Patent Grant
7607147
The present invention is directed to metering systems for metering usage of on-line services such as the Internet, off-line services such as software application programs, and other services.
The Internet and its multimedia component, the Web, have become an integral part of the way in which content is delivered to end users. For example, newspapers, magazines, and television and cable networks have Web sites that are increasingly being used to deliver content.
This content delivered by on-line service providers is accessed by end users by way of on-line service access devices. The on-line service access device most often in use currently is the personal computer. The personal computer may or may not share a monitor with a television. However, non-personal-computer on-line service access devices are being developed that will enable end users to connect to the Internet. These non-personal-computer on-line service access devices include, for example, (i) a network computer (having a basic RAM, little or no hard disk capacity, a modem, a monitor, and a keyboard; for more permanent storage, a network computer may rent storage at a remote location), (ii) a gaming device (such as those used with or without televisions in order to play video games), (iii) an Internet television (for example, a television equipped with an external Web box, or an Internet enabled television which is a television internally equipped with Internet access capability), (iv) an Internet telephone (a telephone that is Internet enabled), (v) an Internet hand held calculator (a hand held calculator that is Internet enabled, and (vi) the like. All such on-line service access devices are referred to herein as interactive service devices (ISDs).
Many people desire to determine the amount and nature of interest in the content provided to end users. For example, advertisers who use the Internet to deliver ads to end users may find it useful to know the number of times that their ads are accessed by end users, the length of time that the end users spend at the ads, and the demographics relating to the end users who access their ads. Such information may indicate the target audience for, and popularity of, their products and/or services. This information may also be useful in determining the success of certain advertising campaigns. On-line service providers may also desire to determine the amount and nature of interest in the content that they provide.
Certain web sites currently meter access to the content that they provide. However, metering Internet usage at a web site provides little opportunity to non-intrusively determine the demographics of the end users who are accessing the web site. Moreover, although the web site determines the number of times that its content is accessed, the web site does not also determine the number of times that other web sites are visited. Accordingly, the web site cannot effectively extrapolate to the entire population or even to the segment of the population accessing content of competing web sites.
It is also known to meter Internet usage through the use of software traps which are stored on the hard drives of personal computers located in statistically selected end user facilities (e.g., households, businesses, and the like). These software traps log each access to the Internet. However, software traps have a number of disadvantages. For example, software traps require all instructions to flow through the software traps. This requirement adds delay in the processing of these instructions. Accordingly, software traps slow down computer processing and can be, therefore, annoying to computer end users. Moreover, current software traps store the Internet usage data that they log on floppy disks which must be then mailed or otherwise non-electronically sent to a central facility where the information is downloaded and processed along with Internet usage data from other end users in order to generate Internet usage reports. This manner of providing Internet usage data from statistically selected end user facilities to a central facility for report generation places added burdens on the end users and is slow. Furthermore, software traps are not currently able to meter other interactive service devices such as Internet televisions, gaming devices, network computers, and the like.
The present invention is intended to solve one or more of the above-noted problems.
According to one aspect of the present invention, a metering system comprises data acquiring means and data communicating means. The data acquiring means acquires usage data from one of a variety of interactive service devices. The data communicating means communicates the usage data to a remote facility.
According to another aspect of the present invention, a metering system comprises data acquiring means and data storage means. The data acquiring means acquires usage data from one of a variety of interactive service devices. The data storage means stores the usage data.
According to yet another aspect of the present invention, a metering system comprises passive data acquiring means and data communicating means. The passive data acquiring means passively acquires usage data from an interactive service device. The data communicating means communicates the usage data to a remote facility.
According to still another aspect of the present invention, a metering system comprises data acquiring means and user identifying means. The data acquiring means acquires usage data relating to a user's use of an interactive service device. The user identifying means identifies the user independently of a password and/or a logon identification.
According to a further aspect of the present invention, a metering system comprises data acquiring means and data transmitting means. The data acquiring means acquires usage data from an interactive service device. The data transmitting means electronically transmits the usage data to a remote facility.
