U.S. patent application number 11/196202 was filed with the patent office on 2005-12-01 for universal display media exposure measurement.
Invention is credited to Crystal, Jack C., Jensen, James M., Zhang, Jack K..
Application Number | 20050264430 11/196202 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 32594675 |
Filed Date | 2005-12-01 |
United States Patent
Application |
20050264430 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Zhang, Jack K. ; et
al. |
December 1, 2005 |
Universal display media exposure measurement
Abstract
Systems, methods and devices for gathering data concerning
exposure of predetermined survey participants to billboards are
provided. A portable transmitter is arranged to transmit a signal
containing survey participant data, and a receiver located
proximately to the billboard serves to receive the signal
transmitted by the transmitter.
Inventors: |
Zhang, Jack K.; (Ijamsville,
MD) ; Crystal, Jack C.; (Owings Mill, MD) ;
Jensen, James M.; (Columbia, MD) |
Correspondence
Address: |
Attention: PATENTS
COWAN, LIEBOWITZ & LATMAN, P.C.
1133 AVENUE OF THE AMERICAS
NEW YORK
NY
10036
US
|
Family ID: |
32594675 |
Appl. No.: |
11/196202 |
Filed: |
August 3, 2005 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
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11196202 |
Aug 3, 2005 |
|
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10329132 |
Dec 24, 2002 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
340/905 ;
340/999; 40/624; 40/905 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G09F 27/00 20130101;
G06Q 30/02 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
340/905 ;
040/624; 340/999; 040/905 |
International
Class: |
G08G 001/09 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A portable billboard and media data exposure monitor arranged to
be carried on the person of a participant, comprising: a billboard
exposure data producing system for producing billboard exposure
monitoring data; a media data exposure monitor; and an enclosure
containing the billboard exposure data producing system and the
media data exposure monitor.
2. The monitor of claim 1, further comprising means for securing
the monitor to the person of the participant.
3. The monitor of claim 1, wherein the billboard exposure data
producing system comprises a receiver arranged to receive a
billboard proximity signal.
4. The monitor of claim 1, wherein the billboard exposure data
producing system comprises a transmitter arranged to transmit
participant data to a billboard exposure data receiver.
5. The monitor of claim 1, wherein the media data exposure monitor
comprises an acoustic transducer operative to receive audio media
data and to produce non-acoustic media data therefrom, and a
detector coupled with the acoustic transducer to receive the
non-acoustic media data and operative to produce the media data
exposure data therefrom.
6. The monitor of claim 5, wherein the detector is operative to
detect an ancillary code in the non-acoustic media data.
7. A method for measuring the exposure of survey participants to
media data as well as to a billboard, the method comprising the
steps of: providing a billboard exposure data producing system and
a media data exposure monitor within an enclosure; producing media
data exposure data with the media data exposure monitor; and
producing billboard exposure data with the billboard exposure data
producing system.
8. The method of claim 7, further comprising the step of securing
the enclosure to the person of the survey participant.
9. The method of claim 7, wherein the step of producing billboard
exposure data comprises the step of receiving a billboard proximity
signal.
10. The method of claim 7, wherein the step of producing billboard
exposure data comprises the step of transmitting participant data
to a billboard exposure data receiver.
11. The method of claim 7, further comprising the steps of:
receiving audio media data in the media data exposure monitor and
producing non-acoustic media data therefrom; and producing media
data exposure data from the non-acoustic media data.
12. The method of claim 11, further comprising the step of
detecting an ancillary code in the non-acoustic media data.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application is a continuation of U.S. patent
application 10/329,132, filed Dec. 24, 2002, assigned to the
assignee of the present invention and hereby incorporated herein by
reference in its entirety.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The present invention generally relates to systems, methods
and devices for measuring the exposure of predetermined survey
participants to billboards.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] It is desired to estimate the exposure of persons to
billboards which are often displayed in outdoor settings, such as
along roads, highways, railways and walkways, as well as in various
indoor settings, such as in malls, subway stations, railway
stations, bus stations, airports, building lobbies, etc. Moreover,
in addition to information concerning the numbers of persons
exposed to such billboards, information concerning the days and
times such exposure takes place and information concerning the
particular individuals so exposed is also highly desired.
[0004] It has been proposed to employ global positioning satellite
(GPS) systems to track the positions of vehicles during a period of
time, and then to compare the paths of the tracked vehicles with
the known locations of billboards in order to determine which
billboards the tracked vehicles passed by.
