AU593808B2 - Rapid market survey collection and dissemination method - Google Patents

Description

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Form COMPLETE SPECIFICATION

(ORIGINAL)

FOR OFFICE USE Short Title: Int. Cl:

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Application Number: 5 413 Lodged: ac~mplete Specification-Lodged: t IAccepted: Lapsed: Published:

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che~ated PATENT SUB OFFCE Name of Aiplicant: Accress of Applicant: NPD RESEARCH, INC.

Actual Inventor', U. S.A.

LAWRENCE G. KUJRAND and GEORGE SHABABB BARKER, BLENKINSIEP ASSOCIATES, P.O.

N.S.W. 2067 NEW YORK, 11050, Box 34, Chatswood, Address for Service; Complete Specification for the invention 6,titled: RAAPID MARKET1 SURVEY COLLECTION AND DISSEMINATION

METIHOD

The following statement Is a full description of this Invention, Including the best method of performing it known to me:-* Note,- The doscription Is to betyped In double spacing, pica type face, In on area not exceeding 250 mm In depth and 160 mm In width, on tough white paper of good quality and It Is to be ins( rted Inside this form.

141 68/77-L Prlnted by .TIIompsoN, Actfl n Commonwealth 45overnmcnt Printer, Canberra

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-lA. RAPID MARKET SURVEY COLLECTION AND DISSEMINATION METHOD TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a method for independently centrally electronically accumulating market survey data from different content rapidly disseminated market surveys from a plurality of panelist stations located at diverse locations.

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0* C* 0* 0 0 *00 0 0 *r 0 g. tt t >11 1 -2- BACKGROUND OF THE ART Market survey data collection systems are well known in the art. One of the more common prior art systems for collecting such data involves the use of survey booklets or questionnaires which are disseminated by mail to a diverse group of panelists, individually hand written into by the panelists to record the survey data relating to their particular shopping habits for various identified products, mailed back to the survey company by the panelist where the data is then key punched and ulti- 10 mately read into a data processor or computer for accumulative processing of all of this data. This procedure, Salthough satisfactory under most circumstances, is time 0 consuming, costly and provides many opportunities for S erroneous data entry due to carelessness either by the 15 panelist who is writing in the data by hand or by the keypunch operator who is subsequently encoding the handwritten data. Moreover, there are limitations in this technique which inhibit the ability of the survey organit zation to at any time rapidly change the survey or rapidly conduct follow-up or modified surveys based on the results of a prior survey, as well as to rapidly collect and analyze the survey data. With the advent of electronic inventory control and supermarket scanners there has been considerable interest in bringing market data collection into the electronic age. An example of such a market survey data collection method is disclosed in commonly owned U.S. Patent No. 4,355,372 which discloses an elec- Stronic market survey data collection method for independently electronically collecting related market survey S 30 data from a plurality of diverse locations which overcomes many of the disadvantages of the prior art. In the disclosed method, the collected survey data is temporarily stored at each of the independent diverse locations for subsequent transmission thereof over a telephone type link

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i -3for accumulative processing thereof at a remote central electronic data processor. At each of the independent data collection locations, an interactive changeable prompt message display is provided on an alphanumeric visual display device in a portable hand held terminal, indicating a particular one of a plurality of market survey information categories in a predef~ned sequence of these categories. A market survey data input signal corresponding to the particular displayed category is then provided to a buffer storage in response to the inter- 09i 0 Sactive prompt message display. The actual data input from S the buffer storage is then displayed on the alphanumeric o.O visual display device in order to enable verification of the correctness of the input, in which instance a confirmation command input signal is then provided to a microcomputer in the terminal. The content of the buffer storage is then temporarily stored in a static memory in response to the confirmation command input signal. This interactive sequence recycles for each market survey data transaction. Thus, several problems present in the prior art are overcome by this method; however, this method does not involve the downstream loading of any survey questionnaires or the ability to provide multiple surveys to Sthe same panelist or different surveys to different panelkI 25 ists or to rapidly change the survey content or conduct a modified survey based on the results of a prior survey by merely downstream loading a new survey questionnaire over a two way communications link which permits transmission of the survey results back to a central data processor.

Thus, although there is rapid survey data collection via telephone there is no provision for rapid survey dissemination. The improvement herein on the patented method described in commonly owned U.S. Patent No. 4;355,372 overcomes these disadvantages of the prior art. Thus, although the concept of downstream loading of software per se is known in the prior art, such as disclosed in U.S.

