METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR MEASURING AND RANKING A POSITIVE OR NEGATIVE RESPONSE TO AUDIOVISUAL OR INTERACTIVE MEDIA, PRODUCTS OR ACTIVITIES USING PHYSIOLOGICAL SIGNALS

• US 20080221472A1
• Filed: 08/28/2007
• Published: 09/11/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/07/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nielsen Consumer LLC (Nielsen Holdings plc)
• Original Assignee: Nielsen Company (US) LLC (RR Donnelley & Sons Company)
• Inventors: Lee, Michael J., Lee, Hans C., Williams, William H., Fettiplace, Michael R., Hong, Timie T.
• Granted Patent: US 8,473,044 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/544
• 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 5/369 Electroencephalography [EEG] devices for psychotechnics A61B5/16
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7257 using Fourier transforms

Abstract

A system and method for calculating a valence value captures an individual'"'"'s positive or negative response to a media by considering alpha asymmetry of the individual'"'"'s brain. This valence value can be used to compare media based on an individual or a group of individuals. Events of the media can be contrasted and compared by the valence value as well. Statistical measurements may be taken to improve media.

Claims

1. A method for sensing a valence response for use in rating media comprising:

stimulating an individual with a media containing an event;

sampling a first signal from a right front brain of the individual while substantially concurrently stimulating the individual with the event of the media;

sampling a second signal from a left front brain of the individual while substantially concurrently stimulating the individual with the event of the media; and

calculating a valence value from one or more frequencies from the first signal and one or more frequencies from the second signal defining alpha asymmetry for comparison with a reference value thereby rating the media based on the difference between the valence value and the reference value for the event of the media.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein multiple valence values from multiple individuals associated with the event in the media are aggregated to form a valence response to the event.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising separating out from the first signal a left frontal theta wave (θ

_L), and a right frontal theta wave (θ

_RF); and

separating out from the second signal a left frontal α

wave (α

_LF), and a right frontal α

wave (α

_RF).

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the valence value is calculated by using a formula wherein the formula comprises α

_RF−

α

_LF, θ

_LF−

θ

_RF, (θ

_L/α

_L)−

(θ

_R/α

_R) or ([θ

_L−

α

_L]/[θ

_L+α

_L])/([θ

_R−

α

_R]/[θ

_R+α

_R]).

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the valence value is calculated as an inverse, thus calculating negativeness, using a formula wherein the formula comprises α

_LF−

α

_RF, θ

_RF−

θ

_LF, (θ

_R/α

_R)−

(θ

_L/α

_L), or ([θ

_R−

α

_R]/[θ

_R+α

_R])/([θ

_L−

α

_L]/[θ

_L+α

_L]).

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the first signal and the second signal are each decomposed into a frequency domain using a fast Fourier transform or a wavelet analysis.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the wavelet analysis is accomplished using a wavelet selected from a Mexican hat wavelet a morlet wavelet, a daubechies wavelet, a beta wavelet, and a coiflet wavelet.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising calculating a derivative to show the change in valence over time.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the media is selected from television, video game, audiovisual advertisement, board game, card game, live action event, print advertisement, and web advertisement.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising creating a summated response vector to determine a group response of valence to the media.

11. The method of claim 1 further comprising aligning the valence value to the media to create an aligned valence value by correlating the valence value at the point in time to an event at the point in time.

12. A method for rating media based on the amount that an individual is positively or negatively stimulated comprising:

calculating a valence value of the individual for an event of a media;

comparing the valence value with a reference value to determine the difference between the amount that the individual was positively or negatively stimulated by the media, and the reference value of the media; and

saving the comparison as a measure defining a rating of the event of the media.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the reference value is supplied by a developer of the media.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein the reference value is an average value of numerous previously calculated valence values of other individuals.

15. The method of claim 12 wherein the valence value is calculated by using a formula wherein the formula comprises α

_RF−

α

_LF, θ

_LF−

θ

_RF, (θ

_L/α

_L)−

(θ

_R/α

_R), or ([θ

_L−

α

_L]/[θ

_L+α

_L])/([θ

_R−

α

_R]/[θ

_R+α

_R]).

