Computer-implemented method and system

Abstract

A system for dichoptic presentation of data to a user, wherein the system is operative to provide a processed version of the data in which at least one exogenous attention shifting stimulus is obfusca

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD This disclosure relates generally to improved methods and systems for the dichoptic presentation of data to a user. In other words, embodiments enable different fields or versions of the data to be viewed separately and independently by the user's eyes. The disclosure is particularly suited, but not limited, to use in respect of eye conditions such as amblyopia. Accordingto one aspect, the disclosure provides an improved medical device / aid / tool / apparatus for use as an alternative to conventional medical devices such as eye patches or eye drops. TECHNICAL BACKGROUND Babies are born with very poor vision. Over time they learn both to see (i.e. they develop normal visual acuity) and to use both eyes together (i.e. they develop normal binocular vision; this includes stereopsis, or 'depth perception'). As part of this development process, both eyes need to work together and look in the same direction. However, abnormal visual development in early life can result in various vision problems, including: • Amblyopia Involves abnormal development in one eye (or, more rarely, both eyes) or it fails to work normally with its fellow. Over time, the brain learns to ignore the image that comes from the weaker eye, potentially giving rise to permanent problems with vision. Amblyopia is known colloquially as 'lazy eye'. • Strabismus Involves a misalignment of the eyes, in which one eye 'wanders' and fails to look in the same direction as the other eye. Strabismus is known colloquially as 'cross eye' or 'boss eye' if the deviating eye wanders in, and wall eye if it wanders out. With regard to amblyopia, around one child in fifty has a lazy eye where the eye is structurally normal but the vision fails to develop correctly. The condition is most often detected at 2 to 4 years of age and is divided into two diagnostic groups of approximately equal size: • anisometropic amblyopia - caused by unequal refraction between the two eyes; • strabismic amblyopia - caused by the eyes pointing in different directions. The traditional treatment for amblyopia has been to cover the good eye in order to encourage the brain to use data from the lazy eye. Patching has an additive effect to using spectacles for correction, but the effect is modest. A randomised control trial of patching in children who had had 16 weeks of full refractive correction (i.e. patching) gained a further 1.3 lines in the control group (consistent that spectacle correction can show improvement for up to 30 weeks) and 2.2 lines in those who had had two hours of patching per day. This confirms an earlier trial showing that the benefit of refractive correction and patching are adaptive. That trial showed that the benefits depend upon the degree of amblyopia with little benefit for those with mild levels of amblyopia. A significant barrier to patching is the fact that wearing patches is uncomfortable and accordingly compliance is variable. Children simply do not enjoy the discomfort of wearing a patch. Another major factor appears to be reports of bullying by children who wear patches. Further still, by covering the good eye the patch effectively dissociates the two eyes thereby preventing development of binocular vision. In other words, while patching may improve the vision in the amblyopic eye, it does not promote binocularity. It is desirable, therefore, to provide an improved alternative to the conventional apparatus used in training or promoting binocular vision both in terms of efficacy and acceptability. Such an improved solution has now been devised. SUMMARY Embodiments of the present disclosure provide improved apparatus and solutions for processing of images prior to dichoptic presentation of data to a user. Such embodiments aid, facilitate or promote binocular vision in the user i.e. stimulating both eyes to work together. Dichoptic training comprises the repeated presentation of different stimuli to both / respective eyes such that over time the repeated use trains the brain to work with both eyes in a more balanced manner. Thus, embodiments may be described as provided an improved dichoptic training tool. The data may be referred to herein as 'input data' and can take any suitable form such as, but not limited to, video content, multimedia content, a computer-implemented game, a computer-implemented challenge or skilIs-based exercise, one or more moving or static images or other data suitable for visual presentation to the user. The processing of the image is aimed at removing at least one feature which has high visual salience, such as 1) objects which move quickly or rapidly relative to other features in a given scene moving; and / or 2) faces. The faces may or may not be human faces, although they may be human-like. For example, a cartoon animation of a locomotive with a human-like face at the front of the engine (such as known in the popular British children's series 'Thomas The Tank Engine') would have high visual salience. According to one possible definition, 'visual salience' may be described as “the distinct subjective perceptual quality which makes some items in the world stand out from their neighbors and immediately grab our attention" - Dr. Laurent Itti (2007), <ksiJ.0.4249 / $ch^^ In a preferred embodiment, at least one filter is used to provide a processed version of the input data. The processed version is processed or altered relative to the initial / original / non-processed version of the input data. This provides a plurality (at least two) of data channels, versions or 'fields' based upon the input data i.e. the processed version and the non-processed version of the input data and enables separate but simultaneous presentation of different versions of the input data to respective eyes. In one