Soah f| oiidsre ae nterslso ro uvyb r I 1 -4- Patent No. 4,040,490, and the concept of remote transmission of survey data over telephone lines per se is known in the prior art, such as disclosed in U.S. Patent Nos. 3,210,472 and 3,950,618, and the concept of broadcast of survey questionnaires per se is also known, such as disclosed in U.S. Patent Nos. 4,151,370; 4,107,735 and 3,546,791, there are no prior art electronic survey data collection and survey dissemination methods known to applicants -which combine all of these features into an efficient, flexible and rapid market survey data collection and survey dissemination method in which interactive variable multiple question market survey ques- *o tionnaires may be downstream loaded to a group of panelists and individually tailored for these panelists to 15 obtain almost instantaneous survey responses at the head end for rapid tabulation and analysis) as well as follow up, of variable surveys. This, despite such prior art systems as disclosed in U.S. Patent Nos. 4,331,973 and 4,331,974 which disclose systems for the transmission of o20 targeted televison ads to panelists by panelist address match, in place of normal television ads, based on the prior storage of purchase demographics for the panelist transmitted to a host computer by a cooperating store using a UPC scan of the panelist's ID card and purchases, there are no satisfactory rapid survey collection and dissemination methods known to applicants, such as which permit rapid follow up and modification of surveys. Similarly, to applicants' knowledge the prior art electronic data collection systems discussed in U.S. Patent No. 4,355,372, such as U.S. Patent Nos. 3,942,157 and 4,016,542, have not been employed in connection with I electronic collection of market survey data from uiversely located panelists such as in the home and/or rapid survey dissemination, do not employ an interactive prompt message sequence, and moreover do not employ downstream loading of survey questionnaires. This is true as well for the type V .T

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I 2 of prior art hand held data processing terminal disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 4,115,879.

Thus, although remote transmission of electronic collected survey data is known in the prior art, these prior art systems are not flexible and do not readily enable the survey questionnaires to be rapidly disseminated, changed or modified based on the results of prior surveys so that no satisfactory prior art system or method known to applicants has been developed which enables variable market survey questionnaires to be rapidly disseminated to diversely located panelists from a central location and the resultant responses to be accumulatively processed at that central location in a rapid fashion. These disadvantages of the prior art are overcome by the present invention.

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5A According to the present invention there is disclosed a method of elecronically collecting data from a plurality of remote locations at each of which data is generated and stored in a respective memory, including the selective establishment of communication between a data processor at a central location and the memories at the remote locations via a telephone type of communication link and the transfer of data from the remote location memory to the data processor at the central location over the selectively established link; the data in the respective memory at each remote location relating to items of market survey information, each item comprising a plurality of information catagories; the collection of each item of market survey information at each remote location including the following sequence of steps performed under the control of microcomputer means:a) electronically providing a prompt message indicating a particular one of said information catagories taken in a predefined order, b) entering in buffer storage means an actual data input 1( 20 signal pertaining to said particular catagory, c) providing a verification signal corresponding to the actual data input signal in said buffer storage means for verifying entry of the actual data input signal, d) entering a confirmation command input signal to said microcomputer means in response to said verification signal, S and cj| e) storing the actual data input signal content of said Sbuffer storage means in the remote location memory in response Vi V C to said confirmation command input signal; and repeating the aforesaid sequence of steps for the next category of said predefined order until all the categories of information for a given item of market survey information are stored in the remote location memory for subsequent transfer to the data processor at the central location.

A At 6 V 1 f -6- DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION A method for independently centrally electronically accumulating market survey data from different content rapidly disseminated market surveys from a plurality of panelist stations located at diverse locations is provided in which variable multiple question market survey questionnaires to the diverse located panelist may be remotely rapidly disseminated and the resultant responses accumulatively processed at a central location in a rapid fashion. Each of the panelist stations is operatively remotely connectable to a central data processor or host computer via a common communications link, such as a conventional telephone type link for two way communication over telephone lines, or to a cable television link for downstream loading market survey programs with a telephone type return link for providing the resultant survey data to the host computer.

