HK1115214A - Methods and systems for gathering market research data - Google Patents

Description

Method and system for collecting market research data

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a method and system for market research that collects data about exposure of a panelist (panel) to a predetermined product.

Technical Field

Manufacturers and publishers of products, as well as service providers, spend a great deal of expense on advertising and promotions to arouse interest in their products and services among customers. They review sales information and more detailed purchasing information such as demographics of the purchaser of their products and services in order to select those advertisements and campaigns that appear to best affect the customer's purchase of their products and services.

However, there is a need to obtain more detailed information about the effectiveness of advertising and promotion spending, particularly in assessing the effectiveness of their incentives to stimulate the initial interest of customers in products and services, regardless of whether they are purchasing them, because factors such as price affect the decision to purchase in addition to advertising and promotion.

Disclosure of Invention

The following terms and definitions will be used for this application:

the term "data" as used herein means any indicia, signals, symbols, fields, symbol sets, representations, and any other physical form or forms representing information, whether permanent or temporary, whether visual, audio, acoustic, electrical, magnetic, electromagnetic, or otherwise represented. The term "data" as used to represent predetermined information in one physical form shall be taken to encompass any and all representations of the same predetermined information in a different physical form or forms.

The term "media data" as used herein means data that is widely accessible, whether carried over the air or over cable, satellite, network, internet (including the internet), whether distributed on a storage medium or otherwise, regardless of form and content, including but not limited to audio, video, text, images, animations, Web pages, and streaming media data.

The term "database" as used herein means an organized entity of related data, regardless of the manner in which the data and its organized entity are represented. For example, the organized entity of related data may be in the form of a table, map, grid, list, or other format.

The term "location" as used herein refers to a position relative to a commercial establishment, a product display, a product, other object or device, or a position relative to a coordinate system such as latitude and longitude.

The term "profile" as used herein means a database of data representing locations within one or more areas for purposes of market research.

The term "network" as used herein includes both networks and the internet for all kinds of networks, including the internet, and is not limited to any particular network or internet.

The terms "first" and "second" are used to distinguish one element from another, one set from another, one data from another, one object or thing from another, and are not used to designate relative positions or arrangements in time.

As used herein, the terms "coupled," "coupled with" and … mean the relationship between two or more devices, apparatuses, files, programs, media, components, networks, systems, subsystems, and/or components (means), respectively, that constitute one or more of the following: (a) connected, whether directly or through one or more other devices, apparatuses, files, programs, media, components, networks, systems, subsystems, or components; (b) a communication relationship, whether direct or through one or more other devices, apparatus, files, programs, media, components, networks, systems, subsystems, or components; and/or (c) a functional relationship wherein the operation of any one or more apparatus, device, file, program, media, component, network, system, subsystem, or component is dependent, in whole or in part, on any one or more other operations thereof.

The terms "communicate" and "communication" as used herein include both transferring data from a source to a destination and transferring data to a communication medium, system or link for delivery to a destination.

The term "processor" as used herein refers to processing devices, processing programs, processing circuits, processing systems, and processing subsystems, whether implemented in hardware, software, or both.

The terms "memory" and "data store" are used herein to refer to data storage devices, data storage apparatus, data storage programs, data storage circuits, data storage systems, data storage subsystems, and storage media for holding data (whether temporary or permanent based) and providing the held data.

According to one aspect of the present invention, a method is provided for monitoring the impact of a product on participants of a market survey. The method comprises the following steps: providing a portable monitor containing a wireless receiver to a respective participant selected from a plurality of participants in a market research study, said portable monitor adapted to be carried on a person of the participant; detecting product data within the portable monitor, the product data being contained in a product signal received in the wireless monitor from a predetermined signal transmitter proximate to a respective product, the product data being representative of the respective product, the product signal having a signal strength selected such that the product data is detected by the portable monitor only when the portable monitor is at a predetermined proximity distance from the predetermined signal transmitter; and storing the product data in the portable monitor.

According to another aspect of the invention, an apparatus is provided for monitoring the impact of a product by participants in a market survey. The device includes: a portable monitor adapted to be carried on a person of a participant in a market research study, the portable monitor including a wireless receiver for operatively receiving a product signal from a predetermined signal transmitter proximate a respective product, the product signal including product data representative of the respective product, the wireless receiver having a sensitivity selected such that the product data within the product signal is detectable by the portable monitor only when the portable monitor is at a predetermined proximity distance from the predetermined signal transmitter; and a data store coupled to the wireless receiver for receiving and storing the product data.

According to yet another aspect of the present invention, a system for monitoring the impact of a predetermined product on participants of a market survey is provided. The system comprises: a database storing product location data representing predetermined product locations; a portable monitor adapted to be carried on a participant in a market survey and comprising a location monitor operable to generate participant location data indicative of a participant's location and a data store coupled to said location monitor to receive said participant location data and operable to store the participant location data; and a processor coupled to the portable monitor to receive participant location data therefrom and operable to access product location data from the database; the processor for processing the participant location data and the product location data generates product proximity data indicative of the impact of a predetermined product on the participant.

Drawings

FIG. 1 is a simplified diagram of a aisle within a retail store illustrating certain embodiments of the invention;

FIG. 1A is a block diagram illustrating the wireless transmitter of FIG. 1 cooperating with an intelligent shelf system to collect product data therefrom;

FIG. 2 illustrates a table relating to a database in accordance with certain embodiments of the present invention;

FIG. 3 illustrates a method and system for monitoring the exposure of a panelist participating in a market survey to a product in a promotional display according to some embodiments of the present invention;

FIG. 4 provides a block diagram of some embodiments of a signal transmitter and a portable monitor arranged to be carried on a panelist's person, in accordance with some embodiments of the present invention;

FIG. 5 illustrates the use of the portable monitor of FIG. 4 to measure the exposure of a panelist carrying the portable monitor to a media presentation in accordance with certain embodiments of the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a block diagram of a system for downloading data collected by the portable monitor of FIG. 4 onto a central processor;

FIG. 7 illustrates another table of the relational database including the table of FIG. 2, according to some embodiments of the invention;

FIG. 8 provides a block diagram of certain embodiments of a location signal transmitter and a portable monitor that utilizes an inertial monitoring device to track its location.