embodiment, the filter may be a selective filter. The selective filter may be, comprise, interface with or form part of a system component which is arranged to obfuscate at least one exogenous attention shifting stimulus relative to the initial version of the data. The at least one feature is obfuscated and altered relative to its original state within the initial version of the data, and also relative to other, surrounding or adjacent features. The selective filter may be or comprise a temporal filter, and the processed version produced by the system may be a temporally processed version of the input data. The temporal filtering process may be operative to remove, obfuscate, reduce or otherwise modify certain aspects or attributes within the input data. In some embodiments, the temporal filter may be arranged to process a set of frames in the input data such that the static (i.e. constant, unvarying) elements remain unaltered or substantially unaltered while the non-static elements are averaged out. This may have the effect that less data related to the non-static elements is provided in the processed version of the input data relative to the non-processed version. For example, the non-static element(s) may be more difficult to see in the processed version of the data. The filter may be provided as a component of a software application arranged for execution on an electronic / processing device. In some embodiments, the software application may comprise a browser, media player or other application arranged for presentation of visual content to a user. In some embodiments, the user's device may be a portable or handheld processing device such as a mobile phone, a tablet or a laptop computer. The processed version may be presented to one of the user's eyes while a non-processed (i.e. the initial) version may be presented to the user's other eye. Preferably, the processed version is presented to the user's stronger (normal) eye while the non-processed version is presented to the user's other, weaker (amblyopic) eye. Preferably, the presentation of the initial and processed versions of the input data is performed simultaneously to the user's respective eyes. Advantageously, this encourages or stimulates the user's brain to favour viewing of the data via the weaker eye as this channel is provided with a richer, more detailed version of the data than the stronger eye. Additionally, or alternatively, the selective filter may be a facial filter. The facial filter may comprise a facial detection component, and / or may be arranged to identify at least one face in a digital image. The system may be operative to obfuscate the at least one face in the digital image following identification by the facial detection component. In some embodiments, the processed and the non-processed versions of the input data may be provided to the user via a pair of optic lenses such as provided in red-green glasses. In other embodiments, the system may comprise an auto stereoscreen for presentation of the processed version of the data and the initial (non-processed) version of the input data to separate eyes. Such embodiments may comprise, for example, an autostereoscopic screen or head-mounted display, and enable the presentation of stereoscopic images. Without limitation, examples may be found at In order to provide the perception of depth, such systems present different images to each eye and the disparity between the images gives rise to the sense of depth. This feature can be used to advantage in embodiments of the present disclosure by providing a processed version to one eye and a non-processed version to the other. With reference to autostereoscopic screens in particular, these remove the need for the user to wear headgear / glasses as discussed with the previous embodiment. This is particularly advantageous for use with children or other users who do not enjoy wearing face / head worn devices or those with neurological or physical conditions which might render it difficult to use wearable apparatus. Additionally, or alternatively, an embodiment of the disclosure may comprise at least one measuring component operative to measure or otherwise calculate the distance of the user from the screen or other display device. For example, an ultrasound range finder may be incorporated into the system. Such a feature enables off-setting of images and can be particularly advantageous for use by users with strabismic amblyopia. It is necessary to determine the distance between the user's eyes and the screen as the degree of off-setting depends upon the viewing distance (it is a constant angle). In such embodiments, the measuring component has the ability to off-set images in order to compensate for the presence of a strabismus. Importantly, the angular off-set can be maintained. Therefore, such embodiments of the disclosure provide the advantage that not only are they able to determine distance but also to measure and, therefore, allow compensation for any changes in the viewing distance. In general, embodiments provide improved alternatives to eye patches or eye drops as medical solutions / devices / aids / tools / apparatus for the treatment of amblyopia. Additionally, or alternatively, an embodiment of the disclosure may comprise at least one eyetracking component. This may be achieved by incorporation, interface or integration of the eyetracking component into at least one other component of the disclosure, such as a web camera, eyetracking bar or stereoscopic device(s), as mentioned above. Advantageously, preferred embodiments of the disclosure may comprise methods and apparatus (including computer-based systems and / or non-computer-based devices) for dichoptic stimulation. This may mean that different images are presented to each eye. Preferably, the input to one of the eyes is produced using a temporal, rather than spatial, filter that has been applied to the input data. Details of such embodiments are discussed below. LIST OF FIGURES Aspects and embodiments of the present disclosure will now be described, by