Notification control through brain monitoring of end user concentration

• US 8,055,722 B2
• Filed: 12/02/2009
• Issued: 11/08/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/02/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Hille, Dale R.
• Primary Examiner(s): LUU, LE HIEN
• Application Number:
  US12/629,734
• Publication Number:
  US 20110131274A1
• Time in Patent Office: 706 Days
• Field of Search: 709/206, 709/207, 709/204, 600/410, 600/544, 600/586, 607/45, 604/503, 701/9
• US Class Current: 709/207
• 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: G06F 3/015 Input arrangements based on nervous system activity detection, e.g. brain waves [EEG] detection, electromyograms [EMG] detection, electrodermal response detection
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/224 providing notification on incoming messages, e.g. pushed notifications of received messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/7243 with interactive means for internal management of messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 19/045 Call privacy arrangements, e.g. timely inhibiting the ring signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/18 Comparators
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/12 including a sensor for measuring a physical value, e.g. temperature or motion
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/537 Arrangements for indicating the presence of a recorded message , whereby the presence information might include a preview or summary of the message

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention provide a method, system and computer program product for message notification management through brain monitoring of end user concentration. In an embodiment of the invention, a method for message notification management through brain monitoring of end user concentration can include receiving neurofeedback for an end user through an interface for a brain monitoring system, comparing the neurofeedback to a threshold level of brain activity indicating a degree of concentration of the end user, and suppressing message notifications for messages in a messaging system responsive to the neurofeedback exceeding the threshold level of brain activity, but otherwise permitting message notifications for messages in the messaging system.

Claims

1. A method for message notification management through brain monitoring of end user concentration, the method comprising:

receiving neurofeedback for an end user through an interface for a brain monitoring system;

comparing the neurofeedback to a threshold level of brain activity indicating a degree of concentration of the end user; and

,

suppressing message notifications for messages in a messaging system responsive to the neurofeedback exceeding the threshold level of brain activity, but otherwise permitting message notifications for messages in the messaging system.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the brain activity monitoring system is an electroencephalography (EEG) based brain activity monitoring system.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the messaging system is an e-mail messaging system.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the messaging system is an instant messaging system.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the messaging system is a text messaging system.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the messaging system is a voice mail messaging system.

7. A messaging data processing system comprising:

a messaging system executing in memory by a processor of a host computing device;

a brain activity monitoring system coupled to the messaging system; and

,

message suppression logic coupled to the messaging system and the brain activity monitoring system, the logic comprising program code that when executed by the processor compares neurofeedback received from the brain activity monitoring system to a threshold level of brain activity indicating a degree of concentration and suppresses message notifications for messages in a messaging system responsive to the neurofeedback exceeding the threshold level of brain activity, but otherwise permits message notifications for messages in the messaging system.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the brain activity monitoring system is an electroencephalography (EEG) based brain activity monitoring system.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the messaging system is an e-mail messaging system.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein the messaging system is an instant messaging system.

11. The system of claim 7, wherein the messaging system is a text messaging system.

12. The system of claim 7, wherein the messaging system is a voice mail messaging system.

13. The system of claim 7, wherein the messaging system is an incoming call alert system.

14. A computer program product comprising a computer usable storage medium storing computer usable program code for message notification management through brain monitoring of end user concentration, the computer program product comprising:

computer usable program code for receiving neurofeedback for an end user through an interface for a brain monitoring system;

computer usable program code for comparing the neurofeedback to a threshold level of brain activity indicating a degree of concentration of the end user; and

,

computer usable program code for suppressing message notifications for messages in a messaging system responsive to the neurofeedback exceeding the threshold level of brain activity, but otherwise permitting message notifications for messages in the messaging system.

15. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein the brain activity monitoring system is an electroencephalography (EEG) based brain activity monitoring system.

16. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein the messaging system is an e-mail messaging system.

17. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein the messaging system is an instant messaging system.

18. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein the messaging system is a text messaging system.

19. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein the messaging system is a voice mail messaging system.