EP0598398A2 - Method and detecting device for recording the audience behaviour of radio and TV programmes - Google Patents

Abstract

In radio and TV receivers, a useful information signal with a data word is recovered and radiated via the loudspeaker/loudspeakers, the data word being picked up by an ultrasonic microphone (7) arranged on a digital wrist-watch and being processed further by electronic integrated circuits, values such as data word (17) and transmitting time being stored in a memory (13). These values are transmitted to a central computer by means of a telephone line via an adapter and a modem (15). The detecting device only operates as such when it is also located directly at and, respectively, on a test person. It is activated when a temperature detection element is heated by skin contact. <IMAGE>

Description

The invention relates to a method for registering the listener behavior of radio and television programs and a detection device as an aid in carrying out this method.

The registration of the listener behavior of radio and television broadcasts, in particular a statistical evaluation of the advertising radio, has not yet been carried out in a wide enough range. This is because the listener receives radio from various radio and television receivers, be it at home, in the car or in a restaurant, over the course of a day or a longer period of time, although registration has so far not been possible for technical reasons.

There is GfK television viewer research for television, where a GfK meter is connected to a stationary television set in a room, which is available to representative households and via which all steps necessary for measurement, recording and data transmission are carried out. Up to 98 channels / programs and the use of video recorders are recognized. The switching on / off of the television set and the respective switched on program (including possible switchovers) are automatically recorded.

The data determined in this way with regard to television use are registered in the GfK meter to the second and saved; The stored data can now be called up via the telephone line. In order to be able to use this method of data transmission, the GfK-Meter is connected to the Telekom telephone network via a modem. Data is retrieved every night between 2 a.m. and 5 a.m. by a central computer installed for this purpose. This is able to independently access up to 13 households' data on the TV usage of the previous day at the same time. The computer needs about 30 to 50 seconds to transfer the data of a household.

From DE-OS 30 39 842 a radio transmission system for distribution automation and remote measurement is known. Several remote devices are selectively addressed and controlled via a radio transmission system. The digital addresses and control signals are transmitted to a local AM radio station and are sent from there. Several remote addressable digital radio receivers control several external devices such as circuit breakers or watt-hour meters.

From DE-OS 36 05 915 a control and power supply unit for implanted electromedical measuring, control and regulating systems is known. Control signals, for example to a pacemaker, are output via a wristwatch with solar cells and a keypad. These control impulses are coupled in via a transmitter, the primary winding of which is located on the underside of the wristwatch and the secondary winding of which is implanted in the back of the hand, the electrical supply to the implanted pacemaker being effected via veins.

Through US-PS 47 18 106, it has finally become known that the listener behavior is in a very good quality per se of radio and television programs, using a detection device located on the body of the test person. For example, it is designed as a modified wristwatch. Transmitter-specific data are recorded via a microphone and stored together with the reception time in a storage element of the wristwatch. The data can be read out again (for evaluation) after a certain period of time after the recording devices have been collected again. A method in which a detection device is permanently with the test person is to be assessed as very positive. However, there is no guarantee that the wristwatch will actually be worn by the test person. It can, for example, be placed on a piece of furniture in their apartment after being handed over to the test person and receives and stores all radio transmissions in the area there. The corresponding test result can therefore only be used to a limited extent, since it can be influenced subjectively.

The present invention has for its object to provide a method and a detection device for registering the listener behavior of radio and television broadcasts, which should make it possible to securely register radio broadcasts perceived by a test person at all their locations for short-term evaluation, but the subjective influenceability of the test result should be minimized and it must be guaranteed that the detection device is actually located directly at the test person.

To achieve this object, the detection device designed as a wristwatch is only ready to take up when it is in direct skin contact with an individual, which is achieved by integrating a temperature detection element and an activation element. Only after a thermistor has a limit temperature (for example 36 or 37 ° C) and a switch has activated the detection device, the registration of data is possible. This is done in that in each broadcasting station a specific data word assigned to the respective program is generated in a frequency position of just below 15 kHz, preferably 14.8 kHz, amplitude-modulated within the frequency band of the message useful signal and broadcast together with the broadcasting program, with broadcasting and Television receivers recover the low-frequency news useful signal with the specific amplitude-modulated data word and is broadcast via the loudspeaker (s), the specific data word being picked up by a mobile ultrasound microphone, preferably arranged on a digital wristwatch, and via a bandpass with amplifier, a demodulator, memory circuits and electronic components , which are present in the digital wristwatch as integrated circuits, the data words are recorded with the transmission time and these values (data word plus transmission time) via a modem using a telephone and Corresponding adapter provided on the wristwatch are transmitted to a central computer at night, so that an assignment in terms of the transmitted values and the transmission program based on the specific data word and the registered, stored transmission time is possible in the computer, so that a statement can be made. what program content, in particular commercials, the listener has received.

