Classifications

• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
  • H04N7/00—Television systems
  • H04N7/16—Analogue secrecy systems; Analogue subscription systems
  • H04N7/173—Analogue secrecy systems; Analogue subscription systems with two-way working, e.g. subscriber sending a programme selection signal
  • H04N7/17345—Control of the passage of the selected programme
  • H04N7/17363—Control of the passage of the selected programme at or near the user terminal
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
  • H04N21/00—Selective content distribution, e.g. interactive television or video on demand [VOD]
  • H04N21/40—Client devices specifically adapted for the reception of or interaction with content, e.g. set-top-box [STB]; Operations thereof
  • H04N21/43—Processing of content or additional data, e.g. demultiplexing additional data from a digital video stream; Elementary client operations, e.g. monitoring of home network or synchronising decoder's clock; Client middleware
  • H04N21/442—Monitoring of processes or resources, e.g. detecting the failure of a recording device, monitoring the downstream bandwidth, the number of times a movie has been viewed, the storage space available from the internal hard disk
  • H04N21/44213—Monitoring of end-user related data
  • H04N21/44222—Analytics of user selections, e.g. selection of programs or purchase activity
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04H—BROADCAST COMMUNICATION
  • H04H60/00—Arrangements for broadcast applications with a direct linking to broadcast information or broadcast space-time; Broadcast-related systems
  • H04H60/35—Arrangements for identifying or recognising characteristics with a direct linkage to broadcast information or to broadcast space-time, e.g. for identifying broadcast stations or for identifying users
  • H04H60/38—Arrangements for identifying or recognising characteristics with a direct linkage to broadcast information or to broadcast space-time, e.g. for identifying broadcast stations or for identifying users for identifying broadcast time or space
  • H04H60/40—Arrangements for identifying or recognising characteristics with a direct linkage to broadcast information or to broadcast space-time, e.g. for identifying broadcast stations or for identifying users for identifying broadcast time or space for identifying broadcast time
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04H—BROADCAST COMMUNICATION
  • H04H60/00—Arrangements for broadcast applications with a direct linking to broadcast information or broadcast space-time; Broadcast-related systems
  • H04H60/35—Arrangements for identifying or recognising characteristics with a direct linkage to broadcast information or to broadcast space-time, e.g. for identifying broadcast stations or for identifying users
  • H04H60/38—Arrangements for identifying or recognising characteristics with a direct linkage to broadcast information or to broadcast space-time, e.g. for identifying broadcast stations or for identifying users for identifying broadcast time or space
  • H04H60/41—Arrangements for identifying or recognising characteristics with a direct linkage to broadcast information or to broadcast space-time, e.g. for identifying broadcast stations or for identifying users for identifying broadcast time or space for identifying broadcast space, i.e. broadcast channels, broadcast stations or broadcast areas
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
  • H04N21/00—Selective content distribution, e.g. interactive television or video on demand [VOD]
  • H04N21/60—Network structure or processes for video distribution between server and client or between remote clients; Control signalling between clients, server and network components; Transmission of management data between server and client, e.g. sending from server to client commands for recording incoming content stream; Communication details between server and client 
  • H04N21/65—Transmission of management data between client and server
  • H04N21/658—Transmission by the client directed to the server
  • H04N21/6582—Data stored in the client, e.g. viewing habits, hardware capabilities, credit card number
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04H—BROADCAST COMMUNICATION
  • H04H60/00—Arrangements for broadcast applications with a direct linking to broadcast information or broadcast space-time; Broadcast-related systems
  • H04H60/09—Arrangements for device control with a direct linkage to broadcast information or to broadcast space-time; Arrangements for control of broadcast-related services
  • H04H60/13—Arrangements for device control affected by the broadcast information
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04H—BROADCAST COMMUNICATION
  • H04H60/00—Arrangements for broadcast applications with a direct linking to broadcast information or broadcast space-time; Broadcast-related systems
  • H04H60/09—Arrangements for device control with a direct linkage to broadcast information or to broadcast space-time; Arrangements for control of broadcast-related services
  • H04H60/14—Arrangements for conditional access to broadcast information or to broadcast-related services
  • H04H60/23—Arrangements for conditional access to broadcast information or to broadcast-related services using cryptography, e.g. encryption, authentication, key distribution
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04H—BROADCAST COMMUNICATION
  • H04H60/00—Arrangements for broadcast applications with a direct linking to broadcast information or broadcast space-time; Broadcast-related systems
  • H04H60/76—Arrangements characterised by transmission systems other than for broadcast, e.g. the Internet
  • H04H60/81—Arrangements characterised by transmission systems other than for broadcast, e.g. the Internet characterised by the transmission system itself
  • H04H60/93—Wired transmission systems

