Apparatus and method for tracking the playing of vcr programs

摘要

A video tape player monitors the selection habits of a viewer selecting from a plurality of video tapes. Each video tape contains a plurality of programs. A first type of video tape has a title information symbol contained in a predetermined interval of the tape, e.g. the vertical blanking interval, for each program on the tape. A clock provides the time of occurrence of commands. A detector receives user inputted commands for controlling the movement of the video tape such as play, record, stop. The user inputted commands comprise a start play command to start moving, in a longitudinal direction, the video tape proximate to a magnetic head so that the magnetic head can detect the programs on the video tape and a stop command to stop moving the tape. A controller is coupled to the detector for commanding the motor in response to the detected user inputted commands and for reading the time of occurrence of the commands. A first memory stores a title information symbol for each program on a second type of video tape. A second memory stores the title information symbol and the time of occurrence of the detected user inputted commands. The contents of the second memory is provided to an external analyzer.