Method and apparatus for measuring the motion of a person

• US 20110276407A1
• Filed: 12/22/2010
• Published: 11/10/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/05/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Deep Science LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Searete LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Weaver, Thomas, Tuckeman, David B., 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., Wood, Victoria Y.H., Bangera, Mahalaxmi Gita, Leuthardt, Eric C.
• Granted Patent: US 9,019,149 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14.66
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0269 based on user profile or attribute

Abstract

One or more micro-impulse radars (MIRs) are configured to determine the movement of at least one person. Media can be output to the person responsive to the movement.

Claims

1. A system for tracking a path of a person, comprising:

a plurality of micro-impulse radars configured to probe a respective plurality of regions; and

a computing resource operatively coupled to the plurality of micro-impulse radars;

wherein the computing resource is configured to

receive signals or data from at least a portion of the plurality of micro-impulse radars,

correlate the signals or data to at least one phenotypic identity or at least one individual identity, and

infer or determine a path or a path characteristic between the regions of at least one person corresponding to the at least one phenotypic identity or individual identity.

2. The system for tracking a path of a person of claim 1, further comprising:

at least one media output apparatus operatively coupled to the computing resource and configured to output media to the at least one person;

wherein the computing resource is further configured to select at least one media parameter for the media output apparatus responsive to the inferred or determined path or path characteristic.

3. The system for tracking a path of a person of claim 2, wherein the computing resource is further configured to select a media source or transmit media corresponding to the at least one media parameter to the media output apparatus.

4. The system for tracking a path of a person of claim 2, wherein the computing resource is further configured to operate the media output apparatus according to the at least one media parameter.

5. The system for tracking a path of a person of claim 2, wherein the at least one media parameter includes one or more of a configuration corresponding to an instance of a presence of the at least one person in a previously visited region, time synchronization of a media file or media stream with the media file or media stream output to the at least one person in a previously visited region, an advertising characteristic, an advertising message, a help message, a program choice, a music genre, channel favorites, a media library, an audio volume, an audio balance, an audio equalization, an audio mode, a video mode, a receiver configuration, a media source, or a television channel.

6. The system for tracking a path of a person of claim 2, wherein the media output apparatus includes one or more of a portable media player, an electronic display, configurable signage, a video screen, or a loudspeaker.

7. The system for tracking a path of a person of claim 2, wherein the computing resource is further configured to determine or infer one or more preferences, interests, or consumer characteristics of the at least one person, and select at least one media parameter for one or more media output apparatuses responsive to the received or inferred one or more preferences, interests, or consumer characteristics.

8. The system for tracking a path of a person of claim 7, wherein the computing resource is configured to infer one or more preferences, interests, or consumer characteristics responsive to at least one location attribute corresponding to at least one previously visited region.

9. The system for tracking a path of a person of claim 8, wherein the computing resource is configured to read the at least one location attribute from a non-transient computer storage medium or receive the at least one location attribute from a remote resource.

10. The system for tracking a path of a person of claim 8, wherein the at least one location attribute includes one or more of a business located proximate the region, a business type located proximate to the region, a service offered proximate to the region, a product offered proximate to the region, a parameter of media presented proximate to the region, media content presented proximate to the region, an exhibit proximate to the region, a map proximate to the region, a view from the region, a utility proximate to the region, an apparatus proximate to the region, a door or passage proximate to the region, a gaming designation corresponding to the region, a social environment corresponding to the region, or an activity associated with the region.

11. The system for tracking a path of a person of claim 7, wherein the computing resource is configured to infer one or more preferences, interests, or consumer characteristics responsive to one or more time durations that the at least one person remained in at least one previously visited region.

12. The system for tracking a path of a person of claim 7, wherein the computing resource is configured to infer one or more preferences, interests, or consumer characteristics responsive to one or more movements of the at least one person in at least one previously visited region.

13. The system for tracking a path of a person of claim 7, wherein the computing resource is configured to infer one or more preferences, interests, or consumer characteristics responsive to one or more physiological or physical characteristics exhibited by the at least one person while in the at least one previously visited region.

14. The system for tracking a path of a person of claim 7, wherein the computing resource is configured to infer one or more preferences, interests, or consumer characteristics responsive to a time of transit of the at least one person between discontinuous regions.