[0005] This proposed technique, however, suffers from a number of
disadvantages. One such disadvantage is that the technique is
limited to outdoor use only due to the drastic weakening of GPS
signals caused by building structures and the like. As such, the
exposure to billboards displayed in indoor settings, such as in
malls, subway stations, railway stations, bus stations, airports,
building lobbies, etc., cannot be accurately measured using this
proposed system. Another disadvantage is that the proposed
GPS-based system tracks only vehicles rather than individual
people. Therefore, the data collected has little or no direct
correlation to the persons in the vehicle being tracked. Not only
does the system not allow demographic information about the persons
in the vehicle to be collected, but it does not even allow the
number of persons in the vehicle to be ascertained.
[0006] Still another disadvantage is that GPS systems may be
considered intrusive, in that they track the movement of people no
matter where they go. Persons concerned about maintaining their
privacy may be unlikely to volunteer for participation in such a
billboard exposure survey.
[0007] Another system which has been proposed for measuring
billboard exposure involves locating a transmitter proximate to the
billboards for which exposure is to be measured and providing
survey participants with portable receiving devices. The
transmitters broadcast a signal that carries information related to
the billboards, which signal is received and stored by the portable
receiving devices.
[0008] This proposed technique, however, also suffers from a number
of disadvantages. One disadvantage is that when numerous billboards
are located in close proximity to one another, as is often the case
in indoor settings or in high traffic outdoor settings, the signals
broadcast by the transmitters associated with these billboards may
conflict with one another such that the portable receiving devices
cannot correctly identify at least some of the broadcast signals.
As such, the estimates of exposure to at least some of the
billboards may be grossly inaccurate. While techniques are
available to provide a means for distinguishing among the various
broadcast signals, these techniques add substantial complexity to
the portable receiving devices. Since these are not mass market
devices, their unit cost is substantially increased as a
result.
[0009] Another disadvantage of the proposed technique relates to
the fact that the data collected by the portable receivers must be
subsequently downloaded by the survey participants, e.g., via a
telephone line or computer link, for processing by a processing
facility. This adds a further level of complexity to the system and
thus still further expense.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0010] For this application the following terms and definitions
shall apply, both for the singular and plural forms of nouns and
for all verb tenses:
[0011] The term "data" as used herein means any indicia, signals,
marks, symbols, domains, symbol sets, representations and any other
physical form or forms representing information, whether permanent
or temporary, whether visible, audible, acoustic, electric,
magnetic, electromagnetic or otherwise manifested. The term "data"
as used herein to represent certain information in one physical
form shall be deemed to encompass any and all representations of
the same information in a different physical form or forms.
[0012] The term "media data" as used herein means data which is
widely accessible, whether optically observable, over-the-air, or
via cable, satellite, network, internetwork (including the
Internet), distributed on storage media, or otherwise, without
regard to the form or content thereof.
[0013] The term "transmitter" as used herein means any device which
radiates or distributes a signal, whether optical, acoustic,
electric, magnetic, electromagnetic or otherwise manifested.
[0014] The term "receiver" as used herein means any device which
acquires a signal, whether optical, acoustic, electric, magnetic,
electromagnetic or otherwise manifested.
[0015] The terms "coupled", "coupled to" and "coupled with" as used
herein each means a relationship between or among two or more
devices, apparatus, files, programs, media, components, networks,
systems, subsystems and/or means, constituting any one or more of
(a) a connection whether direct or through one or more other
devices, apparatus, files, programs, media, components, networks,
systems, subsystems or means, (b) a communications relationship
whether direct or through one or more other devices, apparatus,
files, programs, media, components, networks, systems, subsystems,
or means, or (c) a functional relationship in which the operation
of any one or more thereof depends, in whole or in part, on the
operation of any one or more others thereof.
[0016] The terms "communicate" and "communication" as used herein
include both conveying data from a source to a destination, and
delivering data to a communications medium, system or link to be
conveyed to a destination.
[0017] The term "processor" as used herein means processing
devices, apparatus, programs, circuits, systems and subsystems,
whether implemented in hardware, software or both and whether for
processing analog and/or digital data.
[0018] In accordance with an aspect of the present invention, a
system for measuring the exposure of survey participants to a
billboard is provided. The system comprises at least one portable
transmitter arranged to be carried on the person of at least one
survey participant, the at least one portable transmitter operative
to transmit signals containing survey participant data; a
receiver/transmitter arranged to receive the signals containing
survey participant data from the at least one portable transmitter
and operative to transmit a signal containing survey participant
data; and a receiver located proximately to the billboard, the
receiver being arranged to receive the signal transmitted by the
receiver/transmitter.
