Micro-impulse radar detection of a human demographic and delivery of targeted media content

• US 20110166940A1
• Filed: 01/05/2010
• Published: 07/07/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/05/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Deep Science LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Searete LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Ishikawa, Muriel Y., Myhrvold, Nathan P., Tegreene, Clarence T., Jung, Edward K.Y., Wood, Lowell L. JR., Hyde, Roderick A., Kare, Jordin T., Sweeney, Elizabeth A., Tuckerman, David B., Wood, Victoria Y.H., Bangera, Mahalaxmi Gita, Leuthardt, Eric C.
• Application Number:
  US12/655,808
• Publication Number:
  US 20110166940A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14.66
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1102 Ballistocardiography
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/113 occurring during breathing
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/04 Systems determining presence of a target based on relative movement of target G01S13/56
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 13/88 Radar or analogous systems specially adapted for specific applications electromagnetic prospecting or detecting of objects, e.g. near-field detection, G01V3/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/412 based on a comparison between measured values and known or stored values
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/415 Identification of targets based on measurements of movement associated with the target
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0269 based on user profile or attribute
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/45 for identifying users

Abstract

A micro-impulse radar (MIR) may be configured to provide information about at least one person in a region. A media output device may be driven responsive to the information to output media content to the at least one person.

Claims

1. A system for delivering media content to one or more target demographics, comprising:

an output port configured to drive a media output device;

a media source configured to provide media content targeted at one or more human demographics;

micro-impulse radar configured to output micro-impulse radar data corresponding to persons in a region proximate to the output device; and

an electronic controller operatively coupled to the output device, the media source, and the micro-impulse radar, and configured to determine if the micro-impulse radar data corresponds to one or more persons meeting the one or more demographics, and if a person in the region meets at least one demographic, drive the signal output to output the at least one media content targeted at the demographic.

2. The system for delivering media content to one or more target demographics of claim 1, wherein the micro-impulse radar is configured to deliver demographic data to the electronic controller.

3. The system for delivering media content to one or more target demographics of claim 1, wherein the electronic controller is configured to perform signal analysis to determine at least one demographic of the person in the region.

4. The system for delivering media content to one or more target demographics of claim 3, wherein the electronic controller is further configured to determine physiological information from the micro-impulse radar data, and where the at least one demographic includes a physiological parameter.

5. The system for delivering media content to one or more target demographics of claim 1, wherein the media content is provided as one or more media files, one or more media streams, or one or more media files and one or more media streams.

6. The system for delivering media content to one or more target demographics of claim 1, wherein the micro-impulse radar is configured to perform signal analysis to determine one or more demographics of one or more persons in the region and provide demographic data to the electronic controller.

7. The system for delivering media content to one or more target demographics of claim 1, wherein the at least one demographic includes at least one physiological parameter.

8. The system for delivering media content to one or more target demographics of claim 1, wherein at least one demographic is determined from at least one of a size of a person, a shape of a person, density of a person, detectable ornamentation associated with a person, detectable clothing worn by a person, a heart rate, a heart arrhythmia, a heart size, a respiration rate, a respiration irregularity, a diaphragm motion, a diaphragm spasm, body movements, posture, a head-to-body size ratio, a detectable health, an in utero fetus, a prosthesis, a person appliance, a number of persons in the region, accompaniment by at least one child, location of one or more persons in the region;

proximity of two or more persons in the region to one another, orientation of one or more persons in the region relative to a media output device, direction of motion, speed of motion, location of one or more persons relative to the media output device, presence of obstructions between one or more persons and the media output device, residence time of person within the region, or accompaniment by at least one animal.

9. The system for delivering media content to one or more target demographics of claim 1, wherein the electronic controller includes media selection logic responsive to a number of persons in the region.

10. The system for delivering media content to one or more target demographics of claim 1, wherein the electronic controller includes media selection logic responsive to persons meeting a plurality of demographics in the region.

11. The system for delivering media content to one or more target demographics of claim 1, wherein the electronic controller includes media selection logic responsive to a number of persons meeting the target demographic in the region.

