Signal processing apparatus and methods

A method for collecting audience information in a system that consists of a plurality of audience member stations and at least one data collection station, each audience member station accommodating a specific audience member and having read/write memory means capable of holding specific data of its audience member, input means for inputting information of its audience member, first storage means for holding its audience member's input, processor means for processing its audience member's input and assembling output records that hold additional information besides said input, second storage means for holding said output records, and transmission means for transferring the output of said second storage means, with at least some of said stations programmed to process input information in a predetermined fashion and to transfer associated record information to a data collection station, consisting of the steps of:

• programming each audience member's station with specific data of its audience member,
• programming each audience member station to process audience member response information input and assemble in a predetermined fashion or fashions record information that includes additional information besides said response information input,
• expressing a statement that prompts audience members to input response information, and
• causing at least one audience member to input response information
• thereby to cause said audience member's station to process said member's response information, assemble record information that includes additional data besides said response information, and transmit said additional data to said data collection station.

A receiver station system for processing information of a member of a broadcast or cablecast program audience and transferring output to at least one remote data collection station comprising

• input means for inputting member information,
• first memory means for storing said input information,
• detector means for detecting in a broadcast transmission at least one instruction,
• processor means operatively connected to said first memory means and said detector means for processing said input information in accordance with said instruction and outputting data that include additional information besides said input information,
• second memory means for storing said data, and
• transmission means for transmitting said data to said data collection station.

A receiver station system for processing information of a member of a broadcast or cablecast program audience and transferring output to at least one remote data collection station comprising

• input means for inputting member information,
• first memory means for storing said input information,
• detector means for detecting in a broadcast transmission at least one datum,
• processor means operatively connected to said first memory means and said detector means for processing said input information and said datum and outputting data that include additional information besides said input information,
• second memory means for storing said data, and
• transmission means for transmitting said data to said data collection station.

A receiver station system for processing information of a member of a broadcast or cablecast program audience and transferring output to at least one remote data collection station comprising

• first memory means for storing first information of said member,
• detector means for detecting in a broadcast transmission at least one instruction,
• first processor means operatively connected to said first memory means and said detector means for processing said first information and outputting data that include additional information besides said first information,
• second memory means for storing said data,
• transmission means for transmitting said data to said data collection station, and
• second processor means operatively connected to said transmission means and said detector means for causing said transmission means to transmit said additional information in response to said instruction.

A receiver station system for processing information of a member of a broadcast or cablecast program audience and transferring output to at least one remote data collection station comprising

• input means for inputting member information,
• first memory means for storing said input information,
• detector means for detecting in a broadcast transmission at least one datum,
• first processor means operatively connected to said first memory means and said detector means for processing said input information and said datum and outputting data that include additional information besides said input information,
• second memory means for storing said data,
• transmission means for transmitting said data to said data collection station,
• second detector means for detecting in a broadcast transmission at least one instruction, and
• second processor means operatively connected to said transmission means and said second detector means for causing said transmission means to transmit said additional information in response to said instruction.

A method for collecting information about programming use and usage at the receiver station of a potential member of a broadcast or cablecast programming audience, said receiver station including at least one input means for inputting information of the presence, attentiveness or degree of interest of an audience member, one detector means for detecting information of programming, one processor for processing information about programming use and usage, one output means for outputting programming, and one transmission means for transmitting output to a remote station, said receiver station being programmed to transfer information about programming use and usage to a remote station that collects data for use in statistics, consisting of the steps of:

• programming said receiver station to process information of an audience member,
• programming said station to identify information of a programming transmission,
• inputting information of the presence of an audience member,
• identifying information of a specific programming transmission outputted at said receiver station and
• transmitting said information of member presence and
• said in information of a specific transmission to said remote station thereby to cause said remote station to collect information of the presence of an audience member and of the identity of a programming transmission outputted to said member.

