Brevet US4025851 - Automatic monitor for programs broadcast

XR 4,025,651

United States Patent im

Haselwood et al.

[54] AUTOMATIC MONITOR FOR PROGRAMS BROADCAST

[75] Inventors: Donald E. Haselwood, Clearwater;

Carl M. Solar, Largo, both of Fla.

[73] Assignee: A.C. Nielsen Company, Northbrook, 111.

[22] Filed: Nov. 28, 197S [21] Appl. No.: 636,041

[52] U.S. CI 325/31; 325/54

[51] Int.Cl.2 H04J9/00

[58] Field of Search 325/31, 51, 53, 54,

325/64, 308; 343/200; 178/5.1, DIG. 13;

340/147 R, 147 A, 167 R

[56] References Cited

UNITED STATES PATENTS

3,733,430 5/1973 Thompson et al 178/5.1

3,845,391 10/1974 Crosby 325/64

3,849,729 11/1974 Baggem 325/31

3,906,450 9/1975 Prado, Jr 178/DIG. 13

3,947,624 3/1976 Miyake 178/DIG. 13

Primary Examiner—Benedict V. Safourek

[in 4,025,851 [45] May 24, 1977

[57] ABSTRACT

A system for automatically monitoring the programs broadcast by network affiliated broadcasting stations includes a plurality of remote monitoring sites and a central office for periodically interrogating the remote monitoring sites. Each remote monitoring site contains apparatus for monitoring time varying program identifying data, and for storing the data in a change format when the time varying data changes in an unexpected manner. An elapsed time clock in each remote monitoring unit generates a record of the elapsed time between the unexpected changes.

Each remote unit includes a minicomputer having a read-only memory and a random-access memory. The data in the read-only memory serves to establish communications with the central office and permits the central office to access the random-access memory. After the random-access memory has been accessed, it may be reprogrammed to alter the operation of the remote monitoring unit to accommodate different data formats or different information.

36 Claims, 9 Drawing Figures