According to yet a further aspect of the present invention, a metering system comprises data acquiring means and data storing means. The data acquiring means acquires usage data from an interactive service device. The data acquiring means is downloaded from a remote facility. The data storing means stores the data acquiring means and the usage data.
According to still a further aspect of the present invention, a metering system comprises communication line tapping means and passive data acquiring means. The communication line tapping means taps into a communication line coupled to an interactive service device. The passive data acquiring means is coupled to the communication line tapping means and passively acquires usage data from communications on the communication line.
According to another aspect of the present invention, a metering system comprises data acquiring means and data storing means. The data acquiring means acquires usage data from an interactive service device. The data acquiring means includes code detecting means for detecting an identification code in content being processed by the interactive service device. The data storing means stores the usage data and the identification code.
According to yet another aspect of the present invention, a metering system comprises passive data acquiring means and data communicating means. The passive data acquiring means passively acquires usage data from a personal computer. The data communicating means electronically communicates the usage data to a remote facility.
According to still another aspect of the present invention, a metering system comprises communication line tapping means, passive data acquiring means, data storing means, and data communicating means. The communication line tapping means taps into a communication line coupled to a non-personal-computer. The passive data acquiring means is coupled to the communication line tapping means and passively acquires usage data from the non-personal-computer. The data storing means stores the usage data acquired by the passive data acquiring means. The data communicating means communicates the usage data to a remote facility.
According to a further aspect of the present invention, a metering system comprises passive data acquiring means, data storing means, and data communicating means. The passive data acquiring means passively acquires usage data from an Internet television. The data storing means stores the usage data acquired by the passive data acquiring means. The data communicating means communicates the usage data to a remote facility.
According to yet a further aspect of the present invention, a metering system comprises usage data acquiring means, television ratings data acquiring means, and data communicating means. The usage data acquiring means passively acquires usage data from an interactive service device. The television ratings data acquiring means acquires ratings data relating to the tuning of television signals by a television. The data communicating means communicates the usage data and the ratings data to a remote facility.
According to another aspect of the present invention, a metering system comprises data acquiring means and data storing means. The data acquiring means acquires usage data from a video signal received by an interactive service device. The data acquiring means employs pattern matching to acquire the usage data. The data storing means stores the usage data.
According to yet another aspect of the present invention, a method of collecting and integrating usage data from a plurality of facilities comprises the following steps: a) collecting first usage data from a plurality of end users; b) collecting second usage data from a plurality of content providers; and d) integrating the first and second usage data.
According to still another aspect of the present invention, a metering system comprises passive data acquiring means and data storing means. The passive data acquiring means passively acquires usage data from an interactive service device. The data storing means stores the usage data.
These and other features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from a detailed consideration of the invention when taken in conjunction with the drawings in which:
As shown in
The data acquisition module 12, therefore, may acquire on-line usage data such as data relating to an end user's use of on-line services. Such on-line services may include, for example, the Internet, an intranet, the World Wide Web, E-mail, various provider groups, and the like. The data acquisition module 12 may also acquire off-line usage data, such as data relating to an end user's use of off-line services. Off-line services may include, for example, application programs such as word processing programs, spread sheet programs, and the like, and are typically stored on the interactive service device 14. As disclosed below, the data acquisition module 12 may further acquire television program ratings data. The television program ratings data may be acquired from conventional televisions, from Internet televisions, from a personal computer having a television tuner, and the like.
The data acquisition module 12 acquires usage data with respect to the interactive service device 14, and transfers that usage data to a data collection module 16 which stores the acquired usage data for immediate (real time) or later (non-real time) communication over a communication medium 18 to a data processing module 20. The communication medium 18 may be plain old telephone lines (POTS). The communication medium 18 may alternatively be (i) a cable, (ii) an integrated services digital network (ISDN), (iii) an XDSL such as a digital subscriber line (DSL), an asymmetrical digital subscriber line (ADSL), or a rate adapted digital subscriber line (RADSL), or (iv) any other type of medium (e.g., over-the-air channels) which support communication between the data collection module 16 and the data processing module 20. Any of these communication media may be arranged to permit the data collection module 16 to transmit its data and information to the data processing module 20 during normal phone calls, during on-line service (e.g., Internet) communications, and the like.
