System and method for indexing recordings of observed and assessed phenomena using pre-defined measurement items

• US 6,938,029 B1
• Filed: 03/31/2000
• Issued: 08/30/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Allan Y. Tien
• Original Assignee: Allan Y. Tien
• Inventors: Tien, Allan Y.
• Primary Examiner(s): Rones, Charles
• Assistant Examiner(s): Veillard, Jacques
• Application Number:
  US09/539,772
• Time in Patent Office: 1,978 Days
• Field of Search: 707/1, 707/102, 707/104.1, 707/500.1, 707/216, 348/157, 345/863
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/40 of multimedia data, e.g. slideshows comprising image and additional audio data retrieval of still image data G06F16/50; retrieval of audio data G06F16/60; retrieval of video data G06F16/70
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/41 Indexing; Data structures therefor; Storage structures
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99931 Database or file accessing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99932 Access augmentation or optimizing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99936 Pattern matching access
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99943 Generating database or data structure, e.g. via user interface
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing

Abstract

Pre-defined descriptor or measurement questions or items are presented to a user or operator using a computer with a storage and a display for use in systematic observation and assessment. Measurement items that are used in the course of observation and assessment are automatically correlated with address data that is associated with a track of simultaneous digital recording so as to automatically generate meaningful indexes for the recorded material. Based upon the contents of the measurement questions or items, including any qualitative or quantitative descriptions or numerical rating results from use of the descriptors or measurement items, the indexes can readily be further processed, providing the capacity for improvements in efficiency, consistency, and accuracy in retrieving and utilizing the recorded material. The method is particularly useful for processes relating to systematic interview or assessment methods, including the training and monitoring of interviewers or assessors and the storage, retrieval, analysis, and other manipulation of recordings.

Claims

1. An assessment system comprising:

a. a set of related predefined measurement items used to structure observation and assessment of observable events or phenomena, said set of related predefined measurement items being selected from the group consisting of a questionnaire, examination plan, interview schedule, report form, set of directions or established survey;

b. means for presenting a subject or operator with at least one item from said set of measurement items;

c. means for recording at least one observable event or phenomenon with said presentation of at least one measurement item and storing the recorded at least one observable event or phenomenon as a track of event data sequenced by a track of address data; and

d. for each presented measurement item, means for associating the at least one presented measurement item to at least one portion of the event data in an index database that includes at least one field denoting the presented measurement item and at least one field denoting address data for the at least one portion of the event data associated with the presented measurement item.

2. An assessment system according to claim 1 wherein said means for presenting a subject or operator with at least one measurement item includes a computer having a central processing unit, a storage system, and an output display.

3. An assessment system according to claim 2 wherein said output display is selected from the group consisting of a projection display, a computer display, and a video display.

4. An assessment system according to claim 1 wherein said means for presenting a subject or operator with at least one measurement item includes at least one of a video display, a computer display or a video player.

5. An assessment system according to claim 1 wherein said means for recording includes a digital recorder.

6. An assessment system according to claim 1 wherein said means for recording includes an analog recorder that produces an analog recording which is then digitized.

7. The assessment system of claim 1 wherein said set of related predefined measurement items includes a pre-existing set of predefined measurement items used independently of said assessment system to observe and assess events or phenomena.

8. The assessment system of claim 1 wherein said means for associating the at least one presented measurement item to at least one portion of the event data includes means for associating each predefined measurement item in the set of predefined measurement items to at least one portion of the event data.

9. The assessment system of claim 1, additionally comprising means for creating and storing said at least one predefined measurement item before said means for presenting said measurement item presents said at least one measurement item to a subject or operator.

10. The assessment system of claim 9, wherein said at least one predefined measurement item is a deposition question, and said means for creating and storing said measurement item creates and stores a set of deposition questions.

11. The assessment system of claim 1, additionally comprising means for accepting input from the operator or subject, said input indicating that the operator or subject is ready for presentation of another measurement item.

12. The assessment system of claim 11, wherein said means for accepting input is selected from the group consisting of computer mouse, stylus, keyboard, digital tablet, microphone, touch screen, gaze tracking device, brain electromagnetic activity tracking system, and video sensor.

13. The assessment system of claim 1, wherein said track of address data comprises a track of time data, and said at least one field denoting address data comprises time track data.

14. The assessment system of claim 1, additionally comprising means for augmenting said index database by adding information relating to said at least one portion of the event data to said database without changing the association of said at least one presented measurement item with said at least one portion of the event data.

15. The assessment system of claim 1 wherein said at least one predefined measurement item additionally comprises a rating scale.

16. An assessment system comprising:

a. at least one predefined measurement item used to structure assessment observable events or phenomena, said at least one predefined measurement item selected from a set of related predefined measurement items, said set of related predefined measurement items being selected from the group consisting of a questionnaire, examination plan, interview schedule, report form, set of directions or established survey;

b. stored event data of at least one recorded observable event, said at least one observable event occurring simultaneously with a presentation of at least one predefined measurement item, said stored event data being sequenced by a track of address data; and

c. an index database including a field indicative of a measurement item and a field indicative of an address in the stored event data for a portion of the stored event data associated with the presented measurement item;

wherein an operator reviewing the at least one recorded observable event in the stored event data can create or update an entry in the index database for a measurement item.