16. The method of claim 12 wherein the valence value is calculated as an inverse, thus calculating negativeness, using a formula wherein the formula comprises α

_LF−

α

_RF, θ

_RF−

θ

_LF, (θ

_R/α

_R)−

(θ

_L/α

_L), or ([θ

_R−

α

_R]/[θ

_R+α

_R])/([θ

_L−

α

_L]/[θ

_L+α

_L])).

17. The method of claim 12 wherein the first media is selected from television, video game, audiovisual advertisement, board game, card game, live action event, print advertisement, and web advertisement.

18. A program for sensing a valence response for use in rating media embodied in a computer readable medium that when executed cause a system to:

stimulate an individual with a media containing an event;

sample a first signal from a right front brain while substantially concurrently stimulating the individual with the event of the media;

sample a second signal from a left front brain while substantially concurrently sampling the first signal with the event of the media; and

calculate a valence value from one or more frequencies from the first signal and one or more frequencies from the second signal defining alpha asymmetry for comparison with a reference value thereby rating the media based on the difference between the valence value and the reference value for the event of the media.

19. The program of claim 18 wherein multiple valence values from multiple individuals are included in a summated response vector identifying the number of persons that responded with valence to the media.

20. The program of claim 18 wherein the valence value is associated with many events of the media.

21. The program of claim 18 further comprising separating out from the first signal a left frontal theta wave (θ

_LF), and a right frontal theta wave (θ

_RF); and

separating out from the second signal a left frontal α

wave (α

_LF), and a right frontal α

wave (α

_RF).

22. The program of claim 18 wherein the valence value is calculated by using a formula wherein the formula comprises α

_RF−

α

_LF, θ

_LF−

θ

_RF, (θ

_L/α

_L)−

(θ

_R/α

_R), or ([θ

_L−

α

_L]/[θ

_L+α

_L])/([θ

_R−

α

_R]/[θ

_R+α

_R]).

23. The program of claim 18 wherein the valence value is calculated as an inverse, thus calculating negativeness, using a formula wherein the formula comprises α

_LF−

α

_RF, θ

_RF−

θ

_LF, (θ

_R/α

_R)−

(θ

_L/α

_L), or ([θ

_R−

α

_R]/[θ

_R+α

_R])/([θ

_L−

α

_L]/[θ

_L+α

_L])).

24. The program of claim 18 further comprising calculating a derivative of the valence value to show a change in positiveness or negativeness over time.

25. The program of claim 18 wherein the media is selected from television, video game, audiovisual advertisement, board game, card game, live action event, print advertisement, and web advertisement.

26. The program of claim 18 wherein the first signal and the second signal are aligned relative to the media to create a first aligned valence value corresponding to a first event in time which can be compared with a second aligned valence value corresponding to a second event in time.

27. A system for sensing a valence response for using rating media comprising:

one or more sensors operable to sample a first signal from the individual;

a processing component connected to the one or more sensors operable to;

sample a first signal from a right front brain while substantially concurrently stimulating the individual with the event of the media;

sample a second signal from a left front brain while substantially concurrently sampling the first signal with the event of the media; and

calculate a valence value from one or more frequencies from the first signal and one or more frequencies from the second signal defining alpha asymmetry for comparison with a reference value thereby rating the media based on the difference between the valence value and the reference value for the event of the media.

28. The system of claim 27 wherein the one or more sensors are included in an integrated sensor headset operable to measure a signal from the individual stimulated by the media.

29. A system for sensing a valence response for use in rating media comprising:

means for sampling a first signal from an individual stimulated by an event of a media;

means for sampling a second signal from an individual stimulated by the event of the media;

means for decomposing a the first signal and the second signal into a frequency domain;

means for separating out one or more frequencies from the signal; and

means for calculating a valence value from one or more frequencies from the first signal and one or more frequencies from the second signal defining alpha asymmetry for comparison with a reference value thereby rating the media based on the difference between the valence value and the reference value for the event of the media.