Providing actionable insights based on physiological responses from viewers of media

• US 8,332,883 B2
• Filed: 10/02/2008
• Issued: 12/11/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/02/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nielsen Consumer LLC (Nielsen Holdings plc)
• Original Assignee: The Nielsen Company LLC (MOOD Media Corporation)
• Inventors: Lee, Hans C., Hong, Timmie T., Lee, Michael J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kumar, Pankaj
• Assistant Examiner(s): MENGESHA, MULUGETA A
• Application Number:
  US12/244,752
• Publication Number:
  US 20090094629A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,531 Days
• Field of Search: 725 9- 14, 705/10
• US Class Current: 725/12
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/33 Arrangements for monitoring the users' behaviour or opinions
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/64 for providing detail information
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/252 Processing of multiple end-users' preferences to derive collaborative data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25866 Management of end-user data customer care in data networks H04L41/5077
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42201 biosensors, e.g. heat sensor for presence detection, EEG sensors or any limb activity sensors worn by the user input arrangements for interaction with the human body based on nervous system activity detection G06F3/015
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44213 Monitoring of end-user related data arrangements for monitoring the users' behaviour or opinions in broadcast systems H04H60/33
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/475 End-user interface for inputting end-user data, e.g. personal identification number [PIN], preference data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6582 Data stored in the client, e.g. viewing habits, hardware capabilities, credit card number arrangements where receivers interact with the broadcast H04H20/38
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/173 with two-way working, e.g. subscriber sending a programme selection signal

Abstract

Embodiments are described that enable remote and interactive access, navigation, and analysis of reactions from viewers to a media instance. The reactions include physiological responses, survey results, verbatim feedback, event-based metadata, and derived statistics for indicators of success and failure from the viewers. The reactions are aggregated, and an interface enables remote access and navigation of the media instance, aggregated physiological responses synchronized with the media instance, survey results, and/or verbatim feedback related to the media instance. This enables users to interactively divide, dissect, parse, and analyze the reactions as they prefer. This automation provides an automated process enabling non-experts to understand complex physiological data, and to organize presentation of complex data according to their needs so as to present conclusions as appropriate to the media instance.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

an analyzer to analyze brain wave data gathered from a viewer exposed to a media instance to determine a first energy of a first frequency band at a first time, a second energy of a second frequency band at the first time, a third energy of the first frequency band at a second time and a fourth energy of the second frequency band at the second time;

a calculator to calculate a first difference between the first energy and the second energy and to calculate a second difference between the third energy and the fourth energy;

a processor to;

generate a first output signal based on the first difference, the first output signal representative of a first emotional state of the viewer,

generate a second output signal based on the second difference, the second output signal representative of a second emotional state of the viewer, and

generate a third output signal indicative of a success or a failure of the media instance, wherein a positive change between the first emotional state and the second emotional state are indicative of a successful media instance.

2. The system of claim 1 further comprising a display to present the media instance and one or more of the brain wave data, the first energy, the second energy, the third energy, the fourth energy, the first difference, the second difference, the first output signal, the second output signal or the third output signal via a rendering.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the rendering is one or more of a text, a chart, a graph, a histogram, an image or a video.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the processor is to generate a set of questions that represent one or more of the first output signal, the second output signal or the third output signal and to tag the rendering with at least one question from the set.