Visual display means, such as a video display such as CRT or conventional television monitor, or an alphanumeric display if a portable terminal similar to t t t tI t t v

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*9 that disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 4,355,372 is employed, is provided for displaying market survey questionnaires corresponding to a particular market survey content. Data input means, such as a conventional keyboard and/or optical wand is provided for providing data responses to the displayed market survey questionnaires. A microprocessor is provided at the panelist station for controlling the operation of the panelist station.with temporary storage means at the panelist station temporarily storing a set of control instructions corresponding to a market survey questionnaire control program for cont~olling the operation of the microprocessor as well as temporarily storing market survey data responsive to the displayed market survey questionnaire. The temporary storage, such as RAM, is capable of temporarily storing different sets of control instructions corresponding to different content visually dispiayable market survey questionnaires or control programs, with the different sets of control instructions providing a different content visual display market survey questionnaire on the visual display means. The microprocessor controls the operation of the panel 't station in accordance with a, particular selected market survey questionnaire corresponding set of control instructions. A particular set of the control instructions is downstream loaded to a plurality of panelist stations from the central data processor over the common communications link, such' as a telephone link. The downstream loaded set of control instructions is temporarily stored at the various panelist stations and the 30 corresponding market survey questionnaire is selectively individually visually displayed at the panelist station, such as by panelist selection of the display in response to an alarm signal, The panelist then independelty inputr individualized responses to the displayed market survey C CF 44 4 Ct I t4 questionnaire at the panelist station via the data input means. These individualized responses are locally U 1 3 -7processed to provide the market survey data which is independently temporarily stored at each of the panelist stations. This market survey data is then transmitted to the central data processor over the communications link, either manually or due to automatic polling, and then accumulatively processed. If desired, different sets of control instructions corresponding to diferent survey questionnaires may be rapidly downstream loaded to at least a portion or subgroup of the plurality of panelist I0 stations whereby a plurality of different content market survey questionnaires may be selectively visually displayed and responded to for accumulative processing of the variors market survey data corresponding to the different content market survey questionnaires.

15 In summary, in accordance with the presently preferred method of the present invention, different surveys may be rapidly downstream loaded to different panelists, multiple surveys may be rapidly disseminated to the same panelists, and there is an ability to rapidly j 20 change the survey content or interview group or conduct a modified survey based on the results of a prior survey, as well as individually tailor the downstream loaded surveys to the various panelists based on demographic input by the panelist.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Fig. 1 is a functional block diagram of a preferred embodiment of the market survey data collection system for use iij practicing the presently preferred mt.-thod of the present invention; Fig. 2 is a block diagram of a presently pre- 1 ferred embodiment of a typical panelist station for usn in the system of FIG. 1 in practicing the presently preferred method of the present invention; Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic illustration of a typical market survey questionnaire television display in I I -8- *accordance with the presently preferred method of the present invention; Figs. 4-30 comprise a logic flow diagram of a typical downloadable interactive market survey questionnaire control program for use in practicing the presently preferred method of the present invention; and Fig. 31 is a functional block diagram, similar to FIG. 1, of an alternative embodiment of a market survey data collection system capable of being employed in practicing the presently preferred method of the present invention.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION i Referring now to the drawings in detail, and I initially to FIGS. 1-3, a typical embodiment of a market l 15 survey data collection and survey dissemination system, generally referred to by the reference numeral 10, which may preferably be employed in practicing the presently preferred method of the present invention is shown.

For all intents and purposes, this system 10, is very similar on the response mode to the system described in commonly owned U.S. Patent No. 4,355,372, the contents of which are specifically incorporated by reference herein in their entirety. However, the system disclosed in U.S.

Patent No. 4,355,372 does not communicate with a central data processor to downstream loaded receive rapidly disseminated survey programs or questionnaires to control the operation of a panelist station or terminal and to transmit survey data back thereto based on responses to the survey questionnaires for rapid data collection and accumulative processing. As shown by way of example in FIG.

1, the market survey data collection and survey dissemination system 10 which may be employed in practicing the presently preferred data collection and survey dissemination method of the present invention includes a host computer 12, such as an HP 3000, or a PDP 8e or an IBM a F- 9- -9- 4200, conventionally programmed to downstream load market survey-questionnaire control programs in the form of sets of control instructions and to receive and accumulatively process survey data which has been transmitted back to the host computer 12 from the various panelist stations, such as due to automatic polling, with four such typical stations 14, 16, 18 and 20 being shown by way of example in FIG. 1. In the example of FIG. 1, the common communications link which links the various panelist stations 14, 16, 18 and 20 to the host computer 12 is a conventional two-way telephone network in which a conventional telephone switching network, represented by the reference numeral 22, which interfaces the various modems with the 0 host computer 12 is employed. The survey data collection and survey dissemination system 10 illustrated in FIG. 1 preferably includes a conventional modem 24 linking the o* host computer 12 to the individual panelist stations 14, 16, 18 and 20 via the conventional telephone switching S network 22 and, conventional modems 26, 28, 30 and 32 at j o 20 the panelist stations 14, 16, 18 and 20, respectively.

