Abstract: A method and apparatus for determining the channel of a plurality of predetermined channels to which a remotely controlled receiver is tuned. A viewer transmitter device includes a keyboard for receiving viewer entered selections and a remote transmitter which transmits infrared, ultrasonic, radio frequency or other radiated control signals for each of the viewer selections. A receiver device in a channel detection system receives a signal in the selected transmission medium, and immediately signals a jamming device to broadcast interference which precludes the remotely controlled receiver from identifying and acting upon the transmitted control signal. The receiver device applies the received signal to a processor device that performs a stored program to determine if the received signal corresponds to a transmitted control signal from the viewer transmitter device and, if so, to identify the channel to which the monitored receiver is to be tuned.

Abstract: A market research retail sales data collection system and method includes a plurality of cooperating retail stores, each having an in-store device for automatically collecting processing and storing market research data in a substantially totally passive or non-invasive manner with respect to the on-going operations of each retail store. Each in-store device detects, interprets, processes and stores data on a real-time basis with respect to retail sales transactions occuring in the retail store. However, each such in-store device does not interfere with or require the active participation of the in-store Point-Of-Sale (POS) scanners/registers, POS controller or store computer controlling the normal operations of the retail store. Periodically, each in-store device transmits the data it has collected through a bidirectional comunications network to a central site.

Abstract: A communication method and a data collection and transmission system are provided having at least one remotely located monitoring station. A central computer is arranged for bidirectional communication with each of the monitoring stations. Each of the monitoring stations includes a storage and forward unit for communicating with the central computer and at least one sensor unit for monitoring a predetermined geographically proximate variable and for processing and storing predetermined operational data. The storage and forward unit includes a real time clock that is arranged to accurately maintain a real time indicative signal. A local area network connects the storage and forward unit and each of the sensor units. A coded message having a predetermined sequential data format is used for bidirectional communications between the storage and forward unit and the sensor units. A real-time coded message is provided by the storage and forward unit to the sensor units.

Abstract: A manufacturer's discount coupon redemption system and method provide for the automated statistical analysis of coupon shipment data characteristics in order to identify coupon shipment parametric abnormalities. Allowable ranges for preselected coupon shipment data characteristics are established and are automatically updated. Data characteristics associated with each coupon shipment are compared to the allowable ranges to identify instances of coupon shipment parametric abnormalities, that is, data characteristics that fall outside of the allowable ranges. Those coupon shipments that exhibit parametric abnormalities are segregated for further review and evaluation.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for identifying predetermined individual members of a television viewing audience/marketing group in a plurality of monitored areas. A plurality of predetermined identification signals are stored each corresponding to one of the predetermined individual members. A transmitter device for transmitting a unique predetermined identification signal is associated with each of the predetermined individual members. A receiver device in each of the plurality of monitored areas receives the transmitted predetermined identification signals and applies the received signals to an associated memory device used for storing the received individual member signals. A central processor periodically retrieves the stored individual member signals from each memory device.

Abstract: A market research system is shown for substituting stored television programs for regularly scheduled, broadcast television programs having a particular identification code wherein the substitute television programs may be transmitted via telephone lines to the households of cooperating panelists for storage. The substitute television programs may be stored and/or transmitted to the panelists's home in compacted or noncompacted form. In compacted form, a memory stores the first frame of video information for the substitute television program and for subsequent frames, stores only the video information representing a change from the video information stored for a previous frame. In one embodiment, the stored video information represents the difference between each frame and the first frame. In a second embodiment, the video change information represents the differences between each frame and the immediately preceding frame.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for determining the channel of a plurality of predetermined channels to which a remotely controlled receiver is tuned. A first transmitter device includes a keyboard for receiving viewer entered selections and transmits infrared or ultrasonic control signals for each of the viewer tuning and ON/OFF selections. A receiver device receives the transmitted control signal from the first transmitter and applies the received signal to a processor device that performs a stored program to identify the channel to which the monitored receiver is tuned. An associated memory device is used for storing the identified channel reception data. The processor device identifies the user selection and applies a corresponding second control signal to a second transmitter device.

Abstract: An image recognition method and system are provided for identifying predetermined individual members of a viewing audience in a monitored area. A pattern image signature is stored corresponding to each predetermined individual member of the viewing audience to be identified. An audience scanner includes audience locating circuitry for locating individual audience members in the monitored area. A video image is captured for each of the located individual audience members in the monitored area. A pattern image signature is extracted from the captured image. The extracted pattern image signature is compared with each of the stored pattern image signatures to identify a particular one of the predetermined audience members. These steps are repeated to identify all of the located individual audience members in the monitored area.

Abstract: A system and method for protecting against redundant mailings compile mail listings associated with, for example, refund promotion requests received during a given period of time for a number of different refund promotions. Each listing in the compilation is compared on an automated basis with one or more other listings in the compilation according to one or more rules defining a first statistically significant event to identify suspicious listings. Listings in the compilation are also compared on an automated basis to listings previously identified as suspicious and may also be compared to listings associated with known abusers and complainers. Listings identified as suspicious are thereafter compared on an automated basis according to one or more different rules defining a second statistically significant event to identify redundant mailings.