12. The system for delivering media content to one or more target demographics of claim 1, wherein the electronic controller includes media selection logic configured to select for output one or more media files or streams from a plurality of media files or streams corresponding to the target demographic.

13. The system for delivering media content to one or more target demographics of claim 12, wherein the selection logic is configured to select the one or more media files or streams from the plurality of media files or streams according to one or more of a demographic score, a randomizer, a circular buffer, a contractual obligation, or an output interval.

14. The system for delivering media content to one or more target demographics of claim 1, wherein the one or more demographics includes at least one of a grouping of persons having a similar trait, a grouping of persons not having a similar trait, a plurality of groupings of persons having similar respective traits, a plurality of groupings of persons not having the similar respective traits, or one or more groupings of persons having similar traits and not having other similar traits.

15. The system for delivering media content to one or more target demographics of claim 1, wherein the electronic controller is configured to determine at least one of a time, a day, a date, a temperature, a humidity, a location, an ambient sound level, or an ambient light level;

and

wherein the electronic controller includes media file selection logic responsive to at least one of the time, the day, the date, the temperature, the humidity, the location, the ambient sound level, or the ambient light level.

16. The system for delivering media content to one or more target demographics of claim 1, wherein the electronic controller is configured to read a metadata file including target demographic metadata corresponding to available media content and select media content responsive to a match between the metadata and the determined demographic.

17. The system for delivering media content to one or more target demographics of claim 1, wherein available media content is held in a plurality of media files or streams;

and

wherein the electronic controller is configured to select a media file or stream by comparing metadata embedded in media file headers or packet headers.

18. The system for delivering media content to one or more target demographics of claim 1, wherein the media source includes a computer storage medium configured to hold a plurality of media files.

19. The system for delivering media content to one or more target demographics of claim 1, wherein the electronic controller is configured to compare the demographic of the at least one person in the region to demographic information embedded in a media file, and select the media file if the demographic matches the embedded demographic information.

20. The system for delivering media content to one or more target demographics of claim 1, wherein the electronic controller is configured to determine the demographic of the at least one person in the region and prohibit selection of one or more media files or streams responsive to the determined demographic.

21. The system for delivering media content to one or more target demographics of claim 1, wherein the media source includes a network interface configured to receive a plurality of media channels.

22. The system for delivering media content to one or more target demographics of claim 21, wherein the electronic controller is configured to subscribe to a multicast media channel corresponding to a least one demographic met by the at least one person.

23. The system for delivering media content to one or more target demographics of claim 1, wherein the media content includes an advertisement, entertainment, news, software, data, or information.

24. The system for delivering media content to one or more target demographics of claim 1, wherein the electronic controller is further configured to record demographics and output media content.

25. The system for delivering media content to one or more target demographics of claim 1, wherein the electronic controller includes media file selection logic responsive to an orientation relative to the output device of one or more persons meeting the demographic.

26. The system for delivering media content to one or more target demographics of claim 1, wherein the signal output is configured to couple to a plurality of output channels;

and

wherein the electronic controller is configured to select an output channel responsive to at least one of orientation or location of at least one person in the region.

27. The system for delivering media content to one or more target demographics of claim 26, wherein the output channels include at least one video output channel and at least one audio output channel.

28. The system for delivering media content to one or more target demographics of claim 1, further comprising:

an output device including a video display.

29. The system for delivering media content to one or more target demographics of claim 1, further comprising:

an output device including an audio player.

30. The system for delivering media content to one or more target demographics of claim 1, wherein the electronic controller is configured to control an output device attribute responsive to at least one of orientation or location.

31. The system for delivering media content to one or more target demographics of claim 30, wherein the output device attribute includes at least one of video resolution, video magnification, video color, video brightness, video sharpness, audio volume, audio channel separation, or audio compression.

32. The system for delivering media content to one or more target demographics of claim 1, wherein the electronic controller is configured to select media content for output as a function of a time history of micro-impulse radar data.

33. The system for delivering media content to one or more target demographics of claim 1, wherein the micro-impulse radar includes a single receive antenna.