Detailed Description

The invention can be used to monitor customer exposure to products, but is particularly useful for collecting such data in retail stores and all other types of commercial establishments. Figure 1 schematically illustrates a retail store aisle adjacent to a set of shelves 38 on which products are placed for sale. The portable monitor 32 is carried on a person of a panelist participating in a market research study in order to monitor the exposure of the panelist to various predetermined products.

An RF transmitter 40 is placed near a particular product offered for sale (denoted herein as the hypothetical product "champschoop dog food"). The RF transmitter 40 transmits a product signal containing data identifying the product of interest, its manufacturer, distributor, and/or otherwise containing data corresponding to the product. In certain embodiments, such data includes a transmitter identification code that unambiguously identifies transmitter 36 and from which product-related data can be obtained. In some embodiments, the product signal includes commercial establishment data identifying, or otherwise relating to, the commercial establishment in which the panelist is located. In some embodiments, the commercial establishment data directly identifies the commercial establishment, and in other situations the commercial establishment data is used to access or derive such identification. In certain embodiments, the commercial establishment data relates to a commercial establishment, where the commercial establishment is identified, directly or indirectly, or without identification. The frequency of the product signal may be selected from any permissible frequency range up to and including the microwave frequency.

When a panelist wearing the portable monitor 32 approaches a product, the monitor 32 receives the product signal and detects the data contained therein. The strength of the transmitted product signal and the sensitivity of the monitor 32 are selected to ensure that: the data contained within the product signal is only detected by the monitor 32 when the monitor 32 is sufficiently close to the predetermined product for research purposes. In certain advantageous embodiments, one or both of the strength of the position signal and the sensitivity of the monitor are selected to ensure that: the monitor 32 detects data in the product signal only when the monitor is within a predetermined area to be monitored, such as a predetermined area in which a panelist is able to detect a predetermined product or a product display containing the product. When the monitor 32 detects data contained in the product signal, the data or data based on the data is stored together with a time stamp (time stamp) indicating the time of reception of the data.

If a panelist lingers near the transmitter 40, it means that the panelist may be interested in purchasing a nearby product. Thus, the monitor 23 periodically or from time to time verifies the detection of data contained in the same or different product signals. If data for the same product signal is again detected, the monitor 32 stores another data indicating the duration of the continuous presence of the panelist in the vicinity of the transmitter 40.

In certain embodiments, the transmitter 40 cooperates with an intelligent shelf system of a commercial establishment to collect product data. Fig. 1A illustrates this cooperative relationship, wherein a wireless transmitter 40 communicates with an RFID reading system 42 via a wired or wireless communication link 41 to obtain product data therefrom. The RFID reader 42 collects data identifying, or relating to, the products on its shelf or other product display device so that the product data is kept up to date regardless of the stacking or removal of the products. To do so, the reader 42 transmits RF signals to RFID tags (represented in FIG. 1A by antenna 45) associated with different products 44 on its shelf or other device to energize or trigger them to respond with product data. When the monitor 32 comes within range of the wireless transmitter 40, it sends the latest product data to it.

If the product signal transmitted by the transmitter 40 includes transmitter identification data, the transmitter identification data is also stored in a database where it is associated with data identifying the product or otherwise relating to the product. Fig. 2 shows an embodiment of a table storing data detected by the monitor 32 from different product signals, together with time stamps indicating the time of detection of the data and the duration of continuous detection of the same data. In the exemplary table of fig. 2, each row represents a record of the detection of data from a respective transmitter, here denoted as transmitter ID, as well as monitor ID (which corresponds to the panelist to whom the particular monitor is assigned), the time at which data was first detected from the transmitter, and the duration of time that data was continuously detected from the transmitter. In certain other embodiments, data detected by the monitor is stored without a monitor ID that is independent of other stored data until the monitor ID is downloaded from the monitor 32.

The first record 48 of the table shown in fig. 2 is an example of data stored by the portable monitor 32 when the panelist detects the data contained in the product signal received from the transmitter 40 (having transmitter ID 8723) when the panelist approaches the transmitter 40 and its corresponding product. The record here indicates that the panelist stayed for 20 seconds, meaning that the panelist was interested in "Champs Chomp dog food" at the Ed commercial center.

Another record 52 of the table shown in FIG. 2 is representative of data collected by the monitor when the panelist stayed in proximity to the emitter 56 (having emitter ID 2321) shown in FIG. 3, wherein the emitter 56 was installed on an imaginary in-store product display 60 of the nonalcoholic beverage product "DoubleWhamy Cola". As shown in fig. 3, the product display 60 is used to attract attention to the products 66 it supports or contains. When the panelist approaches the product display 60, the monitor records data indicating the duration of time the panelist is present near the product display to provide an indication of its effectiveness in attracting the attention of the customer.

As the panelist continues to traverse the store, the monitor 32 detects data contained in another product signal, indicating that the panelist has approached another predetermined product involved in the study. The detected data is stored by the monitor 32 in a record, such as the exemplary record 74 shown in FIG. 3. The panelist then stayed in the vicinity of another to test another product involved in the study, as shown in record 82 of fig. 3.

Fig. 4 provides a block diagram of some embodiments of the portable monitor 32, as well as a block diagram 86 of some embodiments of the transmitter 40. In pattern 86, RF transmitter 90, antenna 94, code modulator 98, proximity detector 102, power switch 106, and power supply 110 are enclosed or carried within container 104. The container 104 is preferably small and also inconspicuous so that it is not readily noticed by the panelist and therefore does not affect its behavior. In some embodiments, the transmitter is contained within a thin laminated package that can be unobtrusively attached to the bottom of a store shelf. In other cases, they may be carried in a small housing or enclosed within a molded article.

In the transmitter embodiment 86, power from a power supply 110 is applied to the RF transmitter 90 and the code modulator 98 only when the proximity detector 102 detects the presence of a person near the transmitter 86 and turns on the normally off power switch 106. Proximity detector 102 senses one or more selected forms of data, such as changes or levels of infrared, heat, light or electrical energy, indicative of the presence or arrival of a person and then provides a switching signal to power switch 106 to turn it on. An external switch is employed in some embodiments to turn on the power supply, such as a pressure sensitive switch activated by a panelist's footstep, or a doorway switch activated by opening a door or passing through a doorway. Preferably, the power switch 106 remains on for only long enough to ensure that a detectable product signal is sent to any monitor 32 that may be carried by a nearby panelist, so that power from the power supply 110 is conserved to ensure the ability of the transmitter 86 to continue to operate. As just one example, in some embodiments, the power switch continuously applies power for 30 seconds after receiving the switching signal and then automatically resets to the off state so that the product signal is continuously sent for that 30 second period. In some embodiments, the transmitter has two operating states: a standby low power mode in which the transmitter does not transmit; a transmission mode of transmission by the transmitter. In such an embodiment, the transmitter is switched from the standby mode to the transmit mode by the switch 106 or other circuitry when a person is detected in the vicinity.

