Data collection system for aggregating biologically based measures in asynchronous geographically distributed public environments

• US 9,292,858 B2
• Filed: 02/27/2012
• Issued: 03/22/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nielsen Consumer LLC (Nielsen Holdings plc)
• Original Assignee: The Nielsen Company LLC (MOOD Media Corporation)
• Inventors: Marci, Carl D., Levine, Brian, Kothuri, Ravi Kanth V, Gill, Geoff
• Primary Examiner(s): Padot, Timothy
• Application Number:
  US13/405,611
• Publication Number:
  US 20130226464A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,485 Days
• Field of Search: 705/7.29
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0002 Remote monitoring of patients using telemetry, e.g. transmission of vital signals via a communication network A61B5/07 takes precedence; transmission systems for measured values G08C; transmission H04B; transmission of digital information H04L; wireless communication networks H04W
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02405 Determining heart rate variability
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0533 Measuring galvanic skin response
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/08 Detecting, measuring or recording devices for evaluating the respiratory organs A61B5/0205 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/11 Measuring movement of the entire body or parts thereof, e.g. head or hand tremor, mobility of a limb for measuring pulse A61B5/02 ;A61B5/1038 takes precedence; motion detection to correct for motion artifacts in physiological signals A61B5/721
• 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 5/225 of the fingers, e.g. by monitoring hand-grip force
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/369 Electroencephalography [EEG] devices for psychotechnics A61B5/16
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6897 Computer input devices, e.g. mice or keyboards
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0201 Market modelling; Market analysis; Collecting market data
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/33 Arrangements for monitoring the users' behaviour or opinions

Abstract

The present invention relates to biologically and behaviorally based systems and methods for measuring audience response to a target stimulus. The systems and methods are deployable in multiple locations and may display stimuli based on location, target demographics, and combinations thereof.

Claims

1. A method of determining a measure of response to a target stimulus from members of an audience remotely located at a plurality of locations, the method comprising:

providing a processing computer including stored data, the stored data including first results from a standard testing template of content stimuli;

providing a first portable unit at a first location, the first portable unit including;

a first biologically based sensor to measure unconscious biological responses for a first member of an audience;

a first processor to receive first data representative of the unconscious biological responses of the first member of the audience, the first processor including a first memory to store the first data; and

a first display, the first biologically based sensor and the first display operatively coupled to the first processor;

providing a second portable unit at a second location, the second portable unit including;

a second biologically based sensor to measure unconscious biological responses for a second member of the audience;

a second processor to receive second data representative of the unconscious biological responses of the second member of the audience, the second processor including a second memory to store the second data; and

a second display, the second biologically based sensor and the second display operatively coupled to the second processor;

receiving first demographic information in a demographic category from the first member of the audience;

storing the first demographic information;

receiving second demographic information in the demographic category from the second member of the audience;

storing the second demographic information;

receiving at the first location and the second location a target stimulus;

exposing the first member of the audience to a first presentation of the target stimulus on the first display;

exposing the second member of the audience to the first presentation on the second display;

measuring a first unconscious biological response of the first member of the audience to the first presentation;

forming a first set of data from the first unconscious biological response;

storing the first set of data;

measuring a second unconscious biological response to the first presentation for the second member of the audience;

forming a second set of data from the second unconscious biological response;

storing the second set of data;

receiving at the first location and the second location an alternate target stimulus;

exposing the first member of the audience to a second presentation of the alternate target stimulus on the first display;

exposing the second member of the audience to the second presentation on the second display;

measuring a third unconscious biological response of the first member of the audience to the second presentation of the alternate target stimulus;

forming a third set of data from the third unconscious biological response;

storing the third set of data;

measuring a fourth unconscious biological response of the second member of the audience to the second presentation;

forming a fourth set of data from the fourth unconscious biological response;

storing the fourth set of data;

transmitting the first, second, third, and fourth sets of data and the first and second demographic information to the processing computer; and

analyzing, by executing instructions with the processing computer, the first set of data, the second set of data, the third set of data, the fourth set of data, the first demographic information, and the second demographic information to generate a report including a comparison of the target stimulus to the alternate target stimulus based on the first and second demographic information at the first and second location.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first, second, third, and fourth unconscious biological responses include one or more of a heart rate, a galvanic skin response, a pattern of respiration, or a motion.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the first biologically based sensor includes a first sensor to measure the heart rate and a second sensor to measure the galvanic skin response.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first biologically based sensor is to measure one or more of an EEG signal, a neuroimaging modality, a facial expression, or an eye movement.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the demographic category includes an age, a gender, a race, an income, or an educational background.

