US6405370B1 — Television audience monitoring system and method …

Claim 1

Independent Claim 126 words

A tuner interface device for use in determining a currently tuned-to channel of a set-top converter box having an electronic tuner which tunes to a viewer-selected channel in response to commands provided thereto by said set-top converter device, said tuner interface device comprising: an electrical connection to a communications bus of said electronic tuner, said communications bus carrying at least one signal representing said commands, said electrical connection being adapted to communicate said commands from said bus to said tuner interface device; a controller, said controller being connected to said electronic tuner by said electrical connection and receiving said commands transmitted to said electronic tuner via said electrical connection, wherein said controller receives and interprets said commands to generate information representative of said currently tuned-to channel.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 126 words

A tuner interface device for use in determining a currently tuned-to channel of a set-top converter box having an electronic tuner which tunes to a viewer-selected channel in response to commands provided thereto by said set-top converter device, said tuner interface device comprising: an electrical connection to a communications bus of said electronic tuner, said communications bus carrying at least one signal representing said commands, said electrical connection being adapted to communicate said commands from said bus to said tuner interface device; a controller, said controller being connected to said electronic tuner by said electrical connection and receiving said commands transmitted to said electronic tuner via said electrical connection, wherein said controller receives and interprets said commands to generate information representative of said currently tuned-to channel.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 46 words

The tuner interface as recited in claim 1 , wherein said tuner is electrically connected to the bus, wherein electrical components within said set-top converter box communicate over said bus, and wherein said tuner is addressable by a unique identifier that is communicated over said bus.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 58 words

The tuner interface as recited in claim 2 , wherein said controller monitors communications over said bus, and said commands are communicated to said electronic tuner following the communication of said unique identifier, and wherein when said unique identifier is communicated to said electronic tuner, said controller captures said commands in order to determine said currently tuned-to channel.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 57 words

The tuner interface as recited in claim 3 , said controller determining if said commands are to change said electronic tuner from a first tuned-to channel to a second tuned-to channel and determining if said second tuned-to channel is different than said first tuned-to channel, wherein said second tuned-to channel is to become said currently tuned-to channel.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 49 words

The tuner interface as recited in claim 4 , wherein said information representative of said tuned channel comprises an ASCII value representative of said currently tuned-to channel, and wherein said controller outputs said ASCII value to a viewership meter connected to said tuner interface via a second electrical connection.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 85 words

The tuner interface as recited in claim 5 , wherein said viewership meter comprises an audio matching circuit, said audio matching circuit comparing a first audio signal of a predetermined channel tuned by said viewership collection meter with a second audio signal output by a television to which said set-top converter is connected, wherein if said first audio signal and said second audio signal match, said viewership collection meter determines that said channel to which said set-top converter box is tuned is said predetermined channel.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 50 words

The tuner interface as recited in claim 1 , wherein said information representative of said tuned channel is output to a second device connected to said tuner interface via a second electrical connection, and wherein said second device receives and further processes said information representative of said currently tuned-to channel.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 43 words

The tuner interface as recited in claim 7 , wherein said second device comprises a viewership collection meter, and wherein said viewership collection meter stores said information representative of said currently tuned-to channel and forwards it to a predetermined location at selected times.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 44 words

The tuner interface as recited in claim 8 , wherein said information representative of said tuned channel comprises an ASCII value representative of said currently tuned-to channel, and wherein said controller outputs said ASCII value to said viewership meter via said second electrical connection.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 27 words

The tuner interface as recited in claim 7 , wherein said tuner interface device is adapted to receive power and additional data via said second electrical connection.

Claim 12

Independent Claim 121 words

A system for determining viewership of channels tunable by a set-top converter box having an electronic tuner, said system comprising: a tuner interface device connected to a communications bus of said electronic tuner, said tuner interface device adapted to determine a channel to which said set-top converter is tuned from commands on said communications bus; and a viewership collection meter connected to said tuner interface, said viewership meter periodically storing a channel to which said set-top converter is tuned, wherein said channel to which said set-top converter is tuned is determined by said tuner interface and communicated to said viewership collection meter, and wherein said viewership collection meter stores said channel and forwards it to a predetermined location at selected times.

