Methods and systems for selecting customized control schemes based on brain activity
View Patent ↗Methods and systems are described herein for a media guidance application that selects a control scheme based on a number of user input types that are distinguishable based on brain activity monitored by a user device. For example, if the media guidance application determines that only two different user input types may be based on brain activity, the media guidance application will select a control scheme that only requires two different functions to select any available media guidance application operations.
1. A method for providing media guidance to users based on customized control schemes, the method comprising:
monitoring brain activity of a user with a user device;
determining, using control circuitry, a number of different user input types that are distinguishable based on the monitored brain activity;
retrieving, using the control circuitry, a list of available media guidance application operations;
determining, using the control circuitry, a control scheme based on the number of different user input types, wherein the control scheme maps a function to each different user input type such that each of the available media guidance application operations in the list is accessible to the user through the use of one or more mapped functions; and
alerting the user of the determined control scheme.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the control scheme based on the number of different user input types, further comprises cross-referencing the list of available media guidance application operations with a database of control schemes for use with particular numbers of different user input types to determine the control scheme that requires only the use of the number of different user input types to access each of the available media guidance application operations in the list.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the control scheme is selected from a plurality of control schemes, wherein each of the plurality of control schemes is associated with a particular number of user input types.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the number of different user input types is one, and wherein a first user input type of the different user input types corresponds to selecting a currently highlighted media guidance application operation in the list of available media guidance application operations, and wherein each media guidance application operation in the list of available media guidance application operations is temporarily highlighted, one at a time, based on a predetermined schedule.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the number of different user input types is two, and wherein a first user input type of the different user input types corresponds to selecting a currently highlighted media guidance application operation in the list of available media guidance application operations, and wherein a second user input type of the different user input types corresponds to highlighting a different media guidance application operation in the list of available media guidance application operations.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the number of different user input types is three, and wherein a first user input type of the different user input types corresponds to selecting a currently highlighted media guidance application operation in the list of available media guidance application operations, and wherein a second user input type of the different user input types corresponds to highlighting a different media guidance application operation in the list of available media guidance application operations in a first direction, and wherein a third user input type of the different user input types corresponds to highlighting a different media guidance application operation in the list of available media guidance application operations in a second direction.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the number of different user inputs that are distinguishable in the brain activity is determined based on a number of distinguishable brain states that can be detected during the monitoring.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein a number of available media guidance application operations in the list is based on the number of different user input types.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein alerting the user of the determined control scheme further comprises indicating to the user the brain activity that corresponds to each different user input type and the function mapped to each different user input type.
10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising generating for display the list of available media guidance application operations on a display screen.
11. A system for providing media guidance to users based on customized control schemes, the system comprising:
storage circuitry configured to store a list of available media guidance application operations; and
control circuitry configured to:
monitor brain activity of a user with a user device;
determine a number of different user input types that are distinguishable based on the monitored brain activity;
retrieve the list of available media guidance application operations;
determine a control scheme based on the number of different user input types, wherein the control scheme maps a function to each different user input type such that each of the available media guidance application operations in the list is accessible to the user through the use of one or more mapped functions; and
alert the user of the determined control scheme.
12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the control circuitry configured to determine the control scheme is further configured to cross-reference the list of available media guidance application operations with a database of control schemes for use with particular numbers of different user input types to determine the control scheme that requires only the use of the number of different user input types to access each of the available media guidance application operations in the list.
13. The system of claim 11 , wherein the control circuitry configured to determine the control scheme is further configured to select the control scheme from a plurality of control schemes, wherein each of the plurality of control schemes is associated with a particular number of user input types.
14. The system of claim 11 , wherein the number of different user input types is one, and wherein a first user input type of the different user input types corresponds to selecting a currently highlighted media guidance application operation in the list of available media guidance application operations, and wherein each media guidance application operation in the list of available media guidance application operations is temporarily highlighted, one at a time, based on a predetermined schedule.
15. The system of claim 11 , wherein the number of different user input types is two, and wherein a first user input type of the different user input types corresponds to selecting a currently highlighted media guidance application operation in the list of available media guidance application operations, and wherein a second user input type of the different user input types corresponds to highlighting a different media guidance application operation in the list of available media guidance application operations.
16. The system of claim 11 , wherein the number of different user input types is three, and wherein a first user input type of the different user input types corresponds to selecting a currently highlighted media guidance application operation in the list of available media guidance application operations, and wherein a second user input type of the different user input types corresponds to highlighting a different media guidance application operation in the list of available media guidance application operations in a first direction, and wherein a third user input type of the different user input types corresponds to highlighting a different media guidance application operation in the list of available media guidance application operations in a second direction.
17. The system of claim 11 , wherein the number of different user inputs that are distinguishable in the brain activity is determined based on a number of distinguishable brain states that can be detected during the monitoring.
18. The system of claim 11 , wherein a number of available media guidance application operations in the list is based on the number of different user input types.
19. The system of claim 11 , wherein the control circuitry configured to alert the user of the determined control scheme is further configured to indicate to the user the brain activity that corresponds to each different user input type and the function mapped to each different user input type.
20. The system of claim 11 , wherein the control circuitry is further configured to generate for display the list of available media guidance application operations on a display screen.