Method and system for evaluation of the behavior of users of a digital image information system

• US 8,184,854 B2
• Filed: 09/10/2007
• Issued: 05/22/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/14/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Siemens Healthcare GMBH (Siemens AG)
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Bartsch, Ernst
• Primary Examiner(s): Carter, Aaron W
• Application Number:
  US11/852,574
• Publication Number:
  US 20080069397A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,716 Days
• Field of Search: 382/154, 382/103, 382/115, 382/117, 345156-158, 715/700, 715/863
• US Class Current: 382/103
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/20 Movements or behaviour, e.g. gesture recognition recognition of facial expressions G06V40/16

Abstract

In a method of evaluation of the user behavior of users of a digital image information system during the viewing and/or assessment and/or processing of at least one image object presented on at least one display device, at least one selectable indicator of the user behavior is recorded (controlled by an electronic control and evaluation device) in the form of recording data by at least one detector during the viewing and/or assessment and/or processing of the image object. The recording data are transferred to the electronic control and evaluation device; and a quantitative and/or qualitative evaluation of the recording data ensues with regard to the image object. A digital image information system is provided that is suitable for implementation of the method.

Claims

1. A method for evaluating user behavior of a user of a digital image information system during at least one activity selected from the group consisting of viewing, assessing and processing, at least one image object presented on at least one display device with which the user interacts, said method comprising the steps of:

selecting and automatically controlling detection of at least one indicator of said user behavior in an environment of said at least one display device during said activity, to obtain recording data representing said at least one indicator selected from the group of indicators consisting of biometric data of the user, user identification data, and data stored on a smart card associated with the user;

transferring said recording data from said environment to an electronic evaluation device;

automatically making a quantitative evaluation of said recording data in said electronic evaluation device with regard to said at least one image object presented on said at least one display device during said activity, to obtain a calculation result; and

visually presenting a graphical presentation of said calculation result.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1 comprising, in said electronic evaluation device, subjecting said recording data to a quantitative statistical data analysis.

3. A method as claimed in claim 1 comprising, in said evaluation device, conducting said quantitative evaluation as a data mining evaluation by analyzing said recording data to identify a pattern or trend therein.

4. A method as claimed in claim 1 comprising, in said electronic evaluation device, making said at least one of said quantitative evaluation or said qualitative evaluation by subjecting said recording data to at least one statistical hypothesis test.

5. A method as claimed in claim 1 comprising, in said electronic evaluation device, making said quantitative evaluation by relating said recording data to at least one workflow step performed by said user during said activity.

6. A method as claimed in claim 1 comprising detecting said at least one indicator with at least one detector selected from the group consisting of a digital image acquisition device, a digital biometric recording device, a computer keyboard, a computer pointer input device, a smart card reader, a mobile telephone, and a PDA.

7. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the step of detecting said at least one indicator comprises detecting biometric data of the user during said activity, and comprising, in said electronic evaluation device, making said quantitative by identifying viewing directions of the user relative to said at least one display device from said biometric data, correlating said viewing directions with the image object presented on said at least one display device during said activity, and making a quantitative evaluation of said viewing directions correlated with said image object.

8. A digital information system comprising:

at least one display device at which an image object is presented with which the user interacts by performing at least one activity selected from the group consisting of viewing, assessing and processing;

at least one detector that detects an indicator of said user behavior in an environment of said at least one display device during said activity, to obtain recording data representing said at least one indicator;

a control and evaluation device configured to automatically select and control said at least one detector to obtain said recording data to represent at least one indicator selected from the group of indicators consisting of biometric data of the user, user identification data, and data stored on a smart card associated with the user, said recording data being transferred from said environment to said control and evaluation device;

said control and evaluation device being configured to automatically make a quantitative evaluation of said recording data with regard to said image object presented on said at least one display device during said activity, to obtain a calculation result; and

said control and evaluation device comprising a display at which a graphical presentation of said calculation result is visually presented.

9. A digital information system as claimed in claim 8 wherein said control and evaluation device is configured to subject said recording data to a quantitative statistical data analysis.

10. A digital information system as claimed in claim 8 wherein said control and evaluation device is configured to conduct said quantitative evaluation as a data mining evaluation by analyzing said recording data to identify a pattern or trend therein.

11. A digital information system as claimed in claim 8 wherein said control and electronic evaluation device is configured to make said quantitative evaluation by subjecting said recording data to at least one statistical hypothesis test.

12. A digital information system as claimed in claim 8 wherein said control and evaluation device is configured to make said quantitative evaluation by relating said recording data to at least one workflow step performed by said user during said activity.

13. A digital information system as claimed in claim 8 wherein said at least one detector is a detector selected from the group consisting of a digital image acquisition device, a digital biometric recording device, a computer keyboard, a computer pointer input device, a smart card reader, a mobile telephone, and a PDA.

14. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium encoded with a data structure for evaluating user behavior of a user of a digital image information system during at least one activity selected from the group consisting of viewing, assessing and processing, at least one image object presented on at least one display device with which the user interacts, said digital information system including a computerized control and evaluation device in which said medium is loaded, and said data structure causing said control and evaluation device to:

select and automatically control detection of at least one indicator of said user behavior in an environment of said at least one display device during said activity, said indicator being selected from the group of indicators consisting of biometric data of the user, user identification data, and data stored on a smart card associated with the user to obtain recording data representing said at least one indicator;

transfer said recording data from said environment to the electronic evaluation device;

automatically make a quantitative evaluation of said recording data in said electronic evaluation device with regard to said at least one image object presented on said at least one display device during said activity, to obtain a calculation result; and

visually present a graphical presentation of said calculation result at said at least one display device.