Systems and methods for identifying a user of an electronic device

• US 9,223,297 B2
• Filed: 02/28/2013
• Issued: 12/29/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Nielsen Company LLC (MOOD Media Corporation)
• Original Assignee: The Nielsen Company LLC (MOOD Media Corporation)
• Inventors: Nielsen, Christen V.
• Primary Examiner(s): BROWN, VERNAL U
• Application Number:
  US13/781,236
• Publication Number:
  US 20140240092A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,034 Days
• Field of Search: 340/5.81, 345/633
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 1/00 Comparing elements, i.e. elements for effecting comparison directly or indirectly between a desired value and existing or anticipated values
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0242 Determining effectiveness of advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0272 Period of advertisement exposure

Abstract

Systems and methods for identifying a user of an electronic device are disclosed. An example method includes capturing body characteristic data associated with a user via a sensor on a computing device. The body characteristic data is captured as the user interacts with the computing device for a purpose different from user identification. The example method includes determining an identifier associated with the user based on the captured body characteristic data.

Claims

1. A method of identifying a user comprising:

capturing an image of a user via a sensor on a computing device, the image being captured as the user interacts with the computing device for a purpose different from user identification;

analyzing the image to determine a seating position of the user;

determining an identifier associated with the user based on at least the seating position of the user;

collecting, via the computing device, activity data identifying media to which the user is exposed; and

associating the media with the identifier of the user.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the identifier is further based on body characteristic data associated with the user including at least one of a heart rate, a cough pattern, a sneeze pattern, a breathing pattern, a touch pressure, an involuntary movement, or a habitual movement.

3. The method of claim 2, further including capturing usage pattern data, wherein determining the identifier is based on the seating position of the user, the body characteristic data, and the usage pattern data.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the capturing of the usage pattern data includes detection of at least one of a typing speed, a typing acceleration, a typing deceleration, a typing path, a holding pattern, a device mount, a typing pattern, or the user dragging a second finger when using the computing device with a first finger.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the computing device includes at least one of a mobile device, a tablet computer, a touchscreen device or a touchless touchscreen device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the sensor includes at least one of a camera, an accelerometer, a gyroscope, a compass, a cardiograph, a motion sensor, or a microphone.

7. The method of claim 1, further including exporting the activity data and the identifier to a collection site.

8. The method of claim 2, wherein determining the identifier associated with the user based on the captured body characteristic data includes:

incrementing one or more counters when the body characteristic data matches reference body characteristic data;

summing values of the one or more counters;

comparing the summed values to a threshold; and

identifying the user associated with the reference body characteristic data when the summed values exceed the threshold.

25. The method of claim 1, wherein the activity data is representative of the user'"'"'s interaction with an application on the computing device.

9. A system to identify a user comprising:

a sensor to capture animage of a user, the image being captured as the user interacts with a computing device for a purpose different from user identification;

a user identifier to;

analyze the image to determine a seating position of the user; and

determine an identifier associated with the user based on at least the seating position of the user;

an activity data collector to collect media exposure data representative of media exposed to the user; and

a database to store the media exposure data in association with the identifier of the user.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the user identifier is further to determine physiological data associated with the user including at least one of a heart rate, a cough pattern, a sneeze pattern, a breathing pattern, a touch pressure, an involuntary movement, or a habitual movement.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the sensor is to further capture usage pattern data, wherein the user identifier is to determine the identifier based on the seating position, the physiological data, and the usage pattern data.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the sensor is to capture the usage pattern data by detecting at least one of a typing speed, a typing acceleration, a typing deceleration, a typing path, a holding pattern, a device mount, a typing pattern, or the user dragging a second finger when using the computing device with a first finger.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the computing device includes at least one of a mobile device, a tablet computer, a touchscreen device or a touchless touchscreen device.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein the sensor includes at least one of a camera, an accelerometer, a gyroscope, a compass, a cardiograph, a motion sensor, or a microphone.