[0019] In accordance with another aspect of the present invention,
a system for measuring the exposure of survey participants to a
billboard is provided. The system comprises a portable transmitter
arranged to transmit on a continuous basis or from time to time in
response to an internal control, a signal containing survey
participant data; and a receiver located proximately to the
billboard, the receiver serving to receive the signal transmitted
by the transmitter.
[0020] In accordance with an additional aspect of the present
invention, a system for measuring the exposure of survey
participants to a billboard is provided. The system comprises a
portable transmitter arranged to transmit a signal containing a
unique survey participant identifier; and a receiver located
proximately to the billboard, the receiver serving to receive the
signal transmitted by the transmitter.
[0021] In accordance with a further aspect of the present
invention, a system for measuring the exposure of survey
participants to a billboard is provided. The system comprises a
receiver/transmitter arranged to receive a signal containing survey
participant data from a transmitter and to transmit a signal
containing survey participant data; and a receiver located
proximately to the billboard, the receiver serving to receive the
signal transmitted by the receiver/transmitter.
[0022] In accordance with yet a further aspect of the present
invention, a system for measuring the exposure of survey
participants to a billboard is provided. The system comprises a
receiver located proximately to the billboard, the receiver being
arranged to receive a signal indicative of a survey participant's
presence in a viewing area of the billboard, the signal including
survey participant data; and a communication device operative to
communicate the survey participant data to a billboard exposure
data producing system for producing billboard exposure data based
upon the survey participant data.
[0023] In accordance with still a further aspect of the present
invention, a portable device for use with a system for measuring
the exposure of survey participants to a billboard is provided. The
portable device comprises a transmitter arranged to transmit on a
continuous basis or from time to time in response to an internal
control a signal indicative of the survey participant's presence in
a viewing area of the billboard, the signal including survey
participant data.
[0024] In accordance with yet another aspect of the present
invention, a portable billboard and media data exposure monitor
arranged to be carried on the person of a participant is provided.
The monitor comprises billboard exposure means for producing
billboard exposure monitoring data; a media data exposure monitor;
and an enclosure containing the billboard exposure means and the
media data exposure monitor.
[0025] In accordance with still another aspect of the present
invention, a transmitter/receiver for use with a system for
measuring the exposure of survey participants to a billboard is
provided. The transmitter/receiver is arranged to receive first
signals containing survey participant data from at least one
portable transmitter and to transmit second signals based upon the
received first signals to a receiver located proximately to the
billboard.
[0026] In accordance with a further aspect of the present
invention, a method for measuring the exposure of survey
participants to a billboard is provided. The method comprises the
steps of transmitting a signal containing survey participant data
from at least one portable transmitter carried on the person of at
least one survey participant; receiving the signal containing
survey participant data from the at least one portable transmitter
with a receiver/transmitter and transmitting a signal containing
survey participant data with the receiver/transmitter; and
receiving the signal transmitted by the receiver/transmitter with a
receiver located proximately to the billboard.
[0027] In accordance with yet still another aspect of the present
invention, a method for measuring the exposure of survey
participants to a billboard is provided. The method comprises the
steps of transmitting on a continuous basis or from time to time in
response to an internal control a signal containing survey
participant data from a portable transmitter; and receiving the
signal transmitted by the transmitter with a receiver located
proximately to the billboard.
[0028] In accordance with another aspect of the present invention,
a method for measuring the exposure of survey participants to a
billboard is provided. The method comprises the steps of receiving
with a receiver/transmitter a signal containing survey participant
data from a transmitter and transmitting with the
receiver/transmitter a signal containing survey participant data;
and receiving the signal transmitted by the receiver/transmitter
with a receiver located proximately to the billboard.
[0029] In accordance with still another aspect of the present
invention, a method for measuring the exposure of survey
participants to a billboard is provided. The method comprises the
steps of receiving a signal indicative of a survey participant's
presence in a viewing area of the billboard with a receiver located
proximately to the billboard, the signal including survey
participant data; and communicating the survey participant data to
a billboard exposure data producing system for producing billboard
exposure data based upon the survey participant data.
[0030] In accordance with yet a further aspect of the present
invention, a method for measuring the exposure of survey
participants to a billboard is provided. The method comprises the
step of transmitting with a portable transmitter on a continuous
basis or from time to time in response to an internal control a
signal indicative of a survey participant's presence in a viewing
area of the billboard, the signal including survey participant
data.
[0031] In accordance with still a further aspect of the present
invention, a method for measuring the exposure of survey
participants to media data as well as to a billboard is provided.
The method comprises the steps of providing a billboard exposure
monitoring means and a media data exposure monitor within an
enclosure; producing media data exposure data with the media data
exposure monitor; and producing billboard exposure data with the
billboard exposure monitoring means.
