Method and device for detecting data concerning the viewing of video information and the relaying of this information to a central data processing installation

• US 7,428,744 B1
• Filed: 06/18/1999
• Issued: 09/23/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/18/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Swisscom AG (Government of Switzerland)
• Original Assignee: Swisscom Mobile AG (Government of Switzerland)
• Inventors: Lauper, Eric, Ritter, Rudolf
• Primary Examiner(s): Vu, Ngoc K
• Application Number:
  US09/926,774
• Time in Patent Office: 3,385 Days
• Field of Search: 725 9- 14, 725120-123
• US Class Current: 725/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/23 using cryptography, e.g. encryption, authentication, key distribution
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/33 Arrangements for monitoring the users' behaviour or opinions
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/40 for identifying broadcast time
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/48 for recognising items expressed in broadcast information
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/91 Mobile communication networks for accessing the Internet H04H60/85
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42201 biosensors, e.g. heat sensor for presence detection, EEG sensors or any limb activity sensors worn by the user input arrangements for interaction with the human body based on nervous system activity detection G06F3/015
• 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

Abstract

Method, device and system for capturing and processing viewing data, which viewing data relates to the viewing behavior of users when viewing video data. Data about lines of sight of a user relative to the viewed video data are determined by projecting video data directly on the retina of the user and current eye positions of the user being thereby determined, which are transmitted by a telecommunications network to a central unit for further processing. In the further processing current eye positions are compared with predefined values, and predefined actions are triggered on the basis of the result of this comparison and/or the viewing data being stored in the central unit, and, for example later, being evaluated statistically.

Claims

1. A method for capturing and processing viewing data, wherein the viewing data relate to a viewing behavior of a user when viewing video data, and the viewing data are transmitted via a telecommunications network to a central unit, configured to process the viewing data, the method comprising:

projecting the video data directly on a retina of the user via a virtual retinal display device;

determining, during the projecting, data about lines of sight of the user relative to the viewed video data by determining current eye positions of the user by means of an eye position detection module of the virtual retinal display device;

transmitting the viewing data to the central unit, the viewing data including at least the data about lines of sight relative to the viewed video data; and

determining, by the central unit based on the viewing data, picture regions of a single picture, which is part of the viewed video data; and

determining, by the central unit, a correlation of the lines of sight with picture objects contained in the video data, based on the data about lines of sight of the user relative to the viewed video data, and based on stored pictorial content descriptions including object designations and locations.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

comparing the current eye positions with predefined values, and

triggering predefined actions based on a result of the comparing.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the viewing data are stored in the central unit.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the viewing data include user identification data.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the viewing data include video identification data.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the viewing data include time indications.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the telecommunications network is a mobile radio network.

8. A system, comprising:

a central unit connected via a telecommunications network to a device, the device configured to capture and process viewing data, wherein the viewing data relate to a viewing behavior of a user when viewing video data, and the video data reproduced via a display device of the device, the device including a feedback module, wherein

the display device is a virtual retinal display device configured to project the video data directly on a retina of the user,

the virtual retinal display device includes an eye position detection module configured to determine data about lines of sight of the user relative to the viewed video data by determining current eye positions of the user during projection of the video data,

the feedback module is configured to transmit the viewing data via the telecommunications network to the central unit, the viewing data including at least the data about lines of sight of the user relative to the viewed video data, for determining, based on the viewing data, picture regions of a single picture, which is part of the reproduced video data that have been viewed by the users and

the central unit is configured to determine a correlation of the lines of sight with picture objects contained in the video data, based on the data about lines of sight of the user relative to the viewed video data, and based on stored pictorial content descriptions including object designations and locations.

9. The system according to claim 8, wherein the device includes

means for comparing the current eye positions with predefined values, and

means for triggering predefined actions based on a result of this comparison by the means for comparing.

10. The system according to claim 8, wherein

the device includes an identification module, configured to be assigned to the user, the identification module including user identification data, and

the viewing data include the user identification data.

11. The system according to claim 8, wherein

the device includes a video identification module configured to determine video identification data associated with the video data, and

the viewing data include the video identification data.

12. The system according to claim 8, wherein

the device includes a time determining module configured to determine a current time, and

the viewing data include time indications.

13. The system according to claim 8, wherein

the device is designed as a mobile device,

the telecommunications network is a mobile radio network, and

the device is configured to communicate via the mobile radio network.