System for recording stimuli and a plurality of test subject's response to the stimuli

• US 6,236,884 B1
• Filed: 07/21/1999
• Issued: 05/22/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 07/21/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Capita Research Group Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Capita Research Group Incorporated
• Inventors: Hunter, David B., Brueggman, Richard M., McCarraher, Kenneth B., Gustafson, Harlan I. Jr., Stenstrom, Tomas J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lacyk, John P.
• Application Number:
  US09/357,959
• Time in Patent Office: 671 Days
• Field of Search: 600/544, 600/546, 600/300, 600/26, 600/27, 600/28
• US Class Current: 600/544
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/377 using evoked responses
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/378 Visual stimuli
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/38 Acoustic or auditory stimuli

Abstract

A system to integrate and synchronize a plurality of signals for recording on a destination video recording device and/or for display on a monitor. The plurality of signals represent the response of a respective of a plurality of test subjects to certain stimuli. A plurality of test subjects view an audio-visual display from an audio-video source, such as a video cassette recorder, while respective EEG responses to the audio-video display are measured. The respective EEG responses are sent to respective processors and converted to graphical representations of the EEG signals. The graphical representations of the EEG signals and a signal from the source audio-video device are sent to respective destination VCRs and/or a respective destination audio-video recording device that records the data from both sources. The respective destination audio-video recording devices can send respective composite signals to a respective destination VCR and/or a respective destination monitor to record and/or display the synchronized signals from the source audio-video recording device and the graphical representation of the EEG signals simultaneously. The respective destination VCRs and respective destination monitors can also record and/or display output and control data such as the time and date of the test.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a source configured to provide input stimuli to a plurality of test subjects;

a plurality of monitors each configured to monitor a reaction of a respective of the plurality of test subjects to the input stimuli; and

a controller configured to generate, for each of the plurality of monitors, a composite signal including the input stimuli and the monitored reaction of the respective of the plurality of test subjects to the input stimuli in synchronization.

2. A system according to claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to control recording of the respective generated composite signals onto respective recording mediums.

3. A system according to claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to display the respective generated composite signals on respective monitors.

4. A system according to claim 2, wherein the controller is further configured to retrieve the respective recorded generated composite signals from the respective recording mediums and to display the respective retrieved composite signals on respective monitors.

5. A system according to claim 1, wherein the input stimuli is a video signal and the respective monitored reactions of the plurality of test subjects to the input stimuli includes EEG data.

6. A system according to claim 2, wherein the input stimuli is a video signal and the respective monitored reactions of the plurality of test subjects to the input stimuli includes EEG data.

7. A system according to claim 3, wherein the input stimuli is a video signal and the respective monitored reactions of the plurality of test subjects to the input stimuli includes EEG data.

8. A system according to claim 4, wherein the input stimuli is a video signal and the respective monitored reactions of the plurality of test subjects to the input stimuli includes EEG data.

9. A system, comprising:

source means for providing input stimuli to a plurality of test subjects;

monitoring means for monitoring a reaction of each of the plurality of test subjects to the input stimuli; and

control means for generating, for the monitoring means, a composite signal including the input stimuli and the monitored reaction of a respective of the plurality of test subjects to the input stimuli in synchronization.

10. A system according to claim 9, wherein the control means further controls recording of the respective generated composite signals onto respective recording means.

11. A system according to claim 9, wherein the control means further displays the respective generated composite signals on respective display means.

12. A system according to claim 10, wherein the control means further retrieves the recorded respective generated composite signals from the respective recording means and displays the respective retrieved composite signals on respective display means.

13. A system according to claim 9, wherein the source means inputs a video signal as the input stimuli and the respective monitoring means monitors the respective reactions of the plurality of test subjects to the input stimuli to include EEG data.

14. A system according to claim 10, wherein the source means inputs a video signal as the input stimuli and the respective monitoring means monitors the respective reactions of the plurality of test subjects to the input stimuli to include EEG data.

15. A system according to claim 11, wherein the source means inputs a video signal as the input stimuli and the respective monitoring means monitors the respective reactions of the plurality of test subjects to the input stimuli to include EEG data.

16. A system according to claim 12, wherein the source means inputs a video signal as the input stimuli and the respective monitoring means monitors the respective reactions of the plurality of test subjects to the input stimuli to include EEG data.

17. A process, comprising the steps of:

providing input stimuli to a plurality of test subjects;

respectively monitoring a reaction of each of respective of the plurality of test subjects to the input stimuli;

generating, for each of the respective steps of monitoring a reaction of respective of each of the plurality of test subjects, a respective composite signal including the input stimuli and the monitored reaction of a respective of the plurality of test subjects to the input stimuli in synchronization.

18. A process according to claim 17, further comprising the step of recording the respective generated composite signals onto respective recording mediums.

19. A process according to claim 17, further comprising the step of displaying the respective generated composite signals on respective monitors.

20. A process according to claim 18, further comprising the steps of retrieving the recorded respective generated composite signals from the respective recording mediums and displaying the respective retrieved composite signals on respective monitors.

21. A process according to claim 17, wherein in the input step the input stimuli is a video signal and in the monitoring step the respective monitored reactions of the plurality of test subjects to the input stimuli includes EEG data.

22. A process according to claim 18, wherein in the input step the input stimuli is a video signal and in the monitoring step the respective monitored reactions of the plurality of test subjects to the input stimuli includes EEG data.

23. A process according to claim 19, wherein in the input step the input stimuli is a video signal and in the monitoring step the respective monitored reactions of the plurality of test subjects to the input stimuli includes EEG data.

24. A process according to claim 20, wherein in the input step the input stimuli is a video signal and in the monitoring step the respective monitored reactions of the plurality of test subjects to the input stimuli includes EEG data.

25. A computer program product, comprising:

a computer storage medium and a computer program code mechanism embedded in the computer storage medium for causing a computer to control a source configured to provide input stimuli to a plurality of test subjects and for causing a computer to control a plurality of monitors configured to respectively monitor a reaction of respective of each of the plurality of test subjects to the input stimuli, the computer program code mechanism including;

a first computer code configured to generate, for each of the respective plurality of monitors, a respective composite signal including the input stimuli and the monitored reaction of a respective of the plurality of test substrates to the input stimuli in synchronization.

26. A computer program product according to claim 25, wherein the computer program code mechanism further comprises a second computer code configured to control recording of the respective generated composite signals onto respective recording mediums.

27. A computer program product according to claim 26, wherein the computer program code mechanism further comprises a second computer code configured to display the respective generated composite signals on respective monitors.

28. A computer program product according to claim 26, wherein the computer program code mechanism further comprises a third computer configured to retrieve the recorded respective generated composite signals from the respective recording mediums and to display the respective retrieved composite signals on respective monitors.

29. A computer program product according to claim 25, wherein the input stimuli is a video signal and the respective monitored reactions of the plurality of test subjects to the input stimuli includes EEG data.

30. A computer program product according to claim 26, wherein the input stimuli is a video signal and the respective monitored reactions of the plurality of test subjects to the input stimuli includes EEG data.

31. A computer program product according to claim 27, wherein the input stimuli is a video signal and the respective monitored reactions of the plurality of test subjects to the input stimuli includes EEG data.

32. A computer program product according to claim 28, wherein the input stimuli is a video signal and the respective monitored reactions of the plurality of test subjects to the input stimuli includes EEG data.