US 8,943,527 B2 · Audience measurement system

Abstract

An audience measurement system plays and records television program material on a client system's persistent storage device. Program guide objects are stored on the client system and indicate when television programs are broadcast. A client system stores a viewer's television viewing habits and behavior. Information such as what television programs a viewer watches and/or prefers, and when a viewer uses trickplay functions while watching a television program (such as: variable rate fast forward and rewind, frame step, index, pause, variable rate reverse play, variable rate play, and play) are stored on the client system which the client sends to a central server. The central server stores viewer information from all client systems such that the information obtained is anonymous. The aggregated information is used by the central server to compile statistical reports and make predictions. Data are analyzed to create reports covering information that includes, but is not limited to: aggregate viewer behavior in relation to a specific television program; aggregate viewer response to specific commercial pods; and aggregate viewer behavior in relation to tuning out of a specific television program and viewer tune-in destinations. The central server also analyzes aggregate information to predict viewing activity and program ratings.

Claims18

Dependent claims

A method for measuring viewer video viewing behavior and habits in a client system, comprising:

indicating when video programs are available via a program guide database stored on at least one persistent storage device on a client system;
in response to a viewer's input via a remote control while the viewer is viewing a video program, correlating the viewer's input with a position within the video program by:
(1) obtaining information about the video program from the program guide database;
and
(2) storing the information about the video program obtained from the program guide database along with a time stamp and the viewer input on the at least one persistent storage device;
the correlated viewer input among at least two correlated inputs associated with the video program stored on the at least one persistent storage device, where the at least two correlated viewer inputs associated with the video program indicate viewer trickplay actions during viewing of said video program, the viewer trickplay actions include any combination of:
fast forward, rewind, pause, or play;
sending the video program information, time stamps, and correlated viewer inputs stored on the at least one persistent storage device to a server, the server storing correlated viewer inputs from a plurality of client systems as anonymous information, the server analyzes the stored correlated viewer inputs to determine an amount of time that certain programs are timeshifted.

5 more elements

An apparatus for measuring viewer video viewing behavior and habits in a client system, comprising:

at least one persistent storage device on the client system;
a subsystem that indicates when video programs are available via a program guide database stored on the at least one persistent storage device;
a subsystem that, in response to a viewer's input via a remote control while the viewer is viewing a video program, correlates the viewer's input with a position within the video program by:
(1) obtains information about the video program from the program guide database;
and
(2) stores the information about the video program obtained from the program guide database along with a time stamp and the viewer input on the at least one persistent storage device;
the correlated viewer input among at least two correlated inputs associated with the video program stored on the at least one persistent storage device, where the at least two correlated viewer inputs associated with the video program indicate viewer trickplay actions during viewing of said video program, the viewer trickplay actions include any combination of:
fast forward, rewind, pause, or play;
a subsystem that sends the video program information, time stamps, and correlated viewer inputs stored on the at least one persistent storage device to a server, the server storing correlated viewer inputs from a plurality of client systems as anonymous information, the server analyzes the stored correlated viewer inputs to determine an amount of time that certain programs are timeshifted.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Audience measurement system

Life of this patent

Audience measurement system

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims18