Classifications

• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04H—BROADCAST COMMUNICATION
  • H04H60/00—Arrangements for broadcast applications with a direct linking to broadcast information or broadcast space-time; Broadcast-related systems
  • H04H60/35—Arrangements for identifying or recognising characteristics with a direct linkage to broadcast information or to broadcast space-time, e.g. for identifying broadcast stations or for identifying users
  • H04H60/45—Arrangements for identifying or recognising characteristics with a direct linkage to broadcast information or to broadcast space-time, e.g. for identifying broadcast stations or for identifying users for identifying users
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
  • H04N21/00—Selective content distribution, e.g. interactive television or video on demand [VOD]
  • H04N21/40—Client devices specifically adapted for the reception of or interaction with content, e.g. set-top-box [STB]; Operations thereof
  • H04N21/41—Structure of client; Structure of client peripherals
  • H04N21/422—Input-only peripherals, i.e. input devices connected to specially adapted client devices, e.g. global positioning system [GPS]
  • H04N21/42201—Input-only peripherals, i.e. input devices connected to specially adapted client devices, e.g. global positioning system [GPS] biosensors, e.g. heat sensor for presence detection, EEG sensors or any limb activity sensors worn by the user
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
  • H04N21/00—Selective content distribution, e.g. interactive television or video on demand [VOD]
  • H04N21/40—Client devices specifically adapted for the reception of or interaction with content, e.g. set-top-box [STB]; Operations thereof
  • H04N21/41—Structure of client; Structure of client peripherals
  • H04N21/422—Input-only peripherals, i.e. input devices connected to specially adapted client devices, e.g. global positioning system [GPS]
  • H04N21/42203—Input-only peripherals, i.e. input devices connected to specially adapted client devices, e.g. global positioning system [GPS] sound input device, e.g. microphone
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04H—BROADCAST COMMUNICATION
  • H04H60/00—Arrangements for broadcast applications with a direct linking to broadcast information or broadcast space-time; Broadcast-related systems
  • H04H60/56—Arrangements characterised by components specially adapted for monitoring, identification or recognition covered by groups H04H60/29-H04H60/54
  • H04H60/58—Arrangements characterised by components specially adapted for monitoring, identification or recognition covered by groups H04H60/29-H04H60/54 of audio

