Determination of emotional and physiological states of a recipient of a communication

• US 7,874,983 B2
• Filed: 01/27/2003
• Issued: 01/25/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/27/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola Mobility, Inc. (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Inventors: Douros, Kenneth, Balakrishnan, Sreeram, Gardner, Robert, Zancho, William, Ranganathan, Sowmyan
• Primary Examiner(s): Johnson, III; Henry M
• Assistant Examiner(s): Rajan; Kai
• Application Number:
  US10/351,706
• Publication Number:
  US 20040147814A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,920 Days
• Field of Search: 600300-301, 128903-905, 128920-925, 455/118, 705 2- 4
• US Class Current: 600/300
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0022 Monitoring a patient using a global network, e.g. telephone networks, internet
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/16 Devices for psychotechnics using teaching or educational appliances G09B1/00 - G09B7/00; Testing reaction times ; Devices for evaluating the psychological state
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/165 Evaluating the state of mind, e.g. depression, anxiety
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 17/26 Recognition of special voice characteristics, e.g. for use in lie detectors; Recognition of animal voices
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 19/04 the ringing-current being generated at the substations
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 128/92 Computer assisted medical diagnostics

Abstract

A communication device capable of determining an emotional or physiological state of a user of the device includes an input device that provides a signal indicative of one of an emotional and a physiological state of a user of the device. A controller receives the signal from the input device and interprets the signal into state data identifying one of an emotional and a physiological state of a user of the device. The device makes the state data available to be downloaded such that a device sending a communication can appropriately adapt its communication method and transport mode of user interface to suit the recipient'"'"'s condition.

Claims

1. A communication system comprising:

a first communication device including;

an input device operable to receive at least one signal indicative of an emotional or physiological state of a user of the first communication device,

a first processing unit coupled to the input device, the first processing unit operable to receive the at least one signal from the input device, interpret the at least one signal into state data indicating an emotional or a physiological state of the user of the first communication device, and at least temporarily store the state data, and

a first transmitter coupled to the first processing unit and operable to transmit the state data; and

a second communication device including;

a receiver operable to receive the state data from the first communication device;

a second processing unit coupled to the receiver and selectively supporting a plurality of communication modes for the second communication device, the second processing unit being operable to automatically select a communication mode of the plurality of communication modes with which to send a communication to the first communication device based on the received state data so as to take into account the emotional or physiological state of the user of the first communication device, the second processing unit being further operable to compare the selected communication mode with a current communication mode of the second communication device and, when the selected communication mode is different than the current communication mode, automatically change the current communication mode of the second communication device to the selected communication mode, and

a second transmitter coupled to the second processing unit and operable to transmit the communication to the first communication device in accordance with the selected communication mode.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the first processing unit is operable to interpolate stored state data to refine a determination of the emotional or a physiological state of the user of the first communication device.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the second communication device includes a learning mode in which the second communication device is operable to adapt a communication to the first communication device to match previous communications with the first communication device taking into account the emotional or physiological state of the user of the first communication device.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the second communication device adapts information by changing an interface mode of the second communication device.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the input device monitors one or more of the group consisting of a biological process of the user of the first communication device, an environment of the user of the first communication device, and a context of the user of the first communication device.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a memory coupled to the first processing unit, the memory having a table of possible input device signals and emotional and physiological state data corresponding thereto, wherein the first processing unit maps the at least one signal to the table to identify the emotional or physiological state of the user of the first communication device.

7. The communication system of claim 1, wherein the first communication device includes a memory that stores a multi-dimensional matrix having a plurality of attribute cells containing codes corresponding to possible emotional or physiological states of the user of the first communication device, and wherein the first processing unit is further operable to determine an emotional or physiological state of the user of the first communication device by using interpolation to select an attribute cell of the plurality of attribute cells based at least on the at least one signal.

8. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

at least a third communication device including;

a second input device operable to receive at least a second signal indicative of an emotional or physiological state of a user of the third communication device,

a third processing unit coupled to the second input device, the third processing unit operable to receive the at least a second signal from the second input device and interpret the at least a second signal into third device state data indicating an emotional or a physiological state of the user of the third communication device, and

a third transmitter coupled to the third processing unit and operable to transmit the third device state data;

wherein the first communication device and the at least a third communication device constitute a group of communication devices which are independently capable of determining emotional or physiological states of respective users of the first communication device and the at least a third communication device;

wherein the receiver of the second communication device is further operable to receive the third device state data from the third communication device; and

wherein the second communication device further includes a group call mode in which the second communication device displays a first visual indicator representative of the user of the first communication device and a second visual indicator representative of the user of the third communication device, the first visual indicator demonstrating the emotional or physiological state of the user of the first communication device based on the state data and the second visual indicator demonstrating the emotional or physiological state of the user of the third communication device based on the third device state data.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein said first processing unit acts autonomously to obtain the at least one signal and determine the state data.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the input device includes a user interface of the first communication device, and wherein the user interface is operable to at least allow the user of the first communication device to define communication preferences associated with different emotional or physiological states.

