System and method for RFID-based printed media reading activity data acquisition and analysis
View Patent ↗The subject invention provides a means of automatically detecting and recording a person's use of magazines, i.e. printed media exposure, for the purpose of market research. The present invention comprises one or more electrically conductive marker regions applied to certain specific locations on one or more magazine pages. In one general embodiment, the presence and relative separation of the marker regions are detected by a capacitive sensors and electronic device that stores, processes and communicates the data wirelessly to an external device. In another embodiment, a passive chip less tag is used to indirectly measure the change in conductivity of the conductive regions caused by prolonged exposure to air or light. Exemplary methods are described for acquiring readership and exposure data using the present invention.
1. A data acquisition method, comprising:
incorporating a marker region and a sensor element with a media element, wherein the media element includes a printed publication and a separable printed publication sleeve accessory into which the printed publication is separably insertable and wherein the marker region comprises conductive material having time-variable conductive properties that change permanently in correlation with an exposure duration associated with the at least one media exposure event;
detecting an action event wherein an initial spatial relationship between the marker region and the sensor element is changed;
updating the sensor element when an action event is detected; and
resolving at least one sensor element update to correlate at least one action event with at least one media exposure event for the media element.
2. The data acquisition method of claim 1 , wherein the printed publication is configured with the marker region and the sensor element.
3. The data acquisition method of claim 2 , wherein the initial spatial relationship associated with the marker region and the sensor element is established when the printed publication is closed.
4. The method of claim 3 , wherein changing the initial spatial relationship involves opening the printed publication.
5. The method of claim 3 , wherein changing the initial spatial relationship involves displacing the marker region formed on a page of the printed publication with regard to a position associated with the sensor element.
6. A data acquisition method, comprising:
incorporating a marker region and a sensor element with a media element, wherein the media element includes a printed publication and a separable printed publication sleeve accessory into which the printed publication is separably insertable and wherein the separable printed publication sleeve accessory is configured with the marker region and the sensor element;
detecting an action event wherein an initial spatial relationship between the marker region and the sensor element is changed;
updating the sensor element when an action event is detected; and
resolving at least one sensor element update to correlate at least one action event with at least one media exposure event for the media element.
7. The data acquisition method of claim 6 , wherein the initial spatial relationship associated with the marker region and the sensor element is established when the separable printed publication sleeve accessory is closed.
8. The method of claim 7 , wherein changing the initial spatial relationship involves opening the separable printed publication sleeve accessory.
9. The method of claim 8 , wherein changing the initial spatial relationship involves displacing the marker region formed on a page of the printed publication with regard to a position associated with the sensor element formed in the separable printed publication sleeve accessory.
10. The method of claim 8 , wherein changing the initial spatial relationship involves displacing the marker region formed on the separable printed publication sleeve accessory with regard to a position associated with the sensor element formed in the separable printed publication sleeve accessory.
11. The method of claim 6 , wherein no marker region or sensor element is incorporated in any cover of the printed publication.
12. A data acquisition method, comprising:
incorporating a marker region and a sensor element with a media element, wherein the media element includes a printed publication and a separable printed publication sleeve accessory into which the printed publication is separably insertable and wherein both the printed publication and the separable printed publication sleeve accessory are configured with at least one marker region and sensor element;
detecting an action event wherein an initial spatial relationship between the marker region and the sensor element is changed;
updating the sensor element when an action event is detected; and
resolving at least one sensor element update to correlate at least one action event with at least one media exposure event for the media element.
13. The data acquisition method of claim 12 , wherein an initial spatial relationship associated with a marker region and a sensor element is established when the separable printed publication sleeve accessory is closed.
14. The method of claim 13 , wherein changing the initial spatial relationship involves opening the separable printed publication sleeve accessory.
15. The method of claim 13 , wherein changing the initial spatial relationship involves displacing the marker region formed on a page of the printed publication with regard to a position associated with the sensor element situated in the separable printed publication sleeve accessory.
16. The method of claim 13 , wherein changing the initial spatial relationship involves displacing the marker region formed on the separable printed publication sleeve accessory with regard to a position associated with the sensor element situated in the separable printed publication sleeve accessory.
17. A data acquisition method, comprising:
incorporating at least one marker region and at least one sensor element with a printed media element, wherein the at least one sensor element is incorporated into a reusable printed publication sleeve accessory into which a printed publication is separably insertable; and
configuring the at least one marker region with electrically conductive material and wherein the at least one marker region and the at least one sensor element are electromagnetically coupled.
18. A media exposure data acquisition system comprising:
a media element;
a separable media element sleeve accessory configured to be separably secured to the media element;
one or more marker regions configured to communicate with one or more sensor elements the occurrence of a media exposure event, wherein the separable media element sleeve accessory is configured with the one or more marker regions and the one or more sensor elements; and
a data reader configured to extract media exposure event data from the one or more sensor elements.
19. The media exposure data acquisition system of claim 18 , wherein the media element is configured with one or more marker regions and one or more sensor elements.
20. The media exposure data acquisition system of claim 18 , wherein the sensor elements incorporate an electromagnetic sensor component.
21. The media exposure data acquisition system of claim 18 , wherein the sensor elements incorporate a magnetic sensor component.
22. A media exposure data acquisition system comprising:
a media element;
a separable media element sleeve accessory configured to be separably secured to the media element;
one or more marker regions configured to communicate with one or more sensor elements the occurrence of a media exposure event;
a media match determination component, wherein the media match determination component includes a match sensor element configured to determine whether the separable media element sleeve accessory is secured with a correlated media element; and
a data reader configured to extract media exposure event data from the one or more sensor elements.
23. The media exposure data acquisition system of claim 22 , wherein the media match determination component is configured to generate a media mis-match alert when the media match determination component determines the separable media element sleeve accessory is not secured with the correlated media element.