34. The system for delivering media content to one or more demographics of claim 1, wherein the micro-impulse radar includes a plurality of transmit antennas, a plurality of receive antennas, or a plurality of transmit and receive antennas.

35. The system for delivering media content to one or more demographics of claim 1, wherein micro-impulse radar includes a plurality of antennas configured to interrogate the region from a plurality of orientations.

36. The system for delivering media content to one or more demographics of claim 35, wherein the demographic data is determined from a plurality of orientations corresponding to a plurality of antennas.

37. The system for delivering media content to one or more demographics of claim 1, wherein the demographic data is determined from a plurality of ranges of data provided by the micro-impulse radar.

38. The system for delivering media content to one or more demographics of claim 1, wherein the micro-impulse radar includes:

a pulse generator configured to generate electromagnetic pulses;

a transmit antenna operatively coupled to the pulse generator and configured to output micro-impulse radar probe pulses into the region;

at least one receive antenna, separate or combined with the transmit antenna, configured to receive scattered signals from the probe pulses;

at least one receiver operatively coupled to the at least one receive antenna; and

a signal processor configured to receive probe signals from the at least one receiver and generate micro-impulse radar data corresponding to the one or more persons in the region.

39. The system for delivering media content to one or more demographics of claim 1, wherein the micro-impulse radar data corresponds to one or more of spatial information, time-domain motion information, and frequency domain information.

40. The system for delivering media content to one or more demographics of claim 1, wherein the micro-impulse radar data includes data in the form of an image.

41. The system for delivering media content to one or more demographics of claim 40, wherein the micro-impulse radar data in the form of an image corresponds to one or more of a surface slice made of pixels, a volume made of voxels, or vector information.

42. A method for delivering media content to at least one person corresponding to a target demographic, comprising:

probing a region with a micro-impulse radar;

receiving scattered micro-impulse radar radiation from the region with a receiver;

generating micro-impulse radar data from the received scattered micro-impulse radar radiation;

determining from the micro-impulse radar data a probability of the region including one or more persons corresponding to a target demographic; and

outputting human perceptible media content to the region if the probability is equal to or greater than a predetermined value.

43. The method for delivering media content to at least one person corresponding to a target demographic of claim 42, wherein probing the region with a micro-impulse radar includes probing the region with a series of micro impulses.

44. The method for delivering media content to at least one person corresponding to a target demographic of claim 42, wherein the micro-impulse radar data includes a micro-impulse radar image.

45. The method for delivering media content to at least one person corresponding to a target demographic of claim 44, wherein the micro-impulse radar image includes a planar image including pixels, a volumetric image including voxels, or a vector image.

46. The method for delivering media content to at least one person corresponding to a target demographic of claim 42, wherein the human-perceptible media content includes an advertisement, entertainment, news, data, software, or information.

47. The method for delivering media content to at least one person corresponding to a target demographic of claim 42, further comprising:

charging to a media content provider a fee corresponding to a number of persons meeting the demographic to which the media content is played.

48. The method for delivering media content to at least one person corresponding to a target demographic of claim 42, wherein determining from the micro-impulse radar data a probability of the region including one or more persons corresponding to the target demographic includes determining at least one physiological parameter.

49. The method for delivering media content to at least one person corresponding to a target demographic of claim 42, wherein determining from the micro-impulse radar data a probability of the region including one or more persons having the target demographic further comprises:

determining from the micro-impulse radar data at least one of a size of a person, a shape of a person, density of a person, detectable ornamentation associated with a person, detectable clothing worn by a person, a heart rate, a heart arrhythmia, a heart size, a respiration rate, a respiration irregularity, a diaphragm motion, a diaphragm spasm, body movements, posture, a head-to-body size ratio, a detectable health, an in utero fetus, a prosthesis, a personal appliance, a number of persons in the region, accompaniment by at least one child, location of one or more persons in the region;

proximity of two or more persons in the region to one another, orientation of one or more persons in the region relative to a media output device, location of one or more persons in the region relative to the media output device, direction of motion, speed of motion, presence of obstructions between one or more persons and the media output device, residence time of a person within the region, or accompaniment by at least one animal.