Definitions

• the present invention relates generally to an
• audience measurement system that identifies members of an
• the receivers were tuned to selected programs.
• the Meter may be a remote control and/or a plurality of push
• Patent No. 5,031,228, discloses an image recognition
• the system uses a video camera to acquire
• the system also locates and tracks viewers, and
• Patent No. 5,550,928 also uses image recognition to iden ⁇
• This system can identify audience members who are moving
• non-intrusive sensors such as microphones
• noise sensing microphones are processed in order to sub- tract the background noise from the signals provided by
• This audience measurement system may also in ⁇
• the members of the audience provide control commands
• an infrared unit which includes a keyboard.
• a motion detector coupled to the microprocessor
• a character generator coupled to the
• microprocessor allows communication with the audience
• the Turner et al . system also includes a speech
• crophone is amplified, is digitized, and is provided to
• the microprocessor performs a power
• the present invention is directed to a system
• audience of a receiver comprises first and second micro-
• the first and second microphones are arranged
• the noise cancellation unit is coupled to
• tion unit is arranged to substantially eliminate the
• tion unit is coupled to the noise cancellation unit, and the voice recognition unit is arranged to identify the
• a system comprises a microphone, a voice
• the receiver is tuned.
• the microphone is located to receive
• the unit is coupled to the microphone and is arranged to
• sensor is arranged to identify the program.
• a system comprises a passive people
• the system identifies a member of an audience
• the microphone is located to receive a voice signal from
• the voice recognition unit is coupled to the
• the microphone is arranged to provide a second identifi- cation of the member by identifying the member from the
• the controller is arranged to select at
• an audience recognition unit comprises
• a housing a microphone supported by the housing, and a
• the voice recognition unit is
• ence recognition unit identifies the member of the audi ⁇
• FIG. 1 illustrates the system of the present
• FIG. 2 is a block diagram of an embodiment of
• FIG. 3 is a more detailed diagram of the
• Figure 4 is a diagram of a noise cancellation
• Figure 5 illustrates a hand held version of the
• Figure 6 illustrates a table top version of the
• FIG. 7 is a flow chart depicting a program
• Figure 8 is a flow chart depicting a program
• An audience measurement system 10 which deter-
• audience measurement system 10 includes an audience
• nition unit 12 permits the members of the audience to be
• a program sensor 16 cooperates with the re ⁇
• sensor 16 may be any known sensor which determines chan-
• the program sensor nels (and/or programs) .
• the program sensor nels (and/or programs) .
• the program sensor 16 may include
• the program sensor 16 may be an
• receiver 14 is tuned by monitoring the tuner of the re ⁇
• gram sensor 16 communicate with a base unit 18 which may
• a site unit may be provided at each audience area
• the base unit 18 may be arranged to both
• the program sensor 16 may communicate this data by
• recognition unit 12 provides its recognition data to the
• the program sensor 16 provides its program identification
• the base unit 18 may alternatively be any other communication link, such as an infrared or RF communication link.
• the base unit 18 may alternatively be any other communication link, such as an infrared or RF communication link.
• ment system 10 may also include a passive people meter
• the passive people meter 26 may be of
• Patent No. 5,550,928 described above.
• meter 26 provides its people identification data to the
• example may be a hard wire, but which may alternatively
• the passive people meter 26 may
• the audience recognition unit 12 is shown in FIG. 1
• the 12 includes first and second microphones 30 and 32.
• first and second microphones 30 and 32 are positioned in
• the audience recognition unit 12 so that one of the first
• first and second microphones 30 and 32 may be separated
• first and second microphones 30 and 32 is closer to the
• first and second microphones 30 and 32 is 6.72 inches
• second microphones 30 and 32 may be pointed in opposite
• second microphones 30 and 32 may be located remotely from
• the audience recognition unit 12 so that one of the first
• the analog output of the first microphone 30 is the analog output of the first microphone 30.
• the analog output of the second microphone 32 is amplified by an amplifier 38,
• first and second microphones 30 and 32 tends to pick up
• microphones 30 and 32 pick up both the voice signals from
• arrangement 42 processes the outputs from the analog to
• the noise cancellation arrangement 42 may use
• the signal S p may
• V r is the contribution to the signal from the first
• a and b are parameters dis ⁇
• the signal S r may be given according
• Equations (1) and (2) may be subtracted with a
• e is a weighting parameter discussed below.
• V n kD. !6)
• the weighting parameter e may be determined
• the audience recognition unit 12 can automati ⁇
• V p is processed by a
• the first microphone 30 is directed to, or is closer to,
• the second microphone 32 is directed to, or is closer to,
• the receiver 14 than is the first microphone 30.
• the audience recognition unit 12 is a hand
• the first microphone 30 directed toward the audience and
• the second microphone 32 directed toward the receiver 14.
• the audience recognition unit 12 is a table
• second microphones 30 and 32 may be connected to the
• audience recognition unit 12 by lines or other communica-
• the noise cancellation arrangement 42 may use phase
• second microphones 30 and 32 are preferably direc-
• the audience recognition unit 12 The audience recognition unit
• the noise cancellation arrangement 42 may be of the form
• noise cancellation arrangement 42 includes an amplifier
• 62 may be essentially the same, only one of the amplifi ⁇
• amplifiers 60 and 62 are summed by a summer 64 so that
• the timer 68 is triggered and
• the voice recognition unit 44 provides a hold signal
• the voice recognition unit 44 last recognizes a voice.
• the voice recognition unit 44 may be an RSC164
• voice recognition unit 12 compares the output from the
• noise cancellation arrangement 42 to prestored reference
• voice signals stored in a memory.
