Method and system for generating a description of the distribution of looking time as people watch television commercials

• US 4,789,235 A
• Filed: 03/07/1988
• Issued: 12/06/1988
• Est. Priority Date: 04/04/1986
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Applied Science Group, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Applied Science Group, Inc.
• Inventors: Borah, Joshau D., Flagg, Barbara N.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bovernick, Rodney B.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ryan, Jay
• Application Number:
  US07/166,776
• Time in Patent Office: 274 Days
• Field of Search: 351/246
• US Class Current: 351/246
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 3/113 for determining or recording eye movement
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/31 Arrangements for monitoring the use made of the broadcast services
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/33 Arrangements for monitoring the users' behaviour or opinions
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44222 Analytics of user selections, e.g. selection of programs or purchase activity monitoring of user selections in data processing systems G06F11/34; arrangements for monitoring the user's behaviour or opinions in broadcast systems H04H60/33
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02

Abstract

A mean distribution of viewer looking time for a group of individuals each viewing a dynamic audio and visual video program measures the mean attention span corresponding to each distinct audio and video component of the overall program. The video program is recorded in measured sequential scenes, with each scene corresponding to a selected audio or visual signal and being comprised of distinct visual areas of interest. Eye point of gaze data is recorded for the duration of the program for each individual viewer in the group. A compiled eye point of gaze data file is compared with a scene by scene data file to produce a third data file showing a mean distribution of viewer looking time for each selected audio and visual signal.

Claims

1. A method of generating a distribution of actual looking time of a group of individuals, each viewing a television program containing a video signal and a synchronized audio signal, both signals recorded on a real time basis to form said program, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a viewing room with a video monitor for display of said television program to a selected one of said individuals at a given general area of said room, a dimly visible near infrared light source shining toward said individual at said given general area in a given direction, thereby producing a reflection from the surface of the cornea of an eye of said individual, a video camera disposed so that its optical axis is coaxial with said direction of said light source and a tracking mirror servo-mechanism for directing said light source and camera towards and eye of said individual at said general area of said room with said individual not being connected to equipment in said room;

(b) displaying said television program to said individual at said general area in said room by way of said video monitor;

(c) computing the point of gaze of said eye of said individual at preselected time intervals by way of displacement of said corneal reflection from the pupil of said eye at each of said preselected time intervals while said individual is viewing said television program from said general area in said room;

(d) recording said point of gaze at each of said intervals;

(e) producing a series of successive fixation parameters specifying eye fixations including recorded starting time, duration and x, y coordinates for each successive fixation of the eye of said individual while viewing said television program;

(f) recording said series of fixations in a given first data file;

(g) previously or afterwards dividing said television program into a series of scenes having a start time and a duration and each made up of known areas of interest with a fixed set of x, y coordinates defining each boundary for each area of interest of each scene, said start times and durations being selected in accordance with the time said areas of interest are generally the same or said audio signal is presenting a given audio concept;

(h) recording said scenes by starting time, duration and fixed coordinates of areas of interest in said scenes into a second data file;

(i) comparing said first and second data files for said individual to produce a third data file containing specific fixations in each area of interest in each scene of said combined video and audio television program;

(j) repeating said steps for a number of individuals; and

,

(k) producing a compilation chart specifying the distribution of looking time in all areas of interest in each scene for said number of individuals.

2. A method of measuring and recording eye point of gaze and describing these data as a set of eye fixations on a television program containing a video signal and a synchronized audio signal, both signals recorded for real time display on a plane with x, y axis, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a visually neutral room with a video monitor for displaying said television commercial to a selected individual seated at a given general area of said room and facing said monitor, a barely visible near infrared light source shining in a given direction toward said individual, a hidden eye monitor camera disposed coaxially with said direction of said light source and a tracking mirror servomechanism for directing said light source and camera toward the pupil of an eye of said individual whereby said individual cannot perceive said camera or mirror nor need said individual be connected to equipment in said visually neutral room;

(b) displaying said television program to said individual at said general area in said room by way of said video monitor;

(c) computing the point of gaze of said eye of said individual at preselected time intervals by way of said eye monitor, said intervals being substantially less than 1/30 second;

(d) reducing said eye point of gaze data into a series of fixations having a starting time, duration and x, y coordinates in said video display; and

,

(e) recording said fixations in a storage file as a set of eye fixations synchronized with said video and audio signals.

