Method of evaluating level of anxiety of person based on skin temperature

• US 6,837,615 B2
• Filed: 01/31/2003
• Issued: 01/04/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/19/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: John Scott Newman
• Original Assignee: John Scott Newman
• Inventors: Newman, John Scott
• Primary Examiner(s): Gutierrez, Diego
• Assistant Examiner(s): Jagan, Mirellys
• Application Number:
  US10/355,189
• Publication Number:
  US 20030179807A1
• Time in Patent Office: 704 Days
• Field of Search: 374/45, 374/121, 600/474, 600/549
• US Class Current: 374/45
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/165 Evaluating the state of mind, e.g. depression, anxiety
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 1/00 Details of thermometers not specially adapted for particular types of thermometer circuits for reducing thermal inertia G01K7/42

Abstract

A method of evaluating the level of anxiety and/or truthfulness of a person may include measuring the skin temperature of the person at at least three regions of the skin of the person, requesting the person to supply information, measuring the skin temperature at the at least three regions while the person supplies the information, and measuring the skin temperature at the at least three regions after the person supplies the information. The level of anxiety and/or truthfulness of the person may be determined based at least partially on a combination of the difference between the measured skin temperature of the person before the information is supplied and the measured skin temperature of the person while the information is supplied, and the difference between the measured skin temperature of the person while the information is supplied and the measured skin temperature of the person after the information is supplied.

Claims

1. A method of measuring changes in skin temperature of a person, the method comprising:

providing a device for measuring skin temperature;

measuring the skin temperature of the person at at least three regions of the skin of the person;

requesting the person to supply information;

measuring the skin temperature at the at least three regions while the person supplies the information;

measuring the skin temperature at the at least three regions after the person supplies the information; and

determining the difference between the measured skin temperature of the person before the information is supplied and the measured skin temperature of the person while the information is supplied at each of the at least three regions, and the difference between the measured skin temperature of the person while the information is supplied and the measured skin temperature of the person after the information is supplied at each of the at least three regions.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the device for measuring skin temperature comprises a thermal imaging device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein requesting the person to supply information comprises asking the person at least one question.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing a device for automatically determining the truthfulness of the person and using the device to automatically determine the truthfulness of the person based on skin temperature data supplied to the device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the measuring of the skin temperature of the person is unknown to the person whose skin temperature is being measured.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising evaluating the level of anxiety of the person based on the determined differences between the measured skin temperature of the person before the information is supplied and the measured skin temperature of the person while the information is supplied, and the determined differences between the measured skin temperature of the person while the information is supplied and the measured skin temperature of the person after the information is supplied.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising evaluating the truthfulness of the person based on the determined differences between the measured skin temperature of the person before the information is supplied and the measured skin temperature of the person while the information is supplied, and the determined differences between the measured skin temperature of the person while the information supplied and the measured skin temperature of the person after the information is supplied.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein one of the at least three regions comprises the neck of the person.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein one of the at least three regions comprises the forehead of the person.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein one of the at least three regions comprises substantially the entire face and neck of the person.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the difference in skin temperature includes determining the amount of increase in skin temperature for each of the at least three regions from the skin temperature measured before the information is supplied to the skin temperature measured while the information is supplied, and determining the amount of decrease in skin temperature for each of the at least three regions from while the information is supplied to after the information is supplied.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein, if any three of the amounts of increase and decrease in skin temperature are determined to be at least a predetermined amount of change, the person is determined to be anxious.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the predetermined amount of change is one half of one degree Fahrenheit.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein, if any three of the amounts of increase and decrease in skin temperature are determined to be at least a predetermined amount of change, the person is determined to be untruthful.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the predetermined amount of change is one half of one degree Fahrenheit.

16. A method of increasing the security of at least one of an organization, a location, and a transportation device, the method comprising:

providing a device for measuring skin temperature;

measuring the skin temperature of the person at at least three regions of the skin of the person;

requesting the person to supply information;

measuring the skin temperature at the at least three region while the person supplies the information;

measuring the skin temperature at the at least three region after the person supplies the information; and

determining the truthfulness of the person based at least partially on a combination of the difference between the measured skin temperature of the person before the information is supplied and the measured skin temperature of the person while the information is supplied at each of the at least three regions, and the difference between the measured skin temperature of the person while the information is supplied and the measured skin temperature of the person after the information is supplied at each of the at least three regions.

17. The A method of evaluating the truthfulness of a person based on information supplied by the person, the method comprising:

providing a device for measuring skin temperature;

measuring the skin temperature of the neck of the person;

requesting the person to supply information;

measuring the skin temperature of the neck of the person while the person supplies the information;

measuring the skin temperature of the neck of the person after the person supplies the information; and

determining the truthfulness of the person based at least partially on a combination of the difference between the measured skin temperature of the neck of the person before the information is supplied and the measured skin temperature of the neck of the person while the information is supplied, and the difference between the measured skin temperature of the neck of the person while the information is supplied and the measured skin temperature of the neck of the person after the information is supplied.