US2368761A - Means for registering radio listening habits - Google Patents

Description

Feb. 6, 1945. J. v. HOGAN MEANS FOR REGISTERING RADIO LISTENING HABITS Filed July so, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR (Jo/1w ML. Hoqmv.

BY v

ATTORNEY 6, 1945. J. v. L. HOGAN 6 MEANS FOR REGISTERING RADIO LISTENING HABITS I Filed July 50, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 .UZA;

00000000000 15 7/9 22: :2 I g 17 |0 2% DUDE '1 5: 7c M 1 a 4% CLOCK Q '3 S 7 6 DI- M EAL 1' 2 5 a ?aiented Feba 6, i945 TATE MEANS FOR IEEGISTERYNG 353E 87 EIS'EENING HABITS Echo V, )L. Hogan, Forest Hills l it, ossig'ooit to litaelio (Uotcoi'ation of Amfifiltiit, a commotion of Dela-mace A aiplicatioxi July Ell, 1942,

c Claims.

The invention relates to simple automatic means for'reglstering and evaluating the listenillg habits of users of broadcast receivers.

One of the principal objects of the invention is to provide simple means whereby it becomes possible to obtain, on a practical and economical basis, information as to the listening habits of radio users that cannot now be obtained except at great inconvenience one expense.

The modem system of radio broadcasting depends fundamentally upon technical research, which demonstrates the coverage and potential audience oi individual broadcasting stations, anti listener research, which determines station and peogram popularity. Several organizations have developed methods oi surveying tactic listenin habits by telephone amt oei'sozeal interviews, the results of sizes is 'iews are largely used in the pitoduction soot mg of radio programs. All of survey methods in use, however, have specific and well recognises, limitations. For example, the coincidental. telephone survey is pros ably the most accurate but gives information as to what each listener is doing for only a briet time. The telephone recall method attempts to obtain infcimation e to the program and sta tiori. preferences of ca listener interviewed over a period of severest owe, but depends for its accuracy moon oi the listener. 'ljhe gs-i'obably is somewhat costly,

overcome the ShOi"'-'- evei'al methods by the use of ""lgs of these tyoicol recording" machine so for considered, ccmesises clock-driven taee which is merited by olevs hours along its length. This tame uoosly passed under a recoz'ding styles which connected to the tuning cooclemer of the rac'lio so that the stylus poiiit occupy 'ot position, across the width of the recom: 5 see, for each tuning point on tlie tiiol, Time the position of the marked line on the oases tape, or the trace produced by the stylus, shows what station was tuned in at particular time indicated by the markings along the margin of the tape, The re- COl'dBl' also shows whether the radio set was turned on at any pai'tlcular time. From the analysis of such a tape it is possible to determlneexactly whet stations were tuned in on a particular radio'recelver. and'when and for how long each station was tuned in. Such a machine apparently provides theldeal basis for listening habit study, but although it has been available semi its stasis (Cl, lol y- 153 for some years it has never come into substantial use, for the reasons that the most importtant information required can be obtained more cheaply by interview surveysgjthe cost of the machines and of their installation and servicing is too great; and. the cost of analyzing the records produced by the machine is too great.

The present invention is directed toward providing means for obtain ng information as to listening habits which camiot be obtained ac= oiu'ately by the interview method, and. is based upon the use of a machine which is low in cost and so simgile in design operation as to inc recorders to foe attached to individual engage or disc minimize the expense of installation and servic== ing.- Moreover, the new :mscmiie automatically presents its information .o immediately usable form; so that no analysis oi s record is necessary By using the tuning push-buttons oi a radio set it becomes unnecesse to pifovide mechoizi cal or electrical connection between the timing condenser of the radio receiver and the survey machine. By the use of simple mechanical eev oiution counters, the required information as to each station to which s. push-button is assigned,

is obtained qzlirectlg, and; the no for e moving record tape amt a movable working stylus is obviateci.

The new machine fundamentally comprises a synchronous motor or clocit mechanism, prefer= ably eleoteicaliy cli'i which may operate com. o intermittently, a se ies of revels,== tiozi o amiss-1o inciivleiu electrical or mocha, iical connection from each. pushmlittonoii radio receiver, which connection is arranged usage a coupling between the clock-driven sheet and the revolution coaster associated with each ousebuttoo. The motor or cioclocliiveiishaft may :rctate once per minute, as does the second hood of o clock, so that if for example the push, button tuning to WEAF is depressed, the revolution co mter assigneoi to WEAF will at once commence counting the re olutions oi the filflflk dlivell shaft and thus show X etc, An additional counter is preferably assigned I to the dial push-button, and will record the numberof minutes that the set is tuned to stations other than'those to which push-buttons are assigned.