A user identification and verification module 22 identifies and verifies the end user who is using the interactive service device 14, and supplies the resulting identification and verification information to the data collection module 16. The user identification and verification module 22 may identify and verify the end user upon each end user logon, or the user identification and verification module 22 may identify and verify the end user periodically. The advantage of periodically identifying and verifying the end user is that the identity of any other end users who may operate the interactive service device using the original end user's logon ID and password will be identified and verified. For example, one or more other end users may operate the interactive service device using the original end user's logon ID and password when the original end user logs onto an interactive service device and then leaves the interactive service device without logging off. During the original end user's absence, one or more other end users may operate the interactive service device, thus using the original end user's logon ID and password.
The user identification and verification module 22 may implement, for example, biometrics recognition or personal characteristic recognition. As an example of biometrics recognition, the user identification and verification module 22 may be of the sort disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,550,928. Such a system includes a camera for acquiring a current image of the end user of the interactive service device 14, and identifies the end user by comparing this current image to reference images stored in memory. However, the system disclosed in that patent is complicated by the fact that the individuals to be recognized by such a system may be anywhere in the field of vision of the camera. On the other hand, the end user to be recognized according to the present invention is typically at a fixed distance, in a fixed location, and in a substantially uniform orientation with respect to the interactive service device 14. Consequently, there may be no need for the scaling, tracking, application of multiple different face recognition techniques, and the like disclosed in the aforementioned '928 patent. Other examples of biometrics recognition include body shape recognition which may be implemented in accordance with the teachings of the aforementioned '928 patent, body temperature recognition as may be implemented through use of an infrared temperature detector, fingerprint recognition as may be implemented through the use of a fingerprint reader, and the like.
As an example of personal characteristic recognition, the user identification and verification module 22 may identify and verify an end user through the use of keystroke recognition as may be implemented by a keystroke monitor that monitors an end user's keystroke style (e.g., fast, slow, sporadic).
Instead of, or in addition to, implementing periodic identification and verification, the user identification and verification module 22 may determine when an end user has left the interactive service device. For example, an infrared temperature detector may be used to determine when an end user leaves the interactive service device and when an end user again appears at the interactive service device. The user identification and verification module 22 may then re-identify and re-verify the end user or require the end user to enter relevant identification and verification information. Alternatively, periods of inactivity exceeding a predetermined amount of time may cause the user identification and verification module 22 to re-identify and re-verify the end user or require the end user to enter relevant identification and verification information.
The data acquisition module 12 may take the form of the passive communication listeners described below. The data collection module 16 may have a storage device and a modem. The storage device stores the user identification and verification information supplied by the user identification and verification module 22 and the usage data acquired by the data acquisition module 12. The modem immediately or periodically transmits this information and data to the data processing module 20.
The data processing module 20 may be a computer at a central facility. Other metering systems, similar to the metering system 10, may be located in a plurality of other statistically selected end user facilities. The data processing module 20 accumulates the usage data and identification and verification information from the metering system 10 and from these other metering systems in order to generate reports based upon the usage data and the identification and verification information as projected over an entire population or relevant segments of the entire population. These reports may report the extent of usage of various online and off-line services covered by the usage data and may disclose the nature of the users of these on-line and offline services.
The metering system 10, and the other metering systems which communicate identification and verification information and usage data to the data processing module 20, need not meter interactive service devices of the same type. Metering systems for metering several different types of interactive service devices in accordance with the present invention are disclosed below by way of example. In order to accommodate the metering of different types of interactive service devices, the data acquisition module 12 is tailored according to each type of interactive service device which is encountered in the statistically selected end user facilities.
Thus, as will become evident from the description below, one of the advantages of the present invention is that the present invention may be used to meter a variety of different interactive service devices. Accordingly, the data acquisition module 12 may take one form if the interactive service device 14 is a personal computer, may take another form if the interactive service device 14 is a network computer, may take still another form if the interactive service device 14 is an Internet television, and so on.