Claim 13

Independent Claim 121 words

A system for determining viewership of channels tunable by a set-top converter box having an electronic tuner, said system comprising: a tuner interface device connected to a communications bus of said electronic tuner, said tuner interface device adapted to determine a channel to which said set-top converter is tuned from commands on said communications bus; and a viewership collection meter connected to said tuner interface, said viewership meter periodically storing a channel to which said set-top converter is tuned, wherein said channel to which said set-top converter is tuned is determined by said tuner interface and communicated to said viewership collection meter, and wherein said viewership collection meter stores said channel and forwards it to a predetermined location at selected times.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 97 words

The system for determining viewership of channels tunable by a set-top converter box as recited in claim 11 , wherein said viewership collection meter further comprises an audio matching circuit, said audio matching circuit comparing a first audio signal of a predetermined channel tuned by said viewership collection meter with a second audio signal output by a television to which said set-top converter is connected, wherein if said first audio signal and said second audio signal match, said viewership collection meter determines that said channel to which said set-top converter box is tuned is said predetermined channel.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 46 words

The tuner interface as recited in claim 12 , wherein said tuner is electrically connected to a bus, wherein electrical components within said set-top converter box communicate over said bus, and wherein said tuner is addressable by a unique identifier that is communicated over said bus.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 58 words

The tuner interface as recited in claim 13 , wherein said controller monitors communications over said bus, and said commands are communicated to said electronic tuner following the communication of said unique identifier, and wherein when said unique identifier is communicated to said electronic tuner, said controller captures said commands in order to determine said currently tuned-to channel.

Claim 17

Dependent Claim 56 words

The tuner interface as recited in claim 14 , said controller determining if said commands are to change said electronic tuner from a first tuned-to channel to a second tuned-to channel and determining if second tuned-to channel is different than said first tuned-to channel, wherein said second tuned-to channel is to become said currently tuned-to channel.

Claim 18

Independent Claim 92 words

A method of determining a currently tuned-to channel of a set-top converter device having an electronic tuner which tunes to a viewer-selected channel in response to commands provided thereto by said set-top converter device, said method comprising: tapping into a communications bus of said tuner, said bus carrying at least one signal representing said commands, and as a result of said tapping, receiving said commands at a tuner interface; determining said currently tuned-to channel by interpreting said commands; generating a coded representation of said currently tuned-to channel; and outputting said coded representation.

Claim 19

Independent Claim 92 words

A method of determining a currently tuned-to channel of a set-top converter device having an electronic tuner which tunes to a viewer-selected channel in response to commands provided thereto by said set-top converter device, said method comprising: tapping into a communications bus of said tuner, said bus carrying at least one signal representing said commands, and as a result of said tapping, receiving said commands at a tuner interface; determining said currently tuned-to channel by interpreting said commands; generating a coded representation of said currently tuned-to channel; and outputting said coded representation.

Claim 20

Dependent Claim 77 words

The method as recited in claim 16 , wherein said electronic tuner is electrically connected to abus, over which electrical components within said set-top converter box communicate, and said tuner is addressable by a unique identifier that is communicated over said bus, said step of receiving said commands at said tuner interface comprising: monitoring, at said controller, communications over said bus; determining when said unique identifier is communicated; and capturing said commands that follow said unique identifier.

Claim 21

Dependent Claim 47 words

The method as recited in claim 17 , further comprising: determining if said commands comprise instructions to change from a first tuned-to channel to a second tuned-to channel different than said first tuned-to channel; and if so, designating said second tuned-to channel as said currently tuned-to channel.

Claim 22

Dependent Claim 36 words

The method as recited in claim 16 , wherein said step of generating a coded representation of said determined channel comprises generating an ASCII value of said channel to which said set-top converter box is tuned.

Claim 23

Dependent Claim 26 words

The method as recited in claim 18 , wherein said step of outputting said coded representation comprises serially transmitting said ASCII value to a viewership meter.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	2005-06-10	2005-12-10	2006-06-11	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	2009-06-10	2009-12-10	2010-06-11	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	2013-06-10	2013-12-10	2014-06-11	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Television audience monitoring system and method employing tuner interface of set-top converter box

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