[0032] In accordance with still yet another aspect of the present
invention, a method for measuring the exposure of survey
participants to a billboard is provided. The method comprises the
steps of receiving first signals containing survey participant data
from at least one portable transmitter; and transmitting second
signals based upon the received first signals to a receiver located
proximately to the billboard.
[0033] The invention and its particular features and advantages
will become more apparent from the following detailed description
considered with reference to the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0034] FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a system for
measuring the exposure of survey participants to a billboard in
accordance with certain embodiments of the present invention;
[0035] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating a portable
transmitter in accordance with certain embodiments of the present
invention for use with a system for measuring the exposure of
survey participants to a billboard;
[0036] FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram illustrating a receiver in
accordance with certain embodiments of the present invention for
use with a system for measuring the exposure of survey participants
to a billboard;
[0037] FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating a system for
measuring the exposure of survey participants to a billboard in
accordance with certain embodiments of the present invention where
one or more survey participants are traveling in a vehicle;
[0038] FIG. 5 is a block diagram illustrating a system for
measuring the exposure of survey participants to a billboard in
accordance with certain further embodiments of the present
invention where one or more survey participants are traveling in a
vehicle;
[0039] FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram illustrating a
receiver/transmitter in accordance with certain embodiments of the
present invention which may be used with a system for measuring the
exposure of survey participants to a billboard; and
[0040] FIG. 7 is a block diagram illustrating certain embodiments
of a portable billboard and media data exposure monitor which
serves to monitor the exposure of survey participants to billboards
as well as to media data.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF CERTAIN ADVANTAGEOUS EMBODIMENTS
[0041] FIG. 1 schematically illustrates a system 10 for measuring
the exposure of survey participants to a billboard in accordance
with certain embodiments of the present invention. The system 10
includes a portable transmitter 12 and a receiver 14. The portable
transmitter 12, shown in more detail in FIG. 2, is limited in size
and configured to be carried about by a survey participant. The
portable transmitter 12 in certain embodiments is housed in a
housing 50, and may be packaged similarly to a pager, cell phone,
PDA or portable media player device. The portable transmitter 12 in
certain embodiments includes a clip, pin, belt loop, band, chain or
other appropriate means 52 for affixing it to a belt, strap, shirt,
blouse or other part of the survey participant's clothing or
directly to the survey participant. In certain embodiments, the
portable transmitter 12 is packaged in a wrist watch, article of
jewelry or in any other article or device of a kind which is or may
be carried about. In other embodiments, the portable transmitter 12
includes means 52 for mounting the transmitter 12 on or in a
vehicle in which the survey participant is traveling, such as a
clip for attachment to a visor, a loop for attachment to a key
ring, a magnet, a clamp, a screw or a hook-and-loop fastening
system for allowing the portable transmitter 12 to be detachably
connected to the dash or window of the vehicle or elsewhere on or
in the vehicle.
[0042] The portable transmitter 12 includes a signal transmitter 54
which transmits a signal 16 containing survey participant data 56.
In embodiments which transmit RF (e.g., microwave) signals, an
antenna 58 or the like is coupled with the output of the signal
transmitter 54. In certain embodiments, a processor 60 is provided
for controlling the various operations of portable transmitter 12.
The survey participant data 56 may comprise, for example, a unique
identifier which identifies the particular portable transmitter 12
and/or the particular survey participant carrying the particular
portable transmitter 12. Instead of, or in addition to, a unique
identifier, the survey participant data 56 may include personal
information (e.g., name, address, etc.) and/or demographic
information (e.g., age, sex, race, etc.) concerning the survey
participant carrying the portable transmitter 12. In certain
embodiments, the portable transmitter 12 transmits the signal 16
containing survey participant data continuously. In other
embodiments, the portable transmitter 12 transmits the signal 16
containing survey participant data in response to an internal
control (e.g. produced by processor 60), such as periodically or
from time to time. In certain embodiments, the portable transmitter
12 also includes a memory 64 which serves to store the survey
participant data 56 for subsequent transmission.
[0043] The receiver 14 is located proximately to the billboard for
which exposure of survey participants is being measured. In certain
embodiments, the receiver 14 may be located immediately on or
adjacent to the billboard. In other embodiments, the receiver 14
may be located some distance from the billboard. What is important,
however, is that the receiver 14 be located with respect to the
billboard in such a position that the signal 16 containing survey
participant data transmitted by a portable transmitter 12 carried
by a survey participant who is within a visually observable area of
the billboard is received. In certain embodiments, a single
receiver 14 may be associated with two or more billboards if they
share a common visually observable area (i.e., the survey
participant can observe the two or more billboards at locations
from which the signal 16 containing survey participant data is
received by the common receiver 14).
[0044] The billboards may be located in outdoor settings, such as
along roads, highways, railways and walkways, or in various indoor
settings, such as in malls, subway stations, railway stations, bus
stations, airports, building lobbies, etc.
[0045] The receiver 14, shown in more detail in FIG. 3, includes a
signal receiver 66 which receives the signal 16 containing survey
participant data from an antenna 72 and a processor 68 which
extracts the survey participant data from the signal 16. In certain
embodiments the receiver 14 includes a time and/or date data
producing device 70 which supplies time and/or date data 18 to the
processor 68, which time and/or date data 18 is appended to the
survey participant data. This allows the system 10 to track
information not only about the survey participants themselves who
are exposed to the billboard, but also the times and/or dates when
such exposure occurred. By tracking such information it can be
estimated, for example, how exposure varies with the time of day
and/or the days of the week. In certain embodiments, the time
and/or date data 18 is transmitted by the portable transmitter 12
itself along with the signal 16 containing survey participant data
and is supplied by means (not shown for purposes of simplicity and
clarity) functionally equivalent to device 70.
[0046] The receiver 14 also includes a communications device 20
coupled with the processor 68, which communicates the collected
data 22 (which comprises the survey participant data extracted from
the signal 16 as well as the time and/or date data 18 in
embodiments wherein such time and/or date data 18 is provided) to a
billboard exposure data producing system for producing billboard
exposure data based upon the collected data 22. The communications
device 20 may communicate the collected data 22 to the billboard
exposure data producing system by any of numerous means, either by
wire or wireless, such as by way of telephone lines, data lines,
fiber-optic lines, radio transmissions, cell-phone networks, pager
networks, etc.
[0047] In certain embodiments, the communications device 20
communicates the collected data 22 to the billboard exposure data
producing system in real time (i.e., as the survey participant data
is received by the receiver 14). In other embodiments, the receiver
14 includes a memory 24, such as a solid state memory or a
magnetically readable storage medium, onto which the collected data
22 is stored as it is received. In these various embodiments, the
communications device 20 is operative to communicate the stored
collected data 22 to the billboard exposure data producing system
in real time, from time to time and/or periodically.
[0048] When the billboard exposure data producing system receives
the collected data 22 from the communications device 20, it
produces data estimating exposure to billboards in order to produce
reports of interest to billboard owners, advertisers, broadcasters,
cablecasters, on-line services, content providers, and the
like.
[0049] In certain embodiments the portable transmitter 12 transmits
the signal 16 containing survey participant data via radio
frequency (RF) waves. For example, it may be desirable to transmit
in the range of 429-435 MHz, which range is not currently subject
to licensing requirements in most countries. In other embodiments
the portable transmitter 12 may transmit the signal 16 containing
survey participant data via infrared or acoustic waves (such as by
inaudible codes), or by employing some other form of energy.
[0050] Since billboard exposure data is gathered by providing
portable transmitters 12 to only a limited number of survey
participants, it is unlikely that unrelated panel members will be
present simultaneously within range of any given receiver 14. As
such, the likelihood of interference between the transmission of
signals 16 of two or more portable transmitters 12 as received by a
receiver 14 located proximately to a billboard is very much lower
than if signals were to be transmitted by transmitters located
proximately to billboards, a group of which may be located closely
together. This simplifies system design, thus reducing cost.
[0051] The likelihood of interference may be made even lower by
employing one or more of a number of relatively simple techniques.
One such technique that is employed in certain embodiments is to
cause the portable transmitters 12 carried by survey participants
to transmit signal 16 periodically or from time to time. For
example, if portable transmitters transmit a 0.5 second signal
every 10 seconds, it is unlikely that signals transmitted by two
portable transmitters would overlap and interfere with one another.
Another technique which is employed in certain embodiments is to
cause the portable transmitters 12 carried by survey participants
to transmit signal 16 on various different frequencies. Thus, even
if two survey participants were located in the same area, there
would be a reduced likelihood of interference because it would be
likely that the portable transmitters 12 carried by each survey
participant would be transmitting on different frequencies. This
likelihood is increased by assuring that survey participants likely
to travel together (e.g., members of the same family) are provided
with portable transmitters 12 transmitting on different frequencies
or at different times.
