Method for non-verbal assessment of human competence

• US 7,165,973 B2
• Filed: 09/21/2001
• Issued: 01/23/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/21/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Michael B. Cantor
• Original Assignee: Michael B. Cantor
• Inventors: Cantor, Michael B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cheng; Joe H.
• Application Number:
  US10/333,596
• Publication Number:
  US 20040002046A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,950 Days
• Field of Search: 434/64, 434/65, 434/118, 434/219, 434/305, 434/307.R, 434/322, 434/327, 434/362, 434/365, 463/4, 701/301, 706/12, 709/216, 345/473, 342/451, 378/88, 378/98.7, 356/237.5, 356/446, 351/209, 367/127, 73/18.2, 718/103, 349/65, 430/30
• US Class Current: 434/322
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/18 for vehicle drivers or machine operators
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7264 Classification of physiological signals or data, e.g. using neural networks, statistical classifiers, expert systems or fuzzy systems neural networks per se G06N3/00; expert systems per se G06N5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 5/00 Electrically-operated educational appliances working with questions and answers G09B7/00; simulators G09B9/00; advertising or displaying in general G09F
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 7/00 Electrically-operated teaching apparatus or devices working with questions and answers mechanically operated G09B3/00; computing arrangements G06F
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 9/02 for teaching control of vehicles or other craft
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/20 for computer-aided diagnosis, e.g. based on medical expert systems

Abstract

A method of testing a subject'"'"'s competence for operating machines by successively presenting a plurality of pages of scattered images to the subject, having the subject establish a path through the scattered images on each of the plurality of pages, recording the absolute time required for the subject to establish the path through the scattered images on each of the plurality of pages, determining the relative time required for the subject to establish the path on at least two of the plurality of pages of scattered images, and classifying the subjects competence for operating machines based on the absolute time and the relative time.

Claims

1. A method of testing competence for operating machines, comprising the steps of:

a) successively presenting a plurality of pages of randomly scattered images to a subject;

b) having the subject establish a path through the randomly scattered images on each of the plurality of pages;

c) recording an absolute time required for the subject to establish the path through the randomly scattered images on each of the plurality of pages;

d) determining a relative time required for the subject to establish the path on at least two of the plurality of pages of randomly scattered images; and

e) classifying the competence of the subject for operating machines based on the absolute time and the relative time, wherein the combination of the absolute time and the relative time correlate with the competence for operating machines.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the randomly scattered images comprise letters and numbers.

3. The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the letters are consecutive letters.

4. The method as claimed in claim 3, wherein the consecutive letters start with A.

5. The method as claimed in claim 3, wherein the letters are seven consecutive letters.

6. The method as claimed in claim 5, wherein the seven consecutive letters are A through G.

7. The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the numbers are consecutive numbers.

8. The method as claimed in claim 7, wherein the consecutive numbers start with 1.

9. The method as claimed in claim 7, wherein the consecutive numbers are eight consecutive numbers.

10. The method as claimed in claim 9, wherein the eight consecutive numbers are 1 through 8.

11. The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the plurality of pages consists four pages;

and each of the four pages comprises randomly scattered letters and numbers.

12. The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the plurality of pages consists of four pages;

and one of the four pages of comprises randomly scattered letters and numbers further comprises additional images that are neither letters nor numbers.

13. The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the path is determined through the randomly scattered letters and numbers by alternating between numbers and letters.

14. The method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the letters are consecutive letters and the numbers are consecutive numbers, and the path is predetermined through the letters and numbers by alternating between numbers and letters starting with the lowest number and the alphabetically first letter.

15. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the plurality of pages consists of four pages;

and each of the four pages comprises randomly scattered images.

16. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the path through the randomly scattered images is predetermined.

17. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the absolute time to complete each path is compared with the relative time to complete at least two of the paths to arrive at a competence level.

18. The method as claimed in claim 17, wherein the competence level classifies the subject'"'"'s relative competence level for operating a machine.

19. The method as claimed in claim 17, wherein the competence level classifies the subject'"'"'s relative competence to perform a task.

20. The method as claimed in claim 17, wherein the competence level classifies the subject'"'"'s relative competence to perform an occupation.

21. A method of testing competence for operating machines, comprising the steps of:

a) successively presenting a plurality of pages of randomly scattered consecutive letters and consecutive numbers to a subject;

b) having the subject establish a predetermined path through the randomly scattered images on each of the plurality of pages by selecting between alternating numbers and letters starting with the lowest number and the alphabetically first letter;

c) recording an absolute time required for the subject to establish the path through the randomly scattered images on each of the plurality of pages;

d) determining a relative time required for the subject to establish the path on at least two of the plurality of pages of randomly scattered images; and

e) classifying the competence of the subject for operating machines based on the absolute time and the relative time, wherein the combination of the absolute time and the relative time correlate with the competence for operating machines.

