Emotional response analyzer system with multimedia display

• US 5,676,138 A
• Filed: 03/15/1996
• Issued: 10/14/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kenneth Michael Zawilinski
• Original Assignee: Kenneth Michael Zawilinski
• Inventors: Zawilinski, Kenneth Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Kamm, William E.
• Application Number:
  US08/616,634
• Time in Patent Office: 578 Days
• Field of Search: 128/630, 128/905
• US Class Current: 600/301
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 3/113 for determining or recording eye movement
• 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 5/389 Electromyography [EMG]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/011 Emotion or mood input determined on the basis of sensed human body parameters such as pulse, heart rate or beat, temperature of skin, facial expressions, iris, voice pitch, brain activity patterns
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 128/905 Feedback to patient of biological signal other than brain electric signal

Abstract

A multimedia computerized system for detecting emotional responses of human beings and the changes therein over time. The system includes a stimulus presentation device for presenting a stimulus, such as a television commercial, occurring over a predetermined period of time to each of one or more individuals forming a population sample; measuring devices for measuring and recording a plurality of values associated with each of a plurality of physiological variables, such as heartrate, electromyography and electrodermal activity, each associated with one or more individuals; software programmed for receiving and translating each value measured by statistical calculation into a unitless statistical measure known as a z-score, then graphing the z-score on an interaction index, and then associating automatically the z-score with a semantic descriptor for an associated emotion or state of feeling, more particularly, ; and, an interactive multimedia computer for electronically storing, displaying and retrieving information and capable of at least visually displaying one or more stimuli presented at a given time interval, at least one semantic descriptor associated with the stimulus presented, and an interaction index associated with the semantic descriptor associated with the stimulus presented.

Claims

1. A multimedia computerized system for measuring, analyzing, storing and displaying emotional responses elicited by one or more human beings being or having been presented a stimulus, comprising:

stimulus presentation means for presenting a stimulus occurring over a predetermined period of time to each of one or more individuals forming a population sample;

measuring means for measuring and recording a plurality of values for each of a plurality of physiological variables associated with said each of one or more individuals, said measuring means adapted to record said value at each of a plurality of preselected time intervals over said predetermined period of time during which said stimulus is presented, said measuring means further adapted to output said value at said preselected intervals of time;

translation means for receiving and translating each said value by statistical calculation into a unitless statistical measure known as a z-score, wherein said translation means includes a statistical and graphics software program and a computer processing means having a memory on which said software program is installed and operationally linked to said measuring means and programmed to receive said output value as input, wherein further said program is capable of at least generating a plurality of interaction indices, each index comprising two axes and four quadrants defined by said two axes, each quadrant being labelled by quadrant indicia, each axis associated with a different one of a pair of said plurality of physiological variables and all possible pair combinations of said physiological variables being represented among said plurality of interaction indices, wherein further a plurality of sectors are superimposed on the area comprising each interaction index wherein a semantic descriptor identifying a basic state of human feeling labels each said sector, wherein further said program is capable of plotting at least one of each said z-score generated on said interaction index and placing an associated time interval identifying indicia on a plotted z-score whereby a labelled trajectory across each interaction index is formed and whereby further a semantic descriptor is automatically applied to each z-score falling on said sector of said interaction index; and

,

interactive multimedia computerized means for electronically storing, displaying and retrieving information and capable of at least visually displaying at least one said stimulus presented at a said time interval, at least one semantic descriptor associated with said at least one said stimulus presented, and said interaction index associated with said at least one semantic descriptor associated with said at least one stimulus presented.

2. The system according to claim 1, further including summary means for determining a group response wherein said software program associates each plotted z-score with each said quadrant of each interaction index for each individual measured at a said time point, places each said associated plotted z-score into a group characterized by a quadrant indicia for each said quadrant including a plotted z-score, calculates the most frequently appearing quadrant by comparing said numbers of said z-scores included in each said group and identifies a most frequently appearing by its quadrant indicia, wherein further said software program is capable of generating a matrix wherein each said quadrant indicia is appropriately placed onto said matrix comprising of at least one column and at least one row for identifying said physiological variable measured and said time interval for display upon said interactive multimedia computerized means.

3. The system according to claim 2, wherein said program is capable of performing a chi-square analysis for statistical significance of appearance of each said quadrant indicia at a given time point, and substitute resulting indicia of significance onto said matrix.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein said interactive multimedia computerized means is further programmed and capable of at least visually displaying said matrix of physiological variables measured at the selected time interval.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein said interactive multimedia computerized means is programmed to display a scroll bar for interactive use by a user to retrieve any one said time interval and associated visual display.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein each said sector is further subdivided into a plurality of concentric bands having a boundary line between each band, each of said plurality of bands having an intensity descriptor labelling each band, whereby at least 24 labelled areas are provided.

