System and method for identifying the existence and position of text in visual media content and for determining a subjects interactions with the text

• US 8,136,944 B2
• Filed: 08/17/2009
• Issued: 03/20/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/15/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Imotions A/S (Smart Eye AB)
• Original Assignee: Imotions - Eye Tracking A/S
• Inventors: De Lemos, Jakob
• Primary Examiner(s): SCHWARTZ, JORDAN MARC
• Application Number:
  US12/542,111
• Publication Number:
  US 20100039618A1
• Time in Patent Office: 946 Days
• Field of Search: 351/209, 351/210, 600/558
• US Class Current: 351/209
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 3/113 for determining or recording eye movement
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/163 by tracking eye movement, gaze, or pupil change
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/165 Evaluating the state of mind, e.g. depression, anxiety
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/19 Sensors therefor

Abstract

A reading meter system and method is provided for identifying the existence and position of text in visual media content and determining if a subject has interacted with the text and/or the level of the subject'"'"'s interaction with the text. The determination may, for example, be based on data generated from an eye tracking device. The reading meter system may be used alone and/or in connection with an emotional response tool (e.g., a software-based tool for determining the subject'"'"'s emotional response to the text and/or other elements of the visual media content on which the text appears). If used together, the reading meter system and emotional response tool may both receive, and perform processing on, eye date generated from a common eye tracking device.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of identifying the existence and position of text in visual media content and determining a subject'"'"'s level of interaction with the identified text, the method comprising:

identifying a portion of visual media content that constitutes text;

determining a position of the identified text of the visual media content;

presenting the visual media content to a subject;

collecting eye data from the subject while the subject is viewing the visual media content, the eye data including pupil data, blink data, and gaze data;

generating a gaze pattern of the subject based on the collected eye data;

determining whether the subject has interacted with the identified text based at least on the determined position of the identified text and the generated gaze pattern; and

in response to a determination that the subject has interacted with the identified text;

(i) determining the subject'"'"'s level of interaction with the identified text; and

(ii) determining the subject'"'"'s emotional response to the identified text.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein determining the subject'"'"'s level of interaction with the identified text further comprises:

determining whether the subject has read the identified text; and

determining whether the subject has comprehended the identified text.

3. A computer-implemented system for identifying the existence and position of text in visual media content and determining a subject'"'"'s level of interaction with the identified text, the system comprising a computer-readable storage medium, the computer-readable storage medium comprising one or more computer-readable instructions which when executed by a processor cause the processor to:

identify a portion of visual media content that constitutes text;

determine a position of the identified text of the visual media content;

present the visual media content to a subject;

collect eye data from the subject while the subject is viewing the visual media content, the eye data including pupil data, blink data, and gaze data;

generate a gaze pattern of the subject based on the collected eye data;

determine whether the subject has interacted with the identified text based at least on the determined position of the identified text and the generated gaze pattern; and

in response to a determination that the subject has interacted with the identified text;

determine the subject'"'"'s level of interaction with the identified text; and

(ii) determine the subject'"'"'s emotional response to the identified text.

4. The computer-implemented system of claim 3, wherein the one or more computer-readable instructions causing the processor to determine the subject'"'"'s level of interaction with the identified text further include instructions causing the processor to:

determine whether the subject has read the identified text; and

determine whether the subject has comprehended the identified text.