Passive data collection system for market research data

A data collection method for the market research of a plurality of individual stores for the purchases of predetermined consumers forming a buying panel, wherein each store has a plurality of point-of-sale terminals which communicate data transactions in an SDLC format over a network loop to a central store computer, said method comprising:

• (a) passively monitoring data transactions on said network;
• (b) assembling from said monitored data transactions data frames corresponding to respective data transactions;
• (c) selecting from all of said data frames, data frames of at least one particular type;
• (d) sorting said selected frames based upon an information field which contains information indicating the beginning and the end of a respective purchasing transaction;
• (e) temporarily storing said selected data frames corresponding to a respective purchasing transaction;
• (f) searching said temporarily stored selected data frames for panelist identification;
• and
• (g) storing said searched selected data frames corresponding to a respective purchasing transaction when any of them include said panelist identification.

In a system for market research wherein data are gathered at a central station from a plurality of individual stores in respect to transactions made by respective selected shoppers, said selected shoppers having respective identification indicia, and each of said stores having a data processing controller connected by a communications network to a plurality of transaction terminals at which input transaction data in respect to transactions with respective shoppers are entered, including transaction data corresponding to universal product codes for respective items bought and the respective identification indicia, such input transaction data being communicated to the respective controller over said communications network, and controller data from said respective controller being communicated to the respective terminals over said communications system, said controller data including controller transaction data related to the same transactions as respective input transaction data:

• a data acquisition and transfer system comprising means for passively coupling to a respective said communications network in a respective store to receive respective input and controller transaction data without introducing any signals into said communications network, storage means, means responsive to received transaction data corresponding to said identification indicia for storing in said storage means said received input and controller transaction data and instructions relating to each transaction made by a selected shopper to the exclusion of transaction data and instructions relating to transactions made by shoppers other than selected shoppers, means for reading out said stored transaction data from said storage means, and means for transferring said read out stored transaction data to said central station.

A method for electronically collecting market research information from a plurality of sales locations wherein the information is collected from each of the sales locations and transmitted to a host processor for subsequent evaluation, and wherein each of said sales locations has at least one automatic checkout system including a plurality of point-of-sale terminals communicating with a store controller over a communications network, said method comprising:

• passively monitoring communications between the store controller and each of said point-of-sale terminals;
• separating relevant market research data from said communications;
• forming market research file structures compatible with the host processor;
• storing said market research file structures in nonvolatile memory;
• and
• periodically transferring said market research file structures to the host processor.

A method for electronically collecting market research information from a plurality of sales locations wherein the information is collected from each of the sales locations and transmitted to a host processor for subsequent evaluation, wherein each of said sales locations has at least one automatic checkout system including a plurality of point-of-sale terminals communicating with a store controller over a communications network, and wherein the communications protocol of the automatic checkout system is phase encoded, said method comprising:

• passively monitoring communications between the store controller and each of said point-of-sale terminals, said step of passively monitoring including converting the phase encoded protocol into a standard binary protocol;
• separating relevant market research data from said communications;
• forming market research file structures compatible with the host processor;
• storing said market research file structures in nonvolatile memory;
• and
• periodically transferring said market research file structures to the host processor.

A method for electronically collecting market research information from a plurality of sales locations wherein the information is collected from each of the sales locations and transmitted to a host processor for subsequent evaluation, wherein each of said sales locations has at least one automatic checkout system including a plurality of point-of-sale terminals communicating with a store controller over a communications network, and wherein communications on the network are configured for two wire half duplex operation in a loop, said method comprising:

• passively monitoring communications between the store controller and each of said point-of-sale terminals, said step of passively monitoring including connecting a receive data tap in parallel between the receive port of the store controller and the last point-of-sale terminal on the loop;
• separating relevant market research data from said communications;
• forming market research file structures compatible with the host processor;
• storing said market research file structures in nonvolatile memory;
• and
• periodically transferring said market research file structures to the host processor.