15. The system for tracking a path of a person of claim 1, wherein the signals or data received from at least a portion of the plurality of micro-impulse radars include one or more of attributes of the at least one person;

and

wherein the computing resource is configured to determine at least one phenotypic identity corresponding to the one or more attributes.

16. The system for tracking a path of a person of claim 15, wherein the one or more attributes includes at least one of body size, body mass, height, body shape, posture, body permittivity, associated articles, or detectable body ornamentation.

17. The system for tracking a path of a person of claim 15, wherein the one or more attributes includes a characteristic movement.

18. The system for tracking a path of a person of claim 15, wherein the one or more attributes includes at least one of heart rate, an intracyclic heartbeat characteristic, breathing rate, a rate or magnitude of inhalation, a rate or magnitude of exhalation, a tremor of all or part of a body, an intracyclic breathing characteristic, or an intercyclic breathing characteristic.

19. The system for tracking a path of a person of claim 15, wherein the one or more attributes includes at least one physical attribute and at least one physiological attribute.

20. The system for tracking a path of a person of claim 1, wherein the computing resource is configured to determine at least one individual identity corresponding to the at least one phenotypic identity.

21. The system for tracking a path of a person of claim 20, wherein the computing resource is further configured to access one or more preferences corresponding to the at least one individual identity.

27. The system for tracking a path of a person of claim 1, wherein the computing resource is further configured to predict at least one arrival time of the at least one person at a future region.

28. The system for tracking a path of a person of claim 27, further comprising:

at least one media output apparatus operatively coupled to the computing resource and configured to output media to the person;

wherein the media parameter includes a media output start time corresponding to the predicted time of arrival of the at least one person to a vicinity of the media output apparatus.

29. The system for tracking a path of a person of claim 1, wherein the computing resource is further configured to predict at least one future path or path characteristic of the at least one person to a predicted region.

30. The system for tracking a path of a person of claim 29, further comprising:

a media output apparatus configured to output media to the predicted region; and

wherein the computing resource is further configured to determine a media parameter to operate the media output apparatus to output media to the predicted region corresponding to the media parameter.

31. The system for tracking a path of a person of claim 29, wherein the computing resource is further configured to predict a plurality possible future regions that will be visited by the at least one person, receive micro-impulse radar signals or data from the plurality of possible future regions to determine an actually visited one of the possible future regions, and predict another future path responsive to the actually visited region.

32. The system for tracking a path of a person of claim 1, further comprising:

a media output apparatus configured to output media to the at least one person in a region;

wherein the computing resource is configured to infer or determine preferences, interests, or consumer characteristics of the at least one person, and output directions to or a suggestion to visit one or more other regions of interest.

33. The system for tracking a path of a person of claim 1, wherein correlating the signals or data to at least one phenotypic identity or at least one individual identity includes selecting from a limited set of phenotypic or individual identities.

34. The system for tracking a path of a person of claim 33, wherein the limited set of individual identities is associated with an occupancy record of persons in or anticipated to be in a region accessed by the micro-impulse radar.

35. The system for tracking a path of a person of claim 1, wherein the computing resource is further configured to generate an occupancy record for the person, the occupancy record including at least one of a position of the person, a speed of the person, a velocity of the person, a direction of motion of the person, an orientation of the person, a time associated with presence of the person, a time of arrival of the person to a region, a time of departure of the person from the region, and the path of the person through the plurality of regions.

36. The system for tracking a path of a person of claim 35, wherein the computing resource is further configured to send the occupancy record to a third party or external database.

37. The system for tracking a path of a person of claim 35, wherein the computing resource is further configured to combine the occupancy record with another occupancy record associated with the person.

45. The system for tracking a path of a person of claim 1, wherein the correlation of the signals or data to at least one phenotypic identity or at least one individual identity includes at least one of accessing a database or a look-up table.

22-26. -26. (canceled)

38-44. -44. (canceled)

46-50. -50. (canceled)

51. A method for tracking the movement of a person, comprising:

extracting a second human phenotypic identity from a micro-impulse radar signal from a second region;

comparing the second phenotypic identity to one or more first phenotypic identities extracted from at least one micro-impulse radar signal from at least one first region; and

correlating the second phenotypic identity to at least one of the one or more first phenotypic identities to determine movement between regions by a person corresponding to the second phenotypic identity.

