Viewing verification systems

• US 8,020,993 B1
• Filed: 08/20/2010
• Issued: 09/20/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Evan K. Fram
• Original Assignee: Evan K. Fram
• Inventors: Fram, Evan K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pinkney; Dawayne
• Application Number:
  US12/860,722
• Time in Patent Office: 396 Days
• Field of Search: 351/200, 351204-205, 351/210
• US Class Current: 351/204
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/013 Eye tracking input arrangements G06F3/015 takes precedence

Abstract

A viewing verification system is disclosed that allows a user to view an image by providing a viewer for the image, determining the space bounded by the foveal-vision of the user, verifying whether substantially the entire meaningful portion of the image has been correlated to the space bounded by the foveal vision of the user.

Claims

1. A computerized method for determining whether an image has been adequately viewed by a user of a computing device, the method comprising:

displaying at least a portion of an image on a display of a computing device;

receiving information from an eye tracker indicating at least a gaze direction of a user of the computing device;

determining a foveal vision portion of the image by mapping a foveal vision area of the user onto the image, the foveal vision portion of the image including an area of the image within a predetermined viewing angle from a center of the user'"'"'s foveal vision, wherein the predetermined viewing angle is defined by the user and the mapping is based at least on the received gaze direction of the user;

determining a meaningful portion of the image;

storing data indicating respective time periods that portions of the image are included within the foveal vision portion of the image;

determining that respective portions of the image have been adequately viewed in response to determining that the time periods for the respective portions exceed a predetermined viewing time threshold;

visually distinguishing portions of the image that have not been adequately viewed from portions of the image that have been adequately viewed; and

determining that the image has been adequately viewed by the user in response to determining that all of the meaningful portion of the image have been adequately viewed by the user.

2. The computerized method of claim 1, wherein the time periods indicate respective continuous durations of time that corresponding portions of the image are included within the foveal vision portion of the image.

3. The computerized method of claim 1, wherein the predetermined viewing angle is between about 0.1 and 30 degrees.

4. The computerized method of claim 1, where the predetermined viewing angle defined by the user is stored as a user preference such that the predetermined viewing angle defined by the user is automatically used in determining the foveal vision portion of the image.

5. The computerized method of claim 1, wherein the meaningful portion of the image is determined by excluding background and homogenous portions of the image from a total area of the image.

6. The computerized method of claim 1, wherein the predetermined viewing time threshold is stored as a user preference such that respective portions of the image are determined to have been adequately viewed in response to determining that the respective portions have been viewed for at least the predetermined time threshold associated with the user.

7. The computerized method of claim 1, wherein said visually distinguishing portions of the image that have not been adequately displayed comprises adjusting one or more display characteristic of the image or a reproduction of the image.

8. The computerized method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing an audio and/or visual output in response to determining that all of the meaningful portion of the image has been adequately viewed.

9. The computerized method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing an audio and/or visual output in response to determining that the user attempts to mark the image as read or close the image prior to determining that at least the meaningful portion of the image has been adequately viewed.

10. The computerized method of claim 1, further comprising:

in response to determining that a portion of the meaningful portion of the image has not yet been adequately viewed, automatically updating the display to include at least some of an inadequately viewed portion of the image.

11. The computerized method of claim 1, wherein the mapping is further based on a position of the user with respect to the display.

12. A tangible computer readable medium storing instructions thereon configured for execution on a computing device in order to cause the computing device to perform operations comprising:

displaying at least a portion of an image on a display of a computing device;

receiving information from an eye tracker indicating at least a gaze direction of a user of the computing device;

determining a central vision portion of the image by mapping a central vision area of the user onto the image, the central vision portion of the image including an area of the image within a predetermined viewing angle from a center of the user'"'"'s foveal vision, wherein the predetermined viewing angle is defined by the user and the mapping is based at least on the received gaze direction of the user;

determining a meaningful portion of the image;

storing data indicating respective time periods that portions of the image are included within the central vision portion of the image;

determining that respective portions of the image have been adequately viewed in response to determining that the time periods for the respective portions exceed a predetermined viewing time threshold;

visually distinguishing portions of the image that have not been adequately viewed from portions of the image that have been adequately viewed; and

determining that the image has been adequately viewed by the user in response to determining that the meaningful portion of the image has been adequately viewed by the user.

13. A computing system for tracking for tracking a user'"'"'s visual interactions with an image, the computing system comprising:

a display configured to depict portions of an image so that the depicted image portions are viewable by a user;

an eye tracker configured to determine gaze direction of the user;

a processor configured to execute software code for performing operations comprising;

initiating display of at least a portion of the image on the display;

determining a central vision portion of the image by mapping the gaze direction of the user onto the image, the central vision portion of the image including a predetermined area of the image within a predetermined viewing angle from a center of the user'"'"'s foveal vision, wherein the predetermined viewing angle is defined by the user;

determining a meaningful portion of the image;

storing data indicating respective time periods that portions of the image are included within the determined central vision portion of the image;

determining that respective portions of the meaningful portion of the image have been adequately viewed in response to determining that the time periods for the respective portions exceed a predetermined viewing time threshold; and

visually distinguishing portions of the image that have not been adequately viewed from portions of the image that have been adequately viewed.

14. The computing system of claim 13, wherein the image comprises one image of a series of medical exam images.

15. The computing system of claim 13, wherein the image comprises one or more of a word processing document, an airport luggage scanner image, an airplane pilot control panel, or a medical image.