50. The method for delivering media content to at least one person corresponding to a target demographic of claim 42, wherein the demographic includes at least one of gender, age group, detectable health, hunger, child caregiver, or animal owner.

51. The method for delivering media content to at least one person corresponding to a target demographic of claim 42, wherein outputting human-perceptible media content includes driving a video display including a display screen or a portable video player.

52. The method for delivering media content to at least one person corresponding to a target demographic of claim 42, wherein outputting human-perceptible media content includes driving an audio player including driving a speaker or a portable audio player.

53. The method for delivering media content to at least one person corresponding to a target demographic of claim 42, wherein the target demographic includes a plurality of target demographics;

and further comprising;

selecting at least one of a plurality of media contents responsive to determining a probability of a particular target demographic.

54. The method for delivering media content to at least one person corresponding to a target demographic of claim 53, wherein selecting at least one of a plurality of media contents includes selecting at least one media file from a computer storage medium.

55. The method for delivering media content to at least one person corresponding to a target demographic of claim 53, wherein selecting at least one of a plurality of media contents includes selecting at least one of a plurality of media channels cumulatively or selectively received by a network interface.

56. The method for delivering media content to at least one person corresponding to a target demographic of claim 42, further comprising:

selecting media content responsive to a number of persons in the region.

57. The method for delivering media content to at least one person corresponding to a target demographic of claim 42, further comprising:

selecting media content responsive to a plurality of demographics corresponding to persons in the region.

58. The method for delivering media content to at least one person corresponding to a target demographic of claim 42, further comprising:

selecting media content responsive to at least one of a time, a day, a date, a temperature, a humidity, a location, an ambient sound level, or an ambient light level.

59. The method for delivering media content to at least one person corresponding to a target demographic of claim 42, further comprising:

reading a metadata file including target demographic metadata corresponding to available media content; and

selecting media content responsive to a match between the metadata and the determined target demographic.

60. The method for delivering media content to at least one person corresponding to a target demographic of claim 42, wherein available media content is held in a plurality of media files or streams;

and further comprising;

comparing metadata embedded in media file headers or packet headers to the determined demographic; and

selecting a media file or media stream responsive to a match between the metadata and the determined target demographic.

61. The method for delivering media content to at least one person corresponding to a target demographic of claim 42, further comprising:

subscribing to a multicast media channel to receive media content corresponding to a least one demographic met by the at least one person.

62. The method for delivering media content to at least one person corresponding to a target demographic of claim 42, further comprising:

determining from the micro-impulse radar data a location or orientation of one or more persons in the region; and

wherein media content selection includes selecting media content responsive to the orientation or location of the one or more persons.

63. The method for delivering media content to at least one person corresponding to a target demographic of claim 42, further comprising:

determining from the micro-impulse radar data a location or orientation of one or more persons relative to at least one perceptible media content output device.

64. The method for delivering media content to at least one person corresponding to a target demographic of claim 63, further comprising:

selecting at least one media content output device for outputting the media content responsive to the orientation or location of at least one person relative to the media content output device.

65. The method for delivering media content to at least one person corresponding to a target demographic of claim 63, further comprising:

controlling an output device attribute responsive to at least one of orientation or location.

66. The method for delivering media content to at least one person corresponding to a target demographic of claim 65, wherein controlling an output device attribute includes controlling at least one of video resolution, video magnification, video color, video brightness, video sharpness, audio volume, audio channel separation, or audio compression.

67. The method for delivering media content to at least one person corresponding to a target demographic of claim 42, wherein outputting human-perceptible media content includes outputting signage, outputting a signal, outputting audio, outputting video, or outputting audio/video content.

68. The method for delivering media content to at least one person corresponding to a target demographic of claim 42, further comprising:

recording detected demographics and output media content.

