US 2002/0178441 A1 · Audience rating survey system

Abstract

An audience rating survey system registers user IDs which specify viewers/listeners of a network-distributed program in association with characteristic parameters that indicate characteristics of the viewers/listeners; acquires a user ID, a device ID, and a program ID; and carries out an audience rating survey of the network-distributed program based on the acquired user ID, device ID and program ID, and the characteristic parameters associated with the user ID, thereby allowing for an effective and accurate audience rating survey of, for example, an Internet-broadcasted program.

Claims42

Dependent claims

A method of conducting an audience rating survey for programs distributed over a computer network to individual client terminals, comprising:

registering a user ID for each user in a potential audience for a network-distributed program, and registering characteristic parameters which indicate characteristics of a user in association with the user ID of the user;
acquiring, via a predetermined communications network, the user IDs of each user in an audience who is receiving the network-distributed program, a device ID for each of the client terminals receiving the network-distributed program, and a program ID which specifies the network-distributed program;
and
determining an audience rating of the network-distributed program based on the acquired user IDs, device IDs and program ID, and the characteristic parameters associated with the acquired user IDs.

1 more element

An audience rating survey apparatus, comprising:

a network linking unit operable to link to a predetermined network;
a characteristic parameter registering unit operable to register a user ID for each user in a potential audience for a network-distributed program and to register characteristic parameters which indicate characteristics of a user in association with the user ID of the user;
an ID acquiring unit operable to acquire via the predetermined network a user ID of each user in an audience who is receiving the network-distributed program, a device ID for each client terminal receiving the network-distributed program, and a program ID which specifies the network-distributed program;
and
an audience rating survey unit operable to determine an audience rating of the network-distributed program based on the acquired user IDs, device IDs and program ID, and the characteristic parameters associated with the acquired user IDs.

2 more elements

A network-distributed program receiving apparatus, comprising:

a device ID storing unit;
a user ID acquiring unit operable to acquire a user ID for a user in a potential audience for a network-distributed program;
a network-distributed program receiving unit operable to receive the network-distributed program via a predetermined network;
a program ID acquiring unit operable to acquire a program ID of the network-distributed program;
and
an ID transmitting unit operable to transmit the user ID, the device ID and the program ID to a predetermined apparatus that determines an audience rating at fixed time intervals while the network-distributed program is being received.

3 more elements

An audience rating survey system, comprising:

a network-distributed program receiving apparatus, including:
a device ID storing unit;
a user ID acquiring unit operable to acquire a user ID for a user in a potential audience for a network-distributed program;
a network-distributed program receiving unit operable to receive the network-distributed program via a predetermined network;
a program ID acquiring unit operable to acquire a program ID of the network-distributed program;
and
an ID transmitting unit operable to transmit the user ID, the device ID and the program ID at fixed time intervals while the network-distributed program is being received;
and
an audience rating survey apparatus, including:
a network linking unit operable to link to the predetermined network;
a characteristic parameter registering unit operable to register a user ID for each user in a potential audience for the network-distributed program and to register characteristic parameters which indicate characteristics of a user in association with the user ID of the user;
an ID acquiring unit operable to acquire the user ID, the device ID and the program ID transmitted from the network-distributed program receiving apparatus;
and
an audience rating survey unit operable to determine an audience rating of the network-distributed program based on the acquired user ID, device ID and program ID, and the characteristic parameters associated with the acquired user ID.

11 more elements

A computer-readable recording medium recorded with an audience rating survey program, the audience rating survey program comprising:

registering a user ID for each user in a potential audience for a network-distributed program, and registering characteristic parameters which indicate characteristics of a user in association with the user ID of the user;
acquiring, via a predetermined communications network, the user IDs of each user in an audience who is receiving the network-distributed program, a device ID for each client terminal receiving the network-distributed program, and a program ID which specifies the network-distributed program;
and
determining an audience rating of the network-distributed program based on the acquired user IDs, device IDs and program ID, and the characteristic parameters associated with the acquired user IDs.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application