The data acquisition device 12 may advantageously be passive with respect to the operation of the interactive service device being metered. Accordingly, unlike a software trap, the data acquisition module 12 in its passive form is transparent to, and does not noticeably slow down the operation of, the interactive service device being metered. Thus, as shown in
As in the case of the data acquisition module 12 shown in
The data storage and communication module 30 may be similar to the data collection module 16, the user identification and verification module 32 may be similar to the user identification and verification module 22, the communication medium 36 may be similar to the communication medium 18, and the data processing module 34 may be similar to the data processing module 20.
As illustrated in
The resident software passive communication listener 40 is a software tap operating similarly to the wire tapping passive communication listeners described below. The resident software passive communication listener 40 may be installed in an operating system, and creates several possible processing threads. For example, when a line (such as a serial communication line or a direct LAN line) is being used, the resident software passive communication listener 40 copies but does not immediately process the transmitted data. During periods when the CPU of the computer on which the resident software passive communication listener 40 is resident is not being heavily used, the resident software passive communication listener 40 interrogates the copied transmissions and logs items of interest (such as URL's, HTML tags, and the like). This procedure is different from a software trap because a software trap processes the transmissions in real time, whereas the resident software passive communication listener 40 processes the transmissions at near real time and, thus, does not slow down the transmissions in a way that is perceived by the user. Also, the resident software passive communication listener 40 does not alter the data streams or process flow of the socket-level transmissions.
The resident software passive communication listener 40 is an event driven program. As shown in
Upon such initialization, a block 64 then monitors the modem and LAN (or other local computer) activity which indicates on-line and off-line service events. For example, the block 64 may monitor access to a web browser or the like which indicates the beginning of an access to an on-line service provider or web site. Also, the block 64 may monitor access to an application program or the like which indicates the beginning of an access to an off-line service. A block 66 determines whether the activity monitored by the block 64 is on-line or off-line activity. If the activity is on-line activity, a block 68 detects the communication protocol. For example, the block 68 may determine whether an on-line communication has an HTTP header indicating the beginning of an Internet communication.
A block 70 determines whether the detected communication protocol is an Internet protocol. If so, a block 72 uses the connection between the operating system 42 and the communication device driver 44 in order to read the header information of the Internet communication. For example, the block 72 reads the header information for the HTTP designation, reads the HTML's header, the title, tags, cookies, addresses, and so on that may be contained in the Internet communication. The block 72 causes this data to be stored in the log file 48.
If the block 70 determines that the communication protocol detected by the block 68 is not an Internet protocol (such that the protocol relates to another on-line service), a block 74 reads the header information, as well as any other pertinent information that is desired, from the detected communication and causes this information to be stored in the log file 48.
If the block 66 determines that the activity monitored by the block 64 is not on-line activity, a block 76 monitors the usage of one or more of the application programs 46. For example, the block 76 may determine which application programs are accessed and may monitor keyboard clicks, mouse clicks, touch-screen touches, remote control signals, remote keyboard signals, remote mouse signals, and the like in order to determine the extent of usage of the accessed application programs. A block 78 logs this application program related usage data in the log file 48. The usage data logged by the block 78 may include an identification of the application program being accessed by the end user of the computer in which the resident software passive communication listener 40 is resident, the length of time that the end user is actively using the accessed application program, and any other information which is desirable. The block 76 may also be executed as a result of a timer event to periodically monitor application events.
After the block 72 reads the header information for the HTTP designation, reads the HTML's header, the title, tags, cookies, addresses, and so on of an Internet communication, after the block 74 reads the header information, as well as any other pertinent information that is desired, from the detected communication of another on-line communication, or after the block 78 logs application program related usage data in the log file 48, program flow returns to the block 64.