69. The method for delivering media content to at least one person corresponding to a target demographic of claim 42, wherein the target demographic includes at least one of a grouping of persons having a similar trait, a grouping of persons not having a similar trait, a plurality of groupings of persons having similar respective traits, a plurality of groupings of persons not having the similar respective traits, or one or more groupings of persons having similar traits and not having other similar traits.

70. The method for delivering media content to at least one person corresponding to a target demographic of claim 42, further comprising:

determining from the micro-impulse radar data a second probability of the region including one or more persons corresponding to a prohibited demographic; and

prohibiting output of prohibited media content responsive to value of the second probability.

71. The method for delivering media content to at least one person corresponding to a target demographic of claim 42, further comprising:

selecting the one or more media files or streams from the plurality of media files or streams.

72. The method for delivering media content to at least one person corresponding to a target demographic of claim 71, wherein selecting one or more media files or streams includes selecting according to one or more of a demographic score, a randomizer, a circular buffer, a contractual obligation, or an output interval.

73. A method for providing selected information to one or more persons, comprising:

receiving from a micro-impulse radar, information corresponding to one or more characteristics of one or more persons in a region; and

outputting media to the region responsive to the one or more characteristics.

74. The method for providing selected information to one or more persons of claim 73, wherein outputting media includes outputting human perceptible media.

75. The method for providing selected information to one or more persons of claim 73, wherein information corresponding to one or more characteristics includes information corresponding to one or more of a size of a person, a shape of a person, density of a person, detectable ornamentation associated with a person, detectable clothing worn by a person, a heart rate, a heart arrhythmia, a heart size, a respiration rate, a respiration irregularity, a diaphragm motion, a diaphragm spasm, body movements, posture, a head-to-body size ratio, a detectable health, an in utero fetus, a prosthesis, a personal appliance, a number of persons in the region, accompaniment by at least one child, location of one or more persons in the region;

proximity of two or more persons in the region to one another, orientation of one or more persons in the region relative to a media output device, location of one or more persons in the region relative to the media output device, direction of motion, speed of motion, presence of obstructions between one or more persons and the media output device, residence time of a person within the region, or accompaniment by at least one animal.

76. The method for providing selected information to one or more persons of claim 73, further comprising:

selecting for output one or more sets of media content corresponding to the one or more characteristics.

77. The method for providing selected information to one or more persons of claim 73, wherein the micro-impulse radar is configured to provide an image of the region.

78. The method for providing selected information to one or more persons of claim 77, wherein the micro-impulse radar is configured to provide a series of images of the region.

79. The method for providing selected information to one or more persons of claim 73, wherein the micro-impulse radar is configured to capture and analyze an image or series of images of the region and provide an image analysis result.

80. The method for providing selected information to one or more persons of claim 73, wherein outputting media includes outputting signage, outputting a signal, outputting audio, outputting video, or outputting audio/video content.

81. The method for providing selected information to one or more persons of claim 73, wherein the information corresponding to one or more characteristics of one or more persons in a region includes one or more of spatial information, time-domain motion information, and frequency domain information.

82. A media output system configured to output content responsive to at least one human demographic, comprising:

a media output device configured to output media content to a receiving region;

a micro-impulse radar configured to probe an examination region and generate an output signal; and

a controller configured to receive the output signal, determine one or more human demographics entering or in the receiving region, and responsively select media content for output through the media output device.

83. The media output system configured to output content responsive to at least one human demographic of claim 82, wherein the media output device includes at least one of a selectable sign, an audio output, a video display, or an audio/video display.

84. The media output system configured to output content responsive to at least one human demographic of claim 82, wherein the viewing region and the probed second region are substantially overlapping.

85. The media output system configured to output content responsive to at least one human demographic of claim 82, wherein the micro-impulse radar is configured to detect and include in the output signal information corresponding to one or more of a size of a person, a shape of a person, density of a person, detectable ornamentation associated with a person, detectable clothing worn by a person, a heart rate, a heart arrhythmia, a heart size, a respiration rate, a respiration irregularity, a diaphragm motion, a diaphragm spasm, body movements, posture, a head-to-body size ratio, a detectable health, an in utero fetus, a prosthesis, a personal appliance, a number of persons in the region, accompaniment by at least one child, location of one or more persons in the region;

proximity of two or more persons in the region to one another, orientation of one or more persons in the region relative to a media output device, location of one or more persons in the region relative to the media output device, direction of motion, speed of motion, presence of obstructions between one or more persons and the media output device, residence time of a person within the region, or accompaniment by at least one animal; and

wherein the controller is configured to determine the one or more human demographics from the information detected by and included in the output signal of the micro-impulse radar.

