APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR USING COMPRESSED CODES

摘要

An apparatus for television audience monitoring includes a device (12) and method for determining that a television set (14) is turned on. Compressed codes, each representative of, and compressed in length from, the combination of a channel and a time-of-day for a program are retrieved from a television signal received by a television set (14). Each compressed code is decoded and expanded into a channel and time-of-day for a program. The channel and time-of-day for a program are stored when the apparatus for determining that the television set (14) is turned on indicates that the television set (14) is turned on. Alternately, the compressed codes are stored. The decoding and expanding of the compressed code into channel and time-of-day is performed as a function of the clock output. Upon command the stored channel and time-of-day for a program or the stored compressed code for a program are sent over a telephone line.