A method for collecting response information in a system that consists of at least one mass medium programming transmission station, a plurality of audience stations, and at least one data collection station, with each audience station serving at least one audience member and including at least one mass medium programming receiver, one output means for outputting mass medium programming to its audience member, one input means for inputting information of said member, one detector means for detecting instructions associated with a mass medium programming transmission, one processor for processing information and controlling apparatus of said station in selected fashions, one memory means capable of holding programming instructions that control the operation of said processor, and one transmission means for transmitting data to said data collection station, and with at least some of said audience stations having capacity to respond selectively to a detected instruct-to-respond signal, consisting of the steps of:

• programming at least some of said last named audience stations to hold information of an audience member and to respond in selected fashions to instruction signals associated with a mass medium programming transmission,
• programming at least one of said some to process information it holds in response to an instruct-to-respond signal,
• transmitting mass medium programming that elicits audience reactions,
• receiving said transmission at a plurality of said audience stations and outputting the corresponding mass medium programming,
• transmitting to said plurality of audience stations an instruct-to-respond signal,
• inputting information of the reaction of an audience member at a selected audience station that is outputting said mass medium programming and is programmed to hold information of an audience member and to respond in selected fashions to instruction signals associated with a mass medium programming transmission,
• detecting the presence of said instruct-to-respond signal at said selected audience station and combining information of said signal to at least one processor of said station,
• causing said station to process its reaction information in response to said instruct-to-respond signal and output data that include response information other than said reaction information, and
• receiving at least a portion of the output of said processor at said data collection station, thereby to cause said data collection station to collect at least a portion of said response information.

In a method for collecting response information in a system that consists of at least one mass medium programming transmission station, a plurality of audience stations, and at least one data collection station;

• with each audience station serving at least one audience member and including at least one mass medium programming receiver, one output means for outputting mass medium programming to its audience member, one input means for inputting information of said member, one detector means for detecting instructions associated with a mass medium programming transmission, one processor for processing information and controlling apparatus of said station in selected fashions, one memory means capable of holding programming instructions that control the operation of said processor, and one transmission means for transmitting data to said data collection station, and with at least some of said audience stations having capacity to respond selectively to a detected instruct-to-respond signal;
• and wherein at least some of said last named audience stations are programmed to hold information of an audience member and to respond in selected fashions to instruction signals associated with a mass medium programming transmission, at least one of said some is programmed to process information it holds in response to an instruct-to-respond signal, a transmission station transmits mass medium programming that elicits audience reactions, a plurality of said audience stations receive said transmission and output the corresponding mass medium programming, and information of the reaction of an audience member is inputted at a selected audience station that is programmed to hold information of an audience member and to respond in selected fashions to instruction signals associated with a mass medium programming transmission, the step of:
• transmitting to said plurality of audience stations an instruct-to-respond signal, thereby causing said selected audience station to detect the presence of said instruct-to-respond signal, combine information of said signal to at least one processor of said station, process its reaction information in response to said instruct-to-respond signal and output data that include response information other than said reaction information, said data collection station to receive at least a portion of the output of said processor, and said data collection station to collect at least a portion of said response information.

A receiver station system for processing, recording, and transferring information of a member of a broadcast program audience to at least one remote data collection station comprising

• memory means for storing first information of said member,
• first processor means for processing said first information and assembling output records that include additional information besides said first information,
• recorder means for storing said output records,
• transmission means for transmitting at least some output of said recorder to said data collection station,
• detector means for detecting in a broadcast transmission at least one instruction, and
• second processor means operatively connected to said transmission means and said detector means for causing said transmission means to transmit said output in response to said instruction.

In a method for collecting response information in a system that consists of at least one mass medium programming transmission station, a plurality of audience stations, and at least one data collection station;

• with each audience station serving at least one audience member and including at least one mass medium programming receiver, one output means for outputting mass medium programming to its audience member, one input means for inputting information of said member, one detector means for detecting instructions associated with a mass medium programming transmission, one processor for processing information and controlling apparatus of said station in selected fashions, one memory means capable of holding programming instructions that control the operation of said processor, and one transmission means for transmitting data to said data collection station, and with at least some of said audience stations having capacity to respond selectively to a detected instruct-to-respond signal;
• and wherein at least some of said last named audience stations are programmed to hold information of an audience member and to respond in selected fashions to instruction signals associated with a mass medium programming transmission, a transmission station transmits mass medium programming that elicits audience reactions, a plurality of said audience stations receive said transmission and output the corresponding mass medium programming, a transmission stations transmits to said plurality of audience stations an instruct-to-respond signal, information of the reaction of an audience member is inputted at a selected audience station that is programmed to hold information of an audience member and to respond in selected fashions to instruction signals associated with a mass medium programming transmission, and the presence of said instruct-to-respond signal is detected at said selected audience station and information of said signal is combined to at least one processor of said station, the step of:
• programming said selected station to process information it holds in response to an instruct-to-respond signal, thereby to cause said station to process its reaction information in response to said instruct-to-respond signal and output data that include response information other than said reaction information, and said data collection station to receive at least a portion of the output of said processor and collect at least a portion said response information.

In a method for collecting response information in a system that consists of at least one mass medium programming transmission station, a plurality of audience stations, and at least one data collection station;

• with each audience station serving at least one audience member and including at least one mass medium programming receiver, one output means for outputting mass medium programming to its audience member, one input means for inputting information of said member, one detector means for detecting instructions associated with a mass medium programming transmission, one processor for processing information and controlling apparatus of said station in selected fashions, one memory means capable of holding programming instructions that control the operation of said processor, and one transmission means for transmitting data to said data collection station, and with at least some of said audience stations having capacity to respond selectively to detected instruct-to-respond signal;
• and wherein at least some of said last named audience stations are programmed to hold information of an audience member and to respond in selected fashions to instruction signals associated with a mass medium programming transmission, at least one of said some is programmed to process information it holds in response to an instruct-to-respond signal, a transmission station transmits mass medium programming that elicits audience reactions, a plurality of said audience stations receive said transmission and output the corresponding mass medium programming, a transmission stations transmits to said plurality of audience stations an instruct-to-respond signal, information of the reaction of an audience member is inputted at a selected audience station that is programmed to hold information of an audience member and to respond in selected fashions to instruction signals associated with a mass medium programming transmission, the presence of said instruct-to-respond signal is detected at said selected audience station and information of said signal is combined to at least one processor of said station, and said station is caused to process its reaction information in response to said instruct-to-respond signal and output data that include response information other than said reaction information, the step of:
• receiving at least a portion of the output of said processor at said data collection station, thereby to cause said data collection station to collect at least a portion said response information.

A receiver station system for processing and recording information of a member of a broadcast program audience for at least one remote data collection station comprising

• input means for inputting member information,
• memory means for storing said input information,
• detector means for detecting in a broadcast transmission at least one instruction,
• processor means operatively connected to said memory means and said detector means for processing said input information in accordance with said instruction and assembling output records that include additional information besides said input information, and
• recorder means for storing said output records on a memory medium.

A receiver station system for processing and recording information of a member of a broadcast program audience for at least one remote data collection station comprising

• input means for inputting member information,
• memory means for storing said input information,
• detector means for detecting in a broadcast transmission at least one datum,
• processor means operatively connected to said memory means and said detector means for processing said input information and said datum and
• assembling output records that include additional information besides said input information, and
• recorder means for storing said output records on a memory medium.

A receiver station system for processing, recording, and transferring information of a member of a broadcast program audience and transferring output to at least one remote data collection station comprising

• input means for inputting member information,
• first memory means for storing said input information,
• detector means for detecting in a broadcast transmission at least one datum,
• first processor means operatively connected to said first memory means and said detector means for processing said input information and said datum and assembling output records that include additional information besides said input information,
• recorder means for storing said output records,
• transmission means for transmitting output of said recorder means to said data collection station,
• second detector means for detecting in a broadcast transmission at least one instruction, and
• second processor means operatively connected to said transmission means and said second detector means for causing said transmission means to transmit at least some of the output of said recorder means in response to said instruction.