Discovery

Microsoft is working on brain reading software—that can interface directly with the human brain—and it might one day be implementing for the purpose of diagnostics, or for control of home electronics via specialized peripheral computer accessories.

The patent application describes a method of classifying EEG data in a way that separates the wheat from the chaff. When studying how humans interact with computing devices, it is desirable to be able to determine the effectiveness of a computer-user interface, i.e., a user interface.

A traditional way of determining the effectiveness of a user interface is to present a computer user, i.e., a user, with a task, observe the user as he or she operates the user interface to complete the task, and ask the user questions before, during, and/or after the task is performed. The observed behavior and answers to the questions are characterized and quantified. The quantified results are analyzed to determine the effectiveness of the user interface. But, it is hard to properly evaluate the way people interact with computers since questioning them at the time is distracting and asking questions later may not produce reliable answers.

So, Microsoft use a more effective techniques to provide a more direct way to determine the effectiveness of user interfaces. This method is called cognitive neuroscience. A typical cognitive neuroscience technique involves attaching electrical sensors, i.e., sensors, to various points on a user’s scalp. The sensors are then connected to an electroencephalograph (EEG).

One use of an EEG is to sense electrical changes within the brain that correspond to certain brain states. It will be possible to determine the effectiveness of a user interface by analyzing a user’s brain states before, during, and/or after a user performs a task using the user interface.

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