Television audience monitoring system and method employing display of cable converter box
US6567978B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Oct 9, 1998 |
| Grant date | May 20, 2003 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Oct 9, 2018 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH04N21/8352
- WIPO fieldAudio-visual technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A display interface device and method for determining a currently tuned-to channel of a set-top converter box having an electronic display that indicates the currently tuned-to channel via seven-segment display elements in response to drive signals provided thereto by the set-top converter device. The display interface device includes an electrical connection to the electronic display and a controller. The controller receives the drive signals over the electrical connection and generates information representative of the currently tuned-to tuned channel for use by downstream components. The information representative of the tuned channel may be output as an ASCII value representative of the currently tuned-to channel. The display interface may be part of a viewership metering system when used in conjunction with a viewership collection meter to determine viewer habits.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.