Method and system for predicting audience viewing behavior

• US 10,198,713 B2
• Filed: 05/05/2016
• Issued: 02/05/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/05/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nielsen Consumer LLC (Nielsen Holdings plc)
• Original Assignee: The Nielsen Company LLC (MOOD Media Corporation)
• Inventors: Marci, Carl D., Levine, Brian, Kothuri, Ravi Kanth V, Siefert, Caleb J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Padot, Timothy
• Application Number:
  US15/147,308
• Publication Number:
  US 20160255384A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,006 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0002 Remote monitoring of patients using telemetry, e.g. transmission of vital signals via a communication network A61B5/07 takes precedence; transmission systems for measured values G08C; transmission H04B; transmission of digital information H04L; wireless communication networks H04W
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02405 Determining heart rate variability
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0533 Measuring galvanic skin response
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/08 Detecting, measuring or recording devices for evaluating the respiratory organs A61B5/0205 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/11 Measuring movement of the entire body or parts thereof, e.g. head or hand tremor, mobility of a limb for measuring pulse A61B5/02 ;A61B5/1038 takes precedence; motion detection to correct for motion artifacts in physiological signals A61B5/721
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/16 Devices for psychotechnics using teaching or educational appliances G09B1/00 - G09B7/00; Testing reaction times ; Devices for evaluating the psychological state
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/163 by tracking eye movement, gaze, or pupil change
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/225 of the fingers, e.g. by monitoring hand-grip force
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6897 Computer input devices, e.g. mice or keyboards
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0201 Market modelling; Market analysis; Collecting market data
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/33 Arrangements for monitoring the users' behaviour or opinions
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/252 Processing of multiple end-users' preferences to derive collaborative data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25883 being end-user demographical data, e.g. age, family status or address arrangements for identifying locations of users in broadcast systems H04H60/52
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42201 biosensors, e.g. heat sensor for presence detection, EEG sensors or any limb activity sensors worn by the user input arrangements for interaction with the human body based on nervous system activity detection G06F3/015
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44218 Detecting physical presence or behaviour of the user, e.g. using sensors to detect if the user is leaving the room or changes his face expression during a TV program methods or arrangements for recognising human body or animal bodies or body parts G06V40/10; methods or arrangements for acquiring or recognising human faces, facial parts, facial sketches, facial expressions G06V40/16; methods or arrangements for recognising movements or behaviour G06V40/20; arrangements for identifying users in broadcast systems H04H60/45
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4532 involving end-user characteristics, e.g. viewer profile, preferences monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4662 characterized by learning algorithms
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/84 Generation or processing of descriptive data, e.g. content descriptors systems specially adapted for using meta-information in broadcast systems H04H60/73

Abstract

The present invention is directed to a method and system for predicting the behavior of an audience based on the biologically based responses of the audience to a presentation that provides a sensory stimulating experience and determining a measure of the level and pattern of engagement of that audience to the presentation. In particular, the invention is directed to a method and system for predicting whether an audience is likely to view a presentation in its entirety. In addition, the present invention may be used to determine the point at which an audience is likely to change their attention to an alternative sensory stimulating experience including fast forwarding through recorded content, changing the channel or leaving the room when viewing live content, or otherwise redirecting their engagement from the sensory stimulating experience.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a biometric sensor to measure a biometric response of an audience member during presentation of media on a media device, the media device controllable by the audience member to change the presentation to other media;

a control device to;

receive signals indicative of the biometric response from the biometric sensor when worn by the audience member; and

determine, based on the signals received from the biometric sensor, whether the audience member is wearing the biometric sensor, the control device to;

if the biometric sensor is not being worn by the audience member, disable an ability to change the presentation on the media device to the other media; and

if the biometric sensor is being worn by the audience member, transmit the signals indicative of the biometric response;

an engagement processor to receive the signals indicative of the biometric response, the engagement processor to;

generate an engagement curve for the audience member based on the biometric response;

identify an interval of the engagement curve having ascending engagement;

determine an area above a threshold value and below the engagement curve for the interval; and

determine a positive buildup value for the media based on a ratio of the area to a duration of the media; and

a prediction processor to predict viewership based on the positive buildup value and generate for display or output information indicating a prediction of the viewership.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the interval of the engagement curve includes an ascending engagement portion and a descending engagement portion.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the engagement processor is to:

determine whether a decrease in engagement during the descending engagement portion is less than a threshold percentage of an increase in engagement during the ascending engagement portion.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the engagement processor is to:

identify the interval as having the ascending engagement portion if the decrease in engagement is less than the threshold percentage of the increase in engagement.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the prediction processor is to rank the media based on a comparison of the positive buildup value to other positive buildup values of other media.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the prediction processor is to determine a likelihood that the audience member will watch the media again in another form.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the prediction processor is to determine a percentile rank for the positive buildup value based on a database of positive buildup values.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the prediction processor is to predict the viewership based on the positive buildup value by determining whether a viewer will watch the entirety of the media when the media is live.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 further including:

an intensity processor to determine, based on the biometric response, intensity scores for the audience member; and

a synchrony processor to determine synchrony scores based on the biometric response and a biometric response of another audience member, the engagement processor to generate the engagement curve based on the intensity scores and the synchrony scores.

10. An apparatus comprising:

a biometric sensor to measure a biometric response of an audience member during presentation of media on a media device, the media device controllable by the audience member to change the presentation to other media;

a control device to;

receive signals indicative of the biometric response from the biometric sensor when worn by the audience member; and

determine, based on the signals received from the biometric sensor, whether the audience member is wearing the biometric sensor, the control device to;

if the biometric sensor is not being worn by the audience member, disable an ability to change the presentation on the media device to the other media; and

if the biometric sensor is being worn by the audience member, transmit the signals indicative of the biometric response;

an engagement processor to receive the signals indicative of the biometric response, the engagement processor to;

generate an engagement curve for the audience member based on the biometric response;

identify an interval of the engagement curve having descending engagement;

determine an area below a threshold value and above the engagement curve for the interval; and

determine a negative buildup value for the media based on a ratio of the area to a duration of the media; and

a prediction processor to predict viewership based on the negative buildup value and generate for display or output information indicating a prediction of the viewership.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the interval of the engagement curve includes a descending engagement portion and an ascending engagement portion.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the engagement processor is to:

determine whether an increase in engagement during the ascending engagement portion is less than a threshold percentage of a decrease in engagement during the descending engagement portion.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the engagement processor is to:

identify the interval as having the descending engagement portion if the increase in engagement is less than the threshold percentage of the decrease in engagement.

14. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the prediction processor is to rank the media based on a comparison of the negative buildup value to other negative buildup values of other media.

15. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the prediction processor is to determine whether a viewer will watch the entirety of the media when the media is previously recorded.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the prediction processor is to determine whether the viewer will watch the entirety of the media by determining a likelihood that the viewer will fast-forward through the media.

17. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the prediction processor is to determine an order to present the media in relation to other media based on the negative buildup value.

18. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the prediction processor is to determine a percentile rank for the negative buildup value based on a database of negative buildup values.

19. The apparatus of claim 10 further including:

an intensity processor to determine, based on the biometric response, intensity scores for the audience member; and

a synchrony processor to determine synchrony scores based on the biometric response and a biometric response of another audience member, the engagement processor to generate the engagement curve based on the intensity scores and the synchrony scores.