An interlock between the "on-off" switch of the set and all of the revolutlonv counters is. provided, so that even though the clock shaft continues in rotation and the receiver is left tuned to the station last listened to, the minute counting operation will automatically stop when the set is turned off. Thus the sum of the dial readings at the several revolution counters will indicate correctly the total time that the set has been in use, and the individual counter dials will register the total number of minutes during that time that it has been tuned to each of the several stations. By directly reading the revolution counter dials, and knowing when they were last previously read, it becomes possible in a simple manner to compute the percentage of total listening time and the distribution of that time over the various stations.

As so far described, the registering mechanism would be in operation twenty-four hours a day and consequently would give an overall picture of the listeners radio habits.

It is frequently desired to study the popularity of stations or of programs during limited periods of time. To supply this information an automatic timer may be employed or the clock mechanism may be provided with an adjustable onand-off coupling to the driven shaft whose revolutions are counted, so that the device may be set up to count only during morning hours, afternoon hours, evening hours, etc., or may in fact be limited to operation during a single hour or program period of the day. Where it is desired to limit registering to specific days of the week, a similar disconnecting mechanism may be provided by the use of a one-to-seven reduction gear from the hour hand of a twenty-fourhour driving clock or a one-to-fourteen reduction if a twelve hour clock is used.

Where desired, additional information as to the number of times the set is tuned to a given station can be had by providing a second counter which is operated directly by the push button. This counter will simply add up the number of times its particular push button is depressed. So equipped, the machine will give directly not only the number of minutes spent in listening to a given station, but also the number of times that station was tuned in during the period since the last reading was taken. Thus, if the machines are read monthly, it might be found that one listener had tuned thirty-one times to WEAF and had listened for a total of sixty-two hours, or an average of two hours for WEAF each time it was tuned in. The same listener might be found to have tuned to WJZ sixty times during the month but to have listened for only a total of two hours in the entire month, which would indicate that he had habitually listened to that station for some particular short program item and would show that he had not listened continuously to it for the two hours on any one day, etc.

The machine can give still afurther item of information by the addition of a counter associated with the on-ofl switch of the set, which counter would go into operation when the receiver was turned off and would be automatically set to zero whenever the radio receiver was turned on. This counter would measure the length of time that the set had been out of use.

In the accompanying drawings I have shown certain preferred embodiments of the invention, wherein Figs. 1, 2 and 3 illustrate diagrammatically a mechanical form of survey mechanism,

Fig. 2 being a view in side elevation taken along the line 2-2 in Fig. 1 and Fig. 3 being a simi lar view when the push-button is in depressed or operated position; Figs. 4 and 5 are modifications of certain portions of the apparatus shown in Fig. 1; and Fig. 6 illustrates diagrammatically an electrical form of survey mechanism.

Referring first to Fig. 1 of the drawings, I, 2, 3 and 4 are the station push-buttons of a radio receiver shown by the block R. The receiver to be employed may be of any conventional type, superheterodyne or tuned radio frequency, and for simplicity the receiver is shown to be provided with only four station push-buttons, al though it will be understood that any desired number may be used. The push-buttons are of usual construction, each being adapted by spring means (not shown) to assume an inoperative position as shown by the buttons I, 2 and 4. Each push-button carries a cam 5 which cooperates with a locking bar 6 in a well-known manner, when a selected push-button is depressed to first move the bar to the left, as shown in the figure, against the action of the spring 1 to release another button which may have been previously operated to a depressed position, and then to cause the last selected button to be locked in position as shown for the button 3.

A dial push-button 8 similar in construction to the station push-buttons is provided to accomplish "dial tuning and to make ineffective tuning of the receiver by means of the pushbuttons. An on-off pushbutton 9 is provided with switch contacts ID for turning the receiver R on and oil and also for energizing the driving motor M. This button however is not springpressed, it being necessary in order to turn the receiver off to cause said button to be pulled out. The on-off button 9 is provided with a projection II which cooperates with the locking bar in such manner that in either direction of operaiton, for turning the receiver on or for turning it off, any station-button or the dialbutton that may have previously been operated will-be spring-operated to its inoperative position.

