METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR MEDIA GUIDANCE APPLICATIONS CONFIGURED TO MONITOR BRAIN ACTIVITY IN DIFFERENT REGIONS OF A BRAIN

• US 20150033266A1
• Filed: 09/26/2013
• Published: 01/29/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/24/2013
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: UV Corporation (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: United Video Properties Incorporated (Adeia Inc.)
• Inventors: Klappert, Walter R., Nichols, Michael R., Shimy, Camron, Wagner, William, Chen, Yinghsueh, Stathacopoulos, Paul
• Application Number:
  US14/038,257
• Publication Number:
  US 20150033266A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/52
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1103 Detecting eye twinkling
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/369 Electroencephalography [EEG] devices for psychotechnics A61B5/16
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/375 using biofeedback
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/389 Electromyography [EMG]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/398 Electrooculography [EOG], e.g. detecting nystagmus; Electroretinography [ERG]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/486 Bio-feedback A61B5/375 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6803 Head-worn items, e.g. helmets, masks, headphones or goggles
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7246 using correlation, e.g. template matching or determination of similarity
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7264 Classification of physiological signals or data, e.g. using neural networks, statistical classifiers, expert systems or fuzzy systems neural networks per se G06N3/00; expert systems per se G06N5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/015 Input arrangements based on nervous system activity detection, e.g. brain waves [EEG] detection, electromyograms [EMG] detection, electrodermal response detection
• 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 21/42201 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 21/42206 characterized by hardware details
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42222 Additional components integrated in the remote control device, e.g. timer, speaker, sensors for detecting position, direction or movement of the remote control, microphone or battery charging device
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4314 for fitting data in a restricted space on the screen, e.g. EPG data in a rectangular grid
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4316 for displaying supplemental content in a region of the screen, e.g. an advertisement in a separate window
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4333 Processing operations in response to a pause request
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4334 Recording operations recording of a television signal H04N5/76; arrangements for recording or accumulating broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/27
• 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 21/443 OS processes, e.g. booting an STB, implementing a Java virtual machine in an STB or power management in an STB
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4436 : Power management, e.g. shutting down unused components of the receiver power management in computer systems G06F1/3203; hibernate or awake process in computer systems G06F9/4418
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4668 : for recommending content, e.g. movies
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 : End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4852 : for modifying audio parameters, e.g. switching between mono and stereo

Abstract

Methods and systems are disclosed herein for a media guidance application configured to monitor brain activity in various regions of a brain of a user in order to navigate, recommend, provide access to, and perform operations related to media content. For example, in response to detecting that particular brain activity in a region of the brain does not correspond to a threshold range of brain activity for that region of the brain, a media guidance application may perform a media guidance operation related to that region of the brain.

Claims

1. A method for performing an operation of a media guidance application in response to activity in a region of a brain of a user, the method comprising:

monitoring brain activity of the user in a first region of the brain;

determining a first brain state associated with the first region based on the brain activity of the user in the first region;

cross-referencing the first region with a database associated with functions performed by the user using regions of the brain to determine at least one function the user is performing based on the brain activity of the user in the first region of the brain;

comparing the first brain state to a threshold range for performing the at least one function; and