[0052] Other techniques for reducing the likelihood of signal
interference are employed in various other embodiments. For
example, the receivers 14 and/or portable transmitters 12 in
certain embodiments are provided with multiplexing capabilities,
such as time division multiplexing, frequency division
multiplexing, code division multiplexing or the like.
[0053] FIGS. 4 and 5 are block diagrams illustrating a system 100
for measuring the exposure of survey participants to a billboard in
accordance with certain embodiments of the present invention where
one or more survey participants are traveling in or on a vehicle
102. The vehicle 102 may comprise a private vehicle, such as an
automobile, a truck, a van, a motorcycle, a bicycle, a scooter, or
the like, or may comprise a public vehicle, such as a train, a bus,
a subway car, an airplane, a monorail or the like. The vehicle 102
has incorporated therein or mounted therein or thereon a
receiver/transmitter 104. The receiver/transmitter 104, which is
shown in more detail in FIG. 6, includes a signal receiver 150 to
receive signals 106, 108, 110 containing survey participant data
152 from one or more personal transmitters 112, 114, 116 carried by
one or more survey participants traveling within the vehicle 102.
In certain embodiments a receiver/transmitter functionally
equivalent to receiver/transmitter 104 is placed near a pedestrian
walkway (such as a sidewalk, plaza, airport concourse, railroad
station, atrium, stadium, or the like) to receive the signals from
one or more personal transmitters carried by survey participants
within view of one or more predetermined billboards.
[0054] The receiver/transmitter 104 also includes a signal
transmitter 154 to transmit signals 118, 120, 122 (FIG. 4) or a
signal 124 (FIG. 5) containing the survey participant data 152
received in signals 106, 108, 110. In certain embodiments (as shown
in FIG. 4), the survey participant data 152 received by
receiver/transmitter 104 in each of signals 106, 108, 110 is
conveyed by a plurality of signals 118, 120, 122, each of which
corresponds to one of signals 106, 108, 110 received by
receiver/transmitter 104. In certain of these embodiments,
receiver/transmitter 104 comprises a repeater, acting to receive
and retransmit signals 106, 108, 110 as signals 118, 120, 122; in
certain of these embodiments, receiver/transmitter 104 comprises an
amplifier, acting to amplify signals 106, 108, 110 as signals 118,
120, 122 while maintaining their original data formats (e.g., radio
frequency waves, infrared waves, acoustic waves, etc.) such that
transmitted signals 118, 120, 122 have a greater transmission range
than received signals 106, 108, 110; and in certain of these
embodiments, receiver/transmitter 104 serves to multiplex the
received signals for retransmission in different channels or in a
time division or code division multiplex format. In certain
embodiments, the receiver/transmitter 104 serves to convert
received signals 106, 108, 110 from one data format to another
before transmission of signals 118, 120, 122. Combinations of these
embodiments and other embodiments for receiver/transmitter 104 are
also possible.
[0055] In certain embodiments (as shown in FIG. 5), the survey
participant data 152 received by receiver/transmitter 104 in each
of signals 106, 108, 110 is extracted by receiver/transmitter 104
and used to generate and transmit a single signal 124 containing
the survey participant data extracted from each of signals 106,
108, 110. Received signals 106, 108, 110 may share a common data
format with transmitted signal 124, or transmitted signal 124 may
have a different data format. Transmitted signal 124 preferably has
a greater transmission range than received signals 106, 108,
110.
[0056] In certain embodiments, the receiver/transmitter 104
transmits the signals 118, 120, 122, 124 containing survey
participant data continuously. In other embodiments, the
receiver/transmitter 104 transmits the signals 118, 120, 122, 124
containing survey participant data in response to an internal
control, such as periodically or from time to time, as may be
controlled by a processor 156.
[0057] In certain embodiments, the receiver/transmitter 104 also
includes a memory 160 which serves to store the survey participant
data 152 for subsequent transmission. In these embodiments, the
receiver/transmitter 104 may be operative to transmit the stored
survey participant data 152 in real time as it is received, from
time to time or periodically, as desired. As such, it is not
necessary for the transmitter/receiver 104 to continuously monitor
the identities of the survey participants in the vehicle 102.
Rather the survey participant data 152 associated with the
passenger survey participants can be transmitted continuously by
the receiver/transmitter 104, while the collected survey
participant data 152 only need be updated and stored periodically
or from time to time. For example, if the vehicle 102 comprises a
bus, a subway car or the like which makes frequent stops, the
survey participant data 152 concerning passengers can be updated
more frequently than would be necessary for private vehicles, such
as automobiles or the like.
