Patent GB-1389717-A (GB)
Title: Apparatus for determining the listening and viewing habits for radio and television receiver users respectively
IPC: H04H1/00
Filed: 1972-11-24
Abstract: 1389717 Recording use of receivers INTOMART NV 24 Nov 1972 [26 Nov 1971] 54373/72 Heading H3Q A system for recording the listening and viewing habits of radio and television receiver users, comprises means 18, 22 for transmitting to a recording medium at predetermined intervals a signal to define consecutive time divisions, means 24 for detecting the switching on and switching off of the receiver and for detecting which one of a plurality of receivable signals is being received when the receiver is on and means 6, 12 for transmitting to and recording on the recording medium information representing the result of the detection and a signal in coded digital form representing the time which has elapsed since the transmission of the previous one of the time division defining signals. As shown the TV receiver 1 has an indicator 2 for indicating the transmitter signal to which the receiver is tuned and has a synchronization separator 3. A device 4 indicates the condition of the receiver, that is whether it is switched on or off and when switched on the transmitting station received. The output from a time control circuit 20 activates a motor start circuit 8 which connects the working voltage to the recording device 14 such as a two track tape recorder using a cartridge tape. Writing heads 13 and 23 are fed from a read in memory 12 associated with a memory 6 and an impulse generator 22. The mains supply 15 of 50 Hz is fed to an impulse generator 16 which feeds 1Hz impulsesto a counter 18 which is capable of counting to 900. At the 449 count an impulse is obtained on line 19 and is fed to a time determining circuit 20<SP>1</SP> which activates the motor starting circuit 8. At the 450 count an impulse is obtained on line 21 to activate an impulse generator 22 which transfers a predetermined pulse to the writing head 23 of the second track. After completion of a recording a reset pulse is fed by line 24 to clear the read in memory 12 and to cause the memory 6 to read in the counting condition of the counter 18. An emergency supply 25 including reloadable accumulators and a rectifier is only switched in if the mains voltage 15 disappears. The mains voltage to the impulse generator 16 is then provided by a generator 27. The type of signals recorded on the tape can differ and are preferably impulses of predetermined frequency. The tape may be processed by a central processing apparatus. An example of a record is disclosed (Fig. 2, not shown) where a starting impulse (S) of 800 Hz is followed by information bits (k) of 350 Hz and (n) of 200 Hz corresponding to the condition of the counter 18. After this an impulse of the (S. type) follows which itself is followed by two information bits (k, n) relating to, the code indication of the transmitter or signal received and whether the receiver is operating or not. When the receiver is switched off an end impulse (S) of 800 Hz follows. All this information is provided as (i, Fig. 3, not shown) on one track (a) of the recorder whereas on the other track (b) impulses (m) from the generator 22 are obtained for timing.