AUDIENCE MEASUREMENT SYSTEM

1 . A television viewing data analysis method comprising:

receiving a query including: audience parameters defining characteristics of a subset of a viewing audience; and viewing pattern parameters defining viewing patterns to be analyzed;

applying the audience parameters to a database of viewer characteristics and determining therefrom a plurality of viewers from whom data is to be collected;

building a viewer query based on the viewing pattern parameters;

sending the viewer query to a plurality of viewer devices associated with the plurality of viewers for execution thereat;

after execution of the viewer query at the plurality of viewer devices, receiving a viewer query result from at least some of the plurality of viewer devices; and

analyzing the received viewer query results to produce a result of the query.

2 . The method according to claim 1 and wherein the viewer query comprises a prompt for a particular viewer matching a particular demographic is prompted to provide a response.

3 . The method according to claim 2 and wherein the particular viewer is offered an incentive to provide the response.

4 . A television viewed data analysis method comprising:

at a viewer device, receiving a viewer query from a central analysis site;

collecting viewer/device behavior data at a data collector, the data including at least one of the following:

viewer behavior data indicating behavior of a viewer using the device; and

device behavior indicating function of the device;

applying, at a query processor, the viewer query to the viewer/device behavior data and producing a result; and

conditionally reporting the result to the central analysis site.

5 . The method according to claim 4 and wherein the conditionally reporting comprises:

applying at least one rule to determine at least one of whether and when to report the result.

6 . The method according to claim 5 and wherein the rule requires that the result always be reported.

7 . The method according to claim 4 and further comprising prompting at least one viewer to respond by taking an action, a positive response of the at least one viewer being indicative of the viewing presence of the at least one viewer in the proximity of the viewer device.

8 . The method according to claim 7 and wherein the at least one viewer is offered an incentive to reply to the prompting.

9 . A television viewing data analysis method comprising:

providing a multiplicity of viewer devices, each viewer device having a call-back time defining a time of day at which the viewer device is to establish communications with a central site and report back data thereto;

receiving, at at least some of the multiplicity of viewer devices, an indication that viewer and/or device behavior should be collected for reporting; and

at least a portion of the multiplicity of viewer devices reporting information on viewer and/or device behavior to the central site at the call-back time associated with each viewer device.

10 . A television viewing data analysis system comprising:

a receiver which receive a query, the query including: audience parameters defining characteristics of a subset of a viewing audience; and viewing pattern parameters defining viewing patterns to be analyzed;

a processor which applies the audience parameters to a database of viewer characteristics and determine therefrom a plurality of viewers from whom data is to be collected;

a viewer query builder which builds a viewer query based on the viewing pattern parameters;

a viewer query sender which sends the viewer query to a plurality of viewer devices associated with the plurality of viewers for execution thereat;

a viewer query result receiver which, after execution of the viewer query at the plurality of viewer devices, receives a viewer query result from at least some of the plurality of viewer devices; and

a second processor which analyzes the received viewer query results to produce a result of the query.

11 . A television viewed data analysis system comprising:

a viewer query receiver disposed in a viewer device, which receives a viewer query from a central analysis site;

a data collector which collects viewer/device behavior data, the data including at least one of the following:

viewer behavior data indicating behavior of a viewer using the device; and

device behavior indicating function of the device;

a query processor which applies, the viewer query to the viewer/device behavior data and produces a result; and

a reporter which conditionally reports the result to the central analysis site.

12 . A television viewing data analysis system comprising:

a viewer device among a multiplicity of viewer devices, the viewer having a call-back time defining a time of day at which the viewer device is to establish communications with a central site and report back data thereto;

a receiver disposed in the viewer device which receives an indication that viewer and/or device behavior should be collected for reporting; and

a reporter which reports information on viewer and/or device behavior to the central site at the call-back time associated with the viewer device.