A method for electronically collecting market research information from a plurality of sales locations wherein the information is collected from each of the sales locations and transmitted to a host processor for subsequent evaluation, wherein each of said sales locations has at least one automatic checkout system including a plurality of point-of-sale terminals communicating with a store controller over a communications network, and wherein communications on the network are carried on in SDLC format, said method comprising:

• passively monitoring communications between the store controller and each of said point-of-sale terminals;
• separating relevant market research data from said communications, said step of separating relevant market research data including the steps of separating the communications on the network into SDLC frames and other communication frames thereby separating information in the SDLC frames from the totality of communications;
• separating said SDLC frames into information format frames and other SDLC frames, thereby separating information contained in the information format frames from the totality of SDLC frames;
• and separating said information format frames into market research frames and other information format frames thereby separating the market research information from the totality of information contained in the information format frames;
• forming market research file structures compatible with the host processor;
• storing said market research file structures in nonvolatile memory;
• and
• periodically transferring said market research file structures to the host processor.

Passive data collection apparatus for assembling selected data transactions corresponding to purchases made by respective customers from among a multiplicity of data transactions on a communications network connecting a plurality of point-of-sale terminals in a store to a store controller in a store, said data transactions being communicated by a predetermined network protocol and in a predetermined network format of message units, said apparatus comprising:

• coupling means for passively coupling to said communications network to receive all data transactions on the network between said store controller and said terminals in such a manner as not to add message units to said network or delete or otherwise modify message units on said network or control or modify the operation of the network, store controller or terminals;
• converting means connected to said coupling means for converting said received data transactions from said network protocol into a digital protocol of data characters;
• a transaction processor;
• communications means connected to said converting means for communicating said converted data transactions to said transaction processor;
• said transaction processor including:
• means for assembling characters of said converted data transactions into message units;
• sorting means for selectively sorting said assembled message units according to predetermined market research criteria;
• storing means for storing data corresponding to said sorted message units;
• and
• means for communicating said stored data to an external device remote from the store.

A data collection method for market research in respect to each of a plurality of individual stores for the purchases of selected customers forming a buying panel, each of said selected customers having a respective panelist identification, wherein each store has a plurality of point-of-sale terminals which communicate data transactions including respective panelist identification over a communications network to a central store controller said method comprising:

• (a) passively monitoring data transactions on a respective said network;
• (b) assembling from said monitored data transactions data frames corresponding to respective data transactions;
• (c) selecting from all of said data frames, data frames of at least one particular type;
• (d) sorting said selected frames based upon an information field which contains information indicating the beginning and the end of a respective purchasing transaction;
• (e) temporarily storing said selected data frames corresponding to a respective purchasing transaction;
• (f) searching said temporarily stored selected data frames for a said panelist identification;
• and
• (g) storing said searched selected data frames corresponding to a respective purchasing transaction when any of them include said panelist identification;
• searching all purchase transactions of said frame blocks for a panelist identification;
• and
• storing those purchasing transactions of said frame blocks if they contain said panelist identifications.

Data collection apparatus for market research in respect to each of a plurality of individual stores for the purchases of selected customers forming a buying panel, each of said selected customers having a respective panelist identification, wherein each store has a plurality of point-of-sale terminals which communicate data transactions including respective panelist identification over a communications network to a central store controller said apparatus comprising:

• (a) means for passively monitoring data transactions on a respective said network;
• (b) means for assembling from said monitored data transactions data frames corresponding to respective data transactions;
• (c) means for selecting from all of said data frames, data frames of at least one particular type;
• (d) means for sorting said selected frames based upon an information field which contains information indicating the beginning and the end of a respective purchasing transaction;
• (e) means for temporarily storing said selected data frames corresponding to a respective purchasing transaction;
• (f) means for searching said temporarily stored selected data frames for a said panelist identification;
• and
• (g) means for storing said selected data frames corresponding to a respective purchasing transaction when any of them include said panelist identification.

In a system for market research wherein data are gathered at a central station from a plurality of individual stores in respect to transactions made by respective selected shoppers, said selected shoppers having respective identification indicia:

• a market research data monitor including
• a buffer;
• nonvolatile storage means for storing purchase transaction records;
• programmed means for executing a communications program at a particular time of day to transfer stored purchase transaction records from said nonvolatile storage means to a central station;
• programmed means for executing a real time monitor program on an interrupt basis to store in said buffer purchase transaction records of all purchases made by selected shoppers as they occur;
• and
• programmed means for executing a data storage program when said communications program is not executing to transfer the nonvolatile storage of said purchase transaction records on a periodic basis from said buffer to said nonvolatile storage means.