10/079,435Filed 20 Feb 2002

Priority

JP P2001-04423220 Feb 2001

Published

28 Nov 2002

Term ends

Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification14 codes

H04H 60/31
Arrangements for monitoring broadcast services or broadcast-related services: arrangements for monitoring the use made of the broadcast services
H04N 7/173
Analogue secrecy systems; Analogue subscription systems: with two-way working, e.g. subscriber sending a programme selection signal
H04N 7/17318
Transmission or handling of upstream communications: direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests
H04N 21/254
Management operations performed by the server for facilitating the content distribution or administrating data related to end-users or client…:…

Abstract

Claims42

Dependent claims

A method of conducting an audience rating survey for programs distributed over a computer network to individual client terminals, comprising:

registering a user ID for each user in a potential audience for a network-distributed program, and registering characteristic parameters which indicate characteristics of a user in association with the user ID of the user;
acquiring, via a predetermined communications network, the user IDs of each user in an audience who is receiving the network-distributed program, a device ID for each of the client terminals receiving the network-distributed program, and a program ID which specifies the network-distributed program;
and
determining an audience rating of the network-distributed program based on the acquired user IDs, device IDs and program ID, and the characteristic parameters associated with the acquired user IDs.

1 more element

An audience rating survey apparatus, comprising:

a network linking unit operable to link to a predetermined network;
a characteristic parameter registering unit operable to register a user ID for each user in a potential audience for a network-distributed program and to register characteristic parameters which indicate characteristics of a user in association with the user ID of the user;
an ID acquiring unit operable to acquire via the predetermined network a user ID of each user in an audience who is receiving the network-distributed program, a device ID for each client terminal receiving the network-distributed program, and a program ID which specifies the network-distributed program;
and
an audience rating survey unit operable to determine an audience rating of the network-distributed program based on the acquired user IDs, device IDs and program ID, and the characteristic parameters associated with the acquired user IDs.

2 more elements

A network-distributed program receiving apparatus, comprising:

a device ID storing unit;
a user ID acquiring unit operable to acquire a user ID for a user in a potential audience for a network-distributed program;
a network-distributed program receiving unit operable to receive the network-distributed program via a predetermined network;
a program ID acquiring unit operable to acquire a program ID of the network-distributed program;
and
an ID transmitting unit operable to transmit the user ID, the device ID and the program ID to a predetermined apparatus that determines an audience rating at fixed time intervals while the network-distributed program is being received.

3 more elements

An audience rating survey system, comprising:

a network-distributed program receiving apparatus, including:
a device ID storing unit;
a user ID acquiring unit operable to acquire a user ID for a user in a potential audience for a network-distributed program;
a network-distributed program receiving unit operable to receive the network-distributed program via a predetermined network;
a program ID acquiring unit operable to acquire a program ID of the network-distributed program;
and
an ID transmitting unit operable to transmit the user ID, the device ID and the program ID at fixed time intervals while the network-distributed program is being received;
and
an audience rating survey apparatus, including:
a network linking unit operable to link to the predetermined network;
a characteristic parameter registering unit operable to register a user ID for each user in a potential audience for the network-distributed program and to register characteristic parameters which indicate characteristics of a user in association with the user ID of the user;
an ID acquiring unit operable to acquire the user ID, the device ID and the program ID transmitted from the network-distributed program receiving apparatus;
and
an audience rating survey unit operable to determine an audience rating of the network-distributed program based on the acquired user ID, device ID and program ID, and the characteristic parameters associated with the acquired user ID.

11 more elements

A computer-readable recording medium recorded with an audience rating survey program, the audience rating survey program comprising:

registering a user ID for each user in a potential audience for a network-distributed program, and registering characteristic parameters which indicate characteristics of a user in association with the user ID of the user;
acquiring, via a predetermined communications network, the user IDs of each user in an audience who is receiving the network-distributed program, a device ID for each client terminal receiving the network-distributed program, and a program ID which specifies the network-distributed program;
and
determining an audience rating of the network-distributed program based on the acquired user IDs, device IDs and program ID, and the characteristic parameters associated with the acquired user IDs.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Audience rating survey system

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims42

Audience rating survey system

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims42