Method and system for measuring and ranking an “engagement” response to audiovisual or interactive media, products, or activities using physiological signals

• US 8,764,652 B2
• Filed: 08/28/2007
• Issued: 07/01/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/08/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nielsen Consumer LLC (Nielsen Holdings plc)
• Original Assignee: The Nielson Company (US), LLC
• Inventors: Lee, Hans C., Hong, Timmie T., Williams, William H., Fettiplace, Michael R., Lee, Michael J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Jackson, Gary
• Assistant Examiner(s): SORIANO, BOBBY GILES
• Application Number:
  US11/845,993
• Publication Number:
  US 20080221400A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,499 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 600/301
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/024 Detecting, measuring or recording pulse rate or heart rate A61B5/0205, A61B5/021 take precedence
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/70 relating to mental therapies, e.g. psychological therapy or autogenous training
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44218 Detecting physical presence or behaviour of the user, e.g. using sensors to detect if the user is leaving the room or changes his face expression during a TV program methods or arrangements for recognising human body or animal bodies or body parts G06V40/10; methods or arrangements for acquiring or recognising human faces, facial parts, facial sketches, facial expressions G06V40/16; methods or arrangements for recognising movements or behaviour G06V40/20; arrangements for identifying users in broadcast systems H04H60/45

Abstract

A system and method for calculating an engagement value by quantifying an amount that a user is acting without thinking considering brainwaves and a heart rate 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 engagement value as well. Statistical measurements may be taken to improve media.

Claims

1. A method for rating media, the method comprising:

obtaining a first signal from a brain of an individual produced substantially while the individual is exposed to the media;

obtaining a second signal from a heart of the individual produced substantially concurrently with the first signal from the brain;

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

calculating with a processor, an engagement value based on a first mathematical relationship between (1) a first frequency and (2) a second frequency from the frequency domain of the first signal and a second mathematical relationship between (1) a third frequency from the frequency domain of the second signal and (2) a result of the first mathematical relationship;

comparing the engagement value with a reference value to determine a difference; and

rating the media based on the difference between the engagement value and the reference value.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first frequency and the second frequency includes one or more of an alpha frequency or a theta frequency.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the engagement value is associated with an event in the media.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the second signal is sampled via a photoplethysmograph attached to a head of the individual.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein multiple engagement values from multiple individuals associated with an event in the media are aggregated to form an engagement response to the event.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein multiple engagement values from multiple individuals are included in a summated response vector identifying the number of persons that responded with engagement to the media.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the decomposing is accomplished using a Fast Fourier transform or a wavelet analysis.

8. The method of claim 7, 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.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising calculating a derivative of the engagement value representing a change in engagement over time.

10. The method of claim 2, wherein the engagement value is determined by calculating [heart rate/50]−

[(theta−

alpha)/(theta+alpha)].

11. The method of claim 1, wherein a length of each heart beat is monitored.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the first signal includes an alpha frequency, a beta frequency, a delta frequency, a theta frequency and a total EEG power, the second signal includes a heart rate, and the engagement value is calculated by contrasting the heart rate with one or more of:

θ

−

α

,

θ

,

θ

/α

,

Δ

/α

,

β

/α

, or

total EEG power/α

.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the first signal includes an alpha frequency, a beta frequency, a delta frequency, a theta frequency and a total EEG power, the second signal includes a heart beat, and the engagement value is calculated by contrasting a length of the heart beat with one or more of:

α

,

α

/θ

,

α

/β

,

α

/Δ

,

α

/total EEG power, or

(α

−

θ

)/(α

+θ

).

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the media includes one or more of a television broadcast, a video game, an audiovisual advertisement, a board game, a card game, a live action event, a print advertisement or a web advertisement.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying a point in time corresponding to the engagement value;

identifying an event of the media occurring substantially concurrently with the point in time;

correlating the engagement value with the event; and

aligning the engagement value to the media.

24. The method of claim 1, wherein the reference value is determined by a developer of the media.

25. The method of claim 1, wherein the reference value is an average of a plurality of previously calculated engagement values for the media.

26. The method of claim 1, wherein the first mathematical relationship includes a ratio of (1) a first difference between the second frequency and the first frequency to (2) a sum of the first frequency and the second frequency.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the second mathematical relationship includes a second difference between the third frequency and the result of the first mathematical relationship.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the second mathematical relationship includes a percentage of the third frequency.

29. The method of claim 3, wherein the event is classified as a specific type of event using a mathematical transform to compare the event with one or more other events.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the mathematical transform includes using an average.

31. The method of claim 29, wherein the mathematical transform includes a first order derivative.

32. The method of claim 29, wherein the mathematical transform includes a second order derivative.

33. The method of claim 29, wherein the mathematical transform includes a polynomial approximation.

34. The method of claim 29, wherein the mathematical transform includes a standard deviation from a mean.

35. The method of claim 29, wherein the mathematical transform includes a standard deviation of derivatives from a mean.

36. The method of claim 29, wherein the mathematical transform includes vectors and a positive derivative vector indicates an exciting type of event and a negative derivative vector indicates an unexciting type of event.

16. A tangible machine readable storage medium comprising machine readable instructions which, when read, cause a machine to at least:

decompose a first signal from a brain of an individual and a second signal from a heart of the individual into a frequency domain, the first and second signal produced substantially concurrently and while the individual is exposed to media;

calculate an engagement value based on;

(1) a first mathematical relationship between (a) a first frequency and (b) a second frequency from the frequency domain of the first signal and (2) a second mathematical relationship between (a) a third frequency from the frequency domain of the second signal and (b) a result of the first mathematical relationship;

compare the engagement value with a reference value to determine a difference; and

rate the media based on the difference between the engagement value and the reference value.

17. The medium of claim 16, wherein at least one of the first frequency and the second frequency includes one or more of an alpha frequency or a theta frequency.

18. The medium of claim 16, wherein the first signal includes an alpha frequency, a beta frequency, a delta frequency, a theta frequency and a total EEG power, the second signal includes a heart beat, and the engagement value is calculated by contrasting a length of the heart beat with one or more of:

α

,

α

/θ

,

α

/β

,

α

/Δ

,

α

/total EEG power, or

(α

−

θ

)/(α

+θ

), wherein α

, β

, Δ

, &

θ

are each found in the first signal.

19. The medium of claim 16, wherein the decomposing of the first signal and the second signal comprises using one or more of a fast Fourier transform or a wavelet analysis.

20. The medium of claim 16, wherein the media includes one or more of a television program, a video game, an audiovisual advertisement, a board game, a card game, a live action event, a print advertisement or a web advertisement.

21. The medium of claim 16, wherein the machine is further caused to:

align the signal relative to the media;

create a first aligned engagement value corresponding to a first event based on the alignment; and

compare the first aligned engagement value with a second aligned engagement value corresponding to a second event in time.

22. A system for rating media, the system comprising:

a data collector to obtain a first signal from a brain of an individual produced substantially while the individual is exposed to the media and a second signal from a heart of the individual produced substantially while the individual is exposed to the media; and

a processor to;

decompose the first signal and the second signal into a frequency domain;

calculate an engagement value based on a first mathematical relationship between (1) a first frequency and (2) a second frequency from the frequency domain of the first signal and a second mathematical relationship between (1) a third frequency from the frequency domain of the second signal and (2) a result of the first mathematical relationship;

compare the engagement value with a reference value to determine a difference; and

rate the media based on the difference between the engagement value and the reference.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the data collector comprises one or more sensors included in an integrated sensor headset to measure a signal from the individual stimulated by the media.