The RF transmitter 90 drives the antenna 94 to transmit the RF product signal within a suitable frequency band selected to be any allowable RF band up to and including the microwave frequency. In some embodiments, the RF transmitter 90 generates the product signal in an unlicensed 900MHz band and at a sufficiently low power level that its data will only be detectable by the monitor 32 over a relatively short range.

The data contained in the product signal is generated by the code modulator 98 and applied as a modulated signal by the code modulator 98 to the RF transmitter 90. The product signal may be modulated in any manner compatible with the detection capabilities of the portable monitor 32, such as amplitude, frequency, pulse, or phase modulation, or any combination thereof. In some embodiments, the data is represented solely by the frequency of the product signal, thus eliminating the need for a separate code modulator. In certain embodiments, the data modulates the product signal to produce a periodically repeating code. For example, such a code may be repeated every 10 seconds during the transmission of the product signal, although different repetition rates may be selected depending on the amount of data that must be transmitted and the detection error rate of the personal monitor 32 within the desired detection area.

The power supply 110 is selected to be capable of providing sufficient power for a desired duration, such as the duration of a marketing study. In certain embodiments, the power source 110 is selected to be a rechargeable battery, a non-rechargeable battery, an energy storage, a photovoltaic power source, and/or a different energy receiving device (such as an antenna that receives energy from the portable monitor 32 or other external source).

In some embodiments, the RF transmitter 90 transmits the product signal periodically, rather than upon detecting a person in proximity to the transmitter 86. In other embodiments, the RF transmitter 90 transmits the product signal in response to an interrogation signal transmitted by a transmitter (not shown for purposes of simplicity and clarity) included within the portable monitor 32. In some embodiments, the transmitter is an RFID tag that receives the read signal from the monitor 32, encodes its data using the energy of the received read signal, and retransmits the encoded data as a location signal. In some of these embodiments, the RFID tag is attached to the product itself or its packaging. In embodiments employing RFID tags, it is advantageous to selectively turn on the monitor to send such read signals as infrequently as possible, since the monitor 32 must transmit significant energy to excite the RFID tag to retransmit a detectable product signal. To this end, in some embodiments, a transmitter is provided in or near the commercial establishment to control the monitor to transmit the read signal.

In certain embodiments, one or more RF energy transmitters, separate from the monitor 32, are placed in or near the store or other commercial establishment for emitting RF energy that is received by one or more nearby RFID tags in order to excite them to transmit their codes. When a panelist carrying a monitor 32 comes within range of one of such RFID tags, the monitor detects its code and stores the appropriate data. In certain embodiments, the RF energy emitter emits RF energy continuously. In other cases, the RF energy transmitter transmits RF energy periodically, from time to time, at certain times, or during certain time periods. In other embodiments, the RF energy transmitter transmits RF energy upon detection of the presence of a person or the presence of the monitor 32.

In other embodiments, the transmitter, equipped with an active power source (e.g., a battery, photovoltaic cell, etc.), is attached to the product itself or its packaging, rather than being affixed to or placed on or in a nearby shelf or other fixture.

In other embodiments, a different type of wireless transmitter, such as an infrared, visible light, or acoustic transmitter, is used for transmitter 86 in place of RF transmitter 90. Suitable acoustic product signal transmitters for this purpose are disclosed in U.S. published patent application 2003171833a1 to jackc.crystal and James m.jensen, assigned to the assignee of the present application and incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

Fig. 4 also provides a block diagram of an embodiment of the portable monitor 32 that includes the RF receiver 114, the antenna 118, the microphone 122, the conditioning circuitry 126, the processor 130, the memory 134, the coupling device 136, and an enclosure 138 that contains all of the above components of the portable monitor 32. The enclosure is preferably small enough to allow the portable monitor 32 to be carried in or on a piece of clothing worn by the panelist, such as a belt, pocket, collar, lapel, or the like, or on the panelist's wrist or elsewhere. In some embodiments, enclosure 138 is equipped with a clip, ring, collar, strap, pin, or other device (not shown for purposes of clarity) to attach or hang monitor 32 from the piece of clothing, or the panelist's wrist, neck, or elsewhere. In certain embodiments, the envelope 138 is of a size and shape similar to a pager or cellular telephone. In certain embodiments, the envelope 138 has a size and shape similar to a credit card or smart card, such that it may be carried in a panelist's pocket or purse, or attached to a key fob. In other or related embodiments, the envelope 138 takes the form of a wristwatch, wristband, card case, key fob (key fob), change pocket, jewelry or other decorative or useful item, or is adapted to be carried on or attached to one or more of the above items.

The RF receiver 114 has an input coupled to the antenna 118 for receiving the product signal and operatively detecting data therein and providing the data to the processor 130 in a form suitable for input at an output coupled to the processor 130. Preferably, the receiver 114 is operated only periodically or from time to conserve power in the portable monitor 32. For example, in some embodiments, the receiver 144 is turned on for a 10 second period during a repeating 30 second interval.

If the transmitter 86 transmits the product signal in a different form, such as infrared or visible light, in other embodiments of the portable monitor 32, the wireless receiver 114 and antenna 118 are replaced by a suitable light detector and conditioning circuitry coupled to the light detector and operable to detect the data contained in the product signal and provide it in a suitable form to the processor 130. Conversely, if transmitter 86 transmits an acoustic product signal, in certain embodiments of portable monitor 32, microphone 122 and conditioning circuitry 126 are used to receive the product signal and provide it in a suitable form to processor 130. In some of such embodiments, the processor 130 is used to detect data contained within the product signal transmitted in the form of an acoustic signal.

The processor 130 is also operable to store the detected product data with a time stamp generated by the processor 130 or by a separate clock (not shown for purposes of simplicity and clarity). If the processor continues to detect the same product signal data, in certain embodiments, the processor generates duration data indicating a duration of time for which the same product signal data is continuously received and stores it in association with the location data and the time stamp. In certain other embodiments, the processor stores an end time stamp, rather than the duration data, that represents a point in time at which it no longer continues to receive the same product signal data. In other embodiments, the processor stores only each detection of product signal data and the corresponding time stamp associated therewith.

