Measurement method and system

• US 9,952,427 B2
• Filed: 09/06/2016
• Issued: 04/24/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/09/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Teller, Eric
• Primary Examiner(s): HASAN, MOHAMMED A
• Application Number:
  US15/257,732
• Publication Number:
  US 20160370584A1
• Time in Patent Office: 595 Days
• Field of Search: 359630-634, 351200-246
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2503/12 Healthy persons not otherwise provided for, e.g. subjects of a marketing survey
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 3/113 for determining or recording eye movement
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0138 comprising image capture systems, e.g. camera
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/014 comprising information/image processing systems
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0178 Eyeglass type eyeglass details G02C
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0187 slaved to motion of at least a part of the body of the user, e.g. head, eye
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0093 with means for monitoring data relating to the user, e.g. head-tracking, eye-tracking
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/017 Head mounted
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0172 characterised by optical features
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/14 operating by reflection only
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/013 Eye tracking input arrangements G06F3/015 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0254 based on statistics
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/18 Eye characteristics, e.g. of the iris
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/19 Sensors therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/33 Arrangements for monitoring the users' behaviour or opinions
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/46 for recognising users' preferences

Abstract

Methods and systems for determining an individual gaze value are disclosed herein. An exemplary method involves: (a) receiving gaze data for a first wearable computing device, wherein the gaze data is indicative of a wearer-view associated with the first wearable computing device, and wherein the first wearable computing device is associated with a first user-account; (b) analyzing the gaze data from the first wearable computing device to detect one or more occurrences of one or more advertisement spaces in the gaze data; (c) based at least in part on the one or more detected advertisement-space occurrences, determining an individual gaze value for the first user-account; and (d) sending a gaze-value indication, wherein the gaze-value indication indicates the individual gaze value for the first user-account.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving, by a computing device, gaze data from a plurality of wearable computing devices, wherein the gaze data is indicative of respective wearer-views associated with the plurality of wearable computing devices, and wherein each wearable computing device is associated with at least one of a plurality of user-accounts;

analyzing, by the computing device, the gaze data to detect one or more occurrences of an real-world surface in the gaze data, wherein the one or more detected occurrences are indicative of one or more viewings of the real-world surface, which are associated with one or more of the user-accounts;

based at least in part on the one or more detected occurrences of the real-world surface in the gaze data, the computing device determining a display value for the real-world surface; and

initiating, by the computing device, a process to make display rights for the real-world surface available for purchase at the determined display value.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

based at least in part on the one or more detected occurrences of the real-world surface, the computing device determining one or more individual gaze values for one or more of the user-accounts, wherein the one or more individual gaze values are used as a basis for determining the display value for the real-world surface.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the individual gaze value indicates a value provided to one or more advertisers from viewings of the real-world surface that are associated with the first account.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

receiving, by the computing device, supplemental gaze data that is indicative of a wearer-view associated with at least one other computing device, wherein the at least one other computing device is also associated with the first user-account;

analyzing the supplemental gaze data to detect one or more occurrences of the real-world surface in the gaze data; and

using the one or more occurrences of the real-world surface detected in the supplemental gaze data as a further basis for determining the individual gaze value for the first user-account.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the gaze data comprises respective point-of-view (POV) image data captured at the plurality of wearable computing devices.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein each of one or more of the wearable computing device comprises a head-mountable display (HMD) that includes an outward-facing camera, wherein the respective point-of-view video is captured at the wearable computing device by the outward-facing camera.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

for each of one or more detected occurrences of the real-world surface in the POV image data;

analyzing the corresponding POV image data to determine a focus value corresponding to the particular occurrence of the real-world object, wherein the focus value is indicative of attention paid to the real-world object; and

using the focus value as a basis for determining a value contribution corresponding to the particular occurrence.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the POV image data in which the particular occurrence is detected comprises point-of-view video, and wherein determining the focus value corresponding to the particular occurrence comprises:

