Evaluation and Improvement of Dynamic Visual Perception

• US 20110001924A1
• Filed: 02/23/2009
• Published: 01/06/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/29/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Essilor International SA (EssilorLuxottica SA)
• Original Assignee: Essilor International SA (EssilorLuxottica SA)
• Inventors: Bak, Adrien, Giraudet, Giillaume
• Granted Patent: US 8,414,126 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 351/203
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 3/0091 Fixation targets for viewing direction
• 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: A61H 5/00 Exercisers for the eyes
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 19/0023 Colour matching, recognition, analysis, mixture or the like
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/30 relating to physical therapies or activities, e.g. physiotherapy, acupressure or exercising
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 for local operation

Abstract

A method for evaluating and/or improving dynamic visual perception of an individual, comprising: a) displaying on a screen (11) a moving pattern (12) having a chosen visual complexity feature (Simp), b) providing a human/machine interface (13, 14) enabling the individual to input a value to indicate the pattern that the individual sees on the screen, c) repeating the preceding steps in order to count the number of successive positive answers imputed at step b), and d1) if the number of successive positive comparisons exceeds a predetermined threshold (S1), increasing (S2) the pattern visual complexity feature of a chosen amount, d2) otherwise, lowering (S7) the pattern visual complexity feature of a chosen amount, e) repeating steps d1) and d2) and lowering (Appl h, S3; S8) the chosen amount each time an alternation between steps d1) and d2) is detected, until a predetermined number (THR) of alternations (Alter) is detected, in order to determine a maximum visual complexity feature (Simp) of patterns that the individual can identify. This maximum visual complexity feature defines a quantitative value of the dynamic visual perception of the individual.

Claims

1. A method implemented by computer means, for evaluating a dynamic visual perception of an individual, comprising the steps of:

a) displaying on a screen at least one moving pattern having a chosen visual complexity feature, said pattern being selected amongst a plurality of possible patterns having each a value;

b) providing a human/machine interface enabling the individual to input a value to indicate the pattern that the individual sees on the screen;

c) receiving through said human/machine interface the inputted value and comparing said inputted value to the value of the displayed pattern;

d) repeating the preceding steps in order to count the number of successive positive comparisons at step c); and

d1) if the number of successive positive comparisons exceeds a predetermined threshold, increasing said pattern visual complexity feature of a chosen amount,

d2) otherwise, lowering said pattern visual complexity feature of a chosen amount; and

e) repeating step d) and lowering said chosen amount each time an alternation between steps d1) and d2) is detected, until a predetermined number of alternations is detected, in order to determine a maximum visual complexity feature of patterns that the individual can identify, said maximum visual complexity feature defining a quantitative value of the dynamic visual perception of the individual.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the evaluation of said dynamic visual perception of the individual is based on at least one element amongst:

an ability to identify a moving pattern with eye tracking,

an ability to identify a moving pattern without eye tracking,

an ability to identify a global movement of a plurality of moving patterns,

an ability to read a chosen text displayed on the screen.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein displayed patterns include alphabetic letters to recognize, and said pattern visual complexity feature comprises a global size of said alphabetic letters.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein displayed patterns include Gabor patches having several possible orientations to recognize, and wherein said pattern visual complexity feature is defined by an amplitude of a Gabor function assigned to said patches.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein randomly moving dots are further displayed on the screen in order to increase visual complexity.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein, for evaluating said ability to identify a moving pattern with eye tracking, the individual is asked to:

follow the pattern on the screen while the pattern moves randomly from a position of the screen to another a predetermined number of times, and

input through said interface the value of the randomly moving pattern.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein a fixed pattern is further displayed on the screen, and the individual is asked to stare at the fixed pattern while first and second patterns are displayed and move towards opposite directions on both sides of the fixed pattern,

and wherein the individual is asked to input through said interface at least one value of said first and second moving patterns, in order to test the individual'"'"'s ability to identify a moving pattern without eye tracking.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of same moving patterns are displayed on the screen and a predetermined proportion of said same patterns move towards a same direction,

and wherein the individual is asked to determine through said interface whether at least some of the moving patterns move in a same direction or not, in order to test an ability to identify a global movement of a plurality of moving patterns.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein said pattern visual complexity is defined by a complementary value of said proportion of patterns moving in a same direction.

10. A computer program product adapted to be stored in a memory of a processor unit, or in a removable memory medium adapted to cooperate with a reader of the processor unit, and/or downloadable from a distant website through an extended network, comprising:

instructions for implementing the method according to claim 1.

11. A computer system for evaluating a dynamic visual perception of an individual, comprising means for performing the method according to claim 1.

12. A method implemented by computer means, for improving a dynamic visual perception of an individual, comprising a step of displaying on a screen at least one moving pattern having a chosen visual complexity feature, said pattern being selected amongst a plurality of predetermined patterns.

13. The method for improving dynamic visual perception of an individual according to claim 12, further comprising an evaluation of said dynamic visual perception of the individual for improving said perception, the evaluation being performed by a method comprising the steps of:

a) displaying on a screen at least one moving pattern having a chosen visual complexity feature, said pattern being selected amongst a plurality of possible patterns having each a value;

b) providing a human/machine interface enabling the individual to input a value to indicate the pattern that the individual sees on the screen;

c) receiving through said human/machine interface the inputted value and comparing said inputted value to the value of the displayed pattern;

d) repeating the preceding steps in order to count the number of successive positive comparisons at step c); and

d1) if the number of successive positive comparisons exceeds a predetermined threshold, increasing said pattern visual complexity feature of a chosen amount; and

d2) otherwise, lowering said pattern visual complexity feature of a chosen amount; and

e) repeating step d) and lowering said chosen amount each time an alternation between steps d1) and d2) is detected, until a predetermined number of alternations is detected, in order to determine a maximum visual complexity feature of patterns that the individual can identify, said maximum visual complexity feature defining a quantitative value of the dynamic visual perception of the individual.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein step e) of the evaluation is carried out several times to observe an increase of said pattern maximum visual complexity on said individual, said increase (Δ

S) defining an improvement of the individual'"'"'s dynamic visual perception.

15. The method according to claim 13, wherein an increasing function of an amount of individual good answers probability versus a test simplicity parameter is determined, said function comprising:

a first asymptote of zero value probability of good answers given at a test simplicity parameter below a threshold value corresponding substantially to said pattern maximum visual complexity, and

a second asymptote of 100% value probability of good answers given at a test simplicity parameter greater than said test simplicity parameter threshold,

wherein an integral value of said function is calculated, and

wherein step e) of the evaluation method is carried out several times to observe an increase of said integral value on said individual, said integral value increase (Δ

I) defining an improvement of the individual'"'"'s dynamic visual perception.

16. The method according to claim 12, wherein the method is carried out on at least one individual'"'"'s eye in order to improve selectively the dynamic visual perception of said individual'"'"'s eye.

17. A computer program product adapted to be stored in a memory of a processor unit, or in a removable memory medium adapted to cooperate with a reader of the processor unit, and/or downloadable from a distant website through an extended network, comprising instructions for implementing the method according to claim 12.

18. A computer system for improving a dynamic visual perception of an individual, characterized in that it includes means for performing the method according to claim 12.