Method and system for using coherence of biological responses as a measure of performance of a media

• US 20080222670A1
• Filed: 05/17/2007
• Published: 09/11/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/07/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nielsen Consumer LLC (Nielsen Holdings plc)
• Original Assignee: Nielsen Company (US) LLC (RR Donnelley & Sons Company)
• Inventors: Lee, Hans C., Hong, Timmie T., Williams, William H., Fettiplace, Michael R.
• Granted Patent: US 8,230,457 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/10
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/026 Measuring blood flow A61B3/1233, A61B3/1241 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/378 Visual stimuli
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6814 Head
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 7/02 of the type wherein the student is expected to construct an answer to the question which is presented or wherein the machine gives an answer to the question presented by a student
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/33 Arrangements for monitoring the users' behaviour or opinions
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/46 for recognising users' preferences
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/252 Processing of multiple end-users' preferences to derive collaborative data
• 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 21/466 Learning process for intelligent management, e.g. learning user preferences for recommending movies services using the results of monitoring in broadcast systems H04H60/61
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6582 Data stored in the client, e.g. viewing habits, hardware capabilities, credit card number arrangements where receivers interact with the broadcast H04H20/38
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

Various embodiments of the present invention create a novel system for rating an event in a media based on the strength of the emotions viewers feel towards the event. The viewer'"'"'s responses to the media can be measured and calculated via physiological sensors. The metric for rating the strength of the media is created based on the mathematical coherence of change (up or down) of all pertinent physiological responses across multiple viewers. Such rating offers an objective ability to compare the strengths of events of the media, as there is a strong correlation between high coherence of physiological responses (all viewers feel the same thing at the same time) and strong ratings of emotionality, engagement, likeability, success in the marketplace/on screen.

Claims

1. A system to support rating a media based on coherence of physiological responses, comprising:

one or more sensors operable to measure physiological data from each of a plurality of viewers watching a plurality of events of the media; and

a coherence module operable to;

derive physiological response based on the physiological data measured from each of the plurality of viewers watching a specific one of the plurality of events;

calculate coherence of the physiological responses to the specific one event from the plurality of viewers; and

rate the specific one event and/or the media based on the coherence of the physiological responses from the plurality of viewers.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the media is one of;

a movie, a video, a television program, a television commercial, an advertisement, a video game, an interactive online media, a print and any other media from which a viewer can learn information or be emotionally impacted.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein:

duration of each of the plurality of events of the media is constant, non-linear, or semi-linear in time.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein:

each of the one or more sensors is one of;

an electroencephalogram, an accelerometer, a blood oxygen sensor, a galvanometer, an electromygraph, and any other physiological sensor.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the physiological data is one or more of;

heart rate, EEG signals, blink rate, breathing, motion.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the physiological response is one or more of;

thought, liking, engagement, immersion, physical engagement, valence, and vigor.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the coherence module is further operable to record the physiological data measured from each of the plurality of viewers of the specific one event.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the coherence module is further operable to remove high or low frequency portions of the physiological data measured based on a duration of the specific one event.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the coherence module is further operable to calculate the coherence of the physiological responses based on standard deviation of the physiological responses and/or standard deviation of a derivative of the physiological responses over the specific one event from the plurality of viewers.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the coherence module is further operable to;

bin the physiological responses to the specific one event from the plurality of viewers into a plurality of predetermined categories based on similarity of the physiological responses; and

calculate the coherence of the physiological responses based on percentage of the physiological responses in each of the plurality of predetermined categories.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein:

the plurality of predetermined categories include one or more of;

very positive, positive, flat, negative, very negative.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein:

the coherence module is further operable to rate the specific one event as high (or low) if most of the physiological responses fall in a single one (or multiple) of the plurality of predetermined categories.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the coherence module is further operable to rate the specific one event as high (or low) if most of the plurality of viewers feel same (or differently) about the event.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the coherence module is further operable to rate the media based on ratings of the plurality of events of the media.

17. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the coherence module is further operable to rate the specific one event and/or the media via one or more of;

absolute score, relative score to a comparable media, and graded score.

18. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the coherence module is further operable to;

group the plurality of viewers by one or more of race, gender, age, demographics, income, habits, and interests; and

associate and/or compare the rating of the specific one event and/or the media according to such grouping of the plurality of viewers.

2. A system to support rating a media based on coherence of physiological responses, comprising:

an integrated sensor headset operable to measure physiological data from each of a plurality of viewers watching a plurality of events of the media; and

a coherence module operable to;

derive physiological response based on the physiological data measured from each of the plurality of viewers watching a specific one of the plurality of events;

calculate coherence of the physiological responses to the specific one event from the plurality of viewers; and

rate the specific one event and/or the media based on the coherence of the physiological responses from the plurality of viewers.

6. The system of claim 2, wherein:

the integrated sensor headset comprises one or more of;

one or more axis accelerometers;

one or more EEG electrodes;

one or more heart rate sensors; and

a processing unit.

19. A method to support rating a media based on coherence of physiological responses, comprising:

measuring physiological data from each of a plurality of viewers watching a plurality of events of the media;

deriving physiological response based on the physiological data measured from each of the plurality of viewers watching a specific one of the plurality of events;

calculating coherence of the physiological responses to the specific one event from the plurality of viewers; and

rating the specific one event and/or the media based on the coherence of the physiological responses from the plurality of viewers.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

recording the physiological data measured from each of the plurality of viewers of the specific one event.

21. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

removing high or low frequency portions of the physiological data measured based on a duration of the specific one event.

22. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

calculating the coherence of the physiological responses based on standard deviation and/or standard deviation of a derivative of the physiological responses of the physiological responses over the specific one event from the plurality of viewers.

23. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

binning the physiological responses to the specific one event from the plurality of viewers into a plurality of predetermined categories based on similarity of the physiological responses; and

calculate the coherence of the physiological responses based on percentage of the physiological responses in each of the plurality of predetermined categories..

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising:

rating the specific one event as high (or low) if most of the physiological responses fall in a single one (or multiple) of the plurality of predetermined categories.

25. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

rating the specific one event as high (or low) if most of the plurality of viewers feel same (or differently) about the specific one event.

26. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

rating the media based on ratings of the plurality of events of the media.

27. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

rating the specific one event and/or the media via on one or more of;

absolute score, relative score to comparable media, and graded score.

28. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

grouping the plurality of viewers by one or more of race, gender, age, demographics, income, habits, and interests; and

associating and/or comparing the rating of the specific one event and/or the media according to such grouping of the plurality of viewers.

29. A machine readable medium having instructions stored thereon that when executed cause a system to:

measure physiological data from each of a plurality of viewers watching a plurality of events of the media;

derive physiological response based on the physiological data measured from each of the plurality of viewers watching a specific one of the plurality of events;

calculate coherence of the physiological responses to the specific one event from the plurality of viewers; and

rate the specific one event and/or the media based on the coherence of the physiological responses from the plurality of viewers.

30. A system to support rating a media based on coherence of physiological responses, comprising:

means for measuring physiological data from each of a plurality of viewers watching a plurality of events of the media;

means for deriving physiological response based on the physiological data measured from each of the plurality of viewers watching a specific one of the plurality of events;

means for calculating coherence of the physiological responses to the specific one event from the plurality of viewers; and

means for rating the specific one event and/or the media based on the coherence of the physiological responses from the plurality of viewers.