Game apparatus and method for monitoring psycho-physiological responses to questions

• US 5,860,935 A
• Filed: 10/29/1996
• Issued: 01/19/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Novid Inc.
• Original Assignee: Novid Inc.
• Inventors: Tibbs, Daniel G., Blaszynski, John E.
• Primary Examiner(s): MANUEL, GEORGE C
• Application Number:
  US08/741,420
• Time in Patent Office: 812 Days
• Field of Search: 273/460, 607/56, 364/410, 600/308, 600/309, 600/546, 600/547
• US Class Current: 600/547
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0533 Measuring galvanic skin response
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2250/265 by skin resistance
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 9/183 electric

Abstract

An electronic party game, comprising display cards for displaying questions to be asked to a player, and a response monitor for monitoring the player'"'"'s psycho-physiological responses to the questions. The response monitor comprises a housing dimensioned to be fit into the palm of the player answering the questions, the housing having an outside top surface shaped to receive two extended fingers of the player, and a pair of electrodes extending through the top surface, each of the electrodes being positioned to contact one of the extended fingers near the tip thereof, bias means operatively coupled to an outside portion of the housing for selectively biasing the player'"'"'s fingers against the electrodes, an electronic circuit located within the housing which generates an electric current from one electrode to the other through the player'"'"'s fingers and a voltage signal correlatable with the change in resistance resulting from the player'"'"'s response to the questions, and an indicator which generates a signal indicative of the changes in resistance. The subject monitor is capable of monitoring a user'"'"'s psycho-physiological responses to hearing a pair of questions and determining whether the user'"'"'s response to the first question is greater than the user'"'"'s response to the second question.

Claims

1. Hand-held apparatus for monitoring a user'"'"'s psycho-physiological responses to questions, comprising:

(a) a housing shaped to fit into the palm of a hand of the user, having an outside top surface shaped to receive a pair of extended adjacent fingers, and a pair of spaced electrodes extending through the top surface, each electrode being positioned to contact one of the extended fingers;

(b) bias means coupled to the housing for selectively biasing the user'"'"'s fingers against the electrodes;

(c) current generating means located within the housing and electrically coupled to the electrodes for generating an electrical current flow from one electrode through a section of the user'"'"'s body to the other electrode and a corresponding voltage signal which is proportional to the resistance of the said section of the user'"'"'s body;

(d) measuring means located within the housing and coupled to the current generating means for measuring differences in the voltage signal created when the user responds to a given question; and

(e) signal generation means located on an outside portion of the housing responsive to the measuring means for generating a signal to the user correlatable with the differences in the voltage signal.

2. The apparatus defined in claim 1, wherein the measuring means comprises filtering means for filtering out changes in the voltage signal having frequency components outside of a preset frequency range and generating filtered voltage signals, and comparing means for comparing the values of successive filtered voltage signals and generating an output signal indicator of the said values.

3. The apparatus defined in claim 2, wherein the current generating means generates a constant current through the said section of the user'"'"'s body.

4. The apparatus defined in claim 2, wherein the preset frequency range extends from about 0.1 Hz to about 18 Hz.

5. The apparatus defined in claim 1, wherein the top outside surface of the housing comprises a ridge extending between the spaced electrodes.

6. The apparatus defined in claim 1, wherein the bias means comprises an elastic band which simultaneously biases each of the extended fingers against one of the pair of electrodes.

7. An electronic party game, comprising:

(a) display means for displaying questions to be asked to a player by other players; and

(b) hand-held monitoring means for monitoring the player'"'"'s psycho-physiological responses to the questions, said monitoring means comprising;

(i) a housing dimensioned to be fit into the palm of the player answering the questions, said housing having an outside top surface shaped to receive two extended fingers of the player, and a pair of electrodes extending through the top surface, each of the electrodes being positioned to contact one of the extended fingers near the tip thereof;

(ii) bias means operatively coupled to an outside portion of the housing for selectively biasing the player'"'"'s fingers against the electrodes;

(iii) circuit means located within the housing for generating an electric current from one electrode through a section of the player'"'"'s body to the other electrode and for generating a measurable electric signal correlatable with the change in resistance in the said section of the player'"'"'s body resulting from the player'"'"'s response to the questions; and

(iv) signalling means located on an outside portion of the housing for generating a signal to the other players indicative of the changes in resistance.