With respect to the metering of on-line service usage, the resident software passive communication listener 40 as embodied in
The program 90 replaces the block 72 shown in
A block 96 determines whether any of the content delivered to the corresponding interactive service device is being scrolled. The block 96 may make this determination by monitoring related keyboard clicks, mouse clicks, touchscreen touches, remote control signals, remote keyboard signals, remote mouse signals, and the like. If the content delivered to the corresponding interactive service device is being scrolled, a block 98 monitors the scrolling in order to determine which portions of the delivered content are being displayed on the monitor to the end user and how long each portion is in the active display of the monitor. Thus, the provider of the content can make conclusions regarding the extent of end user interest in the content as a whole and also in specific portions of the content. A block 100 logs such scrolling data in the log file.
If the block 94 does not detect scrolling, or after the block 100 logs the scrolling data, program flow returns to the block 64 of
The program 90 can also replace the block 74 shown in
The resident software passive communication listener 40 may be downloadable over one of the communication media described above to the computer on which the resident software passive communication listener 40 is resident. Accordingly, the resident software passive communication listener 40 may be changed from time to time as communication protocols change, as the need for particular usage data changes, and/or as the particular interactive service device being monitored changes.
As indicated above, the resident software passive communication listener 40 may advantageously be used in a metering system which meters a personal computer. An example of such a metering system is shown in
The data storage and communication module 116 may be similar to the data storage and communication module 30, the user identification and verification module 118 may be similar to the user identification and verification module 32, the communication medium 120 may be similar to the communication medium 36, and the data processing module 122 may be similar to the data processing module 34.
As shown in
The metering system 130 shown in
The non-intrusive sensor 147 may be an infrared sensor and may sense the infrared signals transmitted by a remote control to the television 136. The sensed remote control signals are supplied to the passive communication listener 132 (or alternatively to the site unit 148) which acquires television program ratings data from the remote control signals sensed by the non-intrusive sensor 147. The non-intrusive sensor 147 and the portion of the passive communication listener 132 (or alternatively the site unit 148) which respond thereto may be similar to the apparatus disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,876,736 and/or in U.S. Pat. No. 4,972,503.
The television program ratings data acquired by the site unit 148 and/or by the passive communication listener 132 may include program identification codes embedded in the television video and/or audio signals, and/or may be signatures characterizing the TV video and/or audio signals relating to the programs tuned by the television 136.
The television program ratings data accumulated by the site unit 148 are transferred to a home unit 150 which may also receive television program ratings data from other site units 148 corresponding to other televisions located within the statistically selected end user facility in which the metering system 130 is located. Periodically, the home unit 150 supplies all of the accumulated television program ratings data to the data processing module 144.
The data processing module 144 generates usage reports based upon the usage data acquired by the passive communication listener 132 and by the other metering systems in other statistically selected end user facilities. Similarly, the data processing module 144 accumulates the television program ratings data from the home unit 150 of the metering system 130 and from the other home units of other metering systems located in other statistically selected end user facilities and generates television ratings reports therefrom.
The passive communication listeners 112 and 132 are of the type that are resident on a personal or other computer. Instead, a passive communication listener according to the present invention may be a box or other apparatus which is tapped into appropriate communication lines or cables that carry on-line communications to and from an interactive service device. Alternatively, a passive communication listener according to the present invention may be a box or other apparatus which acquires usage data from signals tapped by a probe non-intrusively coupled to an interactive service device such as an Internet television. This type of passive communication listener is particularly advantageous for those interactive service devices which do not have sufficient memory to store resident software passive communication listeners.
For example, a metering system 160 as illustrated in
A non-intrusive sensor 178 may be located adjacent to the non-personal-computer interactive service device 168 and may be an infrared sensor which senses the infrared signals transmitted by a remote control to the non-personal-computer interactive service device 168. The sensed remote control signals are supplied to the passive communication listener 162 which acquires television program ratings data therefrom. The non-intrusive sensor 178, and the portion of the passive communication listener 162, which respond thereto may be as described above.