Abstract: A system and method are provided for determining the broadcast signal source for the signal being displayed by a video wave receiver, whether tuned by the monitored receiver or an associated tuner device, such as a cable converter or video cassette recorder. The monitoring system includes a probe for detecting a horizontal sweep signal of the monitored receiver. The frequency of the detected horizontal sweep signal is determined and compared to stored characteristic frequency values corresponding to the predetermined channels to which the video receiver may be tuned.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for identifying a channel to which a receiver is tuned sequentially detects a signal of the receiver and stores a characteristic value of the detected signal for a predefined sequence of frequencies. The stored values corresponding to the predetermined channels of the receiver are identified and assigned a predetermined value. The stored values corresponding to each of a plurality of harmonic frequencies of the predetermined channels are identified and assigned one of a plurality of different predetermined values. A total assigned value is then calculated for each of the predetermined channels with the corresponding values for the identified harmonic frequencies thereof. The calculated total values are then compared to identify a maximum value corresponding to the channel to which the receiver is tuned.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for identifying programs such as television programs received from various sources detects the occurrence of predetermined events such as scene changes in a video signal and extracts a signature from the video signal. The signatures and the times of occurrence of the signatures are stored and subsequently compared with reference signatures to identify the program. The signatures may be compared in pairs to increase resolution, and the time interval between events or signatures may also be used to identify the program, either by themselves or in conjunction with the signatures.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for identifying repetitively broadcast programs, such as commercial advertisements broadcast on television and radio, detects the occurrence of predetermined events in a video signal and/or in an audio signal, detects a stability condition and extracts a signature from the video and/or audio signal. The signatures and the times of occurrence of the signatures are stored and subsequently compared with reference signatures to identify the program and its time of broadcast. The reference signatures may be obtained by identifying repetitively extracted, unidentified signatures and indexing a recording of the video and/or audio signals to enable the system user to identify the unidentified broadcast program and store the previously unidentified signatures as additional reference signatures in memory.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for identifying a number of people in a monitored area wherein a first reflected ultrasonic wave map of the monitored area is collected that includes background objects. A second reflected ultrasonic wave map of the monitored area is collected when people may be present in the monitored area. The first collected background defining map is subtracted from the second collected map to obtain a resulting map. The resulting map is processed to identify clusters having a minimum intensity. A cluster size of the thus identified clusters is utilized to identify clusters corresponding to people. The ultrasonic detecting method and apparatus is utilized with a wave signal receiver for identifying an audience composition of the receiver and determining the viewing habits of the public.

Abstract: A preprogrammed over-the-air marketing research system includes transmission facilities for delivering a regularly scheduled television signal and a low power, microwave transmitter or satellite transponder for delivering a special over-the-air television signal, including substitute programming, to cooperating households. Each household has an antenna for receiving the special television signal, a down converter and a television control unit that includes a small household stored program computer.

Abstract: A system and method is provided for determining the channel to which a video wave receiver is tuned. The system includes an RF signal source connected to the antenna input of the video wave receiver, a frequency control stage that determines the signal frequencies generated by the RF signal source and a system and advance control stage to appropriately program operation of the frequency control stage. The RF signal source is conditioned by the system and advance control stage and the frequency control stage to output signals such that the fundamental or one of the harmonics when combined with the video carrier of a corresponding channel results in a signal having a predetermined frequency. The RF signal source is successively advanced to output a set of predetermined frequencies, corresponding to each of the receivable channels to which the video receiver is tunable.

Abstract: A process and apparatus for aligning paper documents includes a paper jogger having a removable paper tray for receiving a large number of individual paper documents, such as retail store coupons, and adapted to slide onto and to be removably secured to an oscillating platform of the paper jogger for aligning the edges of the paper documents. A removable divider is positioned in the tray to segregate the paper documents in the tray into discrete portions. The tray containing the divider and segregated paper documents is then placed on and secured to the platform for oscillation and resultant paper alignment. After the paper documents are sufficiently aligned, the tray may be removed from the platform for use in storing the aligned paper documents or in conveying the aligned paper documents to subsequent processing stations.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for identifying images having different spatial characteristics divides the image into a predetermined number of image elements, determines whether each of the image elements is relatively light or relatively dark and assigns a white designation or a black designation to each image element as a result of this determination. The number of white designated and black designated image elements are counted, as are the number of like designated image elements adjacent to each image element. The counts thus obtained are compared with corresponding counts resulting from known images, and the image is identified when a match within a predetermined tolerance is found.

Abstract: An automatic document sorter particularly suitable for sorting retail store coupons employs a plurality of relatively coarse sorting processes in cascade. The sorting processes sequentially sort the documents according to predetermined properties of the document, including codes, such as bar codes or the like; physical properties, such as size, thickness, color, reflectivity and opacity; the characteristics of the inscriptions on the face of the document; and any uniquely marked areas of the document face. Such a sorting hierarchy permits the documents to be sorted rapidly by reducing the precision required in each sorting step. The hierarchy also permits each document to be classified during each sorting step as falling into a particular class of documents in order to simplify subsequent sorting steps. If a property uniquely identifying the document is found during any one of the sorting steps, the processing is terminated at that point without completing the subsequent sorting steps.

Abstract: A system for remotely monitoring or determining the channel to which a voltage tunable receiver (or CATV converter) has been tuned includes an encoder for measuring the magnitude of the tuning voltage applied to the tuning section of the receiver and for generating a channel representative digital code in response to the tuning voltage. The digital code thus generated is compatible with remotely located monitoring equipment, and represents the number of the channel to which the receiver is tuned. Since the tuning voltage is not linearly related to the channel number of the station being received, the encoder utilizes a read-only memory or the like for storing a coded representation relating the channel number to the tuning voltage. In a preferred embodiment, the coded representations are sequentially stored as tuning voltage representations in address locations of the memory corresponding to the respective channel numbers.