'i A typical panelist station shall now be des- St cribed in greater detail with reference tc FIG. 2 which represents panelist station 14 by way of example, with the other panelist stations 16, 18 and 20 employing similar referenced numerals followed by the letter a, b, and c, respectively, for like functioning components. As shown and preferred, the typical panelist station 14 employed in practicing the presently preferred method of the present invention employs a system controller 34 to be described in greater detail hereinafter with reference to FIG. 2, a conventional keyboard 36 and/or optical character readi, wand 38 for inputting data, such as demographics Ann survey data, to the panelist station 14, an alea"' device 40, such as a conventional light or au 1 which is tripped when a survey control program into storage at the panelist station 14, and a 1, alternatively a conventional televiion receiver 44 m ay be employed in placthode ray te CRT 42 or visualply umeric displaying informa45ion such as the type referred to in U.S.

tionnaire which corresponds to the downstream loaded survey control program. As also shown and preferred in FIG. i, alternatively a conventional television receiver 44 may be employed in place of the CRT 42 or an alphanumeric display 45 such as the type referred to in U.S.

Patent No. 4,355,372. The system controller 34 at the panelist station 14, which is illustrated in greater detail in FIG. 2, preferably includes a conventional microcomputer or microprocessor 50, such as preferably an Intel 8048, 8748 or 8039, by way of example, depending on S the program memory requirements. The microcomputer or microprocessor 50 is preferably provided with additional o* 15 memory such as an external survey data RAM 52 and a S, separate external survey program RAM 54, such as Intel I 5101 RAMs in sufficient quantity to provide any desired storage capacity in accordance with the system requirements. In this regard, since nhe survey program RAM 54 will temporarily store downstream loaded sets of control instructions corresponding to market survey questionnaire control programs in accordance with the presently preferred method of the present invention, this RAM 54 must be of sufficient storage capacity to store the required set of control Instructions, and if desired, if multiple programs are to be downstream loaded and temporarily Stored for selection by the panelist at the panelist station, then the capacity of RAM 54 must allow for storage of the desired quantity of multiple sets of control instructions. Similarly, the storage capacity of the survey data RAM 52 must be sufficient to accommodate the required responses, and whatever other information is desired, to the market survey questionnaires which are visually displayed and interacted with in a manner to be described in greater detail hereinafter.

Y-I-.6:I~S.-CI I I -11- In addition, an additional external ROM 56 is also provided for storing the executive control loader program for the microcomputer 50 which enables the microcomputer to downstream load the set or sets of control instructions to be stored in the survey program RAM 54.

Such an executive control loader program is conventional and need not be described in greater detail hereinafter.

The external RAMs 52 and 54 and the ROM 56, all of which are externally connected to the internal RAM and ROM, respectively, normally contained on the microprocessor chip 50, are preferably provided to increase the program and data memory space of the microprocessor chip 50. The 0 keyboard 36 is preferably a conventional multikey keyboard which is preferably provided for inputting data, such as 15 demographics and survey data responsive to the market survey questionnaire being visually displayed, such as on o. the CRT 42. Keyboard 36 preferably inputs the indivitoo dualized responses to the displayed market survey questionnaire to the microcomputer 50 for local processing and 20 temporary storage of the resultant market survey data in Vitt Sthe survey data RAM 52. In addition, as shown and preferred in FIG. 2, the conventional optical character reading wand 38, such as an Intermes Model 1240, may preferably be employed to input bar code data, such as UPC 2! label data, to the survey data RAM 52. In addition, as t" previously mentioned, the conventional alarm signal t Scircuit 40 is preferably provided for providing an alarm indication, such as a light or a buzzer, when a market survey questionnaire or set of control instructions has been downstream loaded to the survey program RAM 54 so as to alert the panelist that a survey is to be responded to.

If desired, this alarm co- lition may be omitted. As also shown and preferred in FIG. 2, a comparator 66 may also be provided for determining an identification match which may be used for tailoring surveys to panelists having certain demographic profiles which have been input to memory. In 4~

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,77'_6~ -12addition, the controller 34 also preferably includes a conventional data terminal input buffer 68, such as the type described in U.S. Patent No. 3,889,054 if the system is employed using a row grabbing terminal of the type described in that patent, or an~u other type of conventional data terminal input buffer which recognizes the incoming information and determines its nature. The system controller 34 also preferably includes conventional display control logic 70, such as, by way of example, the type referred to in U.S. Patent No. 4,0,40,490 or 3,889,054, with the display control logic 70 preferably comprising conventional logic circuitry capable of execuit- .o ing any type of desired storable displayable function for the cathode ray tube 42 or television 44 in accordance 15 with the controlled operation of the panelist station 14, with the display control logic 70 also preferably including a display buffer for storing the video display information prior to display on the CRT 42 or television 44 in a conventional manner.

Referring once again to the microcomputer 50 and the external RAMs 52, 54 and the ROM 56, although an Intel microprocessor was mentioned by way of example for microof computer 50, it should be noted that preferably microcomputer 50 may be any type of integrated circuit microcomputer, such as, by way of further example, a Motorola 800 or a Rockwell International PPS-4 system, such as one comprising a Rockwell International 10636 CPU, Rockwell International 10696 I/O and Rockwell International 10432 ROM and RAM.

In accordance with the presently preferred method of the present invention, a set of control instructions corresponding to a market survey questionnaire is preferably downstream loaded from the NPD host computer 12 over the telephone type commun \cations network 22 to the plurality of panelist stations 14, 16, 18 and 20. If desired, the set of control instructions could be -13downstream loaded either to an individual panelist in his home or to a personal interviewer in the field such as at a shopping mall. Moreover, although the set of control instructions in the system 10 illustrated in FIG. 1 is shown as being downstream loaded into a television set 44 or CRT display device 42, as previously mentioned, the survey or set of control instructions could be downstream loaded into a portable electronic recorder with sufficient display capability, such as the type of recorder described in U.S. Patent No. 4,355,372 but with the ability to receive downstream loaded programs. In the case of a personal interviewer, the survey could be downstream loaded into such a portable electronic recorder or to a o CRT display device similar to the type of panelist station 15 14 illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2. Once the set of control instructions corresponding to a market survey ques- *I tionnaire has been downstream loaded to the -anelist stations 14, 16, 18 and 20, a verification procedure would preferably be initiated whereby a iessage would be sent 20 back to the host computer 12 over the same telephone line '0 ot link confirming the successful transmission of the survey set of control instructions. In this regard, for individual panelists, this type of verification procedure would be similar to what is known as a "mail-out count" and could be used by a market survey organization to assess response rates which are normally employed in studies where quota requirements are involved.

SIAs was previously mentioned, a plurality of different surveys may be downstream loaded from the host computer 12 to different panelist stations with each i station, in a conventional manner, having an associated identification number which could be "tagged" at the head end or host computer 12 to insure that only those panelist stations having the matching "tag" would receive that particular survey set of control instructions. In addition, multiple or different sets Of survey control instructions 4 .r I -14- [1 0*l Ir *0 0 0r 0O *0 *0 corresponding to different content market survey questionnaires could be downstream loaded to the same panelist. Furthermore, upon receipt of survey data transmitted from the panelist stations 14, 16, 18 and 20 back at the host computer 12 and the resultant analysis thereof, a follow-up set of control instructions or market survey questionnaire having a content modified in accordance with the prior accumulatively processed market survey results could then be downstream loaded to the panelist stations 14, 16, 18 and 20 to rapidly follow-up on the survey. In addition, as previously mentioned, input demographics may be used to tailor surveys and to tailor the make up of subgroups of panelists in a rapid and efficient manner.

15 FIGS. 4-30 comprise an exemplary interactive survey control program set of instructions which could be downstream loaded to one or more panelist stations and through which the microprocessor 50 supervises and controls the overall operation of the panelist stations, such as panelist station 14, in accordance with a particular content market survey questionnaire control program. This program, which would be written in Intel assembler language if the microcomputer were an Intel device or, by way of example, in Rockwell assembler language if the microprocessor chip were a Rockwell device, is stored in the survey program RAM 54 associated with the microprocessor It should be noted that except for FIG. 4, and a slight modification to the display messages in FIG. 29, the exemplary control program of FIGS. 4-30 is essentially identical to that described and illustrated in U.S. Patent No. 4,355,372, the contents of which are specifically incorporated by reference herein in their entirety. The primary difference in FIG. 4 is the modifications to the exemplary control program of U.S. Patent No. 4,355,372 to permit the downstream loading and alarm functions of the presently preferred method of the present invention which

