Patent ID: 7487525

Claim:
An apparatus that gathers programs watched data, comprising: a plurality of terminals connected to corresponding televisions and to a television program delivery system, each of the terminals including a memory that stores program access information; a receiver coupled to the plurality of terminals, the receiver receiving the program access information, wherein the program access information is stored as programs watched data in a programs watched matrix and is recorded as counts, the counts corresponding to a number of times a program category is watched at the associated terminal, wherein each of an associated terminals is assigned a unique programs watched matrix, and wherein the unique programs watched matrix is updated as additional program access information is provided by the associated terminal; means for creating terminal group information indicating group assignments for the terminals by correlating the programs watched counts with categories of data, wherein the data categories include demographic data, and wherein the data categories are available for providing programming to the terminals; and means for transmitting the terminal group information to the terminals in a control information stream.