22. The method as claimed in claim 21, wherein the consecutive letters start with A and the consecutive numbers start with the 1.

23. The method as claimed in claim 22, wherein the consecutive letters are the seven consecutive letters from A through G and the consecutive numbers are the eight consecutive numbers from 1 through 8.

24. The method as claimed in claim 23, wherein the plurality of pages consists of four pages;

and the four pages consist of randomly scattered letters and numbers.

25. The method as claimed in claim 24, wherein one page further comprises additional images that are neither letters nor numbers.

26. The method as claimed in claim 25, wherein the absolute time to complete each path is compared with the relative time to complete at least two of the paths to arrive at a competence level.

27. The method as claimed in claim 26, wherein the competence level classified is classified as the subject'"'"'s relative competence level for operating a machine.

28. The method as claimed in claim 26, wherein the competence level classifies the subject'"'"'s relative competence to perform a task.

29. The method as claimed in claim 26, wherein the competence level classifies the subject'"'"'s relative competence to perform an occupation.

30. A method of testing competence for operating machines, comprising the steps of:

a) successively presenting a plurality of pages of scattered images to a subject;

b) having the subject establish a path through the scattered images on each of the plurality of pages;

c) recording the absolute time required for the subject to establish the path through the scattered images on each of the plurality of pages;

d) determining the relative time required for the subject to establish the path on at least two of the plurality of pages of scattered images; and

e) classifying the competence of the subject for operating machines based on the absolute time and the relative time, wherein the combination of the absolute time and the relative time correlate with the competence for operating machines.

31. The method as claimed in claim 30, wherein the randomly scattered images comprise letters and numbers.

32. The method as claimed in claim 31, wherein the letters are consecutive letters and the numbers are consecutive numbers.

33. The method as claimed in claim 32, wherein the consecutive letters start with A and the consecutive numbers start with 1.

34. The method as claimed in claim 33, wherein the consecutive letters are the seven consecutive letters from A through G and the consecutive numbers are the eight consecutive numbers from 1 through 8.

35. The method as claimed in claim 34, wherein the plurality of pages consists of four pages;

and the four pages consist of scattered letters and numbers.

36. The method as claimed in claim 35, wherein one of the four pages further comprises additional images that are neither letters nor numbers.

37. The method as claimed in claim 36, wherein the subject establishes a predetermined path through the scattered images.

38. The method as claimed in claim 37, wherein the path of each page is predetermined and the subject establishes the predetermined path through the scattered letters and numbers by selecting alternating between numbers and letters.

39. The method as claimed in claim 38, wherein the path of each page is predetermined and the subject establishes the path through the scattered letters and numbers by selecting alternating between numbers and letters starting with the lowest number and the alphabetically first letter.

40. The method as claimed in claim 39, wherein the absolute time to complete each path is compared with the relative time to complete at least two of the paths to arrive at a competence level.

41. The method as claimed in claim 40, wherein the scattered images are randomly scattered on at least one page.

42. The method as claimed in claim 41, wherein the competence level classifies the subject'"'"'s relative competence level for operating a machine.

43. The method as claimed in claim 42, wherein the competence level classifies the subject'"'"'s relative competence to perform a task.

44. The method as claimed in claim 43, wherein the competence level is classifies the subject'"'"'s relative competence to perform an occupation.

45. A method of testing a subject'"'"'s competence for operating machines, comprising the steps of:

a) successively presenting a plurality of pages of randomly scattered consecutive letters and consecutive numbers to a subject, wherein the consecutive letters are the seven consecutive letters from A through G and the consecutive numbers are the eight consecutive numbers from 1 through 8;

b) having the subject establish a predetermined path through the randomly scattered images on each of the plurality of pages by selecting between alternating numbers and letters starting with the lowest number and the alphabetically first letter;

c) recording an absolute time required for the subject to establish the path through the randomly scattered images on each of the plurality of pages;

d) determining an relative time required for the subject to establish the path on at least two of the plurality of pages of randomly scattered images; and

e) classifying the competence of the subject for operating machines based on the absolute time and the relative time, wherein the combination of the absolute time and the relative time correlate with the competence for operating machines.

46. The method as claimed in claim 45, wherein the plurality of pages consists of four pages, and wherein one of the four pages further comprises additional images that are neither letters nor numbers.

47. The method as claimed in claim 46, wherein the absolute time to complete each path is compared with the relative time to complete at least two of the paths to arrive at a competence level.

48. The method as claimed in claim 47, wherein the competence level classifies the subject'"'"'s relative competence level for operating a machine.

49. The method as claimed in claim 47, wherein the competence level classifies the subject'"'"'s relative competence to perform a task.

50. The method as claimed in claim 47, wherein the competence level classifies the subject'"'"'s relative competence to perform an occupation.

51. The method as claimed in claim 46, wherein the subject is given a maximum of four minutes to complete the paths through each of the pages.