The embodiment of portable monitor 32 shown in fig. 4 is also used to monitor exposure of panelists to media data having acoustic portions, such as radio and television broadcasts, pre-recorded content, and streaming media. This is accomplished in some embodiments by processing sound data received by microphone 122 in processor 130. The processor 130 analyzes the sound data to detect the presence of ancillary codes therein and extracts therefrom indicia that may be used to identify or otherwise characterize the media data. Suitable analytical techniques are disclosed in published US patent application 20030005430a1, assigned to the assignee of the present invention and to Ronald s. The monitor 32 stores such data about the influence of the media data in the memory 134 together with a time stamp indicating the timing of the influence of the media data. Preferably, the time stamp is obtained from the same source as the time stamp stored with the data indicative of the detection of the product signal data, such that the time stamps are all according to the same predetermined time base.

In some embodiments, establishment signals are sent to the monitor 32 by a transmitter other than those employed in FIG. 1 to indicate a particular product within a store or other establishment. Such transmitters for transmitting commercial establishment signals containing data such as store identification data, store location data or other data representative of the commercial establishment include in some embodiments RF transmitters and in other embodiments optical signal transmitters that transmit infrared or visible light.

In other embodiments, an acoustic transmitter is used to transmit the commercial establishment signal. An embodiment of such an acoustic transmitter is shown in fig. 4 as acoustic transmitter 112. The acoustic transmitter 112 is disposed within a commercial establishment, such as the store 10, for transmitting acoustic energy, such as broadcast, streaming or reproduced audio (e.g., music), and/or public address audio (e.g., to notify shoppers). The source of such audio is represented by means 116 of the transmitter 112.

The acoustic transmitter 112 also includes an encoder 120 that receives audio from the source 116 and encodes commercial establishment data therein. The encoder 120 evaluates the ability of the received audio to mask data when encoded into audio and generates or adjusts the level, frequency, phase and/or other characteristics of the data to be encoded or already encoded such that such code is inaudible when the audio is reproduced as sound. The encoded audio is output by the encoder 120 to a speaker 124, which outputs the encoded audio as acoustic energy.

In certain embodiments, the encoder 120 comprises an encoder of the type disclosed in U.S. patent application No.10/302309 to James m.jensen and alanr.neuhauser, which is assigned to the assignee of the present application and is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety, and/or an encoder of the type disclosed in U.S. patent No.5764763 to James m.jensen et al, which is also assigned to the assignee of the present application and is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

In some embodiments, the audio supplied by source 116 is already encoded with the commercial establishment signal, for example by encoding the audio and storing it for later reproduction. In other embodiments, rather than encoding the audio signal, the acoustic transmitter samples the ambient acoustic energy to assess its ability to mask the commercial establishment signal and emits the commercial establishment signal with appropriate characteristics to ensure that the ambient acoustic energy is able to mask it. An example of such an acoustic transmitter is disclosed in US published patent application 20030171833a1 mentioned above.

In certain embodiments of the present invention that employ an acoustic transmitter to transmit product signals and/or commercial establishment signals, the personal monitor 32 employs a microphone 122 to receive such acoustic signals and detect data therein via a processor 130. In some of such embodiments, the processor 130 advantageously employs the detection technique disclosed in the above-mentioned US patent No.5764763 to detect data encoded in various acoustic signals.

In some embodiments, the acoustic transmitter is used to both emit a product signal within the establishment and to transmit an establishment signal. In such an embodiment, the use of an RF receiver in the monitor 32 may be omitted.

In certain embodiments where the product signal transmitter comprises an acoustic transmitter, the acoustic transmitter transmits an acoustic signal containing both product data and commercial establishment data to the monitor 32, and the monitor 32 detects and stores both data from the received acoustic signal. In certain advantageous embodiments, both the product data and the commercial establishment data are encoded and detected in accordance with the techniques disclosed in the aforementioned US patent application No. 10/302309.

In one such encoding technique, product data and commercial establishment data are transmitted repeatedly, but each time for a different duration. The monitor 32 employs two accumulators, one of which is a register having a length selected to accumulate product data and the other of which is a different register having a length selected to accumulate commercial establishment data. Although portions of each type of data are accumulated in two registers, a register having a length selected to accumulate the product data, for example, will exclusively accumulate portions of the product data without accumulating corresponding portions of the commercial establishment data, and thus the commercial establishment data will appear as noise in that register.

In certain embodiments, portable monitor 32 is used to monitor exposure to outdoor facility advertisements, such as highways, railways, and sidewalks, malls, subways, train stations, bus stations, airports, building porches, and the like. Fig. 5 illustrates the use of the monitor 32 for this purpose, particularly to monitor exposure of panelists carrying the portable monitor 32 to advertising on a billboard, shown in fig. 5 as an advertisement 140 for a hypothetical dog food product. In the embodiment of fig. 5, the RF transmitter 144 actuates the antenna 148 to transmit the billboard proximity signal at a power level selected to ensure that: the billboard proximity data contained in the signal is only detected by the portable monitor 32 when the portable monitor 32 is in a position where the billboard advertisement is visible by the panelist. The billboard proximity data is stored by the monitor 32 with a time stamp indicating the time affected by the billboard advertisement 140. Preferably, the time stamp is obtained from the same source as the time stamp stored with the data indicative of the detection of the product signal data, such that the time stamps are all according to the same predetermined time base.

In some embodiments, the receiver 114 of the portable monitor 32 is arranged to receive the billboard proximity signal and detect billboard proximity data therein. In other embodiments, a different wireless receiver is included in the monitor 32 for this purpose. Other embodiments of monitoring devices that are affected by media presentations that are suitable for use in the monitor 32 are disclosed in U.S. patent application No.10/329132 to jackk.zhang, Jack c.crystal, and James m.jensen, which is assigned to the assignee of the present application and is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. Other embodiments of monitoring devices affected by media presentation suitable for use in the monitor 32 are also disclosed in U.S. patent application No.10/640104 to Jack k.zhang, Jack c.crystal, james m.jensen, and Eugene l.flanagan III, which is assigned to the assignee of the present application and is hereby fully incorporated by reference.