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is an improvement over the method described in U.S. Patent No. 4,355,372. Thus, in this regard, under the control of the executive control loader program stored in ROM 56, the microcomputer 50 determines whether the survey program memory 54 is clear when the panelist station is accessed either by the host computer 12 for purposes of downstream loading a survey control program or by the panelist via the keyboard 36 for purposes of inputting survey data. If the survey program memory 54 is clear indicating that no survey control program is stored therein, and the panelist attempts to provide survey data or other data to the system 14 for storage, the microcomputer 50 in conjunction with the display control logic 70 under control of the executive control loader program stored in ROM 56 prefer- S" 15 ably provides a message, such as "SURVEY NOT AVAILABLE" to the display buffer and therefrom to the CRT 42, by way of S" example, to display this message to the panelist. On the other hand, if the access to the microcomputer 50 is by the host computer 12 for purposes of downstream loading a S 20 set of control instructions corresponding to a survey prog-am or market survey questionnaire, then the microt computer under control of the executive control loader program first determines if a survey program is being transmitted and, if it is, then loads this set of control instructions into survey program RAM or memory 54, whereupon operation of the panelist station 14 in accordance with this downstream loaded set of control instructions is provided. Thus, as further shown and preferred in FIG. 4, S with the program'memory 54 loaded, the alarm 40 is turned on to alert the panelist to the presence of a survey to be responded to. If no survey has been selected, when the panelist accesses the system 14 the microcomputer 50 and the display control logic 70 preferably cause display of a message, such as "SELECT SURVEY'. After a survey has been selected or, if desired, at any time, the alarm 40 may be turned off and the system 14 then checks to see if the j 1 -4 t r -16- 'data RAM. or data memory 52 is clear to accept survey data provided via the keyboard 36 and/or wand 38 in response to the market survey questionnaire to be visually displayed, such as on the CRT 42. The balance of the functioning of the panelist station 14 at that point is thereafter essentially the same as that previously described in U.S.

Patent No. 4,355,372 with the exception that when the messages are displayed on a CRT 4i or television 44, if the data memory 54 is full, a message may preferably be displayed to the panelist, such as "FULL-TRANSMIT DATA" to alert the panelist to transmit data to the host computer 12 rather than await polling by the host computer 12. A typical video display provided in accordance with the market survey control program illustrated in FIGS. 4-30 is 15 shown in FIG. 3. Thus, at this point, in accordance with the exemplary market survey control program of FIGS. 4-30, an interactive interchangeable prompt message is displayed on the CRT 42 indicating one of a plurality of survey questions in a predefined sequence. An actual data input 20 signal is provided via the keyboard 36 and/or wand 38 in 0 response to the prompt message display, with this data input being stored in the survey data RAM 52 for subsei quent transmission. Prior to storage in this survey data RAM 52, which temporarily stores this data, the data is preferably stored in a buffer, locally processed, and is displayed on the CRT 42 to enable confirmation prior to transfer to the survey data RAM main memory 52. When a i, confirmation command signal is provided to the microcomputer 50, the data input is then preferably transferred to the survey data RAM main memory 52 and the video d display is changed to display the next prompt message in i the current survey sequence. At the end of a survey i sequence, a special marker is preferably inserted into the file as part of the data records for the particular survey sequence so that a distinction may be maintained such as in conjunction with multiple surveys. This entire *-17procedure then preferably recycles for each independent survey'sequence or questionnaire thereby enabling independent integral storage of each survey sequence. After the panelist has completely responded to the survey, the panelist may then activate a transmission mode which would r cause the host computer 12 to be automatically dialed to effect the transmission. This in turn would conventionally call up special programming at the host computer 12 to monitor the transmission and to guide the panelist in transmitting the data. Also; a pre(,efined sequence of instructions could be electronically prompted on the visual display, such as the CRT 42, to guide the panelist in effecting the trinsmission. At the end of the transmis- ,,ft sion, a confirmation signal would preferably be sent to St, 15 the panelist station indicating a successful transmission and the survey data RAM 52 would be automatically cleared.

e As opposed to the aforementioned transmission procedure, ti t the survey data could also be retrieved, as previously mentioned, through conventional automated polling by the host computer 12. The exemplary visual display of FIG. 3 could, of course, be modified in accordance with modifications to the survey program, such as if the user ID and/or date were rsident in memoiry, As for the ID, this may be a number and/or alpha response. It should further be noted that the survey questions need not be in a predefined sequence in accordance with the method of the present invention. For example, the survey questions may be visually displayed in a tabular questionnaire to be completed by the panelist wherein multiple prompting is contained in a single visual display. Moreover, prompt messages can be displayed with respect to an entire survey or, if desired, with respect to only various portions thereof without departing from the method of the pi 4ent i, invention.

Referring now. to FIG. 31, FIG. 31 illustrates an alternative embodiment of a system, generally referred to i i r I 4 *e 4 6 .4 -18by the reference numeral 10a, for use in accordance with the presently preferred method of the present invention.