6. The method of claim 1, further including:

obtaining third demographic data in a second demographic category from the first member of the audience;

obtaining fourth demographic data in the second demographic category from the second member of the audience;

aggregating the first, second, third, and fourth demographic information for the respective first and second demographic categories;

receiving a terminal value for each of the first and second demographic categories;

receiving a second alternate target stimulus;

using the second alternate target stimulus for further analysis if the respective terminal value for the respective first or second demographic category has been reached.

7. A system for determining a measure of response to a target stimulus from members of an audience remotely located, the system comprising:

a centrally located processing computer including stored data, the stored data including first results from a standard testing template of content stimuli;

a first portable unit at a first location, the first portable unit including;

a first biologically based sensor to measure unconscious biological responses for a first member of an audience;

a first processor to receive first data representative of the unconscious biological responses of the first member of the audience, the first processor including a first memory to store the first data, and the first processor to transmit the first data and first demographic information collected from the first member of the audience; and

a first display, the first display and the first biologically based sensor operatively connected to the first processor; and

a second portable unit at a second location, the second portable unit including;

a second biologically based sensor to measure unconscious biological responses for a second member of an audience;

a second computer processor to receive second data representative of the unconscious biological responses of the second member of the audience, the second processor including a second memory to store the second data, and the second processor to transmit the second data and second demographic information collected from the second member of the audience; and

a second display, the second display and the second biologically based sensor operatively connected to the second processor;

the processing computer is to execute instructions to;

expose the first member and the second member of the audience to a first presentation of the target stimulus on the respective first and second displays;

receive, from the first remote unit, a first set of data representative of a first unconscious biological response of the first member of the audience to the target stimulus;

receive, from the second remote unit, a second set of data representative of a second unconscious biological response of the second member of the audience to the target stimulus;

expose the first member and the second member of the audience to a second presentation of an alternate target stimulus on the respective first and second displays;

receive, from the first remote unit, a third set of data representative of a third unconscious biological response of the first member of the audience to the alternate target stimulus;

receive, from the second remote unit, a fourth set of data representative of a fourth unconscious biological response of the second member of the audience to the alternate target stimulus; and

analyze the first, second, third, and fourth sets of data, and the first and second demographic information to generate a report including a comparison of the target stimulus to the standard testing template of content stimuli.

8. The system of claim 7, the processing computer and the first and second processors operatively connected through a server.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein one or more the first or second remote unit includes a kiosk, a smart phone, or a tablet.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein the first and second demographic information includes a plurality of categories including an age, a gender, a race, an income, or an educational background.

11. The system of claim 7, wherein the first, second, third, and fourth unconscious biological responses include one or more of a heart rate, a galvanic skin response, a pattern of respiration, or a motion.

12. The system of claim 7, wherein the first biologically based measuring device is to track eye movement and the first set of data includes eye movement data.

13. The system of claim 7, wherein the first biologically based measuring device is to measure facial expressions at predetermined time intervals and the first set of data includes facial expressions data.

14. The system of claim 7, wherein the first biologically based measuring device is to measure one or more of an EEG signal or a neuroimaging modality and the first set of data includes one or more of EEG data or neuroinaging data.

15. The system of claim 7, wherein the processing computer is to execute instructions to:

assign a capacity value to each of the first and second remote units for each demographic category and each location for the first presentation of the target stimulus and the second presentation of the alternate target stimulus; and

expose one or more of the first member of the audience or the second member of the audience to a second alternate target stimulus on the respective first and second displays when one or more of the capacity values are obtained.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the capacity values are distributed equally for each location.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the processing computer is to execute instructions to transmit, to the first and second remote units, target demographic density information for the first and second locations.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the capacity values are allocated proportionate to the target demographic density information in the first and second locations.

19. The system of claim 7, wherein the system is to provide a plurality of target stimuli based on geographic location.