52. The method for tracking the movement of a person of claim 51, further comprising:

extracting the one or more first phenotypic identities from the at least one micro-impulse radar signal from the at least one first region.

53. The method for tracking the movement of a person of claim 51, wherein one or more first phenotypic identities or corresponding individual identities are received via a computer network.

54. The method for tracking the movement of a person of claim 51, wherein the second region and the at least one first region are substantially non-overlapping.

55. The method for tracking the movement of a person of claim 51, wherein the second region and the at least one first region are separated by a distance greater than or equal to the physical extents of the first and second regions.

56. The method for tracking the movement of a person of claim 51, further comprising:

correlating the second phenotypic identity to an individual identity of a person.

57. The method for tracking the movement of a person of claim 56, wherein the second and at least one first phenotypic identities are compared by comparing correlated individual identities.

58. The method for tracking the movement of a person of claim 51, wherein correlating the second phenotypic identity to at least one of the one or more first phenotypic identities includes performing a joint fit of two or more first phenotypic identities to two or more second phenotypic identities.

59. The method for tracking the movement of a person of claim 51, further comprising:

correlating the movement between regions by the person corresponding to the second phenotypic identity to at least one time of movement or time interval between presence in the regions.

60. The method for tracking the movement of a person of claim 59, further comprising:

determining, from the time or time interval and one or more physical distances between the regions, one or more speeds of travel of the person.

61. The method for tracking the movement of a person of claim 59, further comprising:

inferring from the time or time interval and one or more physical distances between the regions at least one of a future path and speed of travel by the person.

62. The method for tracking the movement of a person of claim 51, further comprising:

inferring, from a time or time interval of travel between at least the first region and the second region and one or more product displays or advertisements at or between the regions, a consumer profile for the person.

63. The method for tracking the movement of a person of claim 62, wherein the consumer profile is based on an inference of the person lingering at or near product displays or advertisements.

64. The method for tracking the movement of a person of claim 62, wherein the consumer profile is based on a history of movements of the person.

65. The method for tracking the movement of a person of claim 51, further comprising:

inferring or determining a consumer profile of a person corresponding to the second phenotypic identity.

66. The method for tracking the movement of a person of claim 65, wherein the consumer profile is based on a transaction history, detected behavior in at least one first or the second region, or movement between the regions of the person corresponding to the second phenotypic identity.

67. The method for tracking the movement of a person of claim 65, wherein the consumer profile includes a prediction of purchasing behavior.

68. The method for tracking the movement of a person of claim 65, further comprising:

providing an advertisement or product display to the person likely to receive a positive response based on the consumer profile.

69. The method for tracking the movement of a person of claim 65, further comprising:

providing electronic guidance to direct the person to a location corresponding to a product or service indicated by the consumer profile.

70. The method for tracking the movement of a person of claim 51, wherein the phenotypic identities are compared by performing a statistical analysis of similarities between phenotypic identities.

71. The method for tracking the movement of a person of claim 51, wherein the phenotypic identities are compared by performing a statistical analysis of differences between phenotypic identities.

72. The method for tracking the movement of a person of claim 51, wherein correlating to determine movement includes selecting phenotypic identities to maximize similarities or minimize differences according to a joint fit between a plurality of second phenotypic identity and two or more first phenotypic identities.

73. The method for tracking the movement of a person of claim 51, further comprising:

probing the second region with a micro-impulse radar;

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

generating the micro-impulse radar signal from the received scattered micro-impulse radar radiation.

74. The method for tracking the movement of a person of claim 51, wherein the attributes include 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 size, a posture, a head-to-body size ratio, body movements, an in utero fetus, a prosthesis, a personal appliance, an associated article, a heart rate, heart arrhythmia, a respiration rate, a respiration irregularity, a diaphragm motion, a diaphragm spasm, or a detectable health attribute.

75. The method for tracking the movement of a person of claim 51, wherein the phenotypic identities are associated with at least one physical attribute and at least one physiological attribute.

76-185. -185. (canceled)