METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR COMPLIANCE CONFIRMATION AND INCENTIVES

• US 20080091762A1
• Filed: 07/12/2007
• Published: 04/17/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/12/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: The Nielsen Company LLC (MOOD Media Corporation)
• Original Assignee: The Nielsen Company LLC (MOOD Media Corporation)
• Inventors: Flanagan III, Eugene, Zhang, Jack, Neuhauser, Alan, Crystal, Jack
• Application Number:
  US11/777,012
• Publication Number:
  US 20080091762A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/201
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2503/12 Healthy persons not otherwise provided for, e.g. subjects of a marketing survey
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 3/1216 for diagnostics of the iris
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 3/14 Arrangements specially adapted for eye photography apparatus or arrangements for taking photographs per se G03B
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0077 Devices for viewing the surface of the body, e.g. camera, magnifying lens
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0205 Simultaneously evaluating both cardiovascular conditions and different types of body conditions, e.g. heart and respiratory condition
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02438 with portable devices, e.g. worn by the patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0816 Measuring devices for examining respiratory frequency measuring frequency of electric signals G01R23/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1172 using fingerprinting
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1176 Recognition of faces
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4833 Assessment of subject's compliance to treatment
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/489 Blood vessels
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6898 Portable consumer electronic devices, e.g. music players, telephones, tablet computers
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 7/003 Detecting lung or respiration noise
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 7/008 Detecting noise of gastric tract, e.g. caused by voiding
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 7/02 Stethoscopes acoustic details thereof G10K11/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/00 Administration; Management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/101 Collaborative creation, e.g. joint development of products or services
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/018 Certifying business or products
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0201 Market modelling; Market analysis; Collecting market data
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0203 Market surveys; Market polls
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/60 : for patient-specific data, e.g. for electronic patient records
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 30/20 : for handling medical images, e.g. DICOM, HL7 or PACS
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/20 : for the management or administration of healthcare resources or facilities, e.g. managing hospital staff or surgery rooms
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 : for local operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 : for remote operation

Abstract

Methods and systems of monitoring use by a user of a research device in accordance with at least one predetermined use criterion compare monitored data or requested data with reference data. Methods and systems for promoting use of a research device by a user in compliance with at least one predetermined use criterion compare monitored data or requested data with reference data.

Claims

1. A method of monitoring use by a user of a portable research device in accordance with at least one predetermined use criterion comprises communicating a request message to the portable research device, the request message requesting a response from the user of the portable research device;

receiving a response message communicated from the portable research device in response to the request message;

comparing compliance-related data included in the response message with reference data; and

producing compliance data indicating whether the user is in compliance with the at least one predetermined use criterion and/or a level of the user'"'"'s compliance therewith, based on the comparing.

2. A system for monitoring use by a user of a portable research device in accordance with at least one predetermined use criterion comprises communications operative to communicate a request message to the portable research device, the request message requesting a response from the user of the portable research device;

the communications being operative to receive a response message communicated from the portable research device in response to the request message;

a processor coupled with the communications to receive the response message and operative to compare compliance-related data included in the response message with reference data, and to produce compliance data based on such comparing indicating whether the user is in compliance with the at least one predetermined use criterion and/or a level of the user'"'"'s compliance therewith; and

storage coupled with the processor to receive and store the compliance data.

3. A method of monitoring use by a user of a portable research device in accordance with at least one predetermined use criterion comprises communicating a request message to the portable research device, the request message requesting a response from the user of the portable research device;

receiving a response message communicated from the portable research device in response to the request message; and

producing compliance data indicating (a) whether use of the portable research device by the user is in compliance with the at least one predetermined use criterion and/or (b) a level of the user'"'"'s compliance with the at least one predetermined use criterion, based on a comparison of compliance-related data in the response message with reference data.

4. A system for monitoring use by a user of a portable research device in accordance with at least one predetermined use criterion comprises communications operative to communicate a request message to the portable research device, the request message requesting a response from the user of the portable research device;

the communications being operative to receive a response message communicated from the portable research device in response to the request message; and

a processor coupled with the communications to receive the response message and to produce compliance data indicating (a) whether use of the portable research device by the user is in compliance with the at least one predetermined use criterion and/or (b) a level of the user'"'"'s compliance with the at least one predetermined use criterion, based on a comparison of compliance-related data in the response message with reference data.

5. A method of monitoring use by a user of a portable research device, comprising:

producing monitored data by monitoring at least one of the user'"'"'s heart activity, the user'"'"'s breathing activity, the user'"'"'s borborygmus, the user'"'"'s gait, the user'"'"'s voice, the user'"'"'s data input to the portable research device, the user'"'"'s keyboard usage characteristics, the user'"'"'s vascular pattern, the user'"'"'s facial and/or ear patterns, the user'"'"'s signature, the user'"'"'s fingerprint and/or handprint, the user'"'"'s hand geometry, the user'"'"'s retinal and/or iris pattern, the user'"'"'s airborne biochemical indicators, the user'"'"'s muscular activity, the user'"'"'s body temperature, another biometric parameter of the user, a presence indication signal or personal identification signal from a device in or on the person of the user, sounds external to the portable research device, pressure applied to the portable research device, an impact of the portable research device with another object, a location or change in a location of the portable research device;

comparing the monitored data with reference data; and

determining whether use of the portable research device by the user is in accordance with at least one predetermined criterion based on the comparing.