86. The media output system configured to output content responsive to at least one human demographic of claim 82, wherein the controller is configured to select media content for output by subscribing to a media multicast or reading one or more stored media files targeted at the one or more human demographics.

87. The media output system configured to output content responsive to at least one human demographic of claim 82, further comprising a kiosk or housing configured to provide media display in a public space responsive to the human demographics of one or more persons entering or in the receiving region.

88. The media output system configured to output content responsive to at least one human demographic of claim 82, wherein the examination region and the receiving region are adjacent and abutting one another.

89. The media output system configured to output content responsive to at least one human demographic of claim 82, wherein the examination region and the receiving region are separated, and wherein the controller includes a content output queue corresponding to respective demographics of persons moving from the examination region to the receiving region.

90. A control module for an adaptive media delivery system, comprising:

a media source;

a display drive port configured to drive one or more media displays;

a media delivery controller operatively coupled to the media source and the display drive port; and

a micro-impulse radar or a micro-impulse radar port configured to provide data related to at least one viewer or potential viewer to the media delivery controller.

91. The control module for an adaptive media delivery system of claim 90, wherein the media source includes a media download port configured to receive media files or media streams from a network.

92. The control module for an adaptive media delivery system of claim 90, wherein the media source includes at least one computer-readable storage medium configured to store media files.

93. The control module for an adaptive media delivery system of claim 90, wherein the media source includes an interface to a separate media storage medium.

94. The control module for an adaptive media delivery system of claim 90, wherein the media delivery controller is configured to select media for output through the display drive port responsive to the data related to at least one viewer or potential viewer.

95. The control module for an adaptive media delivery system of claim 90, wherein the micro-impulse radar or micro-impulse radar port is configured to provide reflected pulse waveforms to the media delivery controller.

96. The control module for an adaptive media delivery system of claim 90, wherein the micro-impulse radar or micro-impulse radar port is configured to provide processed data to the media delivery controller.

97. The control module for an adaptive media delivery system of claim 90, wherein the micro-impulse radar or micro-impulse radar port consists essentially of an embedded micro-impulse radar.

98. A tangible computer readable medium carrying computer-executable instructions configured to cause a computer to:

receive micro-impulse radar data;

determine at least one human demographic from the micro-impulse radar data; and

select for output media content as a function of the human demographic.

99. The tangible computer readable medium carrying computer-executable instructions of claim 98, wherein the instructions are further configured to cause the computer to:

prohibit output of media content not suitable for at least one determined human demographic.

100. The tangible computer readable medium carrying computer-executable instructions of claim 98, wherein the instructions are further configured to cause the computer to:

drive a media output device to output the selected media content.

101. The tangible computer readable medium carrying computer-executable instructions of claim 100, wherein the instructions are configured to cause the computer to drive at least one of a video display, an audio output, a selectable sign, or an audio/video display.

102. The tangible computer readable medium carrying computer-executable instructions of claim 98, wherein selecting media content for output includes making an operative coupling to a media download port configured to receive media files or media streams from a network.

103. The tangible computer readable medium carrying computer-executable instructions of claim 98, wherein selecting media content for output includes reading one or more media files from at least one computer-readable storage medium.

104. The tangible computer readable medium carrying computer-executable instructions of claim 98, wherein receiving micro-impulse radar data includes receiving reflected pulse waveforms and performing signal processing on the received reflected pulse waveforms.

105. The tangible computer readable medium carrying computer-executable instructions of claim 98, wherein receiving micro-impulse radar data includes receiving processed data from a micro-impulse radar signal processor.