Detecting periodic activity patterns

1. A method of detecting periodic activity patterns associated with the viewing of audio video content, said method comprising: performing the following steps in a specially programmed physical device:

recording activity data in an activity log;

suppressing said activity log to suppress non-relevant activity data thereby producing a plurality of sets of suppressed activity data;

passing each of said sets of suppressed activity data through a signal processing function to convert each of said sets of suppressed activity data to a plurality of respective frequency responses; and

comparing one of said frequency responses with another of said frequency responses to detect said periodic activity patterns.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein said activity data comprises time spent by a household on a periodic basis performing an activity having a defined attribute.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein said activity log comprises an array, wherein each element in said array comprises an activity period, wherein each value of each element comprises said time.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein said activity log is updated when a change occurs in said defined attribute.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein said defined attribute comprises one or more of the following: content genre; channel operator; viewing source/origin; content type; viewing speed; and language.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein said change occurs due to any one of the following group of triggers: an initial channel is selected; a new channel is selected; playback of previously recorded audio video content is commenced; a request is received for non-broadcast audio video content; a change in viewing speed of said audio video content is detected; and new audio video content commences or is selected.

7. The method of claim 2 , wherein said defined attribute is defined by and received from a broadcaster/television platform operator.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein said signal processing function comprises a Discrete Fourier Transform, or a Discrete Cosine Transform, or a Discrete Hartley Transform, or a Wavelet Transform.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein said periodic viewing patterns are used to schedule a targeted advertisement, or to schedule a targeted promotion of future audio video content, or to generate a favourite channel list, or to sort available channels in an electronic programme guide in order of popularity.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein said periodic activity patterns comprise periodic viewing patterns; said activity data comprises viewing data; said activity log comprises a viewing log; said suppressing said activity log comprises: suppressing said viewing log to suppress viewing data from a first time period thereby producing a first set of suppressed viewing data, and suppressing said viewing log to suppress viewing data from a second time period thereby producing a second set of suppressed viewing data; said passing said sets of suppressed activity data comprises passing said first set and said second set of suppressed viewing data through a signal processing function to convert said first set and said second set of suppressed viewing data to first and second frequency responses; and said comparing comprises comparing said first and second frequency responses to detect said periodic viewing patterns.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein said periodic viewing pattern comprises a weekly viewing pattern occurring on weekend days, and said first time period comprises weekdays, and said second time period comprises weekend days, and said comparing comprises identifying a maximum amplitude in said first frequency response at a frequency of 1 Hz thereby indicating said weekly viewing pattern occurring on weekend days.

12. A client device for viewing audio video content, said client device comprising:

recording means for recording activity data in an activity log, said activity data relating to activities associated with viewing of said audio video content;

storage means for storing said activity log; and

processing means for:

suppressing said activity log times to suppress non-relevant activity data thereby producing a plurality of sets of suppressed activity data;

passing each of said sets of suppressed activity data through a signal processing function to convert each of said sets of suppressed activity data to a plurality of respective frequency responses; and

comparing one of said frequency responses with another of said frequency responses to detect said periodic activity patterns.

13. A method of detecting periodic activity patterns associated with the viewing of audio video content, said method comprising: performing the following steps in a specially programmed physical device:

recording activity data in an activity log;

suppressing said activity log one or more times to suppress non-relevant activity data thereby producing one or more sets of suppressed activity data;

passing said one or more sets of suppressed activity data through a signal processing function to convert said one or more sets of suppressed activity data to one or more frequency responses; and

analyzing values of said one or more frequency responses to detect said periodic activity patterns;

wherein said analyzing further comprises analyzing values of said one or more frequency responses to detect a behavioural pattern of viewers viewing said audio video content; and

wherein said behavioural pattern comprises time spent fast-forward viewing of advertisements in pre-recorded audio video content; or time spent navigating an electronic program guide as a percentage of total viewing time.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of passing each of the sets of suppressed activity data through the signal processing function comprises passing a subset of each of the sets of suppressed activity data through the signal processing function.