Fig. 6 illustrates a system for passing data stored in personal monitor 32, as well as other personal monitors 32 assigned to other members of the same family in the same study as panelists, to central processor 166 for manufacturing interest reporting to store managers, publishers, manufacturers, other advertisers, media organizations, etc. In certain embodiments, each panelist in the household occasionally or periodically docks their portable monitor 32 to the respective base station 150, 154 to download the data stored in the portable monitor. The monitor 32 communicates with the base station through a coupling device 136 (see fig. 4), which in some embodiments is an opto-electric coupling. In some embodiments, the monitor communicates with the base station through an RF transceiver or other wireless transceiver (not shown for purposes of simplicity and clarity) without interfacing the monitor to the base station. Periodically, at predetermined times or from time to time, the communication is initiated by the monitor 32 or base station 150, 154. In certain other embodiments, the portable monitor 32 includes a wireless network transceiver (not shown for purposes of simplicity and clarity) to establish a wireless link 164 to the communication network 162 using WiFi or other wireless networking protocols to download data. In other embodiments, the portable monitor 32 includes a cellular telephone module (not shown for purposes of simplicity and clarity) for establishing a wireless link with a telephone network for downloading data.

Once the data has been downloaded, the memory 134 of the monitor 32 is reset to store other data. The base station may be, for example, the base station disclosed in US patent No.5483276 to Brooks et al, which is assigned to the assignee of the present invention and is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. The base stations 150, 154 communicate with a communication hub 158, also located within the home, to communicate via a network 162 to a central processor 166 remote from the home. The central processor 166 similarly receives data from the other panelists' homes to produce the above-described reports.

The central processor 166 stores the received data in one or more databases that are accessed to produce the reports. Referring now to fig. 2 and 7, a relational database for storing downloaded data collected by monitors 32 within various establishments for making reports about product impacts by those establishments will be described. Fig. 7 shows a table 170 that stores records identifying the various transmitters (e.g., transmitter 40 in fig. 1) employed in the product impact study by transmitter ID, along with the commercial establishment in which it is located (the "store" in this illustration) and the product it represents. For example, row 178 of table 170 provides an exemplary record of a transmitter ID "8723" located in an imaginary retail store "Ed Business center" in Bayville, to represent an imaginary product "Champ's Chomp dog food" offered for sale at that store, as well as the distributor or manufacturer of such product. For example, row 178 of FIG. 8 provides an exemplary record of a transmitter having an ID of "8723" installed in the hypothetical retail store described above and located at the hypothetical product "Champ's Chomp dog food" that is offered for sale within the store. The record of row 178 also identifies the manufacturer or distributor of the product, represented here as the hypothetical Business entity "Dog's Best Friend". Similarly, table 170 includes a number of other such records, each for a respective transmitter identified by its transmitter ID, and indicating the product it represents, its distributor or manufacturer, and the store that offered to sell it. It is noted that all of the customers or store owners listed in table 170, as well as the products and their corresponding manufacturers or distributors, are hypothetical and are used only to illustrate exemplary records.

In some embodiments, the table of FIG. 7 is compiled from data provided by personnel engaged in placing transmitters in different commercial establishments participating in the study. In some embodiments, data is provided in written form by such personnel to the data entry personnel who fill out the form 170 shown in FIG. 7. Preferably, the data is compiled into a table based on records transmitted from portable electronic devices owned by persons mounting the transmitters to different participating institutions. Suitable electronic devices for this purpose are disclosed in US patent application No.10/800447 to Jack k.

In some embodiments, the data used to populate the form illustrated in FIG. 7 is obtained from the product manufacturer or distributor and/or from a commercial establishment.

As described above, fig. 2 shows a table that records the detections by the monitor 32 for different transmitters, such as transmitter 40 of fig. 1, as well as the time each is recorded and the duration of the continuous detection of the same transmitter signal. The table of fig. 2 and the table of fig. 7 contain relational databases that provide the ability to map the impact of various product and promotional displays within participating commercial establishments on panelists. It is therefore possible to generate various reports useful to the managers of these commercial establishments as well as those publishers and manufacturers within the commercial establishments who offer to sell their products.

In some embodiments of such reports, the impact data of FIG. 2 and the data of FIG. 7 are processed to estimate the frequency, duration, and density of the impact of the customer on various products and promotional displays within the various participating establishments, whether time-based or otherwise.

As mentioned above, in certain embodiments of the personal monitor 32, not only is such data collected, but data indicating exposure to media data (e.g., television and radio broadcasts) and exposure to media presentations (whether outdoor or indoor) is also collected. The system and method of the present invention thus provides integrated data that can estimate not only the impact of the product on the customers, but also the impact of the media data and the advertisements delivered thereby on those customers. It is possible to assess the impact of an advertisement on predetermined individuals who may be motivated by the advertisement to provoke their interest in a particular product.

Systems and methods according to some embodiments of the present invention are now described for monitoring the impact of one or more products within a commercial establishment on a panelist. In certain embodiments, the receiver 114 of the portable monitor 32 (FIG. 4) receives one or more signals from one or more wireless transmitters within or near the commercial establishment, but not associated with a particular location within the commercial establishment, and generates location data indicative of the location of the portable monitor 32 within the commercial establishment based on the received signals. Such location data is used to assess the impact of one or more products on the panelist at or near the location represented by the location data. In a further embodiment, the monitor 32 includes a GPS receiver (not shown for purposes of simplicity and clarity) for obtaining such location data in the form of latitude and longitude. In certain advantageous embodiments, the monitor employs an assisted GPS positioning system.

In certain other embodiments, the portable monitor transmits a signal that is received by one or more receiving devices located within or near the commercial establishment in order to determine the location of the portable monitor. In further embodiments, the portable monitor includes a cellular telephone module (not shown for purposes of simplicity and clarity) that communicates with the cellular telephone system to obtain data from the cellular telephone system indicative of the location of the portable monitor 32 based on signals received from the cellular telephone module. Such location data is provided in latitude and longitude or in other available forms. In further embodiments, the portable monitor 32 employs at least one of the following techniques to generate the location data: angle of arrival (AOA) techniques, time difference of arrival (TDOA) techniques, Enhanced Signal Strength (ESS) techniques, location fingerprinting techniques, and ultra-wideband location techniques. From such location data, the effect of one or more products on the panelist at or near the location represented by the location data is inferred or evaluated. Each of these techniques will now be briefly described.

