Methods and systems for compliance confirmation and incentives

• US 10,387,618 B2
• Filed: 10/21/2016
• Issued: 08/20/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 07/12/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Nielsen Company LLC (MOOD Media Corporation)
• Original Assignee: The Nielsen Company LLC (MOOD Media Corporation)
• Inventors: Neuhauser, Alan R., Crystal, Jack C., Zhang, Jack K., Flanagan, III, Eugene L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Fairchild, Mallika D
• Assistant Examiner(s): Jian, Shirley X
• Application Number:
  US15/331,510
• Publication Number:
  US 20170039337A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,033 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2503/12 Healthy persons not otherwise provided for, e.g. subjects of a marketing survey
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 3/1216 for diagnostics of the iris
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 3/14 Arrangements specially adapted for eye photography apparatus or arrangements for taking photographs per se G03B
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0077 Devices for viewing the surface of the body, e.g. camera, magnifying lens
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0205 Simultaneously evaluating both cardiovascular conditions and different types of body conditions, e.g. heart and respiratory condition
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02438 with portable devices, e.g. worn by the patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0816 Measuring devices for examining respiratory frequency measuring frequency of electric signals G01R23/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1172 using fingerprinting
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1176 Recognition of faces
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4833 Assessment of subject's compliance to treatment
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/489 Blood vessels
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6898 Portable consumer electronic devices, e.g. music players, telephones, tablet computers
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 7/003 Detecting lung or respiration noise
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 7/008 Detecting noise of gastric tract, e.g. caused by voiding
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 7/02 Stethoscopes acoustic details thereof G10K11/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/00 Administration; Management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/101 Collaborative creation, e.g. joint development of products or services
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/322 Aspects of commerce using mobile devices [M-devices]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/018 Certifying business or products
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0201 Market modelling; Market analysis; Collecting market data
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0203 : Market surveys; Market polls
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0226 : Incentive systems for frequent usage, e.g. frequent flyer miles programs or point systems
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/60 : for patient-specific data, e.g. for electronic patient records
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 30/20 : for handling medical images, e.g. DICOM, HL7 or PACS
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/20 : for the management or administration of healthcare resources or facilities, e.g. managing hospital staff or surgery rooms
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 : for local operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 : for remote operation

Abstract

Example methods, apparatus, and articles of manufacture for monitoring use of a research device is disclosed. The disclosed example includes producing monitored data by monitoring at least one of the user'"'"'s heart activity, the user'"'"'s breathing activity, the user'"'"'s borborygmus (gastrointestinal noise), the user'"'"'s vascular pattern, the user'"'"'s facial and/or ear patterns, the user'"'"'s fingerprint and/or handprint, and the user'"'"'s retinal and/or iris pattern, and determining the user'"'"'s compliance with a predetermined criterion for use of the portable research device based on the monitored data.

Claims

1. A system for monitoring use by a user of a portable research device, comprising:

a monitor for producing monitored data by monitoring at least one of the user'"'"'s heart activity, the user'"'"'s breathing activity, the user'"'"'s borborygmus (gastrointestinal noise), the user'"'"'s vascular pattern, the user'"'"'s facial and/or ear patterns, the user'"'"'s fingerprint and/or handprint, and the user'"'"'s retinal and/or iris pattern; and

a processor communicatively coupled with the portable research device and coupled with the monitor to;

receive the monitored data;

determine at least one of a first level, a second level, or a third level of the user'"'"'s compliance with use of the portable research device based on i) the monitored data and ii) the user'"'"'s compliance with a predetermined criterion; and

based on determining that the user'"'"'s compliance is associated with the first level, obtain, from the portable research device, research data indicative of exposure of the portable research device to media.

2. The system of claim 1, further including:

an audio sensor for monitoring at least one of the user'"'"'s heart activity, the user'"'"'s breathing activity, and the user'"'"'s borborygmus.

3. The system of claim 1, further including:

an image sensor for monitoring at least one of the user'"'"'s vascular pattern, the user'"'"'s facial and/or ear patterns, the user'"'"'s fingerprint and/or handprint, and the user'"'"'s retinal and/or iris pattern.

4. The system of claim 3, where the image sensor is separate from the portable research device.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the predetermined criterion includes at least one of the presence of a user detected, a function of the portable research device is activated by the user, the portable research device is in a powered on state, the portable research device has a power level that exceeds a threshold power level, the portable research device has been connected to a docking station within a predetermined time period, the portable research device has been connected to a docking station and for a predetermined time period.

