Patent · US Expired

Apparatus for monitoring television receivers

US4027332A · kind A · utility

57Cited by
4References
20Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateNov 21, 1975
Grant dateMay 31, 1977
Priority date
Expiry dateNov 21, 1995

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH04H60/43
  • WIPO fieldTelecommunications
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

Apparatus for monitoring the use of television receivers to obtain information for the rating of television programs. The apparatus makes a comparison between the intercarrier frequency signal (i.e., phase) produced by extracting from an operating television receiver tuned to a channel the visual and aural IF frequencies and the respective intercarrier frequency signals (i.e., phase) produced by successively extracting from transmitting sources of television channels the visual and aural IF frequencies. The intermediate frequency signals of the television receiver are sampled and converted into an intercarrier frequency signal. A voltage controlled tuner is tuned to the radio frequency carriers of the various television channels in a hunting sequence. The output signals of the voltage controlled tuner are intermediate frequency signals, which are converted into intercarrier signals. When the intercarrier frequency emanating from the voltage controlled tuner is phase coherent with the intercarrier frequency signal emanating from the operating television receiver over a prescribed period of time, such as 10 seconds, then an identification is made of the channel to which the operating…

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.