The difference between system 10a and system 10 is the employment in system 10a of a row grabbing terminal such as described in U.S. Patent No. 4,040,490, in which the survey program set of control instructions corresponding to the downstream loaded market survey questionnaire is provided in the form of row grabbing signals from a transmitter 100, via a conventional CATV RF modulator 102 over a dedicated channel 104 to the panelist station, such as 14a where it is demodulated in an RF demodulator 106 and then provided to a conventional row grabbing receiver 108 such as the type described in U.S. Patent No. 4,040,490 and 3,889,054, both of which are incorporated by reference 15 herein in their entirety. The controller 34, keyboard 36, wand 38 and CRT 42 or television 44 are preferably identical with that previously described with reference to system 10. In addition, the manner of )roviding the survey data back to the host computer 12 is preferably via 2 the conventional telephone type link 22 previously described with respect to system 10 and tei same reference numerals are employed. FIG. 31 illustrates only one typical panelist station 14a, by way of example, although multiple panelist stations are normally employed.

Summarizing the presently preferred market survey data collection and survey dissemination of the present invention, the survey control program is downstream loaded from the central host computer 12 over conventional telephone lines or a CATV cable programming network to the controllers 34 at the various panelist stations 14, 16, 18 and 20. The survey program received by the controller 34 is processed by an I/O buffer 68 and microcomputer 50 under control of the executive loader programs stored in ROM 56 and is loaded into the survey program RAM 54 for tempoary storage and use. When the survey program is loaded into RAM 54, an alarm 40 is sent V4

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i i i *o i i: 1 i~ Ii~ -19via the keyboard 36 to illuminate a light to alert the panelist that a survey must be responded to. This alarm may be reactivated from the host computer 12 by transmission of an alarm control signal, if desired, if the panelist does not timely respond to the survey. The keyboard 36 and/or wand 38 is then used to respond to the downstream loaded survey questionnaire with the data response being locally processed and temporarily stored in RAM 52 for subsequent transmission.

This stored survey data may either be automatically polled and transmitted via telephone lines to :i the host computer 12 or i,<ay be manually transmitted via an interactive transmission prompt sequence in which the panelist takes an active role.

'15 It should be noted that as further shown in FIG.

i, and as previously described, the method of the present invention also preferably encompasses downstream loading of the survey program set of control instructions to a portable terminal having an alphanumeric display 45 in- 20 stead of a CRT 42 or TV 44, similar to the terminal described in U.S. Patent No. 4,355,372 having the conventional modifications required to permit such downstream loading, such as illustrated in FIG. 2. In this regard, with respect to the balance of FIGS. 5-30 their description is essentially the same as that contained in U.S.

Patent No. 4,355,372 for FIGS. 20-45 thereof, which has been incorporated by reference herein, and need not be described again. Suffice it to say that the primary differencj in the method of the present invention with respect to the type of visual display device relates to ff whether the messages to be visually displayed are to be j displayed on an alphanumeric display 45, sLuh as described in U.S. Patent No. 4,355,372, or on a CRT 42 or TV 44 display, with this difference being a function of the nature of the signal, the manner of generating such a type of display being conventional.

fI r i -II In summary, by utilizing the market survey data collection and survey dissemination method of the present invention, variable market survey questionnaires to diverse located panelists may be remotely rapidly disseminated and the resultant responses rapidly collected and accumatively processed at a central location.

DATED this 19th day of May, 1986.

NPD RESEARCH, INC.

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Claims (12)

1. A method of elecronically collecting data from a plurality of remote locations at each of which data is generated and stored in a respective memory, including the selective establishment of communication between a data processor at a central location and the memories at the remote locations via a telephone type of communication link and the transfer of data from the remote location memory to the data processor at the central location over the selectively established link; the data in the respective memory at each remote location relating to items of market survey information, each item comprising a plurality of information catagories; the collection of each I item of market survey information at each remote location including the following sequence of steps performed under the control of microcomputer means:- a) electronically providing a prompt message indicat i ng a particular one of said information catagories taken in a predefined order, b) entering in buffer storage means an actual data input Ssignal pertaining to said particular catagory, c) providing a verification signal corresponding to the actual data input signal in said buffer storage means for verifying entry of the actual data input signal, d) entering a confirmation command input signal to said microcomputer means in response to said verification signal, and e) storing the actual data input signal content of said buffer storage means in the remote location memory in response to said confirmation command input signal; and repeating the aforesaid sequence of steps for the next category of said predefined order until all the categories of information for a given item of market survey information are stored in the remote location memory for subsequent transfer to the data processor at the central location. t Vt I v I,9 r, I I A' 4 22 N1C

2. A method of collection of market survey data as claimed in Claim 1 further comprising: storing successive items of market survey infos-ation in each remote location memory until the memory achieves a defined state of fullness; and transferrin= the data relating to the stored items in the full remote location memory to the central data processor.