8. The electronic party game defined in claim 7, wherein the circuit means also comprises:

(a) filtering means for filtering out components of the measurable electric signal outside of a preselected frequency range and generating a filtered signal;

(b) measuring means for measuring the magnitude of the filtered signal; and

(c) comparator means for comparing the magnitude of successive filtered signals and determining which is larger.

9. The electronic party game defined in claim 8, wherein the display means comprises a plurality of cards, said cards each displaying a different question designed to elicit an emotional response.

10. The electronic party game defined in claim 9, wherein the display means also comprises a control card displaying questions designed to determine whether a player is ready to be asked a question.

11. The electronic party game defined in claim 10, wherein the display means also comprises indicator cards displaying an indicator of which question the other player believes would generate the larger signal.

12. The apparatus defined in claim 11, wherein the measuring and storage means comprises a transistor having a base-collector junction functioning as a low leakage diode, while said transistor also functions as a switching device.

13. A hand-held apparatus for monitoring a user'"'"'s psycho-physiological responses to hearing a pair of questions and determining whether the user'"'"'s response to the first question is greater than the user'"'"'s response to the second question, comprising:

(a) a housing having a surface provided with a pair of electrodes, each electrode being positioned to contact one of the user'"'"'s fingers;

(b) current means located within the housing for applying a current across a small section of the user'"'"'s hand between the two electrodes and generating a corresponding voltage signal which is proportional to the resistance sensed between the two electrodes;

(c) filtering means located within the housing coupled to the current means for filtering out voltage signals of frequencies outside of a preselected frequency range and generating a filtered voltage signal;

(d) signalling means located within the housing for signalling when a user should be asked a first question and allotting a time interval for receiving the user'"'"'s response;

(e) measuring and storage means located within the housing and coupled to the filtering means for measuring a first change in the filtered voltage signal when the user responds to the first question during the first time interval and storing the first change in filtered voltage signal;

(f) signalling means located on a portion of the outside surface of the housing for signalling when a player should be asked the second question and allotting a time interval for receiving the user'"'"'s response thereto;

(g) detecting means located within the housing and coupled to the filtering means for detecting a second change in filtered voltage signal during the second time interval;

(h) comparator located within the housing for comparing the first change in filtered voltage signal with the second change in filtered voltage signal and generating a comparison signal indicator of which change in filtered voltage signal is higher; and

(i) indicating means located on a portion of the outside surface of the housing for providing to the user an indication of the comparison signal.

14. A method for determining which of two questions generates a greater psycho-physiological response in a user hearing the questions, comprising the steps of:

(a) contacting adjacent fingers of the user to spaced electrodes;

(b) applying a current across the electrodes and generating a measurable voltage signal related to the resistance of a section of the user'"'"'s body extending between the electrodes;

(c) signalling when the user should be asked a first question and allotting a time interval for the user'"'"'s response;

(d) detecting the change in voltage signal across the electrodes when the user responds to the first question during the first time interval;

(e) filtering out components of the voltage signal outside of a preselected frequency range;

(f) storing a first filtered voltage signal for the first time interval;

(g) signalling when the player should be asked a second question and allotting a second time interval for the user'"'"'s response;

(h) detecting the change in voltage signal across the electrodes when the user responds to the second question during the second time interval;

(i) filtering out components of the voltage signal outside of a preselected frequency range;

(j) conditioning and then measuring a second filtered voltage signal for the second time interval;

(k) comparing the first filtered voltage signal with the second conditioned and filtered voltage signal and generating a comparison signal indicative of which of the two signals is greater; and

(l) displaying to the user an indication of the comparison signal.