APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR IDENTIFYING INDIVIDUAL MEMBERS OF AN AUDIENCE TUNED TO A PROGRAM BROADCAST BY A PROGRAMMING SIGNAL SOURCE

摘要

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an audience surveying technique for identifying individual members of an audience listening to and/or watching a program performed from a programming signal source. SOLUTION: A stationary apparatus is so arranged as to function at a reception location with a plurality of portable devices designed to be worn by the audience members. The stationary apparatus detects and stores a surveying code transmitted with the program, and it also periodically emits a trigger signal which causes the portable devices to respond by emitting a unique identification signal pre-stored in each one. The stationary apparatus also detects and stores the identification signals. By associating the detected surveying code with the detected identification signal it is possible to quickly, accurately and reliably identify the individual audience members tuned to a specified program.