6. A system for monitoring use by a user of a portable research device comprises a monitor for producing monitored data by monitoring at least one of the user'"'"'s heart activity, the user'"'"'s breathing activity, the user'"'"'s borborygmus, the user'"'"'s gait, the user'"'"'s voice, the user'"'"'s data input to the portable research device, the user'"'"'s keyboard usage characteristics, the user'"'"'s vascular pattern, the user'"'"'s facial and/or ear patterns, the user'"'"'s signature, the user'"'"'s fingerprint and/or handprint, the user'"'"'s hand geometry, the user'"'"'s retinal and/or iris pattern, the user'"'"'s airborne biochemical indicators, the user'"'"'s muscular activity, the user'"'"'s body temperature, another biometric parameter of the user, a presence indication signal or a personal identification signal from a device in or on the person of the user, sounds external to the portable research device, pressure applied to the portable research device, an impact of the portable research device with another object, a location or change in a location of the portable research device;

and a processor coupled with the monitor to receive the monitored data and operative to compare the monitored data with reference data and determine whether use of the portable research device by the user is in accordance with at least one predetermined criterion based on the comparing.

7. A method of monitoring use by a user of a portable research device in accordance with at least one predetermined use criterion comprises actively monitoring use of the portable research device by the user by communicating a message to the user requesting a response;

receiving the requested response from the user;

passively monitoring use of the portable research device by the user by sensing at least one parameter indicating whether the portable research device is being used in accordance with the at least one predetermined criterion to produce monitored data;

comparing at least one of the requested response and the monitored data with reference data; and

producing compliance data based on the comparing.

8. A system for monitoring use by a user of a portable research device in accordance with at least one predetermined use criterion comprises a first monitoring subsystem operative to actively monitor use of the portable research device by the user by communicating a message to the user requesting a response;

a second monitoring subsystem operative to passively monitor use of the portable research device by the user by sensing at least one parameter indicating whether the portable research device is being used in accordance with the at least one predetermined criterion to produce monitored data; and

a processor operative to receive the requested response and the monitored data, operative to compare at least one of the requested response and the monitored data with reference data and produce compliance data based on the comparing.

9. A method of promoting use of a portable research device by a user in compliance with at least one predetermined use criterion comprises producing compliance data for a plurality of different times indicating whether the portable research device is being used in compliance with the at least one predetermined use criterion;

producing level data representing a level of compliance by the user based on a comparison of the compliance data with reference data; and

communicating a message to the user indicating a level of compliance of the user based on the level data.

10. A system for promoting use of a portable research device by a user in compliance with at least one predetermined use criterion comprises a processor operative to produce compliance data for a plurality of different times indicating whether the portable research device is being used in compliance with the at least one predetermined use criterion and to produce level data representing a level of compliance by the user based on a comparison of the compliance data with reference data;

and communications operative to communicate a message to the user indicating a level of compliance of the user based on the level data.

11. A method of monitoring use by a user of a portable research device in accordance with at least one predetermined use criterion comprises producing passively monitored data in a portable research device, communicating a request message to the portable research device from a monitoring system, automatically producing a response message using the portable research device, the response message including and/or based on the passively monitored data, communicating the response message to the monitoring system and, determining in the monitoring system whether the use of the PUA complies with at least one predetermined use criterion based on a comparison of the passively monitored data with reference data.

12. A method of monitoring use by a user of a portable research device in accordance with at least one predetermined use criterion comprises producing monitored data by means of the portable research device representing at least two of the following parameters:

the user'"'"'s heart activity, pulse, breathing, borborygmus, gait, voice, keyboard usage characteristics, body temperature, vascular pattern, facial pattern, ear pattern, signature, fingerprint, palm print, handprint, hand geometry, retinal pattern, iris pattern, airborne biochemical indicators, muscular activity, or other biometric parameter, a presence indication signal or personal identification signal from a device in or on the person of the user, remaining power capacity of the portable research device, recharging of the portable research device, location of the portable research device, change in location of the portable research device, data input to the portable research device, sounds external to the portable research device, motion of the portable research device, pressure applied to the portable research device and an impact of the portable research device with another object; and

producing compliance data indicating whether the user has complied with the at least one predetermined use criterion based on a comparison of the monitored data with reference data.

13. A method of monitoring use by a user of a portable research device in accordance with at least one predetermined use criterion comprises producing passively monitored data in a portable research device, communicating a request message to the portable research device from a monitoring system, automatically producing a response message using the portable research device, the response message including and/or based on the passively monitored data, communicating the response message to the monitoring system and, determining in the monitoring system whether the use by the user complies with at least one predetermined use criterion based on a comparison of the passively monitored data with reference data.