Determination of emotional and physiological states of a recipient of a communicaiton

• US 20040147814A1
• Filed: 01/27/2003
• Published: 07/29/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 01/27/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola Mobility, Inc. (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Inventors: Douros, Kenneth, Balakrishnan, Sreeram, Gardner, Robert, Zancho, William, Ranganathan, Sowmyan
• Granted Patent: US 7,874,983 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/300
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0022 Monitoring a patient using a global network, e.g. telephone networks, internet
• 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 5/165 Evaluating the state of mind, e.g. depression, anxiety
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 17/26 Recognition of special voice characteristics, e.g. for use in lie detectors; Recognition of animal voices
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 19/04 the ringing-current being generated at the substations
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 128/92 Computer assisted medical diagnostics

Abstract

A communication device capable of determining an emotional or physiological state of a user of the device includes an input device that provides a signal indicative of one of an emotional and a physiological state of a user of the device. A controller receives the signal from the input device and interprets the signal into state data identifying one of an emotional and a physiological state of a user of the device. The device makes the state data available to be downloaded such that a device sending a communication can appropriately adapt its communication method and transport mode of user interface to suit the recipient'"'"'s condition.

Claims

1. A communication device capable of determining emotional and physiological states of a user of the device, the device comprising:

a storage buffer;

an input device that provides a signal indicative of one of an emotional and a physiological state of a user of the device; and

a controller coupled to the storage buffer and the input device, the controller receives the signal from the input device, interprets the signal into state data identifying one of an emotional and a physiological state of a user of the device, stores the state data in the buffer, and makes the state data available to be downloaded.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the controller acts autonomously to obtain the state data.

3. The device of claim 1, further comprising a memory coupled to the controller, the memory having a table of possible input device signals and emotional and physiological state data corresponding thereto, wherein the controller maps the signal to the table to identify the corresponding emotional or physiological state.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the input device includes a user interface of the device, wherein the user of the device can define communication preferences.

5. The device of claim 1, further comprising a second communication device, whereupon before communicating with the communication device the second communication device can obtain the state data from the communication device and adapt communications with the communication device accordingly.

6. The device of claim 5, wherein the controller can interpolate emotional and physiological state data.

7. The device of claim 5, wherein the second communication device includes a learning mode, wherein the second communication device adapts its communication to the communication device to match previous communications with the communication device.

8. The device of claim 5, wherein the second communication device includes a group call mode for members of the group having a communication device capable of determining an emotional or physiological state of the member, wherein the second communication device can display a visual indicator for each member in the group demonstrating their emotional or physiological state.

9. The device of claim 5, wherein the second communication device adapts information by changing an interface mode of the communication.

10. The device of claim 1, wherein the input device dynamically monitors the state of the user, and the input device monitors one or more of the group of a biological process of the recipient, an environment of the recipient, and a context of the recipient.

11. A system for determination of emotional and physiological states of a recipient of a communication, the system comprising:

a sending communication device, the sending communication device capable of adapting an outgoing communication in accordance with emotional and physiological state data of an intended recipient;

a receiving communication device, the receiving communication device capable of relating determined emotional and physiological state data to the sending communication device; and

at least one communication protocol between the sending and receiving communication devices, the sending communication device capable of changing protocols.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the receiving communication device comprises:

a storage buffer;

an input device that provides a signal indicative of one of an emotional and a physiological state of a user of the device;

a memory having a table of possible input device signals and emotional and physiological state data corresponding thereto; and

a controller coupled to the storage buffer, memory and the input device, the controller receives the signal from the input device, maps the signal to the table to identify the corresponding emotional or physiological state of a user of the device, stores the state data in the buffer, and makes the state data available to be downloaded by the sending communication device.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the receiving communication device can allow the recipient to define communication preferences.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the sending communication device includes a group call mode for other recipients having a receiving communication device capable of determining an emotional or physiological state of the member, wherein the sending communication device can display a visual indicator for each member in the group demonstrating their emotional or physiological state.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the sending communication device adapts information by one or more of the group of changing the format of the communication, changing the communication path, changing the communication protocol, delaying the communication, and storing the communication.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the receiving communication device dynamically monitors one or more of the group of a biosensor, an environmental monitor, a voice analyzer, a pressure sensor, an optical analyzer, and a download of a workload schedule of the user.

17. A method for determining emotional and physiological states of a recipient of a communication, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a signal indicative of one of an emotional and a physiological state of the recipient;

interpreting the signal into state data identifying one of an emotional and a physiological state of the recipient;

storing the state data; and

making the state data available to be downloaded.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the interpreting step includes mapping the signal to a table identifying the corresponding emotional or physiological state.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the providing step includes defining communication preferences.

20. The method of claim 17, further comprising the steps of:

obtaining the state data by a sender of the communication; and

adapting communications by the sender accordingly.

21. The method of claim 17, further comprising the step of interpolating emotional and physiological state data.

22. The method of claim 17, further comprising the step of learning to match a mode of communication with previous communications associated with particular state data.

23. The method of claim 17, wherein the adapting step includes changing an interface mode of the communication.

24. The method of claim 17, wherein the providing step includes dynamically monitoring one or more of the group of a biological process of the recipient, an environment of the recipient, and a context of the recipient.