,The ends opposite to the finger pieces of the several pushbuttons I to 4, 8 and 9 are each provided with a friction wheel or gear I2 which is retained in a suitable bracket I3. A master timing shaft I4 which makes one revolution per minute is supported in end brackets I 5, I5 and a center bracket I5 and carries in spaced relation the several friction wheels or gears I6. Disposed in alignment with the end friction wheel I 5 on the master shaft I4 and the friction wheel I2 carried by the "on-off button is the master drive wheel IT which may be driven by a synchronous or Telechron timing motor M, or by electrically-operated time clocks as in Figs. 4 and 5. Disposed in alignment with each of the other friction wheels I6 on the shaft I4 and the friction wheels I2 are the friction wheels I8 which operate the respective revolution counters I9. For simplicity of illustration the gears or friction wheels I2, I6 and I1 and each set of gears or friction wheels I2, I6 and I8 are shown one above theother, but actually they are arranged in the manner shown in Figs. 2 and 3.

The revolution counters are of the. mechanical type being graduated to indicate either hours and minutes or minutes only. The wheel I5 and I8 have a 1 to 1 gear ratio so that for each revolution of wheel I8, the counter will register one minute. Normally, in the inoperative position of a push-button, the friction wheel I2 carried by the push-button will be in spaced relation to turn the receiver on and simultaneously toenergize the motor Concurrently therewith the wheel I2 engages the wheels i6 and I! so that the master shaft 14 and the several driving wheels 16 carried thereby are rotated at the rate of 1 R. P. M., Next, one of the station push-buttons is selectively operated according to the desire of the listener, and as a result the wheel l2 associated with the depressed station-button will cooperate with the wheels ii and I8, the latter actuating the mechanical. revolution counter which will indicate or register the length of time the listener has been tuned to the desired station. At the end of the program, should it be desired to turn off the receiver, the button 8 is pulled out whereupon the switch contacts II are broken to de-energize both the receiver and the driving motor. As the on-oi! button is being pulled out its projection or cam member ll urges the locking bar Ii to-move to the left against the action of the spring I to permit the previously operated station button to assume its inoperative position. In this way, by having all the station buttons, including the dial'button, in their normal inoperative positions prior to a reception period, it is possible to obtain, by the means hereinafter tobe described, the exact number of times each predetermined station has been tuned in, as well as the number of times dial tuning has been resorted to. Otherwise, with a previously operated button still .in the depressed position at the beginning of the reception period, the

number of times" counters 20 would not register the initial program.

Instead of operating the station buttons the dial button 8 may be operated in which case the revolution counter I! associated therewith will commence to register the time in minutes or hours and minutes during which stations other than the preselected stations assigned to the several push-buttons are being tuned in. V

In order to obtain an indication of the number of times a particuiarstation is tuned in between meter readings, a plurality of counters 2. are provided, one associated with each of the station buttons. These counters are actuated by means of projecting lugs 2! or other suitable means aflixed to the several push-buttons when the latter are actuated to depressed position. A similar counter 2| may be operated by the dial button in order to give an indication of the number of times the receiver has been employed to obtain reception by means of the usual dial tuning member. The dial reading at each such counter 20 will advance by one unit each time the button with which it is associated has been depressed.

While the above described embodiment o! the survey mechanism has been shown to include both "minute" counters II and "nuinber of times" counters 20, it will be understood of course that in some instances it may be desirable to utilize only one type of counter to the excluduring which the button 9 is in the "oil" position, but when the button is actuated to its "on position, the counter is returned to its zero reading.

Instead of providing a synchronous or Telechron" motor for driving the master drive shaft II as in Fig. 1, an electric time clock TC may be employed. Two such modifications are disclosed in Figs, 4 and 5. In Fig. 4 the time clock is permanently connected to the power supply so that it is continuously energized therefrom, the onoif" button 9' serving only to turn the receiver "on" and on. By having the master drive wheel i'I associated with the time clock TC in meshed relation with the driven wheel I, the shaft ll will also be driven continuously so that the coupling wheel l2 associated with the on-oii button, as in Fig. 1, may be dispensed with. If desired, however, the coupling wheel l2 may be supplied also in this modification, in which case the wheels 18 and II will not be in meshed relation but arranged as in Fig. 1.