in response to determining the first brain state does not correspond to the threshold range, performing a media guidance operation associated with the at least one function.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein monitoring the brain activity of the user further comprises receiving data from an electroencephalogram unit indicating a first frequency range of the brain activity of the user or receiving data from an electromyogram unit indicating first electrical activity of muscles near the brain of the user at rest and during contraction.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising cross-referencing the first frequency range of the brain activity of the user with a database associated with frequencies of brain states to determine the first brain state or cross-referencing the first electrical activity of the muscles near the brain of the user with a database associated with electrical activity of brain states to determine the first brain state.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the electroencephalogram unit or the electromyogram unit is incorporated into a mobile headset, wherein the mobile headset is battery powered.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the mobile headset operates in a first mode and a second mode, and wherein the first mode is associated with a first power consumption level and the second mode is associated with a second power consumption level.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one function is associated with an ability of a user to read data displayed on a display screen, and wherein the threshold range is associated with a threshold frequency range of the brain activity of the user usually associated with the at least one function or threshold electrical activity of muscles near the brain of the user at rest and during contraction usually associated with the at least one function, and wherein performing the media guidance operation associated with the at least one function includes modifying the display of data on the display screen such that first frequency range corresponds to the threshold frequency range or the first electrical activity corresponds to the threshold electrical activity.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one function is associated with an ability of a user to hear audio data associated with a media asset, and wherein the threshold range is associated with a threshold frequency range of the brain activity of the user usually associated with the at least one function or threshold electrical activity of muscles near the brain of the user at rest and during contraction usually associated with the at least one function, and wherein performing the media guidance operation associated with the at least one function includes modifying a volume of the audio data associated with the media asset such that first frequency range corresponds to the threshold frequency range or the first electrical activity corresponds to the threshold electrical activity.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating for display an icon on a display screen, wherein the icon provides feedback to the user related to achieving the first brain state.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the icon includes on-screen instructions for how to achieve the first brain state.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

retrieving a list of functions associated with the region of the brain; and

selecting one of the functions from the list of functions in response to determining that the one of the functions from the list of functions corresponds to a current activity of the user.

11. A system for performing an operation of a media guidance application in response to activity in a region of a brain of a user, the system configured to:

monitor brain activity of the user in a first region of the brain;

determine a first brain state associated with the first region based on the brain activity of the user in the first region;

cross-reference the first region with a database associated with functions performed by the user using regions of the brain to determine at least one function the user is performing based on the brain activity of the user in the first region of the brain;

compare the first brain state to a threshold range for performing the at least one function; and

in response to determining the first brain state does not correspond to the threshold range, perform a media guidance operation associated with the at least one function.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the control circuitry configured to monitor the brain activity of the user is further configured to receive data from an electroencephalogram unit indicating a first frequency range of the brain activity of the user or configured to receive data from an electromyogram unit indicating first electrical activity of muscles near the brain of the user at rest and during contraction.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to cross-reference the first frequency range of the brain activity of the user with a database associated with frequencies of brain states to determine the first brain state or cross-reference the first electrical activity of the muscles near the brain of the user with a database associated with electrical activity of brain states to determine the first brain state.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the electroencephalogram unit or the electromyogram unit is incorporated into a mobile headset, wherein the mobile headset is battery powered.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the mobile headset operates in a first mode and a second mode, and wherein the first mode is associated with a first power consumption level and the second mode is associated with a second power consumption level.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the at least one function is associated with an ability of a user to read data displayed on a display screen, and wherein the threshold range is associated with a threshold frequency range of the brain activity of the user usually associated with the at least one function or threshold electrical activity of muscles near the brain of the user at rest and during contraction usually associated with the at least one function, and wherein the control circuitry configured to perform the media guidance operation associated with the at least one function is further configured to modify the display of data on the display screen such that first frequency range corresponds to the threshold frequency range or the first electrical activity corresponds to the threshold electrical activity.

17. The system of claim 11, wherein the at least one function is associated with an ability of a user to hear audio data associated with a media asset, and wherein the threshold range is associated with a threshold frequency range of the brain activity of the user usually associated with the at least one function or a threshold electrical activity of muscles near the brain of the user at rest and during contraction usually associated with the at least one function, and wherein the control circuitry configured to perform the media guidance operation associated with the at least one function is further configured to modify a volume of the audio data associated with the media asset such that first frequency range corresponds to the threshold frequency range or the first electrical activity corresponds to the threshold electrical activity.

18. The system of claim 11, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to generate for display an icon on a display screen, wherein the icon provides feedback to the user related to achieving the first brain state.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the icon includes on-screen instructions for how to achieve the first brain state.

20. The system of claim 11, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to:

retrieve a list of functions associated with the region of the brain; and

select one of the functions from the list of functions in response to determining that the one of the functions from the list of functions corresponds to a current activity of the user.

21-40. -40. (canceled)