The passive communication listener 162 may have a processor for executing a program 180, which is shown in
It should be noted, however, that the passive communication listener 162 relies on the tapping device 164 to tap into on-line service communications in order to acquire on-line usage data. Such as arrangement is ill equipped to acquire off-line usage data. However, an offline usage acquisition program may be temporarily loaded into a RAM or other temporary memory of the non-personal-computer interactive service device 168 either by the home unit 161 or by a remote facility. Alternatively, the offline usage acquisition program may be more permanently loaded into an EEPROM or other read only memory of the non-personal-computer interactive service device 168. Accordingly, not only access to application programs may be metered, but also scrolling and other activity with respect to the execution of application programs may be metered.
The program 180 includes a block 182 which, upon the occurrence of a triggering user event or timer event, detects data packets being communicated on the communication medium 166 between the non-personal-computer interactive service device 168 and an on-line service provider or web site. For example, the block 182 may determine whether each data packet has a header indicating a communication to or from an on-line service provider or web site. A block 184 determines whether the detected data packet includes a header indicating a Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP). If so, a block 186 logs relevant data from the Internet data packet (such as relevant URLs and content) in a log file 188. This data may be similar to the data detected by the block 72.
If the detected data packet does not include a TCP/IP header, a block 190 determines whether the data packet relates to on-line activity other than Internet activity. If so, a block 192 logs relevant data from the non-Internet on-line activity in the log file 188. If the data packet does not relate to any on-line activity, a block 194 logs off-line activities in the log file 188. As taught above, the block 194 may be stored in temporary or permanent memory of the metered interactive service device. A block 196 immediately or periodically transfers the usage data logged in the log file 188 to the modem of the tapping device 144 for communication over the communication medium 166. After the block 186 logs relevant data from the Internet on-line activity in the log file 188, or after the block 192 logs relevant data from the non-Internet on-line activity in the log file 188, or after the block 194 logs off-line activities in the log file 188, the program 180 waits for the next event.
A first embodiment of the block 186 is shown in
A routine similar to the routine 186 can also be used for the block 192 shown in
A second embodiment of the block 186 is shown in
A block 214 monitors scrolling of the on-line service content in order to determine which portions of the delivered content are being displayed to the end user and how long each portion is in the active display of a monitor. Thus, the on-line service provider or web site of the content can make conclusions regarding the extent of end user interest in the content as a whole and also in specific portions of the content. This scrolling data is logged by a block 216 in a log file.
After the block 212 logs the identification codes, and any other desired usage data, in a log file, or after the block 216 logs the scrolling data in a log file, the program 180 waits for the next event.
Because the network computer 232 has little or no hard disk, the tapping approach shown in
A passive communication listener 262 is shown connected both to the communication medium 256 and to an output of the A/B switch 260. The passive communication listener 262 may include a CPU, a RAM, a ROM, and a modem. The passive communication listener 262 may also include a tapping device for tapping into the communication medium 256. Alternatively, as shown in
Accordingly, the passive communication listener 262 may be arranged to acquire appropriate usage data and to transfer that usage data to a site unit 264. The passive communication listener 262 may acquire usage data in a manner similar to that described above in connection with
Instead of tapping into either the communication medium 256 or the output of the A/B switch 260, the passive communication listener 262 may be tapped into both the communication medium 256 and the output of the A/B switch 260.
A user identification and verification module 266 acquires user identification and verification information and transfers that information to the site unit 264. The site unit 264 may also receive television video and/or audio signals from sensors 268 in order to derive television program ratings data therefrom as described above. The site unit 264 transfers the usage data, the user identification and verification information, and/or the television program ratings data to a home unit 270 which collects usage data, user identification and verification information, and/or television program ratings data from other metering systems metering other interactive service devices in the end user's facility and which then periodically transmits all such information and data to a data processor module 272. The data processor module 272, in turn, collects usage data, user identification and verification information, and/or television program ratings data from all other metering systems metering all other interactive service devices in all other statistically selected end user facilities in order to generate suitable reports.
The communications between the home unit 270 and the data processing module 272 may use the same communication medium 256 that supports the on-line communications to and from the web box 254. As in the other metering systems described above, the home unit 270 may transfer its information to the data processing module 272 during internet communications, by way of dedicated telephone calls to the data processing module 272, or the like.
