said identification signal and generates a viewer signal to be stored on said recording means in association with the corresponding recorded television channel.

Claim 7

A method for determining the television viewing habits of at least one selected individual, comprising the steps of: emiting an activation signal from the vicinity of a television set: receiving said activation signal only when said at least one selected individual is looking in the direction of said television set and distinguishing said activation signal from other signals to generate a control signal; responding to said control signal to emit an identification signal unique to said selected individual; receiving said identification signal and recognizing it to provide a viewer signal; recording said viewer signal in association with the channel to which said television set in tuned; and wherein the step of receiving the activation signal comprises narrowing the directional range of response to said emitted activation signal by a receiver to only that which occurs when said at least one selected individual is looking substantially in the direction of said television set.

Claim 8

A method for determining the television viewing habits of at least one selected individual, comprising the steps of: emiting an activation signal from the vicinity of a television set: receiving said activation signal only when said at least one selected individual is looking in the direction of said television set and distinguishing said activation signal from other signals to generate a control signal; responding to said control signal to emit an identification signal unique to said selected individual; receiving said identification signal and recognizing it to provide a viewer signal; recording said viewer signal in association with the channel to which said television set in tuned; and wherein the step of receiving the activation signal comprises narrowing the directional range of response to said emitted activation signal by a receiver to only that which occurs when said at least one selected individual is looking substantially in the direction of said television set.