Television and market research data collection system and method

A system for collecting data with respect to cooperating television viewers or panelists comprising a central computer facility and a plurality of remote units at a respective plurality of panelist locations, each of said remote units including:

• receiving means for receiving a television broadcast signal;
• a viewer control means including at least a channel selector coupled to said means for receiving a television broadcast signal;
• a data collection unit for coupling said receiving means to a television broadcast receiver, said data collection unit including a microprocessor and memory means for storing programming information for said microprocessor and for storing data;
• said viewer control means being monitored by said microprocessor which stores data in said memory means representing changes in said viewer control means;
• an optical reader associated with said data collection unit and for use by a panelist to scan data, said data being stored in said memory means under control of said microprocessor;
• means for coupling said data collection unit to the switched telephone network;
• and
• means for periodically establishing telephone communication between each of the respective data collection units and said central computer facility, whereby data stored in said memory means is transferred under control of said microprocessor to said central computer facility.

A method of collecting data from a plurality of cooperating panelists at a plurality of remote locations comprising the steps of:

• providing at each remote location receiving means for receiving a television broadcasting signal for use with an associated television broadcast receiver;
• providing at each remote location a viewer control means coupled to the receiving means including at least a channel selector;
• providing at each remote location an optical reader for use by a panelist to scan data;
• monitoring the viewer control means and storing data indicative of changes therein;
• and
• periodically establishing telephone communications between a central location and each of the remote locations for transferring stored data with respect to the viewer control means and data optically scanned by a panelist to the central location.