A non-intrusive sensor 274 may be located adjacent to the television 252 and may be an infrared sensor which senses the infrared signals transmitted by a remote control to the television 252. The sensed remote control signals are supplied to the site unit 264 which acquires television program ratings data therefrom. The non-intrusive sensor 274, and the portion of the site unit 264, which respond thereto may be as described above.
The Internet television illustrated in
The metering system 280 includes a passive communication listener 284 which acquires on-line usage data supported by the web enabled television 282. The passive communication listener 284 may receive inputs from an appropriate output jack of the web enabled television 282. Preferably, although not necessarily, this output jack is a video output of the web enabled television 282. If the web enabled television 282 does not have an appropriate output jack for the passive communication listener 284, the passive communication listener 284 instead may be tapped, using the above-described tapping device, into a television signal and on-line communication input 286 of the web enabled television 282 and/or into a communication medium 288 (such as a phone line or cable) which supports on-line communications to and from the web enabled television 282.
The passive communication listener 284 may be similar to the passive communication listener 262 shown in
A non-intrusive sensor 300 may be located adjacent to the television 282 and may be an infrared sensor which senses the infrared signals transmitted by a remote control to the television 282. The sensed remote control signals are supplied to the site unit 290 which acquires television program ratings data therefrom. The non-intrusive sensor 300, and the portion of the site unit 290, which respond thereto may be as described above.
Alternatively, the passive communication listener 316 may be coupled by a tapping device to a communication medium 318 which is used in those cases where on-line communications of an on-line service provider or web site are supported by a medium other than a television signal medium received by the cable or satellite converter 314. In this case, the passive communication listener 316 may acquire usage data by executing the program shown in
The passive communication listener 312 acquires the appropriate usage data which it then transfers to a site unit 320. The site unit 320 also receives user identification and verification information from a user identification and verification module 322 and video and/or audio signals from sensors 324. The site unit 320 transfers to a home unit 326 the usage data from the passive communication listener 316, the user identification and verification information from the user identification and verification module 322, and television program ratings data based upon the video and/or audio signals from the sensors 324. The home unit 326 periodically transfers this data and information to a data processing module 328 over the communication medium 318.
A non-intrusive sensor 330 may be located adjacent to the television 312 and may be an infrared sensor which senses the infrared signals transmitted by a remote control to the television 312. The sensed remote control signals are supplied to the site unit 320 which acquires television program ratings data therefrom. The non-intrusive sensor 330, and the portion of the site unit 320, which respond thereto may be as described above.
If the grabbed video frame contains a data packet having an on-line service header, a block 348 determines whether an identification code is imbedded in the video frame grabbed by the block 344. In order to make this determination, the block 348 may use pattern matching. If the block 348 determines that an identification code is imbedded in the video frame grabbed by the block 344, a block 350 logs the identification code. If the block 348 determines that an identification code is not imbedded in the video frame grabbed by the block 344, a block 352 implements pattern recognition in order to derive other appropriate usage data related to the content of the on-line service data packets. That is, the block 352 causes the grabbed frame to be sampled in a predetermined manner and matches the pattern of the samples to a reference pattern previously extracted from samples of appropriate portions of the frame. Such an appropriate portion of a frame may include particularly relevant content.
After the block 350 logs an identification code, or after the block 352 implements pattern recognition, a block 354 causes the logged data to be transferred to a home unit. A block 356 then determines whether the end user has signed off any on-line activities. If not, program flow returns to the block 342. If so, the program 340 exits.
A collection system is shown in
The facilities in which the metering systems 402 are located may be statistically selected in order to represent the entire population or a segment of the entire population relevant to usage of on-line and off-line services, depending on the intended scope of coverage of the reports which are generated on the basis of the collected usage data.