[0058] The provision of a memory 160 also allows vehicle data 162
concerning the vehicle 102 in which the receiver/transmitter 104 is
mounted to be stored and transmitted as part of signals 118, 120,
122, 124. This allows the system 100 to collect and evaluate
information about the types of vehicles the survey participants are
traveling in when they view the billboards and/or other information
concerning the vehicle, such as its owner. Both of the signal
receiver 150 and the signal transmitter 154 are provided with an
antenna 164, 166 for RF transmission. In embodiments which employ
optical or acoustic transmission, appropriate transducers are used
in place of antennas 164, 166.
[0059] The various components of the transmitter/receiver 104 in
certain embodiments are housed in a housing 168, which housing 168
may include means 170 for mounting the transmitter/receiver 104 on
or in a vehicle 102 in which the survey participant is traveling,
such as a clip for attachment to a visor, a loop for attachment to
a key ring, a magnet, a clamp, a screw or a hook-and-loop fastening
system for allowing the receiver/transmitter 104 to be detachably
connected to the dash or window of the vehicle 102.
[0060] System 100 also includes a receiver 126, which optionally
supplements received survey participant data with time and/or date
data 128, a communications device 130 for communicating collected
data 132 to a billboard exposure data producing system and a memory
134, each of which elements is functionally equivalent to each
respective element described in more detail above with respect to
FIGS. 1 and 3. In certain embodiments the receiver/transmitter 104
and/or the personal transmitters 112, 114 and 116 provide such time
and/or date data.
[0061] The various embodiments of the system of the present
invention provide distinct advantages over currently known or
proposed billboard exposure measuring systems.
[0062] Advantages of the system of the present invention over
proposed systems which employ global positioning satellite (GPS)
systems to track the position of vehicles during a period of time,
and then to compare the path of the tracked vehicles with the known
locations of billboards in order to determine which billboards the
tracked vehicles passed by include the fact that the system of the
present invention is not limited to outdoor use, but may also be
employed in various indoor settings, the fact that the system of
the present invention is not limited to tracking only vehicles
rather than individual people, and the fact that the system is not
intrusive in that it does not track the movement of people no
matter where they go, but rather only determines whether or not
survey participants have entered predefined areas.
[0063] The system of the present invention also provides numerous
advantages over proposed systems which involve locating a
transmitter proximate to the billboards for which exposure is to be
measured and providing survey participants with portable receiving
devices, the transmitters broadcasting a data signal that carries
information related to the billboards, which data signal is
received and stored by the portable receiving devices. One such
advantage of the system of the present invention is that by
avoiding the use of transmitters located near billboards, which
billboards may be grouped tightly together in some areas, the
problem of the signals being broadcast by the transmitters
associated with these billboards conflicting with one another such
that the portable receiving devices cannot correctly identify at
least some of the broadcast signals is avoided, without requiring
complex and expensive transmitters or relatively complex portable
devices which are expensive to make in the quantities normally used
in market research.
[0064] Another advantage of the system of the present invention is
that the system does not require that data collected by the
portable devices carried by the survey participants be subsequently
downloaded by the survey participants, e.g., via a telephone line
or computer link, for processing by a processing facility. Rather,
data is collected by the receivers located proximately to the
billboards and communicated to the billboard exposure data
producing system without requiring active intervention by the
survey participants.
[0065] FIG. 7 illustrates certain embodiments of portable billboard
and media data exposure monitoring devices according to certain
aspects of the present invention. The devices of FIG. 7 include an
enclosure 200; a media data exposure monitor comprising a
microphone 210, a processor 220, a memory 230 and a communications
device 240; and a billboard exposure means for producing billboard
exposure monitoring data. In certain embodiments, the billboard
exposure means comprises a transmitter 250, such as a portable
transmitter as disclosed hereinabove. In certain embodiments the
billboard exposure means comprises a receiver 260 arranged to
receive data relating to a billboard, such as identification data,
from a transmitter proximate to the billboard, and to store the
received data in the memory 230.
[0066] The enclosure 200 in certain embodiments is similar in size
to a pager device, cell phone, PDA, or portable media player or
else is packaged in a wrist watch, article of jewelry or any other
article or device of a kind which is or may be carried about. In
certain embodiments it is provided with a securing device 270 to
enable the portable device to be carried by or attached to the
person of an audience member, and in various ones of these
embodiments the device 270 comprises a clip, pin, belt loop, band,
chain, or other appropriate means for affixing it to a belt, strap,
shirt, blouse, or other part of the survey participant's clothing
or directly to the participant.
[0067] The microphone of the media data exposure monitor transduces
acoustic energy to which the survey participant is exposed to
produce acoustic data. The acoustic data is coupled from the
microphone 210 to the processor 220 which extracts media data
exposure data therefrom. In certain embodiments the processor 220
serves to decode an ancillary code included in audio media data for
use in identifying or characterizing the audio media data, and any
accompanying video data. Suitable decoding techniques for this
purpose are the subject of U.S. Pat. No. 5,450,490 and U.S. Pat.
No. 5,764,763 to Jensen, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,579,124 to Aijala,
et al., U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,574,962, 5,581,800 and 5,787,334 to
Fardeau, et al., U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/318,045, in
the names of Neuhauser, et al. filed May 25, 1999, U.S. patent
application Ser. No. 09/948,283 to Kolessar, et al. filed Sep. 7,
2001 and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/302,309 to Jensen, et
al., filed Nov. 22, 2002, each of which is assigned to the assignee
of the present application and all of which are incorporated herein
by reference.
[0068] Still other suitable decoding techniques are the subject of
PCT Publication WO 00/04662 to Srinvasan, U.S. Pat. No. 5,319,735
to Preuss, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,175,627 to Petrovich, et al.,
U.S. Pat. No. 5,828,325 to Wolosewicz, et al., U.S. Pat. No.
6,154,484 to Lee et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,945,932 to Smith, et al.,
PCT Publication WO 99/59275 to Lu, et al., PCT Publication WO
98/26529 to Lu, et al., and PCT Publication WO 96/27264 to Lu, et
al., all of which are incorporated herein by reference.
[0069] In certain embodiments the processor 220 extracts a
signature from the acoustic data for use in identifying media data
to which the participant is exposed. In such embodiments the
processor 220 either is additionally provided with the capability
to decode ancillary codes in the acoustic data or else serves only
to extract signatures therefrom.
[0070] Suitable techniques for extracting signatures from acoustic
data are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,612,729 to Ellis, et al. and
in U.S. Pat. No. 4,739,398 to Thomas, et al., each of which is
assigned to the assignee of the present invention and both of which
are incorporated herein by reference.
[0071] Still other suitable techniques are the subject of U.S. Pat.
No. 2,662,168 to Scherbatsoy, U.S. Pat. No. 3,919,479 to Moon, et
al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,697,209 to Kiewit, et al., U.S. Pat. No.
4,677,466 to Lert, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,512,933 to Wheatley, et
al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,955,070 to Welsh, et al., U.S. Pat. No.
4,918,730 to Schulze, U.S. Pat. No. 4,843,562 to Kenyon, et al.,
U.S. Pat. No. 4,450,531 to Kenyon, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,230,990
to Lert, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,594,934 to Lu, et al., European
Published Patent Application EP 0887958 to Bichsel and PCT
publication WO91/11062 to Young, et al., all of which are
incorporated herein by reference.
[0072] The decoder/processor 220 stores the decoded ancillary codes
and/or signatures, or else data representing or derived from the
foregoing in the memory 230, from which it is communicated by the
device 240 to a processing facility for use in producing audience
measurement data. In certain embodiments, the data from the
processor 220 is provided to the device 240 for communication
without prior storage in memory 230.
[0073] In certain embodiments, in place of or in addition to
microphone 210, a data input (not shown for purposes of simplicity
and clarity) serves to receive media data or media exposure data
for storage in memory 230 and/or communication by device 240. Such
data input in certain ones of these embodiments comprises
manually-operable switches used by the participant to input media
data exposure data, an infrared sensor to input remote control
data, video media data, or media data exposure data from a
stationary unit, an RF receiver to receive RF or intermediate
frequency media data or media exposure data from a media data
receiver or stationary unit, etc.
[0074] The embodiments of FIG. 7 provide the ability to gather both
billboard exposure data and media exposure data for the same
participants. Such embodiments thus provide data enabling
comprehensive reporting of the combined effectiveness of billboard
advertising and media advertising which can be categorized by age
group, sex, ethnicity, income level, education, geographic area and
any other desired demographic category or categories.
[0075] The embodiments of FIG. 7 also enable the same panel of
survey participants to gather both billboard and media data
exposure data substantially reducing the cost of gathering both
kinds of data. The panel member need only wear the monitors, so
that their participation is essentially passive. Moreover, since
the billboard and media data exposure monitoring functions carried
out in the portable monitors share resources, such as a common
enclosure and power supply, the cost of supplying monitors to carry
out such combined monitoring functions is much lower than the cost
of providing separate devices for each. In those embodiments which
monitor billboard exposure by means of a receiver in the portable
monitor, even greater cost advantages accrue since data processing,
storage and communications resources are shared by the billboard
exposure and media data exposure monitoring functions.
* * * * *