7. The system according to claim 1, wherein said translating program is further capable of calculating said boundaries of said concentric band for each of said eight sectors by substituting each the x and y coordinates of a standard deviation for the z-score plotted on the interaction index axes into the formula, z² =x² y², and obtaining a resulting value for z and taking z as the distance from the origin of the interaction index axes to each boundary.

8. The system according to claim 1, wherein said semantic descriptor identifying a basic state of human feeling for labelling each said sector is selected from the group consisting of surprise, fear, anger, disgust, sadness, acceptance, joy, and expectancy.

9. The system according to claim 8, wherein each said sector is further subdivided into a plurality of concentric bands having a boundary line between each band, each of said plurality of bands having an intensity descriptor labelling each band, whereby at least 24 labelled areas are provided, and said semantic descriptors are positioned within a center band representing a mid-level of intensity associated with an intensity descriptor for the state of feeling of said sector, an inner band representing a low-level of intensity associated with an intensity descriptor and an outer band representing a low-level of intensity associated with an intensity descriptor.

10. The system according to claim 1, wherein each said axis is divided into three unitless increments from its origin in a positive and negative direction.

11. The system according to claim 1, wherein said software is programmed to define the position of each said sector on said interaction index by calculating an angle associated with each of a plurality of vectors for each of a plurality of states of feeling placed in a three-dimensional emotion space and to transfer said angle onto each sector to form the appropriate boundary for each such vector.

12. The system according to claim 11, wherein each said axis has an indicia associated with one of said measuring means and further has superimposed on each axis a dimension associated with a human state of feeling corresponding to one of each said measuring means, wherein an associated measuring means-dimension indicia is selected from the group of heartrate-arousal, electrodermal activity dominance, and electromyograph-pleasure.

13. The system according to claim 1, wherein each of said measuring means is selected from the group consisting of electromyograph, heartrate monitor, galvanic skin response monitor, skin conductance response monitor, and skin potential response monitor.

14. The system according to claim 1, wherein said measuring means is operably linked to said stimulus presentation device by a signaling means which starts recording of said measuring means at the moment said stimulus is presented.

15. A multimedia computerized system for measuring, analyzing, storing and displaying emotional responses elicited by one or more human beings being or having been presented a stimulus, comprising:

stimulus presentation means for presenting a stimulus occurring over a predetermined period of time to each of one or more individuals forming a population sample;

an eye movement detector for determining a viewing point on said stimulus by at least one eye of each of said one or more individuals;

measuring means for measuring and recording a plurality of values for each of a plurality of physiological variables associated with said each of one or more individuals, said measuring means adapted to record said value at each of a plurality of preselected time intervals over said predetermined period of time during which said stimulus is presented, said measuring means further adapted to output said value at said preselected intervals of time;

translation means for receiving and translating each said value by statistical calculation into a unitless statistical measure known as a z-score, wherein said translation means includes a statistical and graphics software program and a computer processing means having a memory on which said software program is installed and operationally linked to said measuring means and said eye movement detector and programmed to receive said output value from said measuring means as input and to coordinate output data from said eye movement detector with said output value at same said time interval, wherein further said program is capable of at least generating a plurality of interaction indices, each index comprising two axes and four quadrants defined by said two axes, each quadrant being labelled by quadrant indicia, each axis associated with a different one of a pair of said plurality of physiological variables and all possible pair combinations of said physiological variables being represented among said plurality of interaction indices, wherein further a plurality of sectors are superimposed on the area comprising each interaction index wherein a semantic descriptor identifying a basic state of human feeling labels each said sector, wherein further said program is capable of plotting at least one of each said z-score generated on said interaction index and placing an associated time interval identifying indicia on a plotted z-score whereby a labelled trajectory across each interaction index is formed and whereby further a semantic descriptor is automatically applied to each z-score falling on said sector of said interaction index; and

,

interactive multimedia computerized means for electronically storing, displaying and retrieving information and capable of at least visually displaying at least one said stimulus presented at a said time interval, said view point as detected by said eye movement detector, at least one semantic descriptor associated with said at least one said stimulus presented, and said interaction index associated with said at least one semantic descriptor associated with said at least one stimulus presented.