METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR IDENTIFYING A USER OF AN ELECTRONIC DEVICE USING BIOELECTRICAL IMPEDANCE

• US 20100094157A1
• Filed: 10/15/2008
• Published: 04/15/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/15/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dish Technologies LLC (Dish Network Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Echostar Technologies LLC (Echostar Corporation)
• Inventors: Kummer, David A.
• Granted Patent: US 9,566,017 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/547
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/053 Measuring electrical impedance or conductance of a portion of the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/117 Identification of persons methods or arrangements for recognising patterns, e.g. fingerprints, G06F18/00, G06V40/00; identification of persons by analysing their voice or speech G10L17/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6825 Hand
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6887 mounted on external non-worn devices, e.g. non-medical devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/32 using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voiceprints
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2149 Restricted operating environment
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/45 for identifying users
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41265 having a remote control device for bidirectional communication between the remote control device and client device unidirectional remote control device H04N21/42204
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4415 using biometric characteristics of the user, e.g. by voice recognition or fingerprint scanning cryptography using biological data H04L9/3231; authentication in networks using biometric H04L63/0861
• 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 21/4668 for recommending content, e.g. movies
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4755 for defining user preferences, e.g. favourite actors or genre retrieval personalisation and generation of user profiles for the retrieval of video data G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306

Abstract

A method for identifying a user of an electronic device is presented. In the method, for each of a plurality of users, a bioelectrical impedance of the user is measured, a value based on the measurement is generated, and the value is associated with information corresponding to the user. A bioelectrical impedance of a current user of the electronic device is also measured, and a value based on this measurement is generated. The value associated with the current user is compared with at least one of the values associated with the plurality of users. In response to the comparison, the electronic device is operated based on the information corresponding to one of the plurality of users in response to the current user interacting with the electronic device if the value associated with the current user indicates the current user is the one of the plurality of users.

Claims

1. A method of identifying a user of an electronic device, the method comprising:

for each of a plurality of users of the electronic device;

measuring a bioelectrical impedance of the user;

generating a value based on the measured bioelectrical impedance of the user; and

associating the value with information corresponding to the user;

measuring a bioelectrical impedance of a current user of the electronic device;

generating a value based on the measured bioelectrical impedance of the current user;

comparing the value associated with the current user with at least one of the values associated with the plurality of users; and

in response to the comparison, operating the electronic device based on the information corresponding to one of the plurality of users in response to the current user interacting with the electronic device if the value associated with the current user indicates the current user is the one of the plurality of users.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

measuring the bioelectrical impedance of the user comprises measuring a resistance of the user.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein:

measuring the bioelectrical impedance of the user comprises measuring a reactance of the user.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein:

measuring the bioelectrical impedance of the user comprises measuring a bioelectrical impedance across two locations on a hand of the user.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the electronic device comprises a media content receiver.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein:

the information corresponding to the user comprises a favorite channels list associated with the user.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein:

the information corresponding to the user comprises programming recommendations for the user.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein:

the information corresponding to the user comprises parental control information associated with the user.

9. The method of claim 5, wherein:

the information corresponding to the user comprises purchase information associated with the user.

10. The method of claim 5, wherein:

the information corresponding to the user comprises peer group information associated with the user.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the value associated with the current user indicates the current user is the one of the plurality of users if the value associated with the current user is within one of a predetermined difference and a predetermined percentage of the value of the one of the plurality of users.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the value associated with the current user indicates that the current user is the one of the plurality of users if the value associated with the current user is closer to the value associated with the one of the plurality of users than to the value associated with any other one of the plurality of users.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

if the value associated with the current user indicates that the current user is the one of the plurality of users, replacing the value associated with the one of the plurality of users with the value associated with the current user.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

re-measuring the bioelectrical impedance of the user if the value associated with the user resides outside a predetermined range.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

re-measuring the bioelectrical impedance of the current user if the value associated with the current user resides outside a range associated with the values associated with the plurality of users.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving an indication from the current user that the current user is not one of the plurality of users; and

in response to receiving the indication, associating the value associated with the current user with information corresponding to the current user.

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

in response to the comparison, operating the electronic device based on default information in response to the current user interacting with the electronic device if the value associated with the current user indicates the current user is not the one of the plurality of users.

18. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

in response to the comparison, associating the value associated with the current user with information corresponding to the current user if the value associated with the current user indicates the current user is not the one of the plurality of users.

19. An electronic device, comprising:

a memory;

a communication interface configured to receive values based on measured bioelectrical impedances of users of the electronic device, and to receive user commands for the electronic device; and

control logic configured to;

for each of a plurality of users;

receive a value based on a measured bioelectrical impedance of the user from the communication interface; and

associate the value with information stored in the memory corresponding to the user;

receive a value based on a measured bioelectrical impedance of a current user from the communication interface;

comparing the value associated with the current user with at least one of the values associated with the plurality of users; and

in response to the comparison, control the operation the electronic device based on the information corresponding to one of the plurality of users in response to user commands initiated by the current user if the value associated with the current user indicates the current user is the one of the plurality of users.

20. The electronic device of claim 19, further comprising:

a content input interface configured to receive media content; and

a content output interface configured to present the received media content to a user;

wherein the control logic is further configured to control the content input interface and the content output interface based on the information corresponding to the current user when the current user is interacting with the electronic device.

21. The electronic device of claim 20, wherein:

the information corresponding to the current user comprises at least one of a favorite channels list associated with the current user, programming recommendations for the current user, parental control information associated with the current user, purchase information associated with the current user, and peer group information associated with the current user.

22. A remote control device, comprising:

a user contact interface configured to provide physical contact with a user;

a user command interface configured to receive user commands for an electronic device associated with the remote control device;

control circuitry configured to receive the user commands, measure a bioelectrical impedance of the user through the user contact interface, and generate a value based on the measured bioelectrical impedance; and

a transmitter configured to transmit the user commands and the value based on the measured bioelectrical impedance to the electronic device.

23. The remote control device of claim 22, wherein the control circuitry comprises:

a current source configured to generate an electrical current through the user via the user contact interface; and

an impedance monitor configured to measure the bioelectrical impedance of the user via the user contact interface during the generation of the electrical current.

24. The remote control device of claim 23, wherein:

the current source comprises a direct current source; and

the impedance monitor is configured to measure a resistance of the user during the generation of the electrical current.

25. The remote control device of claim 23, wherein:

the current source comprises an alternating current source; and

the impedance monitor is configured to measure a reactance of the user during the generation of the electrical current.