3. A method as defined in claim 2, wherein said intervals are about 1/60 second.

4. A method of generating a distribution of actual looking time of a group of individuals each viewing a television program containing a video signal and a synchronized audio signal, both signals recorded for real time display on a plane with x, y axes, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) displaying said television program to an individual at a general area in a visually neutral room by way of a video monitor in said room;

(b) computing the point of gaze of said eye of said individual at a preselected time intervals by way of an Eye view Monitor, said intervals being substantially less than about 1/30 second by the corneal reflection, pupil referenced eye monitor technique;

(c) reducing said eye point of gaze data into a series of fixations having a starting time, duration and x, y coordinates in said video display; and

,

(d) recording said fixations in a storage file as a set of eye fixations synchronized with said audio and video signals.

5. A method as defined in claim 4, including the further steps of:

(e) dividing said television program into a series of scenes each having a time duration and each made up of known areas of interest with a fixed set of x, y coordinates for each area of interest of each scene;

(f) recording the starting time and duration of said scenes with said start time and duration being selected as the time said areas of interest are generally the same or said audio signal is competing a given audio concept;

(g) recording said scenes by starting time, duration and fixed coordinates of areas of interest in said scenes into a first data file;

(h) comparing said fixation storage file and said first data file for said individual to produce a second data file containing specific fixations in each area of interest in each scene of said combined video and audio program;

(i) repeating said steps for a number of individuals; and

,

(j) producing a compilation chart specifying the distribution of looking time in all areas of interest in each scene for said number of individuals.

6. A method of generating a distribution of actual looking time of a group of individuals each viewing a television program containing a video signal and a synchronized audio signal, both signals recorded for real time display on a plane with x, y axes, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) displaying said television program to an individual at a general area in a visually neutral room by way of a video monitor in said room;

(b) computing the point of gaze of said eye of said selected individual at preselected time intervals by way of an Eye View Monitor, said intervals being substantially less than about 1/30 second by the corneal reflection, pupil references eye monitor technique;

(c) reducing said eye point of gaze data into a series of fixations having a starting time, duration and x, y coordinates in said video display; and

,

(d) recording said fixations in a storage file as a set of eye fixations synchronized with said television program;

(e) displaying said television program at a variable rate different from said real time on a synchronizable display device;

(f) providing a device for dividing said displayed program into selected areas of interest and displaying the boundaries of said areas of lines superimposed over the television program on said synchronizable display device;

(g) recording a scene synchronized starting time when a given selected scene of said program is displayed on said projecting device;

(h) recording the x, y coordinates of said boundaries of said areas displayed on said display device for each area of interest in said scene;

(i) recording said synchronized starting time for said scene and the coordinates of said areas of interest of said scene;

(j) continuing said program at said variable rate on said synchronizable projecting device until said areas of interest are no longer valid;

(k) recording the difference between the scene starting time and the synchronized time when said areas of interest are no longer valid as the duration of said scene;

(1) recording said scene as a starting time, duration and set of coordinates defining said areas of interest;

(m) recording a next adjacent scene at the end of the prior mentioned scene;

(n) repeating steps (g) through (m) until the total television program has been divided into scenes and areas of interest in said scenes;

(o) recording said scenes by starting time, duration and fixed coordinates of areas of interest in said scenes into a first data file;

(p) comparing said fixation file for said individual and said first data file for said television program to produce a second data file containing specific fixations in each area of interest in each scene of said television program;

(q) repeating the steps for a number of individuals using the same data file.