In Fig. 5 a time clock T'C' of the type known as an interval timer" is employed. This timer is provided with a plurality of manually set members 22, there being one such member for each 15 minute interval. The timer is so connected with the power'supply and a motor M which may be separate from or form an integral part of the timer TC' that in the absence of any member 22 being set to an operating position, the motor M will be inoperative. However, with the setting of one ormore members 22 to their operating positions, the motor will be energized to drive the master drive wheel il during the one or more 15 minute intervals corresponding to the one or more set members, the motor M being deenergiud at the end of suchintervsl if only one member 22 had been set, or at the end of the lost 15 minute interval if a number of consecutive members 22 had been set. Should it be desired to register the stations to be tuned to by the operator of the receiver during a selected period of the day, soy between 2 and 8 p. m., for any number of days, or weeks, etc.. the one making the survey would set to operative position the members 22 corresponding to 2, 2:15, 2:30 and 2:45 p. m. Then each day at 2 p. m. the motor and master drive wheel will begin to operate and will continue to operate until 8 p. m. During this interval actuation of any of the station push-buttons will be registered in the some manner as previously described in connection with Fig. .1. for example. Thus the user cmildlistentoonystationhechooeatonyhom 'oftheday,buthishabibwouldonlyberegission 0! the other type. In other words, if it is sought to determine only the numbers of times certain predetermined stations have been tuned inbythelis'tenerduringogivenpermonlytho teredwitbthopre-oetperiodwhentheregiu tering mechanism would be renderedoperative bytheintervaltimen- InFigJthei-eisdioclooodanelectricellyweroted survey Ibo several station push-buttons are indicated at I, 2', I and 4' andthediaibuttonotl'. 'Iborevoiutioneountersllueofsimiioruthoocshown in Fig. 1 except that plungers l8 serve to actuate the counters instead of the wheels II. Each revolution counter has associated with the operating plunger thereof a pivoted armature 24 which is adapted to be actuated by an electromagnetic relay 25. The several relays are included in as many circuits which are connected in parallel between the Junction 26 and ground 21. A brush contact 28 is connected to the junction point and is adapted to contact; the periphery of a commutator 29 which is adapted to rotate at the rate or one revolution per minute. The commutator may take the form of a conducting disc, the greater portion 30 of which is provided with an insulating rim. The commutator is driven from the motor 3| by means of a conducting shaft 3: which is grounded. The motor is energized from a suitable source of potential, the motor circuit closing switch 33 being ganged with the receiver on-ofi switch, so that upon actuation of the receiver switch to on," the motor circuit will be closed, and vice versa.

In operation, turning on the receiver will close switch 33 to energize the motor which will cause the rotation of the commutator 25. Once durlng each revolution 0! said commutator a circult will be closed which can be traced from ground 21, commutator shaft 32, the conducting portion of the commutator 28, brush contact 28, the relay associated with the station or dial push-button which happens to have been de ptessed by the listener, the switch contacts 3! which have been closed by the operated pushbutton, bus line 35, a suitable power source, and back to ground 21. Each time an electromagnetic relay i energized, the armature associated therewith will be actuated to operate the plunger I! of the revolution counter, each such operation indicating the lapse or one minute during which reception or a selected station has been in progress.

It will be understood 0! course that the pushbuttons of this modification may be similarto those employed in the systan of Fig. 1 in theresheets that they have therewith the locking bar "numba' 01' times" counters II, and a. lash-button equivalent to the onoi! button I, as well as a period-control clock or timerwhichmaybesettomakethecounters operable only during certain time periods.

'Ihe survey mechanisms above described may bemade eitherasacmoriestobebulltintoalready existing radio sets, or they may be built into new push-button sets as initial equipment.

The arrangements of coils and condensers whereby the various push-buttons tune the radio receiver to difierent carrier frequencies have not been shown, since my invention may be used with any types of push-button tuning that are wellknown in the art.

While I have shown and described certain preferred embodiments of the invention, it will be understood that modifications and changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, as will be understood by those skilled i the art.

What I claim is:

1. A system for determining the listening habits of a broadcast receiver operator over a period of time, comprising a. receiver equipped with a plurality of push buttons which are adapted each to tune the receiver to a predetermined station and with a tuning dial push button, a. tim ing device cooperatively related with each station push button and operated upon actuation thereof to register the time interval during which said receiver is tuned to said predetermined station, and a timing device also cooperatively related with the tuning dial button for register ing the total time during which dial tuning has been employed.

2. A system in accordance with claim 1 wherein the receiver is provided with a switch member for turning the receiver on and off, and means cooperatively related with said switch member for registering each period during which the receiver is inactive.

3. A system as defined in claim 1, having clockcontrolled means whereby the timing devices may be rendered inoperative for predetermined intervals of time.

4. A system for registering the response of a broadcast receiver listener, comprising -a receiver having push-button means for instantaneously tuning the receiver to a selected one of a number of preset channels, additional means operable to eflect reception of other desired channels as well as the preset channels, means operable in response to actuation of said push-button means for registering the total time during which each of the preset channels was received, and means operable in response to actuation of said additional means for registering the total time that the receiver was in operation due to said additional means.

JOHN V. L. HOGAN.

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