METHODS AND APPARATUS TO DETECT USER ATTENTIVENESS TO HANDHELD COMPUTING DEVICES

• US 20170006339A1
• Filed: 09/14/2016
• Published: 01/05/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 04/16/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Nielsen Company LLC (MOOD Media Corporation)
• Original Assignee: The Nielsen Company LLC (MOOD Media Corporation)
• Inventors: Besehanic, Jan
• Granted Patent: US 10,080,053 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0272 Period of advertisement exposure
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/32 Arrangements for monitoring conditions of receiving stations, e.g. malfunction or breakdown of receiving stations
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/33 Arrangements for monitoring the users' behaviour or opinions
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4126 The peripheral being portable, e.g. PDAs or mobile phones
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44218 Detecting physical presence or behaviour of the user, e.g. using sensors to detect if the user is leaving the room or changes his face expression during a TV program methods or arrangements for recognising human body or animal bodies or body parts G06V40/10; methods or arrangements for acquiring or recognising human faces, facial parts, facial sketches, facial expressions G06V40/16; methods or arrangements for recognising movements or behaviour G06V40/20; arrangements for identifying users in broadcast systems H04H60/45
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6125 involving transmission via Internet transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6175 involving transmission via Internet broadcast-related systems characterised by the transmission system being the Internet H04H60/82

Abstract

Methods and apparatus to detect user attentiveness to handheld computing devices are disclosed. An example handheld computing device includes a detector to detect at least one of an orientation change of the handheld computing device or a distance change between the handheld computing device and a user, and a comparator to determine user attentiveness to a presentation on the handheld computing device based on the at least one of the orientation change of the handheld computing device or the distance change between the handheld computing device and the user.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

based on data from at least one of an orientation sensor or a position sensor in a handheld computing device, determining, by executing an instruction with a processor, at least one of;

an orientation change of the handheld computing device from a starting orientation to an ending orientation based on the data, the starting orientation and the ending orientation being angular orientations relative to a first reference orientation as determined by an orientation detector;

or

a position change of the handheld computing device from a starting position to an ending position based on the data, the starting position and the ending positions being positions relative to a user; and

determining, by executing an instruction with the processor, user attentiveness to a presentation on the handheld computing device based on the at least one of the orientation change or the position change.

2. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the starting position and the ending position correspond to respective distances between the handheld computing device and the user.

3. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the first reference orientation is at least one of a horizontal orientation or a vertical orientation.

4. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the user attentiveness represents how likely the orientation change, the position change, or a combination of the orientation change and the position change corresponds to the user paying attention to the presentation on the handheld computing device.

5. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the user attentiveness represents how likely the orientation change, the position change, or a combination of the orientation change and the position change corresponds to the user beginning to pay attention to the presentation on the handheld computing device.

6. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the user attentiveness represents how likely the orientation change, the position change, or a combination of the orientation change and the position change corresponds to the user not paying attention to the presentation on the handheld computing device.

7. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the user attentiveness represents how likely the orientation change, the position change, or a combination of the orientation change and the position change corresponds to the user beginning to not pay attention to the presentation on the handheld computing device.

8. A tangible computer readable storage medium comprising instructions that, when executed, cause a processor to at least:

based on data from at least one of an orientation sensor or a position sensor in a handheld computing device, determine at least one of;

an orientation change of the handheld computing device from a starting orientation to an ending orientation based on the data, the starting orientation and the ending orientation being angular orientations relative to a reference position orientation;

or

a position change of the handheld computing device from a starting position to an ending position based on the data, the starting position and the ending positions being distances between the handheld computing device and a user; and

determine user attentiveness to a presentation on the handheld computing device based on the at least one of the orientation change or the position change.

9. The computer readable storage medium as defined in claim 8, wherein the starting orientation and the ending orientation are at least one of a horizontal orientation or a vertical orientation.

10. The computer readable storage medium as defined in claim 8, wherein the user attentiveness represents how likely the orientation change, the position change, or a combination of the orientation change and the position change corresponds to the user paying attention to the presentation on the handheld computing device.

11. The computer readable storage medium as defined in claim 8, wherein the user attentiveness represents how likely the orientation change, the position change, or a combination of the orientation change and the position change corresponds to the user beginning to pay attention to the presentation on the handheld computing device.

12. The computer readable storage medium as defined in claim 8, wherein the user attentiveness represents how likely the orientation change, the position change, or a combination of the orientation change and the position change corresponds to the user not paying attention to the presentation on the handheld computing device.

13. The computer readable storage medium as defined in claim 8, wherein the user attentiveness represents how likely the orientation change, the position change, or a combination of the orientation change and the position change corresponds to the user beginning to not pay attention to the presentation on the handheld computing device.

14. A handheld computing device, comprising:

a detector to detect at least one of an orientation change of the handheld computing device or a distance change between the handheld computing device and a user; and

a comparator to determine user attentiveness to a presentation on the handheld computing device based on the at least one of the orientation change of the handheld computing device or the distance change between the handheld computing device and the user.

15. The apparatus as defined in claim 15, wherein the orientation change is a horizontal orientation change or a vertical orientation change relative to a reference orientation.

16. The apparatus as defined in claim 15, wherein the user attentiveness represents how likely the orientation change, the position change, or a combination of the orientation change and the position change corresponds to the user paying attention to the presentation on the handheld computing device.

17. The apparatus as defined in claim 15, wherein the user attentiveness represents how likely the orientation change, the position change, or a combination of the orientation change and the position change corresponds to the user beginning to pay attention to the presentation on the handheld computing device.

18. The apparatus as defined in claim 15, wherein the user attentiveness represents how likely the orientation change, the position change, or a combination of the orientation change and the position change corresponds to the user not paying attention to the presentation on the handheld computing device.

19. The apparatus as defined in claim 15, wherein the user attentiveness represents how likely the orientation change, the position change, or a combination of the orientation change and the position change corresponds to the user beginning to not pay attention to the presentation on the handheld computing device.

20. The apparatus as defined in claim 15, wherein the detector is to detect the orientation change and the position change, and the comparator is to determine the user attentiveness based on the orientation change and the position change.