METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR EVALUATION OF THE BEHAVIOR OF USERS OF A DIGITAL IMAGE INFORMATION SYSTEM

• US 20080069397A1
• Filed: 09/10/2007
• Published: 03/20/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/14/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Siemens Healthcare GMBH (Siemens AG)
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Bartsch, Ernst
• Granted Patent: US 8,184,854 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/100
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/20 Movements or behaviour, e.g. gesture recognition recognition of facial expressions G06V40/16

Abstract

In a method of evaluation of the user behavior of users of a digital image information system during the viewing and/or assessment and/or processing of at least one image object presented on at least one display device, at least one selectable indicator of the user behavior is recorded (controlled by an electronic control and evaluation device) in the form of recording data by at least one detector during the viewing and/or assessment and/or processing of the image object. The recording data are transferred to the electronic control and evaluation device; and a quantitative and/or qualitative evaluation of the recording data ensues with regard to the image object. A digital image information system is provided that is suitable for implementation of the method.

Claims

1. A method for evaluating user behavior of a user of a digital image information system during at least one activity selected from the group consisting of viewing, assessing and processing, at least one image object presented on at least one display device with which the user interacts, said method comprising the steps of:

selecting and automatically controlling detection of at least one indicator of said user behavior in an environment of said at least one display device during said activity, to obtain recording data representing said at least one indicator;

transferring said recording data from said environment to an electronic evaluation device;

automatically making at least one of a quantitative evaluation or a qualitative evaluation of said recording data in said electronic evaluation device with regard to said at least one image object presented on said at least one display device during said activity, to obtain an evaluation result; and

visually presenting said evaluation result.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1 comprising, in said electronic evaluation device, subjecting said recording data to a quantitative statistical data analysis.

3. A method as claimed in claim 1 comprising, in said evaluation device, conducting said at least one of said quantitative evaluation or qualitative evaluation as a data mining evaluation by analyzing said recording data to identify a pattern or trend therein.

4. A method as claimed in claim 1 comprising, in said electronic evaluation device, making said at least one of said quantitative evaluation or said qualitative evaluation by subjecting said recording data to at least one statistical hypothesis test.

5. A method as claimed in claim 1 comprising, in said electronic evaluation device, making said at least one of said quantitative evaluation or said qualitative evaluation by relating said recording data to at least one workflow step performed by said user during said activity.

6. A method as claimed in claim 1 comprising presenting said evaluation result on at least one graphical display device.

7. A method as claimed in claim 1 comprising selecting said indicator from the group of indicators consisting of biometric data of the user, interactions of the user with said at least one display device, physical location of said user, user identification data, and data stored on a smart card associated with the user.

8. A method as claimed in claim 1 comprising detecting said at least one indicator with at least one detector selected from the group consisting of a digital image acquisition device, a digital biometric recording device, a computer keyboard, a computer pointer input device, a smart card reader, a mobile telephone, and a PDA.

9. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the step of detecting said at least one indicator comprises detecting biometric data of the user during said activity, and comprising, in said electronic evaluation device, making said at least one of said quantitative or qualitative evaluation by identifying viewing directions of the user relative to said at least one display device from said biometric data, correlating said viewing directions with the image object presented on said at least one display device during said activity, and making at least one of a quantitative evaluation or a qualitative evaluation of said viewing directions correlated with said image object.

10. A digital information system comprising:

at least one display device at which an image object is presented with which the user interacts by performing at least one activity selected from the group consisting of viewing, assessing and processing;

at least one detector that detects an indicator of said user behavior in an environment of said at least one display device during said activity, to obtain recording data representing said at least one indicator;

a control and evaluation device that automatically selects and controls said at least one detector obtaining said recording data, said recording data being transferred from said environment to said control and evaluation device;

said control and evaluation device automatically making at least one of a quantitative evaluation or a qualitative evaluation of said recording data with regard to said image object presented on said at least one display device during said activity, to obtain an evaluation result; and

said control and evaluation device comprising a display at which said evaluation result is visually presented.

11. A digital information system as claimed in claim 10 wherein said control and evaluation device subjects said recording data to a quantitative statistical data analysis.

12. A digital information system as claimed in claim 10 wherein said control and evaluation device conducts said at least one of said quantitative evaluation or qualitative evaluation as a data mining evaluation by analyzing said recording data to identify a pattern or trend therein.

13. A digital information system as claimed in claim 10 wherein said control and electronic evaluation device makes said at least one of said quantitative evaluation or said qualitative evaluation by subjecting said recording data to at least one statistical hypothesis test.

14. A digital information system as claimed in claim 10 wherein said control and evaluation device makes said at least one of said quantitative evaluation or said qualitative evaluation by relating said recording data to at least one workflow step performed by said user during said activity.

15. A digital information system as claimed in claim 10 wherein said at least detector is a detector selected from the group consisting of a digital image acquisition device, a digital biometric recording device, a computer keyboard, a computer pointer input device, a smart card reader, a mobile telephone, and a PDA.

16. A digital information system as claimed in claim 10 wherein said at least one is a detector that detects biometric data of the user during said activity, and wherein said electronic control and evaluation device makes said at least one of said quantitative or qualitative evaluation by identifying viewing directions of the user relative to said at least one display device from said biometric data, correlating said viewing directions with the image object presented on said at least one display device during said activity, and making at least one of a quantitative evaluation or a qualitative evaluation of said viewing directions correlated with said image object.

17. A computer-readable medium encoded with a data structure for evaluating user behavior of a user of a digital image information system during at least one activity selected from the group consisting of viewing, assessing and processing, at least one image object presented on at least one display device with which the user interacts, said digital information system including a computerized control and evaluation device in which said medium is loaded, and said data structure causing said control and evaluation device to:

select and automatically control detection of at least one indicator of said user behavior in an environment of said at least one display device during said activity, to obtain recording data representing said at least one indicator;

transfer said recording data from said environment to the electronic evaluation device;

automatically make at least one of a quantitative evaluation or a qualitative evaluation of said recording data in said electronic evaluation device with regard to said at least one image object presented on said at least one display device during said activity, to obtain an evaluation result; and

visually present said evaluation result.