3. A method as claimed in Claim 2 further comprising: providing a prompt message indicating the defined state 'of fullness of the memory, and entering a confirmation command signal to initiate transfer of the stored data to the data processor at the central location. I

4. A method as (:lIaimed in any preceding claim in which the collection of each item of market survey information includes a sequence of steps relating to a further information category performed undc: the control of the microprocessor means and comprising: electronically providing a prompt message indicating said further category; entering an actual data input signal pertaining to said further category, and4 storing said actual data input signal pertaining to said further category in the remote location ipemory. A method as claimed in claim 4 in which said sequ~ence of steps relating to said further information category includes providing an indication that said actuaI. data input signal pertaining to said further 'category has been entered,

6. A method as claimed in Claim 4 or 5 in Which the performance of said sequence of steps relating to sa~id further information cAtegory is inserted between the performance of the respective sequences of steps pc nirig to two successive information categories of said predefined order.

7. A method as claimed in any lbreceding claim in 4 4 X B Oil A ftb Which at least the first information category of said predefined order relates to purchase demographic data common to a number of items of market survey information to be entered and in which the completion of the storing in the emote location memory of the data relating to all information categories (including said further category if included) for an item of market survey information, causes the return to step a) of said aforementioned sequence for an information category subsequent to said first category of said predefined order, whereby the information categories pertaining specifically to a next item of market survey information are collectable.

8. A method as claimed in Claim 7 in which upon completion of the storing of data pertaining to all informatipn categories for an item of market survey information, there is provided, on said-return to collect data for the next item of market survey information, a single prompt message combining the prompt messages of two of the subsequent categories, the entry of an actual data input signal of a form pertaining specifically to one or specifically to the other of the 'two categories t determining which category is selected for providing data storage in the remote location memory, the data for the F non-selected category being stored in the remote location memory as being the same as for that same category in the data collected for the item of market survey information preceding said next item.

9. A method as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 6 in which a category of information common to a plurality 30 of items of market survey information is collected prior to the collection of each of the plurality of items by the sequence of steps a) to e) for each of said predefined order of categories, the collection of said common category including the steps of: electronically providing a promsrpt message indicating said common information category, entering in the buffer storage means an actual data input signal pertaining to said common dategory, A? F'4' t i iL i t v a 4a aQ a, 0k a It Bt UI rr~;n c~- ~i I~ providing a verification 'signal corresp~onding to the actual data input signal in the buffer storage means for t t~ ti I., L~ verifying entry of the actual data input signal, entering a confirmation command signal to the microcomputer means in response to the verification signal, and storing the actual data input signal of the buffer storage means in the remote location memory in response to said confirmation command input signal. A method as claimed in Claim 9 in which saic common category relates to purchase demographic data and in which completion of the storing in the remote location memory of data relating to all information categories (including said further category if included) for an item of market survey information, causes the return to step a) of said aforementioned sequence for an information category of said predefined order, whereby the information categories pertaining specifically to a next item of market survey information are collectable.

11. A method as claimed in Claim 10 in which upon completion of the storing in the remote location of data 20 pertaining to all information categories for an item of N market survey information, there is provided, on said F return to collect data for the next item of market survey information, a single prompt message combining the prompt messages, of two of said categories of the predefined order, the entry of an actual data input signal of a form S pertaining specifically to one or specifically to the K' other of the two categories determining which category is selected for providing data for storage in the remote location Iemory, the data for the non-selected category being stored in the remote location memory as being the same as for that same category in the data collected for the item of market survey information preceding said next item.

12. A method as claimed in Claim 8 or 11 as dependent on Claim 4 in which one of said two categories is said further category.

13. A method as claimed in Claim 12 in which the 6ther of said' to categori.a is purchase demographic data. A (yu x M i

26- 14. A method as claimed in Claim 4, 5, 6 or 12 or in any one of Claims 7 to 11 when dependent on claim 4, in which said further category is product identification data. 15. A method as claimed in Claim 14 in which said actual inut data signal for said further category is obtained by scanning a bar code. 16. A method as claimed in claim~ 15 in which. the bar code is in accordance with a UPC. 17. A method as claimed in any of claims 1 to 8 in which said predefined order o f categories oompi'i's'es purchase demographic data and, -product 'pric ing-dat-a. 18. A method as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 6 Ond 9 to 11 in which said predefined order of categories inclui.des~- product pricing data. 19. A method as claimed in claim 11 in which one of Isaid two categories relates to purchase demographic data. ,or w I r It M~ated this 21st day of September 1989 NPD RESEARiCH INC III I II C C (-C C C C I i I I a,7 C IS