Consumer experience assessment system

• US 8,392,254 B2
• Filed: 08/27/2008
• Issued: 03/05/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/28/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nielsen Consumer LLC (Nielsen Holdings plc)
• Original Assignee: The Nielsen Company LLC (MOOD Media Corporation)
• Inventors: Pradeep, Anantha, Knight, Robert T., Gurumoorthy, Ramachandran
• Primary Examiner(s): Colbert, Ella
• Assistant Examiner(s): Trotter, Scott S
• Application Number:
  US12/199,583
• Publication Number:
  US 20090063255A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,651 Days
• Field of Search: 705/14.41, 705/14.66
• US Class Current: 705/14.42
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2503/12 Healthy persons not otherwise provided for, e.g. subjects of a marketing survey
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0533 Measuring galvanic skin response
• 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 5/163 by tracking eye movement, gaze, or pupil change
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/318 Heart-related electrical modalities, e.g. electrocardiography [ECG]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/33 specially adapted for cooperation with other devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/377 using evoked responses
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/383 Somatosensory stimuli, e.g. electric stimulation
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/398 Electrooculography [EOG], e.g. detecting nystagmus; Electroretinography [ERG]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4035 Evaluating the autonomic nervous system
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0201 Market modelling; Market analysis; Collecting market data

Abstract

A system assesses consumer experience by evaluating neuro-response measurements for a consumer exposed to products, services, offerings, and stimulus. Examples of neuro-response measurements include Electroencephalography (EEG), Galvanic Skin Response (GSR), Electrocardiograms (EKG), Electrooculography (EOG), eye tracking, and facial emotion encoding measurements. Components of a consumer experience are analyzed to assess neuro-response measurements specific to each component. In many instances, neuro-response data is combined with other data and analyzed to determine total consumer experience.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a data collector to obtain first neuro-response data from a first frequency band and second neuro-response data from a second frequency band of brain activity of a consumer exposed to one or more of an advertisement, entertainment or product, the first frequency band and the second frequency band occurring at a same period in time, and the one or more of the advertisement, entertainment or product having a plurality of components; and

a data analyzer comprising a processor configured to;

identify a first asymmetry based on the first neuro-response data and the second neuro-response data for a first component in the plurality of components, the first asymmetry identified by;

comparing a first amplitude of the first frequency band and a second amplitude of the second frequency band to determine a first difference between the first amplitude of the first frequency band and the second amplitude of the second frequency band; and

assigning a first value to the first asymmetry based on the first difference between the first amplitude of the first frequency band and the second amplitude of the second frequency band;

identify a second asymmetry based on the first neuro-response data and the second neuro-response data for a second component in the plurality of components, the second asymmetry identified by;

comparing a third amplitude of the first frequency band and a fourth amplitude of the second frequency band to determine a second difference between the third amplitude of the first frequency band and the fourth amplitude of the second frequency band; and

assigning a second value to the second asymmetry based on the second difference between the third amplitude of the first frequency band and the fourth amplitude of the second frequency band; and

assess a consumer experience for each of the first and second components of the one or more of the advertisement, entertainment or product based on the first value of the first asymmetry and the second value of the second asymmetry.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the first neuro-response data and the second neuro-response data comprise electroencephalogram data.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the third neuro-response data includes one of galvanic skin response data, electrocardiogram data, pupilary dilation data or eye tracking data.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the data collector is to obtain a first event related potential measurement and a second event related potential measurement, and to determine a differential event related potential measurement based on the first event related potential measurement and the second event related potential measurement.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the data collector is to assess at least one of attention, emotion or memory retention based on one or more of the first value of the first asymmetry and the second value of the second asymmetry.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the first frequency band comprises a first one of a theta, alpha, beta, gamma or high gamma band and the second frequency band comprises a second one of the theta, alpha, beta, gamma or high gamma band.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the components of the advertisement, entertainment or product comprise different sensory experiences of the advertisement, entertainment or product.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the first neuro-response data and the second neuro-response data are obtained from a first modality, the data collector is to obtain third neuro-response data from a second modality different than the first modality, and the data analyzer is to one or more of align or combine the third neuro-response data with at least one of the first neuro-response data or the second neuro-response data.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the data analyzer is to one or more of time shift or phase shift one or more of the first neuro-response data, the second neuro-response data or the third neuro-response data to align the third neuro-response data with at least one of the first neuro-response data or the second neuro-response data.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the first component is a first one of plurality of components includes viewing the product, opening the product and consuming the product and the second component is a second one of viewing the product, opening the product and consuming the product.