Fig. 1

das Stereomultiplexsignal;

Fig. 2

ein Blockschaltbild der digitalen Armbanduhr.

An embodiment is shown in the figures. Show it:

Fig. 1

the stereo multiplex signal;

Fig. 2

a block diagram of the digital wristwatch.

The present invention is intended to relate to both AM and FM broadcasting.

The stereo multiplex signal for FM broadcasting shown in FIG. 1 shows with reference number 1 the frequency band for the mixture of left and right channel (L + R) for mono reception between 0.03 and 15 kHz. Just below 15 kHz, preferably at 14.8 kHz, the amplitude-modulated specific data word (6) is generated within the frequency band of the message useful signal and is broadcast together with the transmission program after the total modulation. This measure is intended to ensure that commercial mono radio and television receivers can also receive the specific data word. This is just above the hearing limit in the listening area emitted by the receiver's loudspeaker. It is said to be inaudible to the listener and to be registered by means of an ultrasound microphone and electronic components which are fitted in a digital wristwatch and to be stored together with the transmission time in a memory module. The pilot tone (2) lies at 19 kHz in FIG. 1, the frequency bands for the left channel (L) minus the right channel (3) or (5) lie between 23 and 38 kHz or 53 and 38 kHz; (4) shows a suppressed stereo subcarrier at 38 kHz. Corresponding conditions apply to AM broadcasting.

In the radio and television receiver, the low-frequency news useful signal with the specific amplitude-modulated data word is recovered and transmitted via the loudspeaker (s), the specific data word being picked up by a mobile ultrasound microphone, which is preferably arranged on a digital wristwatch, which is preferably a piezomicrophone.

The block diagram shown in Figure 2 shows the electronic Components that are necessary for processing the specific data word. The ultrasound piezo microphone is shown with reference number 7. 8 shows a bandpass with amplifier. The demodulator 9 is used to obtain the digital specific data word 17 with the period T _D and the pause time T _P in digitized form. The data word can consist of 8 or more bits, so that with 8 bits 2⁸ different transmitter programs can be registered according to the number of different transmit programs and transmitters. 10 shows a counter that is controlled by the gate circuit 11, which is also supplied with the digital data word. 12 shows the timer or the clock pulse, which is synchronized with the normal time and controls the read / write memory (RAM) 13 via control lines and a 16 bit bus. In it, the specific digital data words 17 from the counter 10 are read in via the address of the time via an 8-bit bus, for example. These values (data word plus transmission time) are transmitted to a central computer at night via a modem 15 by means of a telephone line and the corresponding adapter provided on the wristwatch, so that the computer assigns the transmitted values and the transmission program based on the specific data word 17 and the registered, stored broadcast time is possible, so that a statement can be made as to which program content, in particular commercial programs, the listener has received. The counter 14 is used for this purpose, which is controlled by the clock pulse 12 and controls the read / write memory 13 and the modem 15 via a 16-bit data bus. A bit-serial signal is then present at point 16, which consists of a received data word with the transmitted time.

The digital wristwatch has a battery-backed power supply powered by solar cells.

The electronic components that are integrated Circuits are activated via a switch that is operatively connected to a thermistor. This switch is activated as soon as the thermistor is heated to body temperature by the skin contact of the wristwatch. It is thus possible to register the listener's behavior only when the watch is worn and the watch wearer also listens to the radio.

The mode of operation of the system according to the invention is to be verified using a few examples.

The system for registering the listener behavior of radio and television programs is essentially characterized in that in the broadcasters each program, for. B. SWF 3 or HR 3 etc. an inaudible specific data word lying in the ultrasound range is superimposed or is broadcast together with the program. This applies to both FM and AM broadcasting.

Depending on the number of bits in the data word, 256 different transmission programs can be identified with an 8-bit data word, for example. Registration is initially carried out in a digital wristwatch equipped with integrated circuits as electronic components, which is usually worn by a selected group of test persons during the day.

