NEURO-PHYSIOLOGY AND NEURO-BEHAVIORAL BASED STIMULUS TARGETING SYSTEM

• US 20090327068A1
• Filed: 05/16/2008
• Published: 12/31/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/16/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nielsen Consumer LLC (Nielsen Holdings plc)
• Original Assignee: NeuroFocus Inc. (Nielsen Holdings plc)
• Inventors: Pradeep, Anantha, Knight, Robert T., Gurumoorthy, Ramachandran
• Granted Patent: US 8,392,253 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14.43
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0533 Measuring galvanic skin response
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1176 Recognition of faces
• 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 5/318 Heart-related electrical modalities, e.g. electrocardiography [ECG]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/369 Electroencephalography [EEG] devices for psychotechnics A61B5/16
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/398 Electrooculography [EOG], e.g. detecting nystagmus; Electroretinography [ERG]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4017 Evaluating sense of taste
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4035 Evaluating the autonomic nervous system
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0637 Strategic management or analysis, e.g. setting a goal or target of an organisation; Planning actions based on goals; Analysis or evaluation of effectiveness of goals
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0242 Determining effectiveness of advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0244 Optimization
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0269 based on user profile or attribute
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0271 Personalized advertisement
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/20 for electronic clinical trials or questionnaires

Abstract

A system performs stimulus targeting using neuro-physiological and neuro-behavioral data. Subjects are exposed to stimulus material such as marketing and entertainment materials and data is collected using mechanisms such as Electroencephalography (EEG), Galvanic Skin Response (GSR), Electrocardiograms (EKG), Electrooculography (EOG), eye tracking, and facial emotion encoding. Neuro-physiological and neuro-behavioral data collected is analyzed to select targeted stimulus materials. The targeted stimulus materials are provided to particular subjects for a variety of purposes.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a plurality of modalities operable to obtain neuro-physiological and neuro-behavioral data from a subject exposed to stimulus material;

a processor operable to analyze the neuro-physiological and neuro-behavioral data from the subject exposed to stimulus material to determine an integrated response to the stimulus material, wherein the targeted stimulus material is automatically identified using stimulus material attributes, targeted stimulus material attributes, and the integrated response.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein neuro-physiological and neuro-behavioral data includes central nervous system and autonomic nervous system data.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein neuro-physiological and neuro-behavioral data includes central nervous system and effector data.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein neuro-physiological and neuro-behavioral measurements including attention, emotion, and memory retention are used to determine the integrated response.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the stimulus material is a first media channel and the targeted stimulus material is a second media channel.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the stimulus material is an electronic game having default levels and choices and the targeted stimulus material is the electronic game having custom levels and choices.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the stimulus material is a media stream having a default message and the targeted stimulus material is the media stream having a personalized message.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein data is analyzed using a cross-modality response synthesizer operable to analyze neuro-physiological and neuro-behavioral data from the plurality of modalities.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein neuro-physiological and neuro-behavioral data from a first modality is aligned and combined with neuro-physiological and neuro-behavioral data from a second modality.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein aligning neuro-physiological and neuro-behavioral data from a first modality with neuro-physiological and neuro-behavioral data from a second modality comprises time and phase shifting.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the plurality of modalities include Electroencephalography (EEG), Electrooculography (EOG), and Galvanic Skin Response (GSR).

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the stimulus material is marketing or entertainment material.

13. A method, comprising:

obtaining neuro-physiological and neuro-behavioral data from a subject exposed to stimulus material, the neuro-physiological and neuro-behavioral data obtained using a plurality of modalities;

analyzing the neuro-physiological and neuro-behavioral data from the subject exposed to stimulus material to determine an integrated response to the stimulus material;

identifying targeted stimulus material automatically using stimulus material attributes, targeted stimulus material attributes, and the integrated response.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein neuro-physiological and neuro-behavioral data includes central nervous system and autonomic nervous system data.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein neuro-physiological and neuro-behavioral data includes central nervous system and effector data.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein neuro-physiological and neuro-behavioral measurements including attention, emotion, and memory retention are used to determine the integrated response.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein the stimulus material is a first media channel and the targeted stimulus material is a second media channel.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein the stimulus material is an electronic game having default levels and choices and the targeted stimulus material is the electronic game having custom levels and choices.

19. The method of claim 13, wherein the stimulus material is a media stream having a default message and the targeted stimulus material is the media stream having a personalized message.

20. The method of claim 13, wherein neuro-physiological and neuro-behavioral data is analyzed using a cross-modality response synthesizer.

21. A apparatus, comprising:

means for obtaining neuro-physiological and neuro-behavioral data from a subject exposed to stimulus material, the neuro-physiological and neuro-behavioral data obtained using a plurality of modalities;

means for analyzing the neuro-physiological and neuro-behavioral data from the subject exposed to stimulus material to determine an integrated response to the stimulus material;

means for identifying targeted stimulus material automatically using stimulus material attributes, targeted stimulus material attributes, and the integrated response.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein neuro-physiological and neuro-behavioral data includes central nervous system and autonomic nervous system data.

23. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein neuro-physiological and neuro-behavioral data includes central nervous system and effector data.