11. A method, comprising:

obtaining first neuro-response data from a first frequency band and second neuro-response data from a second frequency band of brain activity of a consumer exposed to one or more of an advertisement, entertainment or product, the first frequency band and the second frequency band occurring at a same period in time, and the one or more of the advertisement, entertainment or product having a plurality of components;

identifying, using a processor, a first asymmetry based on the first neuro-response data and the second neuro-response data for a first component in the plurality of components, the first asymmetry identified by;

comparing a first amplitude of the first frequency band and a second amplitude of the second frequency band to determine a first difference between the first amplitude of the first frequency band and the second amplitude of the second frequency band; and

assigning a first value to the first asymmetry based on the first difference between the first amplitude of the first frequency band and the second amplitude of the second frequency band;

identifying, using the processor, a second asymmetry based on the first neuro-response data and the second neuro-response data for a second component in the plurality of components, the second asymmetry identified by;

comparing a third amplitude of the first frequency band and a fourth amplitude of the second frequency band to determine a second difference between the third amplitude of the first frequency band and the fourth amplitude of the second frequency band; and

assigning a second value to the second asymmetry based on the second difference between the third amplitude of the first frequency band and the fourth amplitude of the second frequency band; and

assessing a consumer experience corresponding to the first and second components based on the first value of the first asymmetry and the second value of the second asymmetry.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the first neuro-response data and the second neuro-response data comprise electroencephalogram data.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising:

obtaining third neuro-response data, wherein the first neuro-response data and the second neuro-response data are obtained from a first modality, the third neuro-response data is obtained from a second modality different than the first modality, and the third neuro-response data includes one of galvanic skin response data, electrocardiogram data, pupilary dilation data or eye tracking data; and

one or more of aligning or combining the third neuro-response data with at least one of the first neuro-response data or the second neuro-response data.

14. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

obtaining a first event related potential measurement and a second event related potential measurement; and

determining a differential event related potential measurement based on the first event related potential measurement and the second event related potential measurement.

15. The method of claim 11 further comprising assessing at least one of attention, or memory retention based on one or more of the first value of the first asymmetry and the second value of the second asymmetry.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the first and second components of the advertisement, entertainment or product correspond to comprise different sensory experiences of the advertisement, entertainment or product.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein the first component is a first one of plurality of components includes viewing the product, opening the product and consuming the product and the second component is a second one of viewing the product, opening the product and consuming the product.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein the first frequency band and the second frequency band are different frequency bands.

19. The method of claim 11, wherein the first frequency band and the second frequency band are the same frequency band.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the first frequency band is measured in a first region of the brain and the second frequency band is measured in a second region of the brain different than the first region.

21. A tangible machine readable storage device or disc comprising instructions thereon which, when read, cause a machine to at least:

identify a first asymmetry for a first component in a plurality of components based on first neuro-response data and second neuro-response data, the first neuro-response data from a first frequency band and second neuro-response data from a second frequency band of brain activity of a consumer exposed to one or more of an advertisement, entertainment or product, the first frequency band and the second frequency band occurring at a same period in time, and the one or more of the advertisement, entertainment or product having the plurality of components, the first asymmetry identified by;

comparing a first amplitude of the first frequency band and a second amplitude of the second frequency band to determine a first difference between the first amplitude of the first frequency band and the second amplitude of the second frequency band; and

assigning a first value to the first asymmetry based on the first difference between the first amplitude of the first frequency band and the second amplitude of the second frequency band;

identify a second asymmetry based on the first neuro-response data and the second neuro-response data, the second asymmetry for a second component in the plurality of components, and the second asymmetry identified by;

comparing a third amplitude of the first frequency band and a fourth amplitude of the second frequency band to determine a second difference between the third amplitude of the first frequency band and the fourth amplitude of the second frequency band; and

assigning a second value to the second asymmetry based on the second difference between the third amplitude of the first frequency band and the fourth amplitude of the second frequency band; and

assess a consumer experience for each of the first and second components of the one or more of the advertisement, entertainment or product based on the first value of the first asymmetry and the second value of the second asymmetry.

22. The machine readable device or disc of claim 21, wherein the first neuro-response data and the second neuro-response data comprise electroencephalogram data, and further comprising instructions that cause a machine to at least:

obtain third neuro-response data, wherein the first neuro-response data and the second neuro-response data are obtained from a first modality, the third neuro-response data is obtained from a second modality different than the first modality, and the third neuro-response data includes at least one of galvanic skin response data, electrocardiogram data, pupilary dilation data or eye tracking data; and

one or more of align or combine the third neuro-response data with at least one of the first neuro-response data or the second neuro-response data.

23. The machine readable device or disc of claim 21, wherein the first component is a first one of plurality of components includes viewing the product, opening the product and consuming the product and the second component is a second one of viewing the product, opening the product and consuming the product.