6. The system of claim 1, further including providing a reward to the user when the use of the portable research device by the user meets a predetermined use level.

7. The system of claim 1, further including determining that the use of the portable research device by the user is in accordance with the predetermined criterion when the monitoring data includes at least one of the user'"'"'s heart activity, the user'"'"'s breathing activity, and the user'"'"'s borborygmus (gastrointestinal noise).

8. A method of monitoring use by a user of a portable research device, comprising:

producing, via a monitor, monitored data by monitoring at least one of the user'"'"'s heart activity, the user'"'"'s breathing activity, the user'"'"'s borborygmus (gastrointestinal noise), the user'"'"'s vascular pattern, the user'"'"'s facial and/or ear patterns, the user'"'"'s fingerprint and/or handprint, and the user'"'"'s retinal and/or iris pattern;

determining, via a processor communicatively coupled with the portable research device and coupled with the monitor, at least one of a first level, a second level, or a third level of the user'"'"'s compliance with use of the portable research device based on i) the monitored data and ii) the user'"'"'s compliance with a predetermined criterion; and

based on determining that the user'"'"'s compliance is associated with the first level, obtaining, from the portable research device, research data indicative of exposure of the portable research device to media.

9. The method of claim 8, further including determining that the use of the portable research device by the user is in accordance with the predetermined criterion when the monitoring data includes at least one of the user'"'"'s heart activity, the user'"'"'s breathing activity, and the user'"'"'s borborygmus (gastrointestinal noise).

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the predetermined criterion includes at least one of the presence of a user detected, a function of the portable research device is activated by the user, the portable research device is in a powered on state, the portable research device has a power level that exceeds a threshold power level, the portable research device has been connected to a docking station within a predetermined time period, the portable research device has been connected to a docking station and for a predetermined time period.

11. The method of claim 8, further including providing a reward to the user when the use of the portable research device by the user meets a predetermined use level.

12. The method of claim 8, including producing the monitored data by monitoring the user'"'"'s heart activity.

13. The method of claim 8, including producing the monitored data by monitoring the user'"'"'s breathing activity.

14. The method of claim 8, including producing the monitored data by monitoring the user'"'"'s borborygmus.

15. A machine readable hardware storage device comprising instructions that, when executed, cause a machine, communicatively coupled with a portable research device, to at least:

produce, via a monitor coupled with the machine, monitored data by monitoring at least one of a user'"'"'s heart activity, the user'"'"'s breathing activity, the user'"'"'s borborygmus (gastrointestinal noise), the user'"'"'s gait, the user'"'"'s data input to the portable research device, the user'"'"'s keyboard usage characteristics, the user'"'"'s vascular pattern, the user'"'"'s facial and/or ear patterns, the user'"'"'s signature, the user'"'"'s fingerprint and/or handprint, the user'"'"'s hand geometry, the user'"'"'s retinal and/or iris pattern, the user'"'"'s airborne biochemical indicators, the user'"'"'s muscular activity, and an impact of a portable research device with another object;

determine at least one of a first level, a second level, or a third level of compliance with use of the portable research device by the user based on i) the monitored data and ii) the user'"'"'s compliance with at least one predetermined criterion; and

based on determining that the user'"'"'s compliance is associated with the first level, obtain, from the portable research device, research data indicative of exposure of the portable research device to media.

16. A machine readable hardware storage device of claim 15, further including determining that the use of the portable research device by the user is in accordance with the predetermined criterion when the monitoring data includes at least one of the user'"'"'s heart activity, the user'"'"'s breathing activity, and the user'"'"'s borborygmus (gastrointestinal noise).

17. A machine readable hardware storage device of claim 15, wherein the predetermined criterion includes at least one of the presence of a user detected, a function of the portable research device is activated by the user, the portable research device is in a powered on state, the portable research device has a power level that exceeds a threshold power level, the portable research device has been connected to a docking station within a predetermined time period, the portable research device has been connected to a docking station and for a predetermined time period.

18. A machine readable hardware storage device of claim 15, further including providing a reward to the user when the use of the portable research device by the user meets a predetermined use level.

19. A machine readable hardware storage device of claim 15, including producing the monitored data by monitoring the user'"'"'s heart activity.

20. A machine readable hardware storage device of claim 15, including producing the monitored data by monitoring the user'"'"'s breathing activity.