At the core of the digital wristwatch are, in addition to displaying and recording the "normal" time via a clock pulse 12, an ultrasound microphone 7, which detects the amplitude-modulated specific data words emitted by the radio transmitters and are in the ultrasound range, and electronic components are used for further processing , in particular memory provided. Like an inaudible dog whistle, the speaker (s) of a standard radio and television receiver for example, the specific data word is continuously sent out together with the message useful signal in a time cycle of 10 seconds. In addition to the clock pulse 12, the digital clock also has circuits such as read / write memory (RAM) 13, counters 11, 14, control logic and a modem 15. The data word received at the respective time is stored in the read / write memory 13 under the address of the time. An example should explain this. At 12:45 p.m., the specific data word 11010011 is read into the read / write memory 13. This data word stands for example for the broadcast program HR 3 (Hessischer Rundfunk, 3rd program). At 2:12 p.m., the subject is in his car, for example, and receives data word 11100011 on his car radio, which can be synonymous with SWF 3 (Südwestfunk, 3rd program), for example. If, for example, the subject visits a restaurant around 5:00 p.m. in which radio is received by Bayern 3 (Bavarian Radio, 3rd program), the data word received could be: 01010111.

The data words are only registered if the watch is actually worn. For this purpose, a thermistor is provided as a temperature detection element, which is heated to around 37 degrees Celsius by the body temperature when worn. Expediently, this thermistor will be introduced with its metal layer on the back facing away from the display field of the watch. At night, the digital clock is connected to a central computer via the telephone network via an adapter and a modem 15 provided for this purpose, which then reads out the data contained in the read / write memory, such as the time and the specific data words assigned to the time.

On the basis of a comparison list, broadcast programs, time and specific data words are to a certain extent in the central computer available as a reference so that, for example, based on the time read out at 5:00 p.m. and data word 01010111, to stay with the last-mentioned example, the computer determines what content the broadcast program received at that time had, e.g. B. a certain commercial was content.

In this way, the listener behavior of radio and television broadcasts can be registered safely while minimizing their subjective influence and later subjected to a statistical analysis.

Claims (7)

Method for registering the listener behavior of radio and television programs, in which station-specific data (6) are transmitted together with a broadcast program, converted in a radio or television set and emitted by these devices, in which the transmitted station-specific data (6) are transmitted by a recorded to an individual to be assigned and located in a listening area of the radio or television, recorded together with the time of reception in a memory (13) of the recording device and readable for evaluation from the memory (13), characterized in that the readiness of the recording Detection device is only produced automatically if it is in direct contact with an individual. A method for registering the listener behavior of radio and television broadcasts according to claim 1, characterized in that a known, known, serving as a detection device, modified wristwatch is only ready for detection of the transmitter-specific data emitted by a radio or television set if there is direct skin contact between the wristwatch and the individual, a contact zone of the wristwatch exceeding a preselectable limit temperature. Method for registering the listener behavior of radio and television broadcasts according to Claims 1 and 2, characterized in that the data (6) stored in the detection device is read out for the purpose of evaluation in a manner known per se by means of remote transmission means, in particular via a telephone network connectable to the detection device. Detection device, in particular a modified wristwatch for registering the listener behavior of radio and television broadcasts, the wristwatch picking up transmitter-specific data (6) emitted by radio and television sets via a microphone (7) and storing them together with the reception time in a re-readable memory element (13) , characterized in that the wristwatch has a temperature detection element which can be heated to the body temperature by skin contact of the wristwatch with an individual, and at least one electronic component of the wristwatch can be activated via an activation element which works as a function of the temperature detection element. Detection device for registering the listener behavior of radio and television programs according to claim 4, characterized in that the temperature detection element and the activation element are formed by a thermistor and a switch, the detection function being activated only when the temperature of the thermistor is higher than a limit temperature is. Detection device for registering the listener behavior of radio and television broadcasts according to claims 4 and 5, characterized in that the microphone (7) is a piezo microphone (7) preferably operating in the frequency range of 15 kHz. Detection device for registering the listener behavior of radio and television broadcasts according to claims 4 to 6, characterized in that the wristwatch is controlled by the electronic components: - bandpass (8) with amplifier, - counter (10; 14), - gate circuit (11), - Read / write memory RAM (13) and - Modem (15) for data transmission using an adapter and telephone modified digital wrist watch.

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