Angle of arrival (AOA) techniques determine the direction of a signal received from a Radio Frequency (RF) transmitter. This can be done by pointing the directional antenna towards the line of maximum signal strength. Alternatively, the signal direction may be determined from the time difference of arrival of the incoming signal at the different antenna elements.

Binary antennas are typically used to cover angles of ± 60 degrees. To achieve 360 degree coverage, a six-element antenna may be employed. But a single mobile directional antenna can only give the orientation, not the position, of the transmitting object.

However, by arranging the two directional antennas appropriately spaced apart, the position of the transmitting device within the plane can be calculated. In this method, also known as the angle of arrival (AOA) method, the transmitter position is determined from the known (fixed) position of the receiver antenna and the angle of arrival of the signal relative to the antenna. In certain embodiments, the portable monitor 32 includes a transmitter that allows its position to be determined according to an angle-of-arrival method.

The time difference of arrival (TDOA) technique is based on a similar concept: the difference in arrival time between signals received at antennas at different locations may be used to determine location. Given the speed of light and the known transmit and receive times, the distance between the transmitter and receiver antennas can be calculated. In some embodiments, the portable monitor 32 includes a transmitter that allows its location to be determined based on a time difference of arrival technique.

In another alternative moveout scheme, the monitor and antenna reverse roles: the antenna is a transmitter and the portable monitor 32 includes a receiver. Such a technique is known as Forward Link Trilateration (FLT). This is simpler to implement in some Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) wireless systems, where the arrival time difference can be determined from the phase difference between 0 and 1 second pseudorandom noise code sequences transmitted from the two antennas. In certain embodiments, the portable monitor 32 includes a receiver, such as a CDMA cellular telephone receiver, that allows its position to be determined according to the forward link trilateration method.

When the term "time difference of arrival technique" is employed herein, the term is meant to encompass both the traditional time difference of arrival (TDOA) method and the Forward Link Trilateration (FLT) method.

The Enhanced Signal Strength (ESS) method provides an improvement over conventional signal strength methods by overcoming obstacles such as multipath effects, fading, and antenna orientation. The method includes receiving three-dimensional information of objects, walls and other features and obstructions within the establishment and taking such information to simulate the RF signal propagation characteristics of the wireless transmitting antenna within the area. The location system center stores the results in an RF database. The location of the portable monitor is determined by having the monitor measure the signal strength of preferably 3-5 base station transmitters. Based on this input plus the information from the database, the system can calculate the location of the portable monitor. In large commercial establishments, such as commercial centers and department stores with appropriate base transmitters built in, the location of the portable monitor can be determined using the ESS method. In certain embodiments, the portable monitor 32 includes a receiver that allows its location to be determined in accordance with the ESS method.

Positioning fingerprinting techniques do not use signal timing or signal strength, but rely on signal structure characteristics. This technique allows multipath phenomena to be well exploited by combining multipath patterns with other signal characteristics in order to produce a signature that is unique to a given location. The location fingerprinting system includes a database of signal indicia for location grids for a particular area. To generate the database, the device is moved through an area that transmits or receives signals to or from the monitored location. The system analyzes the signal achieved, compiles a unique signature for each square within the location grid, and stores it in a database.

To determine the location of a mobile transmitter or receiver, the system matches the signal signature of the transmitter or receiver with entries in a database. Multipoint signal reception is not necessary, although it is preferred. The system may use data from only a single point to determine location. In certain embodiments, the portable monitor 32 includes a transmitter or receiver that allows its location to be determined in accordance with location fingerprinting techniques.

In some ultra-wideband positioning techniques, a network of positioners determines relative positions in three-dimensional space by measuring the propagation time of a pseudo-random sequence of electromagnetic pulses. The propagation time is determined from a correlator that provides an analog pseudo-autocorrelation function sampled at discrete time bins (time bins). The correlator has a number of integrators each providing a signal proportional to the time integral of the product of the desired pulse sequence delayed by one discrete time bin and the received antenna signal that is not delayed. With pattern recognition, the arrival time of the received signal can be determined in a shorter time than the interval between bins.

In some ultra-wideband technologies, wireless ultra-wideband transceivers are disposed at known, fixed locations within the area to be monitored, and the portable monitor 32 includes a wireless ultra-wideband receiver/processor that receives one or more timed pulses from different transceivers and resolves the position of the portable monitor within the monitored area based on the position of the ultra-wideband transceiver and time-of-flight measurements of the one or more pulses. In certain embodiments, the portable monitor 32 comprises an ultra-wideband transmitter, and a plurality of interactive receivers at fixed locations receive pulses from the receiver of the portable monitor 32 to determine its location. In some such embodiments, the stationary transceivers or receivers are coupled by cables, while in other embodiments they are cordless.

Referring now to FIG. 8, a system for measuring the impact of media data and media presentations on panelists, and for monitoring the impact of one or more products within a commercial establishment on panelists, in accordance with some embodiments of the present invention, is shown in block diagram form. In fig. 8, elements corresponding to those of fig. 4 have the same reference numerals. Similar to the system shown in fig. 4, the system of fig. 8 includes a portable monitor 204 carried on the person of the panelist. The portable monitor 204 receives one or more signals from one or more terrestrial sources and/or satellite sources and generates data indicative of the location of the portable monitor 204. In some embodiments, the signal used for this purpose is obtained from a cellular telephone system or from a GPS or assisted GPS receiver, as described above. In the system of fig. 8, however, the position data is provided by an inertial monitoring device 200, which forms part of a portable monitor 204, and the received signals are used to provide position calibration data to the inertial monitoring device. This calibration, which will be described in more detail below, may be performed periodically or from time to time, or upon receipt of signals from terrestrial and/or satellite sources.

In the embodiment of fig. 8, the inertial monitoring device 200 of the portable monitor 204 is calibrated by signals transmitted by one or more calibration transmitters 86 located within or near the commercial establishment in which the movement of the panelist carrying the monitor is to be tracked. Advantageously, in certain embodiments, the one or more calibration transmitters are located near an entrance or exit of an establishment through which the panelist must travel when entering or leaving the commercial establishment. The calibration signal is transmitted at a sufficiently low power to ensure that it can only be received when the portable monitor is in proximity.

The inertial monitoring device is preferably small in size and light in weight. An advantageous embodiment of such an inertial monitoring device employs micro-electromechanical sensors (MEMS) in the form of gyroscopic sensors and/or accelerometers to provide data that is used to determine the position of the monitor.