The usage data collected by the central data collection facility 400 from the metering systems 402 may include the identity of the on-line service providers or web sites accessed by end users, the number of times each online service provider or web site is accessed by end users, the amount of time spent at each service provider by end users, any identification codes embedded in the content delivered by on-line service providers or web sites, the identity of the applications programs executed by end users, the number of times each applications programs is executed by end users, the amount of time spent in executing each applications programs, inventories of application programs stored at an interactive service device, any identification codes embedded in the application programs executed by metered interactive service devices, scrolling of the content delivered by on-line service providers or web sites or of application programs executed by metered interactive service devices, the identity and other demographic information of the end users, and the like.
The central data collection facility 400 also collects usage data from a plurality of on-line service providers 404 located at the facilities which are remote from the end users 402. The usage data collected by the central data collection facility 400 from the on-line service providers 404 may include the number of times each online service provider is accessed by end users, the amount of time spent at each service provider by end users, the content provided by the on-line service providers, and the like. Data from the on-line service providers 404 may be necessary as a supplement in those cases where transmissions to end users are hard to decode, such as where the data is encrypted. However, it should be noted that identification and verification of end users is impractical when data is collected from the on-line service providers 404.
In addition, the central data collection facility 400 collects usage data from a plurality of web sites 406 located at the facilities which are remote from the end users 402 and the on-line service providers 404. The usage data collected by the central data collection facility 400 from the web sites 406 is easy to meter and may include the number of times each web site is accessed by an end user or an on-line service provider, the amount of time spent at each service provider by end users or on-line service providers, the content provided by the web site to the on-line service providers or web site, and the like. Again, data from the web sites 406 may be necessary as a supplement in those cases where transmissions to or from end users or online service providers are hard to decode, such as where the data is encrypted. However, it should be noted that identification and verification of end users is impractical when data is collected from the web sites 406.
Certain modifications of the present invention have been discussed above. Other modifications will occur to those practicing in the art of the present invention. For example, as described above, usage data is first stored and is then communicated to a remote facility, such as a central facility. Instead of storing the usage data before communicating it to a remote facility, however, the usage data can be communicated in real time, i.e. as soon as it is acquired. For example, the usage data acquirers of the present invention may be arranged to simply echo gets (requests transmitted by an interactive service device for online service from an on-line service provider) and receives (on-line service content transmitted by an on-line service provider in response to a request (i.e., a get) from an interactive service device) to a remote facility without storing the usage data. Thus, these usage data acquirers may be arranged to transmit copies of the gets and receives to the remote facility. For instance, the data acquirers may be arranged to remove the URL from a get just transmitted by an interactive service device to an on-line service provider, substitute the URL of the remote facility for the removed URL, and transmit the result as usage data. This data acquirer may also be arranged to copy a receive transmitted by an on-line service provider in response to a get previously sent by the metered interactive service device, remove the end user's URL from the copy, substitute the URL of the remote facility for the removed URL, and send the result as usage data.
Moreover, the metering systems shown in
Furthermore, the passive communication listener 40 is described above as being an agent in a web browser or an insertable resident routine in a computer's operating system or in a web browser. Instead, the passive communication listener 40 may be resident on a hard drive or in RAM, and the passive communication listener 40 may be downloaded from a remote facility.
In addition, because a statistically selected end user facility may contain different interactive service devices, each such different interactive service device may be metered by a corresponding different one of the passive communication listeners described above.
Also, according to some aspects of the present invention, the usage data may be collected manually in written diaries or automatically on floppy disks, and the usage data may be transmitted to the central facility by mail, courier, or other delivery manual service. The particular manner in which the usage data is collected and transmitted depends upon the particular end users. For example, the interactive service devices of some end users may not have modems. Thus, instead of transmitting the usage data electronically, the usage data can be transmitted manually.
As described above, television program ratings data may be acquired by detecting identification codes in, and/or extracting signatures from, video and/or audio signals. Instead, television program ratings data may be acquired in more traditional manners such as employed in people meter systems, diaries, telephone surveys, and the like.
Accordingly, the description of the present invention is to be construed as illustrative only and is for the purpose of teaching those skilled in the art the best mode of carrying out the invention. The details may be varied substantially without departing from the spirit of the invention, and the exclusive use of all modifications which are within the scope of the appended claims is reserved.
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