15. The system of claim 9, further including an exporter to export the media exposure data and the identifier to a collection site.

16. The system of claim 10, wherein to determine the identifier associated with the user based on the captured physiological data, the user identifier is to:

increment one or more counters when the physiological data matches reference physiological data;

sum values of the one or more counters;

compare the summed values to a threshold; and

identify the user associated with the reference physiological data when the summed values exceed the threshold.

17. A tangible computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions that, when executed, cause a computing device to at least:

capture an image of a user via a sensor on a computing device, the image being captured as the user interacts with the computing device for a purpose different from user identification;

analyze the image to determine a seating position of the user;

determine an identifier associated with the user based on at least the seating position of the user;

collect, via the computing device, activity data identifying media to which the user is exposed; and

associate the media with the identifier of the user.

18. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the computing device to capture body characteristic data associated with the user including at least one of a heart rate, a cough pattern, a sneeze pattern, a breathing pattern, a touch pressure, an involuntary movement, or a habitual movement.

19. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the computing device to capture usage pattern data, wherein determining the identifier is based on the seating position of the user, the body characteristic data, and the usage pattern data.

20. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the computing device to capture the usage pattern data, the usage pattern data including at least one of a typing speed, a typing acceleration, a typing deceleration, a typing path, a holding pattern, a device mount, a typing pattern, or the user dragging a second finger when using the computing device with a first finger.

21. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the computing device includes at least one of a mobile device, a tablet computer, a touchscreen device or a touchless touchscreen device.

22. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the sensor includes at least one of a camera, an accelerometer, a gyroscope, a compass, a cardiograph, a motion sensor, or a microphone.

23. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the computing device to export the activity data and the identifier to a collection site.

24. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the computing device to determine the identifier associated with the user based on the captured body characteristic data by:

incrementing one or more counters when the body characteristic data matches reference body characteristic data;

summing values of the one or more counters;

comparing the summed values to a threshold; and

identifying the user associated with the reference body characteristic data when the summed values exceed the threshold.

26. A method of identifying a first user, the method comprising:

capturing first body characteristic data associated with a first user via a sensor on a computing device, the first body characteristic data including a seating position of the first user and a first body characteristic being captured as the first user interacts with the computing device for a purpose different from user identification;

determining an identifier associated with the first user based on the first body characteristic data;

incrementing a first counter for the first user associated with the identifier at a first time;

incrementing a second counter for a second user when second body characteristic data is indicative of the second user;

collecting, via the computing device, activity data identifying media to which the first user is exposed; and

associating the media with the identifier of the first user in response to determining that a value of the first counter is greater than a value of the second counter.

27. A system to identify a user, the system comprising:

a sensor to capture physiological data associated with a first user, the physiological data including a seating position of the first user and the physiological data being captured as the first user interacts with a computing device for a purpose different from user identification;

a user identifier to;

determine an identifier of the first user based on the physiological data;

increment a first counter for the first user associated with the identifier at a first time;

increment a second counter for a second user when second body characteristic data is indicative of the second user; and

determine if a value of the first counter is greater than a value of the second counter;

an activity data collector to collect media exposure data representative of media exposed to the first user; and

a database to store the media exposure data in association with the identifier of the first user when the user identifier determines that the value of the first counter is greater than the value of the second counter.

28. A tangible computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions that, when executed, cause a computing device to at least:

capture first body characteristic data associated with a first user via a sensor on a computing device, the first body characteristic data including a seating position of the first user and a first body characteristic being captured as the first user interacts with the computing device for a purpose different from user identification;

determine an identifier of the first user based on the captured first body characteristic data;

increment a first counter for the first user associated with the identifier at a first time;

increment a second counter for a second user when second body characteristic data is indicative of the second user;

collect activity data identifying media to which the first user is exposed; and

associate the media with the identifier of the first user in response to determining that a value of the first counter is greater than a value of the second counter.