In certain embodiments, to calibrate the inertial monitoring device 200, the portable monitor 204 employs satellite-based techniques, such as Global Positioning System (GPS) and/or server assisted GPS techniques, and/or terrestrial techniques, such as angle of arrival (AOA) techniques, time difference of arrival (TDOA) techniques, Enhanced Signal Strength (ESS) techniques, location fingerprinting techniques, and/or ultra-wideband location techniques.

For some embodiments where location data is collected by a portable monitor, a database similar to that of FIG. 7 is built, but it also stores data indicating the locations of products participating in market research. The central processor 166 of fig. 6 accesses the product location data of the database and panelist location data obtained from each portable monitor and processes the data to generate product proximity data indicative of the impact of the predetermined product on the panelist. In certain embodiments, the processor 166 processes the data to generate product impact data based on a comparison of the panelist location data and the product location data. In certain embodiments, the processor 166 generates product proximity data to represent the presence of one or more panelists within a predetermined area of influence within which they are able to perceive a predetermined product.

Although embodiments of the invention have been described with reference to a particular arrangement of parts, features and the like, these are not intended to exhaust all possible arrangements or features, and many other embodiments, modifications and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

Claims (67)

1. A method for monitoring the impact of a product on participants of a market survey, comprising:

providing a portable monitor containing a wireless receiver to a respective participant selected from a plurality of participants in a market research study, the portable monitor adapted to be carried on a person of the participant;

detecting product data within the portable monitor, the product data being contained in a product signal received by the wireless monitor from a predetermined signal transmitter proximate to a respective product, the product data being representative of the respective product, the product signal having a signal strength selected such that the product data is detectable by the portable monitor only when the portable monitor is at a predetermined proximity distance from the predetermined signal transmitter; and

storing the product data in the portable monitor.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising detecting commercial establishment data within a commercial establishment signal, the commercial establishment signal being wirelessly transmitted within a commercial establishment in which the product is located, the commercial establishment data representing the commercial establishment.

3. The method of claim 2, comprising receiving the commercial establishment signal wirelessly.

4. The method of claim 3, comprising receiving the commercial establishment signal in the form of an acoustic signal.

5. The method of claim 4 including detecting data within the received commercial establishment signal in the form of an ancillary code that is inaudibly encoded in the audio signal.

6. The method of claim 4, comprising receiving the product signal in the form of an acoustic signal.

7. The method of claim 6 including detecting data within both the product signal and the commercial establishment signal within the portable monitor in the form of an ancillary code that is inaudibly encoded in the corresponding audio signal.

8. The method of claim 3, comprising receiving the commercial establishment signal as an RF signal.

9. The method of claim 8, including receiving the product signal in the form of an RF signal.

10. The method of claim 9, comprising receiving both the product signal and the commercial establishment signal within a wireless receiver.

11. The method of claim 3, comprising receiving the commercial establishment signal as an optical signal.

12. The method of claim 11, comprising receiving the commercial establishment signal as an infrared signal.

13. The method of claim 11, comprising receiving the commercial establishment signal as a visible light signal.

14. The method of claim 11, including receiving the product signal as an optical signal.

15. The method of claim 1, comprising receiving the product signal in the form of an acoustic signal.

16. The method of claim 15, comprising detecting product data within the received product signal in the form of an ancillary code that is inaudibly encoded in the audio signal.

17. The method of claim 1, including receiving the product signal in the form of an RF signal.

18. The method of claim 1, comprising receiving the product signal in the form of an optical signal.

19. The method of claim 18, comprising receiving the product signal in the form of an infrared signal.

20. The method of claim 18, comprising receiving the product signal in the form of visible light.

21. The method of claim 1, comprising storing the first time data according to a predetermined time base in association with the product data representing the timing of approaching products.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the time data represents a duration of approach to the product.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein the time data represents a time proximate to the product.

24. The method of claim 21, including collecting impact data for the media data within the portable monitor to represent an impact of the media data on the respective participant, and associating the impact data for the media data with a timing at which the impact data for the media data is stored according to the second time data at the predetermined time base to represent the impact of the media data.

25. The method of claim 21 including collecting in said portable monitor outdoor advertising data to indicate the effect of the outdoor advertisement on the respective participants and associating the timing of storing the outdoor advertising data in accordance with the second time data of the predetermined time base to indicate the effect of the outdoor advertisement.

26. The method of claim 1, including collecting, within the portable monitor, data representative of the impact of the media data on the respective participant.

27. The method of claim 1, including collecting, within the portable monitor, data representative of the impact of outdoor advertising on respective participants.

28. The method of claim 1, wherein the signal strength of the product signal is selected such that the product data is detectable by the portable monitor only when the wireless receiver is within a predetermined area of influence in which the corresponding participant is able to perceive the product.

29. The method of claim 1, wherein the sensitivity of the wireless receiver is selected such that the portable monitor can detect the product data in the product signal only when the wireless receiver is located within a predetermined proximity of a predetermined signal transmitter.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the sensitivity of the wireless receiver is selected such that the portable monitor can detect product data in the product signal only if the wireless receiver is within a predetermined area of influence in which the corresponding participant can perceive the product.

31. Apparatus for monitoring the impact of a product by a participant in a market survey, comprising:

a portable monitor adapted to be carried on a person of a participant in a market research study, the portable monitor including a wireless receiver operable to receive a product signal from a predetermined signal transmitter proximate a respective product, the product signal including product data representative of the respective product, the wireless receiver having a sensitivity selected such that the portable monitor can detect the product data within the product signal only when the portable monitor is at a predetermined proximity distance from the predetermined signal transmitter; and

a data storage coupled to the wireless receiver for receiving and storing the product data.

32. The apparatus of claim 31, further comprising another wireless receiver operable to detect commercial establishment data within a commercial establishment signal, the commercial establishment signal being wirelessly transmitted within a commercial establishment in which the product is located, the commercial establishment data being representative of the commercial establishment.

33. The apparatus of claim 32, wherein said data storage is coupled to said another wireless receiver for receiving and storing said commercial establishment data.

34. The apparatus of claim 31, wherein the wireless receiver is operable to detect commercial establishment data within a commercial establishment signal, the commercial establishment signal being wirelessly transmitted within a commercial establishment in which the product is located, the commercial establishment data representing the commercial establishment.

35. The apparatus of claim 34, wherein said data store is operable to receive and store said commercial establishment data.