determining a location of the real-world object in the point-of-view video; and

using the location of the real-world object in the point-of-view video as a basis for determining the focus value.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the POV image data in which the particular occurrence is detected comprises a point-of-view video, and wherein determining the focus value corresponding to the particular occurrence comprises:

determining a location of the real-world object in the point-of-view video;

using eye-tracking data from the wearable computing device to determine a wearer-gaze location in the point-of-view video; and

using proximity of the wearer-gaze location to the location of the real-world object in the point-of-view video as a basis for determining the focus value corresponding to the particular occurrence of the real-world object.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein determining a display value for the real-world surface comprises:

for each of one or more detected occurrences of the real-world object in the gaze data, determining whether or not the corresponding wearable computing device was being worn during the occurrence; and

refraining from using occurrences detected while the corresponding wearable computing device was not being worn when determining the display value.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising, for each of one or more detected occurrences of the real-world surface in the gaze data:

determining a particular wearable computing device from which the gaze data including the particular occurrence was received;

determining a value contribution of the particular occurrence based on the particular wearable computing device from which the gaze data including the particular occurrence was received; and

using the determined value contributions as a basis for determining the value for the real-world surface.

12. A server system comprising:

at least one communication interface operable to receiving gaze data from a plurality of wearable computing devices, wherein the gaze data is indicative of a respective wearer-view associated with each of the wearable computing devices, and wherein each wearable computing device is associated with at least one of a plurality of user-accounts;

at least one processor; and

program instructions stored on a non-transitory computer-readable medium and executable by at least one processor to;

receive gaze data from a plurality of wearable computing devices, wherein the gaze data is indicative of respective wearer-views associated with the plurality of wearable computing devices, and wherein each wearable computing device is associated with at least one of a plurality of user-accounts;

analyze the gaze data to detect one or more occurrences of an real-world surface in the gaze data, wherein the one or more detected occurrences are indicative of one or more viewings of the real-world surface, which are associated with one or more of the user-accounts;

based at least in part on the one or more detected occurrences of the real-world surface in the gaze data, determine a display value for the real-world surface; and

initiate a process to make display rights for the real-world surface available for purchase at the determined display value.

13. The server system of claim 12, further comprising program instructions stored on a non-transitory computer-readable medium and executable by at least one processor to:

based at least in part on the one or more detected occurrences of the real-world surface, determine one or more individual gaze values for one or more of the user-accounts, wherein the one or more individual gaze values are used as a basis for determining the display value for the real-world surface.

14. The server system of claim 13, wherein the individual gaze value indicates a value provided to one or more advertisers from viewings of the real-world surface that are associated with the first account.

15. The server system of claim 13, further comprising program instructions stored on a non-transitory computer-readable medium and executable by at least one processor to:

receive supplemental gaze data that is indicative of a wearer-view associated with at least one other computing device, wherein the at least one other computing device is also associated with the first user-account;

analyze the supplemental gaze data to detect one or more occurrences of the real-world surface in the gaze data; and

use the one or more occurrences of the real-world surface detected in the supplemental gaze data as a further basis for determining the individual gaze value for the first user-account.

16. The server system of claim 12, wherein the gaze data comprises respective point-of-view (POV) image data captured at the plurality of wearable computing devices.

17. The server system of claim 16, wherein each of one or more of the wearable computing device comprises a head-mountable display (HMD) that includes an outward-facing camera, wherein the respective point-of-view video is captured at the wearable computing device by the outward-facing camera.

18. The server system of claim 16, further comprising program instructions stored on a non-transitory computer-readable medium and executable by at least one processor to:

for each of one or more detected occurrences of the real-world surface in the POV image data;

analyze the corresponding POV image data to determine a focus value corresponding to the particular occurrence of the real-world object, wherein the focus value is indicative of attention paid to the real-world object; and

use the focus value as a basis to determine a value contribution corresponding to the particular occurrence.