11. A communication device operable to adapt a communication intended for a user of a target communication device to an emotional or physiological state of the user of the target communication device, the communication device comprising:

a receiver operable to receive, from the target communication device, data indicating an emotional or physiological state of the user of the target communication device;

a processing unit coupled to the receiver and selectively supporting a plurality of communication modes for the communication device, the processing unit being operable to automatically select a communication mode of the plurality of communication modes in which to send the communication to the target communication device based upon the received data so as to take into account the emotional or physiological state of the user of the target communication device, the processing unit being further operable to compare the selected communication mode with a current communication mode of the communication device and, when the selected communication mode is different than the current communication mode, automatically change the current communication mode of the communication device to the selected communication mode; and

a transmitter coupled to the processing unit, the transmitter operable to transmit the communication to the target communication device in accordance with the selected communication mode.

12. The communication device of claim 11, wherein the processing unit automatically changes the current communication mode to the selected communication mode by at least one of changing the format of the communication, changing the communication protocol, and changing the interface mode.

13. The communication device of claim 11, wherein the processing unit is further operable to predict an emotional or physiological state of the user of the target communication device in connection with a subsequent communication occurring at some time after the communication based upon data corresponding to emotional or physiological states of the user of the target communication device that was received in connection with one or more previous communications and without receiving data corresponding to the emotional or physiological state of the user of the target communication device in connection with the subsequent communication.

14. The communication device of claim 11, wherein the communication device is operable to adapt communications intended for users of a group of communication devices to emotional or physiological states of the users of the group of communication devices, wherein the group of communication devices includes the target communication device and at least one other target communication device, wherein the receiver is further operable to receive, from the at least one other target communication device, data indicating an emotional or physiological state of a user of the at least one other target communication device, wherein the processing unit further supports a group call mode in which the communication device displays a first visual indicator representative of the user of the target communication device and at least a second visual indicator representative of a user of the other target communication device, the first visual indicator demonstrating the emotional or physiological state of the user of the target communication device based on the received data indicating the emotional or physiological state of the user of the target communication device and the second visual indicator demonstrating the emotional or physiological state of the user of the other target communication device based on the received data indicating the emotional or physiological state of the user of the other target communication device.

15. A method for a first communication device to send a communication to a second communication device so as to take into account an emotional or physiological state of a user of the second communication device, the first communication device being operable in a plurality of communication modes, the method comprising:

receiving, from the second communication device, data indicative of the emotional or physiological state of the user of the second communication device;

automatically selecting a communication mode of the plurality of communication modes in which to send the communication to the second communication device based on the received data so as to take into account the emotional or physiological state of the user of the second communication device;

determining whether the selected communication mode matches a current communication mode of the first communication device;

automatically altering the current communication mode of the first communication device to the selected communication mode if the selected communication mode does not match the current communication mode; and

transmitting the communication to the second communication device in accordance with the selected communication mode.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the automatically selecting step further comprises:

mapping the received data to a table identifying possible emotional or physiological states of the user of the second communication device; and

determining the emotional or physiological state of the user of the second communication device from the table.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the automatically selecting step further includes comparing the received data to defined communication preferences.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the automatically selecting step further includes interpolating the received data and previously received data indicative of prior emotional or physiological states of the user of the second communication device to determine the emotional or physiological state of the user of the second communication device.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the automatically selecting step further includes predicting the emotional or physiological state of the user of the second communication device based on the received data and previously received data indicative of prior emotional or physiological states of the user of the second communication device.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein the selected communication mode includes an interface mode for the communication.

21. The method of claim 15, wherein the step of automatically altering the current communication mode of the first communication device to the selected communication mode includes:

at least one of changing a format of the communication and changing a communication protocol.

22. A communication device operable to adapt a communication intended for a user of a target communication device to an emotional or physiological state of the user of the target communication device, the communication device comprising:

a receiver operable to receive, from the target communication device, data indicating an emotional or physiological state of the user of the target communication device;

a processing unit coupled to the receiver and operable to automatically select a mode for communicating with the target communication device based on the received data and a set of predefined preferences so as to take into account the emotional or physiological state of the user of the target communication device, wherein the set of predefined preferences defines how the communication device is to communicate with the target communication device based on the emotional or physiological state of the user of the target communication device and causes the processing unit to automatically change at least one of a format, a protocol, and an interface mode of the communication to suit the emotional or physiological state of the user of the target communication device; and

a transmitter coupled to the processing unit, the transmitter operable to transmit the communication to the target communication device in accordance with the selected mode for communicating.