36. The apparatus of claim 31, wherein the wireless receiver comprises an RF receiver.

37. The apparatus of claim 36, comprising a processor coupled with the RF receiver to receive the product data therefrom and operable to store the product data in the data storage.

38. The apparatus of claim 31, wherein the wireless receiver comprises an acoustic transducer operable to produce a transduced product signal from an acoustic product signal.

39. The apparatus of claim 38, comprising a processor coupled to the acoustic transducer to receive the transduced product signal therefrom and operable to detect product data in the product signal.

40. The apparatus of claim 31, wherein the wireless receiver comprises a photodetector operable to generate a transduced product signal from a product signal in the form of optical energy.

41. The apparatus of claim 40, comprising a processor coupled to the light sensor to receive the transduced product signal and operable to detect product data in the product signal.

42. The apparatus of claim 31 including means for monitoring the effect of the media data operable to collect effect data of the media data within the portable monitor to represent the effect of the media data on the respective participant, the means for monitoring the effect of the media data being coupled to a data store for providing the effect data of the media data thereto, the data store being operable to store the effect data of the media data.

43. The apparatus of claim 31 including means for monitoring outdoor advertising exposure operable to collect outdoor advertising data within said portable monitor to represent exposure of outdoor advertising to a respective participant, said means for monitoring outdoor advertising exposure being coupled to a data store for providing said outdoor advertising data thereto, said data store being operable to store said outdoor advertising data.

44. The apparatus of claim 31 including a clock operable to generate first time data according to a predetermined time base and coupled to the data store to provide time data thereto, the data store being operable to store the first time data in relation to the product data to represent the timing of approaching the respective product.

45. The apparatus of claim 44 including means for monitoring the effect of the media data operable to collect effect data of the media data within the portable monitor to represent the effect of the media data on the respective participant, the means for monitoring the effect of the media data being coupled to a data store for providing the effect data of the media data thereto, the data store being operable to store the effect data of the media data in association with second time data according to the predetermined time base received from the clock and to represent the timing of the effect of the media data.

46. The apparatus of claim 44 including means for monitoring outdoor advertising exposure operative to collect outdoor advertising data within said portable monitor to represent exposure of outdoor advertising to the respective participants, said means for monitoring outdoor advertising exposure being coupled to a data store for providing said outdoor advertising data thereto, said data store being operative in relation to second time data received from said clock at a predetermined time base to store the outdoor advertising data and to represent timing of exposure of outdoor advertising.

47. The apparatus of claim 31, wherein the sensitivity of the wireless receiver is selected such that the portable monitor can detect product data in the product signal only if the wireless receiver is within a predetermined area of influence in which the corresponding participant can perceive the product.

48. A method for monitoring the impact of a predetermined product on participants of a market survey, comprising:

storing product location data representing a predetermined product location;

monitoring the location of the market research participant with a portable monitor carried on the participant's person;

storing participant location data representing a plurality of locations of the participant monitored using the portable monitor; and

the participant location data and the product location data are processed to generate product proximity data to indicate the impact of a predetermined product on the participant.

49. The method of claim 48 including storing the first time data in accordance with a predetermined time base in relation to the participant location data to indicate the timing of the participant's presence at the plurality of locations.

50. The method of claim 49, wherein said time data indicates a duration of time occurring at said plurality of locations.

51. The method of claim 49, wherein said first time data represents times of occurrence at said plurality of locations.

52. The method of claim 49 including collecting impact data of the media data in said portable monitor to indicate an impact of the media data on the participant, associating second time data according to a predetermined time base indicating a timing of the impact of the media data.

53. The method of claim 49 including collecting in said portable monitor outdoor advertising data to indicate the effect of the outdoor advertising on the participants and storing the outdoor advertising data in association with the second time data at a predetermined time base to indicate the timing of the effect of the outdoor advertising data.

54. The method of claim 48 including collecting data within the portable monitor to represent the effect of the media data on the participant.

55. The method of claim 48, comprising collecting data within the portable monitor to indicate an impact of the out-of-home advertisement on the participant.

56. The method of claim 48, wherein processing the participant location data and the product location data comprises: the participant location data and the product location data are compared to generate product proximity data.

57. The method of claim 48, wherein processing the participant location data and the product location data comprises: product proximity data is generated to indicate that the participant is present within a predetermined area of influence where the participant is aware of the product.

58. The method of claim 48, comprising determining that the participant is present within a commercial establishment for which the predetermined product is offered for sale.

59. A system for monitoring the impact of a predetermined product on participants of a market survey, comprising:

a database storing product location data representing predetermined product locations;

a portable monitor adapted to be carried on a person of a participant in a market research and comprising a location monitor operable to generate participant location data indicative of a participant's location and a data store coupled to the location monitor to receive the participant location data and operable to store the participant location data; and

a processor coupled with said portable monitor to receive participant location data therefrom and operable to access product location data from the database;

the processor for processing the participant location data and the product location data generates product proximity data indicative of the impact of a predetermined product on the participant.

60. The system of claim 59 wherein the processor is operable to compare the participant location data and the product location data to generate the product proximity data.

61. The system of claim 59, wherein the processor is operable to generate the product proximity data to indicate the presence of the participant within a predetermined area of influence where the participant is aware of the product.

62. The system of claim 59, wherein the processor is coupled to the portable monitor via a communications network.

63. The system of claim 59 wherein the portable monitor includes a clock operable to generate first time data according to a predetermined time base and coupled to the data store to provide the first time data thereto, the data store operable to store the first time data in relation to the participant position data to represent the timing of the participant's presence at the plurality of positions.

64. The system of claim 59 wherein the portable monitor further comprises a media data monitor operable to collect impact data of the media data to represent an impact of the media data on the participant.

65. The system of claim 64, wherein the data store is coupled to the media data monitor to receive the impact data of the media data, and the data store stores the impact data of the media data in association with the second time data according to the predetermined time base to indicate a time of the impact of the media data.

66. The system of claim 59 wherein the portable monitor comprises an outdoor advertising impact monitor operable to collect outdoor advertising data indicative of the impact of outdoor advertising on participants.

67. The system of claim 66 wherein the data store is coupled to the out-of-home advertisement impact monitor to receive out-of-home advertisement data and the data store stores the out-of-home advertisement data in association with second time data according to a predetermined time base to indicate the timing of the impact of the out-of-home advertisement.