Definitions

• the usual method for evaluating the audience of television programs consists in equipping the televisions with those of the users who are chosen to constitute a representative sample of separate equipment, connected to the television decoder by a serial link.
• This equipment is equipped with a modem connected to the switched telephone network or PSTN. This equipment is bulky and expensive. The choice of viewers making up the "panel" is frozen.
• the present invention aims to provide a method and a device making it possible to eliminate the need for additional measurement equipment and possibly making it possible to easily modify the list of viewers of a measurement sampling.
• a software is stored in each decoder for storing information on the selected programs and on the viewing periods, in non-volatile memory and a hidden menu for activating the software,
• the software can be loaded before delivery of the decoder
• the receiver can also be downloaded or modified over the air or the cable network if the receiver is designed for this purpose. It can be provided to be activated and deactivated at will on specific decoders, individual or belonging to a pre-constituted group identified by a common address, thanks to a hidden menu which can simply supplement a menu intended for receiving programs. This menu can be loaded in all the decoders offered for sale or on some only.
• the invention also provides a device for receiving television programs comprising a decoder provided with a network link modem, characterized in that the decoder comprises:
• a block for processing audio data comprising a non-volatile memory for storing said data,.
• a control unit intended to control the modem and the transfer of the stored data with a periodicity and to a server determined by the menu.
• FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a device according to a particular embodiment of the invention.
• FIG. 2 is a simplified flow diagram of the process.
• the device shown in FIG. 1 is intended to equip a decoder 12 associated with a television set 10 receiving programs broadcast by satellite or by cable or even by radio in digital form.
• the television set 10 directly uses the analog audio / video information.
• it includes a descrambler 16 reproducing the clear video on an input 18 of the television, for this purpose use the access control and access management messages.
• the decoder also includes a hidden menu memory 22 intended to be downloaded by data contained in the broadcast signal.
• This memory 22 includes an individual and / or group address, making it possible to write or modify there a specific or common menu for a group of decoders, by downloading.
• this download can be carried out by the server, during a connection session with the server, established on the initiative of the decoder 12.
• the software contained in the memory 20 also includes a task controller. This controller can be loaded on all decoders prior to their distribution. It will then only be activated on decoders that receive the appropriate menu. It is however also possible to download the task controller in the only decoders whose menu has an appropriate address.
• the software contained in the memory 20 makes it possible to take the audio information, the nature of which is indicated to it by the hidden menu, and to accumulate it in a data memory 26 accessible for reading and writing.
• This memory should not be erased when the decoder is put into standby, since the transfer of its content to the server generally takes place only at a frequency much lower than the frequency of scanning the state of the decoder.
• the memory 26 accumulates representative data, successive choices of the user, among which one can cite the viewed channel, the duration of viewing each channel, the fact that the received program is or is not scrambled, the subscriptions subscribed, broadcasts acquired in payment per session or "pay-per-view", etc. during the entire period which has elapsed since the last transmission to the server. It is also possible to store in memory 26 information coming from a video recorder, indicating the records made.
• the data transmitted by downloading to the hidden menu memory 22 also includes the parameters of the server, which can be stored in a memory 32.
• the transfer of the memorized information to the server can be controlled by an audio task program stored at 34.
• the transferred data can include all of those contained in memory 36 or only a fraction. The choice can be made by downloading the memory 34.
• the data are transferred to a telecommunication control circuit 36 comprising circuits and software which may be conventional and which supply the modem 14.
• the memories 20, 26 and 34 can be constituted by fractions of the same memory unit, which can in particular be a flash memory.
• the components shown in Figure 1 can be used in a device connected to a wired network. In this case it will be possible to dispense with a telephone link to the server; the feedback information will be transferred by the network.
• the programs can be broadcast in MDP4 modulation (also called QPSK) in the 70 to 130 MHz band while the information in return is sent in the 5 to 65 MHz band.
• the flowchart for executing the data accumulation tasks can be that shown in FIG. 2. Switching on the decoder causes the tasks to be launched. Under the command of the software stored in memory 20, the selected data are written to memory 26. They may include:
• each change of channel or zapping the indication if the received program is descrambled,. the status of the decoder, for example viewing a program gram broadcast, recording on video recorder or auxiliary, menu mode, transparent mode (when, for example, the television set is also intended to receive broadcasts in analog modulation).
• the decoder for example viewing a program gram broadcast, recording on video recorder or auxiliary, menu mode, transparent mode (when, for example, the television set is also intended to receive broadcasts in analog modulation).
• the decoder When the decoder is put on standby, all the information that has been accumulated is kept in non-volatile memory.
• the information can be compressed to reduce the amount of memory 26 required.
• the software 20 can also include a program for preprocessing or first interpretation of the accumulated information, for example by totaling the viewing times of each channel since power-up.
• the transfer of the stored information to the server can be carried out by traditional methods. For example, the transfer can be carried out on the initiative of the server, which calls the decoder on the telephone network. More often, the modem will be associated with an automatic dialer of the server number (or possibly of several servers) which will be activated either at a determined period, which will then be much longer than the scanning periods which may be of the order of the week. or even of the month, either by order on the antenna.
• the use of the hidden menu makes it possible to initially load software intended for audimetry measurements (in addition to the program reception software) in all the stations of the same serial, the audimetry functions being activated by loading the hidden menu in certain stations only.
• the management of the set-top box is thus greatly simplified since it is possible to activate or deactivate the audio function over time. No additional specific resources are necessary to set up the audimetric function.
• the device also lends itself perfectly to the downloading of application programs, such as video game programs, and at the same time makes it possible in this case to determine the duration of use of such games or other applications, or the number of times they were initialized.

Priority Applications (1)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=9528125

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (3)

Cited By (1)

Citations (3)

Family Cites Families (1)

• 1998
  • 1998-07-01 FR FR9808395A patent/FR2780833B1/fr not_active Expired - Lifetime
• 1999
  • 1999-06-30 WO PCT/FR1999/001572 patent/WO2000002333A1/fr active Application Filing
  • 1999-06-30 AU AU43768/99A patent/AU4376899A/en not_active Abandoned

Patent Citations (3)

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