5. The system of claim 2, wherein a user can remotely interact with the display and manipulate one or more of the media instance, the brain wave data, the first energy, the second energy, the third energy, the fourth energy, the first difference, the second difference, the first output signal, the second output signal, the third output signal or the rendering.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is to generate a first set of questions that represent one or more of the first output signal, the second output signal or the third output signal.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein answers to the first set of questions provide or correspond to one or more of the brain wave data, the first energy, second energy, third energy, fourth energy, first difference or second difference.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the processor is to generate a second set of questions that represent one or more of the first output signal, the second output signal or the third output signal, wherein the second set of questions were generated prior to the first set of questions to represent previous results from analysis of preceding brain wave data of a preceding media instance, wherein the preceding brain wave data is similar to the gathered brain wave data.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is to aggregate output signals from a plurality of viewers.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the calculator is to calculate at least one of a maximum, a minimum, an average, a deviation, a derivative, an amplitude or a trend of at least one parameter of the output signals to aggregate the output signals.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein a first set of the plurality of viewers are at a first location and a second set of the plurality of viewers are at a second location different from the first location.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein a first set of the plurality of viewers are viewing the media instance at a first time and a second set of the plurality of viewers are viewing the media instance at a second time different from the first time.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the analyzer is to determine a fifth energy of a first frequency band at a third time, a sixth energy of a second frequency band at the third time, a seventh energy of the first frequency band at a fourth time and an eighth energy of the second frequency band at the fourth time;

the calculator is to calculate a third difference between the fifth energy and the sixth energy and to calculate a fourth difference between the seventh energy and the eighth energy; and

the processor is to;

generate a fourth output signal based on the third difference, the fourth output signal representative of a third emotional state of the viewer,

generate a fifth output signal based on the fourth difference, the fifth output signal representative of a fourth emotional state of the viewer, and

generate a sixth output signal indicative of a success or a failure of the media instance, wherein a second positive change between the third emotional state and the fourth emotional state are indicative of a successful media instance.

14. A method comprising:

analyzing brain wave data gathered from a viewer exposed to a media instance to determine a first energy of a first frequency band at a first time, a second energy of a second frequency band at the first time, a third energy of the first frequency band at a second time and a fourth energy of the second frequency band at the second time;

calculating a first difference between the first energy and the second energy;

calculating a second difference between the third energy and the fourth energy; and

using a processor to;

generate a first output signal based on the first difference, the first output signal representative of a first emotional state of the viewer,

generate a second output signal based on the second difference, the second output signal representative of a second emotional state of the viewer, and

generate a third output signal indicative of a success or a failure of the media instance, wherein a positive change between the first emotional state and the second emotional state are indicative of a successful media instance.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising presenting the media instance and one or more of the brain wave data, the first energy, the second energy, the third energy, the fourth energy, the first difference, the second difference, the first output signal, the second output signal or the third output signal via a rendering.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the rendering is one or more of a text, a chart, a graph, a histogram, an image or a video.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

generating a set of questions that represent one or more of the first output signal, the second output signal or the third output signal; and

tagging the rendering with at least one question from the set.

18. The method of claim 15, further comprising enabling a user to remotely manipulate one or more of the media instance, the brain wave data, the first energy, the second energy, the third energy, the fourth energy, the first difference, the second difference, the first output signal, the second output signal, the third output signal or the rendering.

19. The method of claim 14, further comprising generating a first set of questions that represent one or more of the first output signal, the second output signal or the third output signal.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein answers to the first set of questions provide or correspond to one or more of the brain wave data, the first energy, second energy, third energy, fourth energy, first difference or second difference.

21. The method of claim 19, further comprising generating a second set of questions that represent one or more of the first output signal, the second output signal or the third output signal, wherein the second set of questions were generated prior to the first set of questions to represent previous results from analysis of preceding brain wave data of a preceding media instance, wherein the preceding brain wave data is similar to the gathered brain wave data.

22. The method of claim 15, further comprising aggregating output signals from a plurality of viewers.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising calculating at least one of a maximum, a minimum, an average, a deviation, a derivative, an amplitude or a trend of at least one parameter of the output signals to aggregate the output signals.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein a first set of the plurality of viewers are at a first location and a second set of the plurality of viewers are at a second location different from the first location.

25. The method of claim 22, wherein a first set of the plurality of viewers are viewing the media instance at a first time and a second set of the plurality of viewers are viewing the media instance at a second time different from the first time.

26. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

determining a fifth energy of a first frequency band at a third time, a sixth energy of a second frequency band at the third time, a seventh energy of the first frequency band at a fourth time and an eighth energy of the second frequency band at the fourth time;

calculating a third difference between the fifth energy and the sixth energy;

calculating a fourth difference between the seventh energy and the eighth energy;

generating a fourth output signal based on the third difference, the fourth output signal representative of a third emotional state of the viewer,

generating a fifth output signal based on the fourth difference, the fifth output signal representative of a fourth emotional state of the viewer; and

generating a sixth output signal indicative of a success or a failure of the media instance, wherein a second positive change between the third emotional state and the fourth emotional state are indicative of a successful media instance.

27. A tangible machine readable storage medium, wherein the medium is not a signal, the medium comprising instructions that, when executed, cause a machine to at least:

analyze brain wave data gathered from a viewer exposed to a media instance to determine a first energy of a first frequency band at a first time, a second energy of a second frequency band at the first time, a third energy of the first frequency band at a second time and a fourth energy of the second frequency band at the second time;

calculate a first difference between the first energy and the second energy;

calculate a second difference between the third energy and the fourth energy;

generate a first output signal based on the first difference, the first output signal representative of a first emotional state of the viewer;

generate a second output signal based on the second difference, the second output signal representative of a second emotional state of the viewer; and

generate a third output signal indicative of a success or a failure of the media instance, wherein a positive change between the first emotional state and the second emotional state are indicative of a successful media instance.

28. The medium of claim 27, wherein the instructions further cause a machine to present the media instance and one or more of the brain wave data, the first energy, the second energy, the third energy, the fourth energy, the first difference, the second difference, the first output signal, the second output signal or the third output signal via a rendering.

29. The medium of claim 28, wherein the instructions further cause a machine to:

generate a set of questions that represent one or more of the first output signal, the second output signal or the third output signal; and

tag the rendering with at least one question from the set.

30. The medium of claim 28, wherein the instructions further cause a machine to enable a user to remotely manipulate one or more of the media instance, the brain wave data, the first energy, the second energy, the third energy, the fourth energy, the first difference, the second difference, the first output signal, the second output signal, the third output signal or the rendering.

31. The medium of claim 27, wherein the instructions further cause a machine to generate a first set of questions that represent one or more of the first output signal, the second output signal or the third output signal.

32. The medium of claim 31, wherein answers to the first set of questions provide or correspond to one or more of the brain wave data, the first energy, second energy, third energy, fourth energy, first difference or second difference.

33. The medium of claim 31, wherein the instructions further cause a machine to generate a second set of questions that represent the output signal, wherein the second set of questions were generated prior to the first set of questions to represent previous results from analysis of preceding brain wave data of a preceding media instance, wherein the preceding brain wave data is similar to the gathered brain wave data.

34. The medium of claim 27, wherein the instructions further cause a machine to aggregate output signals from a plurality of viewers.

35. The medium of claim 34, wherein the instructions further cause a machine to calculate at least one of a maximum, a minimum, an average, a deviation, a derivative, an amplitude or a trend of at least one parameter of the output signals to aggregate the output signals.

36. The medium of claim 34, wherein a first set of the plurality of viewers are at a first location and a second set of the plurality of viewers are at a second location different from the first location.

37. The medium of claim 34, wherein a first set of the plurality of viewers are viewing the media instance at a first time and a second set of the plurality of viewers are viewing the media instance at a second time different from the first time.

38. The medium of claim 27, wherein the instructions further cause a machine to:

determine a fifth energy of a first frequency band at a third time, a sixth energy of a second frequency band at the third time, a seventh energy of the first frequency band at a fourth time and an eighth energy of the second frequency band at the fourth time;

calculate a third difference between the fifth energy and the sixth energy;

calculate a fourth difference between the seventh energy and the eighth energy;

generate a fourth output signal based on the third difference, the fourth output signal representative of a third emotional state of the viewer,

generate a fifth output signal based on the fourth difference, the fifth output signal representative of a fourth emotional state of the viewer; and

generate a sixth output signal indicative of a success or a failure of the media instance, wherein a second positive change between the third emotional state and the fourth emotional state are indicative of a successful media instance.