17. The assessment system of claim 16, wherein an operator reviewing the stored event data can update the index database without removing existing index entries associating a predefined measurement item with a portion of the stored event data from the index database.

18. The assessment system of claim 16, wherein said track of address data comprises time track data, and the field indicative of the address in the stored event data contains time track data.

19. A method for systematically assessing observable events or phenomena, comprising:

a presenting a predefined measurement item from a set of related predefined measurement items to a subject or operator, wherein said set of predefined measurement items are used to structure the observation and assessment of observable events or phenomena, said set of related predefined measurement items being selected from the group consisting of a questionnaire, examination plan, interview schedule, report form, set of directions or established survey;

b. making a record of at least one observable event or phenomenon associated with said presented measurement item, said record having a track of event data sequenced by a track of address data; and

c. generating an index entry in a database linking the presented measurement item to a portion of the event data record, wherein said index entry comprises a measurement item identifier field indicative of said presented measurement item, and a field containing address data indicative of an address for the portion of the event data record.

20. The method according to claim 19 wherein the step of presenting a predefined measurement item to a subject or operator comprises presenting a predefined measurement item on a computer display, a video display or a video player.

21. The method according to claim 19 wherein the step of presenting a predefined measurement item to a subject comprises displaying the measurement item to an operator, and the operator presenting the measurement item to the subject.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the step of presenting a predefined measurement item to a subject further comprises displaying the measurement item to an operator, the operator presenting the measurement item to a subject in an interview, and the operator interacting with the subject in accordance with said measurement item.

23. The method according to claim 19 wherein the step of presenting a predefined measurement item to an operator or subject comprises displaying an image on a video display, a computer display or projection.

24. The method according to claim 19 wherein said record is a digital recording.

25. The method according to claim 19 further comprising:

augmenting said database by adding information relating to said at least one observable event or phenomenon to said database without changing the relationship of said address data to said event data.

26. The method according to claim 19 wherein the step of generating an index entry comprises automatically generating an index entry for each measurement item as the subject or operator proceeds from one measurement item to another.

27. The method of claim 19, additionally comprising the step of:

accepting input from the operator or subject indicating that the operator or subject is ready for presentation of another measurement item from the set of related predefined measurement items;

wherein said step of generating an index entry in a database linking the measurement item to a portion of the record of event data automatically occurs upon said input from said operator or subject.

28. The method of claim 19, further comprising the step of appending address data for a portion of the event data to an existing index entry when the operator or subject returns to a predefined measurement item in the course of assessing the at least one observable event.

29. The method of claim 19, wherein the track of address data comprises a track of time track data, and the field containing address data indicative of an address for the portion of the event data record includes time track data.

30. The method of claim 19 wherein said set of related predefined measurement items comprises a preexisting set of predefined measurement items used independently of said method to observe and assess events or phenomena.

31. The method of claim 19, wherein said step of generating an index entry in a database comprises generating an index entry for each measurement item in the set of related predefined measurement items.

32. The method of claim 19, additionally comprising the step of creating and storing said at least one predefined measurement item before said step of presenting said a predefined measurement item to a subject or operator.

33. The method of claim 19, additionally comprising the step of playing back the record after the completion of at least one observable event or phenomenon, wherein said index entries are used to control the playback sequence.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein said index entry additionally includes a field indicative of a type of measurement item and a field indicative of a type of response to a measurement item, and playback sequence is sorted by chronological order, type of measurement item, or type of response to presentation of a measurement item.

35. A computer-readable medium containing instructions that cause a computer to index a recording of at least one observable event in an assessment system, said medium comprising:

a storage section for storing a digital recording of the at least one observable event, said digital recording having a track of event data sequenced by a track of address data;

a first code section containing instructions that cause the computer to present at least one predefined measurement item selected from a set of related predefined measurement items to a subject or operator, said set of related predefined measurement items being used to structure the observation and assessment of observable events or phenomena, and said set of related predefined measurement items being selected from the group consisting of a questionnaire, examination plan, interview schedule, report form, set of directions or established survey; and

a second code section containing instructions that cause the computer to automatically generate an index entry in a database linking the presented measurement item to at least one portion of the at least one stored observable event;

wherein said index entry comprises a measurement item identifier field indicative of said presented measurement item, and an address field indicative of an address for the at least one portion of the at least one observable event stored in the track of event data.

36. The computer-readable medium of claim 35, wherein said set of related predefined measurement items being used independently of said assessment system to observe and assess events or phenomena.

37. The computer-readable medium of claim 35 additionally comprising a fourth code section containing instructions that cause the computer to accept input from the operator or subject, and define the at least one predefined measurement item according to the input.

38. The computer-readable medium of claim 35 wherein the first code section contains instructions that cause the computer to present at least two predefined measurement items to a subject or operator, and wherein said second code section contains instructions that cause the computer to automatically generate index entries in the database for each measurement item, each entry linking the respective measurement item to at least one portion of the stored at least one observable event.

39. The computer-readable medium of claim 35, additionally comprising a sixth code section containing instructions that cause the computer to digitally record the at least one observable event, and store the digital recording in said storage section.