Technique for monitoring magazine readers while permitting a greater choice for the reader of possible reading positions

• US 4,992,867 A
• Filed: 02/28/1990
• Issued: 02/12/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/1990
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Weinblatt, Lee S.
• Original Assignee: Weinblatt, Lee S.
• Inventors: Weinblatt, Lee S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Peng, John K.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Murrell, Jeffrey S.
• Application Number:
  US07/487,019
• Time in Patent Office: 349 Days
• Field of Search: 358/108, 358/139, 358/125, 358/226, 358/93
• US Class Current: 348/151
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 3/113 for determining or recording eye movement
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/18 Closed-circuit television [CCTV] systems, i.e. systems in which the video signal is not broadcast

Abstract

A technique for unobtrusively monitoring a person reading a magazine to determine what page of the magazine is being read. It is necessary to monitor both the magazine as well as the reader'"'"'s eyes for this purpose. However, test results can be skewed if the reader is placed in an environment to which he is not accustomed. In order to permit the person a great deal of choice as to where to sit and in what sitting position so as to simulate a "natural" environment rather than a test environment, one or more cameras are positioned in the room. In addition at least one mirror is mounted on a wall. The camera may have a direct view of either the reader'"'"'s eyes or the magazine. Whichever one of these is not directly visible to the camera can be picked up by way of a reflection from the mirror. Various adjustments to the camera are provided so that the reader can be kept in view regardless of where in the room he decides to sit and read.

Claims

1. Apparatus for monitoring an individual performing as a test subject who has been placed within a room and is reading a magazine, comprising:

camera means for recording an image and including a lens and an image detecting means responsive to light from said lens for producing a signal representative of a recorded image, said camera means having (a) a first portion not visible to the test subject, and (b) a second portion at least partially visible to the test subject;

means to direct light from an eye of said individual and from said magazine to said camera means, said light directing means including first means positioned on a surface of said room for directing light it receives from one of said test subject and said magazine toward said second portion of the camera means; and

means for adjusting the orientation of a field of view of said camera means, after said individual is seated at any one position selected by the individual out of a plurality of seating positions in said room, to enable monitoring by said camera means of the at least an eye of the individual and said magazine being read by the individual.

2. The monitoring apparatus of claim 1, wherein aid camera means is mounted in the ceiling of said room.

3. The monitoring apparatus of claim 1, wherein said camera means is a single camera.

4. The monitoring apparatus of claim 1, wherein said camera means is comprised of two cameras, one being aimed at the at least one eye of the individual test subject and the other being aimed at the magazine.

5. The monitoring apparatus of claim 4, wherein both of said cameras are mounted in the ceiling of said room.

6. The monitoring apparatus of claim 4, wherein one of said two cameras is mounted in the ceiling and the other one is mounted in a wall of said room.

7. The monitoring apparatus of claim 1, wherein said light directing means further includes second means for directing light from at least one of the individual and the magazine to said image detecting means.

8. The monitoring apparatus of claim 7, wherein said second means of the light directing means sets the direction of the field of view of the camera means to be at an acute angle to vertical, and said orientation adjusting means rotates said direction of the field of view around a vertical axis to enable viewing of different portions of the room.

9. The monitoring apparatus of claim 8, wherein said second means of the light directing means includes a first mirror means vertically tiltable about a horizontal axis for varying the angle between vertical and the direction of the field of view, and said orientation adjusting means includes means for adjusting such vertical tilt.

10. The monitoring apparatus of claim 9, wherein said first mirror means is mounted in said second portion of the camera means.

11. The monitoring apparatus of claim 10, wherein said orientation adjusting means aims the second means to simultaneously receive light from the at least one eye of the individual and from the magazine.

12. The monitoring apparatus of claim 11, further comprising a zoom control means.

13. The monitoring apparatus of claim 12, further comprising a focus control means.

14. The monitoring apparatus of claim 13, further comprising a tilt control means coupled to the orientation adjusting means.

15. The monitoring apparatus of claim 14, further comprising a rotary position control means coupled to the orientation adjusting means.

16. The monitoring apparatus of claim 15, wherein said camera means is a single camera.

17. The monitoring apparatus of claim 15, wherein said camera means is comprised of two cameras, one being aimed at the at least one eye of the individual test subject and the other being aimed at the magazine.

18. The monitoring apparatus of claim 17, wherein each of said two cameras is independently controllable by the zoom control means, focus control means, tilt control means, and rotary position control means.

19. The monitoring apparatus of claim 18, wherein both of said cameras are mounted in the ceiling of said room.

20. The monitoring apparatus of claim 18, wherein one of said two cameras is mounted in the ceiling and the other one is mounted in a wall of said room.