Abstract: An efficient, easily-programmed and annoyance-free polling system includes the utilization of multiple voice synthesizers in multiple identical Telephone Interface Units (TIUs) operating independently under control of their own microprocessor, with the TIUs being connected to a bank of telephone lines. A Master Unit with its own voice synthesizer programs the TIUs for simultaneous polling and receipt of polled information. The voice synthesizer in the Master Unit is used for easy message editing and the elimination of "dead time". A personal or other computer is used for initialization, message set up and editing, telephone number generation, and cross-correlation and printing of polling results, with the TIUs working independently for simultaneously polling over many telephone lines. In one embodiment, programming of each individual TIU is accomplished through a specialized coding system unique to polling operations.

Abstract: A telephone based automatic audience survey system for polling an audience to obtain data representative of the opinion regarding a question of interest is disclosed having a first means responsive to incoming calls for answering the calls with an analog voice signal that both identifies the telephone based automatic audience survey system and queries a response in regard to the question of interest, and a second means connected to the first means and responsive to the answers provided to the query portions of the analog voice signal for providing data representative of the consensus regarding the question of interest. Third means connected to the second means are operative to display the data in real-time. The third means includes a video character generator, an audio signal generator, and an operator display.