• prestored reference voice signals may be any prestored reference voice signals (identifiers).
• unit 44 provides a suitable identification record to a
• the controller 46 for each match.
• the controller 46 stores
• the communication arrangement 50 is a tion arrangement 50.
• the communication arrangement 50 is a tion arrangement 50.
• the controller 46 may also be coupled to a
• ence are identified may also be stored in the memory 48.
• a prompt unit 54 may also be coupled to the
• the controller 46 controls the prompt
• 54 may be a voice synthesizer and/or a graphic or video
• nition unit 12 arranged to provide audible and/or visible
• the prompt unit 54 may be the speakers and/or the screen
• the audience recognition unit 12 may be
• the hand held unit 90 includes a housing 92
• the housing 92 supports
• an LED display 94 which may perform the functions of the
• the prompt unit 54 As noted above, however, the prompt unit
• 54 alternatively may be a voice synthesizer, in which
• housing 92 would incorporate an output speaker to project audible voice prompts from the voice synthe ⁇
• the housing 92 also houses an IR
• the 20 may be established by an ultrasonic or RF link, a hard
• the housing 92 further supports a
• keypad 98 which may be the keypad 56 shown in Figure 3,
• predetermined ones of the keys in the keypad 98 may
• 92 may contain a rechargeable battery which is arranged
• the hand held unit 90 is not in use.
• the hand held unit 90 is not in use.
• the table top unit 100 includes
• a housing 102 that houses the elements of the audience
• housing 102 may support an LED display (not shown) in
• the housing 102 may be a voice synthesizer, in which case the housing 102
• sizer may perform functions other than prompting.
• housing 102 may also house an IR or RF transmitter (not
• the ultrasonic link may be established by an ultrasonic link, a hard wire, or
• the housing 102 supports a keypad 104, which
• predeter ⁇ may be the keypad 56 shown in Figure 3, for allowing audience members to enter data. For example, predeter ⁇
• mined ones of the keys in the keypad 104 may be assigned
• the table top unit 100 may contain
• a rechargeable battery which is arranged to provide power
• table top unit 100 may have a power cord for providing
• the table top unit 100 may have a
• the audience recognition unit 12 may implement a program
• program 120 is executed during the training mode in order
• audience member should assume a position at a specified
• This audience member initiates training by pressing an
• the program 120 assumes
• audience recognition unit 12 detects the wakeup command
• the audience recognition unit 12 at a block 126, prompts the audience member to say the identifier word which the
• an identifier word may be the name of the viewer.
• the audience recognition unit 12 then deter-
• the audience recognition unit If not, the audience recognition unit
• unit 12 determines at the block 128 that the audience
• nition unit 12 at a block 130, suitably processes the
• the controller During an identification mode, the controller
• 46 of the audience recognition unit 12 may implement a
• the program 140 is executed during the identification
• identification mode may be initiated by pressing an appropriate key or button on the keypad 56 of the audi ⁇
• tion unit 12 determines whether an audi ⁇
• ence member desires to end the identification mode by
• nition unit 12 determines that the audience member de-
• the audience recognition unit 12 then deter ⁇
• recognition unit 12 determines at the block 148 that the
• ence recognition unit 12 at a block 150, instructs the
• voice recognition unit 44 to compare the identifier word
• the audience recognition unit 12 at the block 154, may
• ence recognition unit 12 at a block 156, prompts the
• the prompt 140 may prompt
• block 156 may send a message to the base unit 18 indi ⁇
• the unit 12 at the block 154, stores the spoken identifier
• the unit 12 at the block 156, prompts the audience member to try again, or to use another form of identification, or
• each spoken identifier word is compared to every
• Figure 8 may be arranged to also prompt each audience
• ence recognition unit 12 may incorrectly identify a per ⁇
• identifier word may be a name, and the cue may be a word common to all audience members, such as the word "enter,”
• the member may say "John
• the cue may be
• receiver 14 will be mistaken as an identifier word spoken
• the audience recognition unit 12 may be arranged to accept manual entry of program
• the audience recognition unit 12 may rely upon a
• meter 26 may be of the type which passively identifies
• the passive people meter 26 may be any type of material.
• the identifying members of an audience For example, the
• passive people meter 26 may use an ultrasonic and/or
• infrared transducer or an array of such transducers in order to capture an image of the audience area and may
• a counter may be used instead of the passive people
• the counter can comprise an ultrasonic and/or
• infrared transducer or an array of such transducers or
• the audience measurement system 10 could be ar- ranged to prompt manual identification until the number
• the audience measurement unit 12 may include the

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• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Signal Processing (AREA)
• Multimedia (AREA)
• Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
• Analytical Chemistry (AREA)
• Biomedical Technology (AREA)
• Biophysics (AREA)
• General Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
• Neurosurgery (AREA)
• Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
• Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
• Testing, Inspecting, Measuring Of Stereoscopic Televisions And Televisions (AREA)
• User Interface Of Digital Computer (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=25522351

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (6)

Families Citing this family (42)

Family Cites Families (4)

• 1998
  • 1998-06-09 AU AU78338/98A patent/AU7833898A/en not_active Abandoned
  • 1998-06-09 CN CN98811419.4A patent/CN1282470A/zh active Pending
  • 1998-06-09 EP EP98926519A patent/EP1032998A1/de not_active Withdrawn
  • 1998-06-09 WO PCT/US1998/012034 patent/WO1999027668A1/en not_active Ceased
  • 1998-06-09 CA CA002306095A patent/CA2306095A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 1998-06-09 JP JP2000522692A patent/JP2001524776A/ja active Pending

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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