US 5,377,100 AGranted

Method of encouraging attention by correlating video game difficulty with attention level

AssigneeThe United States of America as represented by the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration

InventorsAlan T. Pope, Edward H. Bogart

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Abstract

A method of encouraging attention in persons such as those suffering from Attention Deficit Disorder is provided by correlating the level of difficulty of a video game with the level of attention in a subject. A video game comprises a video display which depicts objects for interaction with a player and a difficulty adjuster which increases the difficulty level, e.g., action speed and/or evasiveness of the depicted object, in a predetermined manner. The electrical activity of the brain is measured at selected sites to determine levels of awareness, e.g., activity in the beta, theta, and alpha states. A value is generated based on this measured electrical signal which is indicative of the level of awareness. The difficulty level of the game is increased as the awareness level value decreases and is decreased as this awareness level value increases.

Claims14

Dependent claims

A method of modifying a video game to encourage increased attention levels in a subject, the video game comprising a display which depicts objects and a difficulty adjuster which adjusts a level of difficulty for the subject to interact with the objects depicted on the display, the modification method comprising the steps of:

measuring electrical activity in the brain of the subject over time to obtain at least one signal having a value indicative of the level of attention in the subject;
displaying a symbol representing the value indicative of the level of attention on the display of the video game for viewing by the subject;
and
increasing the level of difficulty via the difficulty adjuster for the subject to interact with the objects depicted on the display as the value indicative of the level of attention decreases and decreasing the level of difficulty via the difficulty adjuster for the subject to interact with the objects depicted on the display as the value indicative of the level of attention increases over time, whereby the value indicative of the level of attention in the subject is inversely related to the level of difficulty for the subject to interact with the depicted objects.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.