Public opinion polling system

The method of conducting a poll which comprises:

• (a) selecting a telephone loop network comprising a switching system normally capable of performing a call request initiation function in response to electrical current flow resulting from an off-hook condition in at least one of the telephone sets of said loop network;
• (b) determining the statistical distribution of the electrical resistance of said network among the loops thereof;
• (c) broadcasting a polling stimulus to customers served by said telephone loop network;
• (d) eliciting from said customers a response to said polling stimulus during a specified polling period by causing an off-hook condition in their respective telephone sets;
• (e) disabling said switching system call request initiation function capability during said polling period;
• (f) determining the level of electrical current flow in said loop network during said polling period;
• and
• (g) calculating from said polling period current flow level and said resistance distribution the number of telephone sets in said network that were in said off-hook condition during said polling period, thereby determining the number of said customers responding to said polling stimulus.

A method of conducting a preference poll which comprises broadcasting to a predetermined universe a polling stimulus, eliciting from said universe a specified response to said stimulus by means of the telephone system loop network serving said universe, and establishing from the responses received through said loop network the preference of the universe with respect to said stimulus characterized in that

• (a) said loop network comprises a switching system normally capable of performing a call request initiation function in response to electrical current flow resulting from an off-hook condition in at least one of the telephone sets of said loop network;
• (b) said specified response is the causing of an off-hook condition in a telephone set of said loop network during a specified polling period;
• and
• (c) the method of establishing said preference comprises:
• (1) calculating the statistical distribution of the network electrical resistance among the loops of said network;
• (2) disabling said switching system call request initiation function capability during said polling period;
• (3) determining the level of electrical current flow in said loop network during said polling period;
• and
• (4) calculating from said polling period current flow level and said resistance distribution the number of telephone sets in said network that were in said off-hook condition during said polling period, thereby determining the number of individuals within said universe responding to said polling stimulus, and thus establishing the preference thereof with respect to said stimulus.

A public opinion polling system which comprises means for broadcasting an opinion-educing stimulus to a universe of potential poll participants, and means associated with a public telephone system serving said universe for establishing the extent of response of poll participants signifying an opinion with respect to said stimulus characterized in that

• (a) said telephone system comprises:
• (1) a loop network having a known statistical distribution of electrical resistance among the multiplicity of loops of said network, and
• (2) a switching system in electrical circuit with said loop network and normally capable of performing a call request initiation function in response to electrical current flow in said circuit resulting from an off-hook condition in at least one of the telephone sets of said loop network;
• and
• (b) said response establishing means comprises:
• (1) means for disabling said switching system call request initiation function capability during a polling period,
• (2) means in electrical circuit with said multiplicity of loops for determining the level of electrical current flow in said loop network during said polling period, and
• (3) means for calculating from said polling period current flow level and said resistance distribution the number of telepone sets in said network that are placed in an off-hook condition during said polling period as a response to said stimulus.