way of example only, and with reference to the accompany drawings, in which: Figure 1 provides a flowchart showing, at high level, a process implemented by an illustrative embodiment of the disclosure. Figure 2 provides an illustration of some of the system components that may be provided in accordance with an embodiment of the disclosure. Figure 3 illustrates an example computing environment which may be used by one or more embodiments to put the disclosed invention into effect. DETAILED DESCRIPTION &ILLUSTRATIVE EMBODIMENTS As explained above, the standard treatment for amblyopia is 'patching' or 'penalisation'. These techniques involve either covering or blurring the vision in the good eye thus forcing the patient's brain to work with the weaker, lazy eye. This approach is essentially dissociative and does not address the issue of lack of binocular single vision that often results from amblyopia. Moreover, this approach fails to address non-compliance issues arising from bullying or social embarrassment, and the physical discomfort of patches / eye drops. While some attempts have been made to address such drawbacks, (including EP1509121B1 / US20060087618A1, WO2015145111A3, US 8,066,372 B2, CN108478399B and US20170296419A1), all of these comprise some form of spatial blurring of data for presentation to the normal eye, in which a particular area or portion of an image is obfuscated (blurred) relative to its original form, or the presence or absence of items in the field of view. However, in accordance with the present disclosure, embodiments selectively blur the features that involuntarily capture the user's attention. In an alternative wording, embodiments comprise selective blurring or obfuscation of features that have high visual salience for the user. This means that an improved and more effective system is provided. Moreover, embodiments provide advantages over known techniques for dichoptic stimulation which require having "wearables" on the face and / or head (such as special glasses). Avoiding the need for wearables provides a more user friendly, convenient and versatile solution. Visual attention is affected by two types, or classes, of mechanisms: endogenous and exogenous. Endogenous attention shifts are under one's own control and enable voluntary goal-directed behaviour, while exogenous attention shifts are involuntary shifts. Features that induce such involuntary attention shifts are described as having 'high visual saliency' and are often referred to as 'attention capture' stimuli. Stimuli that generate exogenous attention shifts include rapid onset elements (in other words, objects and other items that move or vary, or appear into / disappear from view suddenly or unexpectedly) and faces. Stimuli that generate exogenous attention shifts are preferred for perceptual learning as they result in improvement more quickly. For example, it is known that to achieve optimal training effects via video-based implementations, fast moving and unpredictable visual elements have a greater impact on the user and their training experience. Motion detection is abnormal even in the good eye of patients with amblyopia. The visual pathway has two major subdivisions: the M and P-pathways. The M-pathway, which is affected more significantly in amblyopia, is the more rapid and frames the visual scene which is then 'filled in' by the P-pathway. The M-pathway particularly responds to motion. Motion is, therefore, a particularly salient stimulus. These issues, the need to address them and the benefits of doing so are discussed in more detail below with particular reference to Figures 1 and 2. With reference to the method illustrated in Figure 1, embodiments of the present disclosure generally comprise solutions that are arranged or operative to: 1. obtain the initial (original) input data from a data source (shown in step 1 of Figure 1) 2. process a segment (e.g. a specified number of images / frames) of the initial (original) version of input data to provide a processed version of the segment (shown in step 2 of Figure 1) 3. use a dichoptic presentation system to present the processed version of the segment to one of the user's eyes and the initial (non-processed) version to the user's other eye (shown in step 3 of Figure 1) 4. Repeat steps 2 and 3 for one, some or all of the remaining segments in the input data (shown in step 4 of Figure 1) The system is also arranged or operative to provide both the initial and the processed versions of the input data to different eyes of a user. In other words, after processing the input data, the initial and processed versions of the input data is dichoptically presented to the user. (As the following relates to a user of a computer-implemented technology, we will switch to using the term 'user' rather than 'patient' hereafter). The initial, unprocessed version is presented to one of the user's eyes (the weaker, amblyopic eye) while the processed version is presented to the user's other eye (the good eye). The processed version of the data is less rich, with fewer details and data. As the processing renders certain elements of the input data harder to see and provides fewer stimuli to the user's good eye, the brain is encouraged to use the input it receives from the weaker eye and favour it over the normal eye, thus making the weaker eye work harder. In this way, embodiments of the disclosure are able to stimulate the vision in the lazy eye. This approach is different from the patch-based approach. It requires the use of entirely different apparatus, and avoids the downsides (bullying, physical discomfort, social embarrassment, non-compliance etc). Further still, it allows the opportunity for both eyes to work together. The system is arranged to comprise one or more of: I) temporal (rather than spatial) blurring of visual elements within the input data II) Selective blurring of faces ill) Use of auto-stereoscreens. Items i) and ii) are arranged to selectively blur, mask or otherwise obfuscate stimuli with high visual salience that control exogenous attention shifts. Thus, they can be referred to herein as 'selective filters'. In other words, the intent is to blur, for the good eye, the attention-grabbing elements in the video input such as faces, or image elements that suddenly or rapidly become visible / invisible, or image elements that vary in some way. As the unfiltered version of the input will be presented to the lazy eye, and the unfiltered version comprises more detailed data relating to the stimuli that cause involuntary, exogenous attention shifts, the user's brain will naturally be drawn to processing the data provided via the unfiltered data channel rather the filtered, reduced data coming via the good eye. Item ill) provides the benefit of avoiding the need for wearables such as glasses or headgear as auto stereoscreens allow dichoptic presentation of images without the need for any wearables on the face / head. Temporal Filtering There are a number of ways of achieving temporal filtering (which may, alternatively, be referred to herein as 'temporal blurring'). In accordance with a one embodiment of the present disclosure, the temporal filtering may comprise the use of a low pass temporal filter (sometimes termed temporal smoothing). Ways of achieving a low pass filter may comprise techniques such as transforming the data (e.g. by using a Fourier transform) and applying the filter in the transformed domain and then transforming back. In accordance with an alternative embodiment, the temporal filtering may be achieved by calculating a temporal average such that, when the processed data is presented to the user's weaker eye, the non-static elements are more difficult to see. This forces the weaker eye to 'work harder' in order to discern those particular elements. (Note: in reality, it is not the eye that has to work harder but, in fact, the user's brain as amblyopia is, essentially, a data processing / communication issue in which the brain fails to properly process the input received from the weaker eye. However, in common parlance this is usually referred to as the individual having one eye weaker than the other). Input data, such as a video, a game or multimedia stream is received as input and is processed by an embodiment of the disclosure. The data can be obtained from any suitable source, such as from storage within the source, or obtained from an external source such as the internet, a network device, the cloud, a streaming service etc. This provides the advantage that the user can be presented with a wide variety of input data or can even choose their own. This increases the likelihood that the user will want to watch the data that is presented to them and thus use the apparatus of the invention. The video effect of the input data is generated by presenting individual images (frames) in quick succession, e.g. more than 30 per second. In accordance with the disclosure, groups of frames can be pooled and averaged (termed 'box car averaging'). The groups can also be referred to collectively as 'pluralities of images / frames' or 'segments of the input data'. For example, suppose that a particular embodiment takes a video input and computes a temporal average for each 15-frame segment of that video. The averaged version of the input data is presented to the user's good eye, meaning that per segment, instead of seeing 15 different frames as per the original version, the good eye is seeing only one, averaged image. Advantageously, this temporal filtering has no effect on static, non-changing components (elements) within the input video but the computed average results in blurring those parts of the scene that are moving (i.e. changing or varying). The longer the time period that the average is calculated over, the greater the blurring effect on the varying elements when presented to the user's non-amblyopic eye. It is known that most movies typically change scenes every 4 to 6 seconds. If the average is calculated over too long a time period the transition between scenes can appear strange or disrupted to the user. In accordance with a preferred embodiment, the averaging may be performed over a time period in the region of 250msec. If a long segment length is chosen, this may result in a potentially a large number of frames / images that need to be averaged. This can result in technical challenges such slow response or output times or even crashing of the system due to insufficient storage (memory) and / or processing resources in the user's device. In such cases, only a proportion or selection of the frames may be stored or processed e.g. every fifth, or tenth frame. Thus, the frames that are stored and / or processed may be selected from the input data by application of at least one predetermined criterium (that may be a rule, condition or metric). The time period over which the averaging is computed can be adjusted e.g. as determined by a medical practitioner according to both the chosen input source and the user's clinical status. After calculating the average for a given segment, the processed and non-processed versions may be presented dichoptically to the user via any suitable mechanism as discussed below., before taking the next segment from the input data and repeating steps. This approach is suited for situations where the input data is streamed and processing occurs dynamically, on the fly. In other cases, however, such as where the input data is obtained from an internal source, all required segments of the input data may be processed and then stored, retrieved and / or presented for simultaneous presentation to the user alongside the initial version. In other words, in such cases step 3 of Figure 1 may be performed when all of the segments have been processed. Facial Filtering It is well known that babies are able to discern faces. Research shows that "infants as young as newborns prefer faces and face-like stimuli over distractors ... the tendency to look at faces increases with age" ("Development of infants' attention to faces during the first year" Michael C. Frank et al, Published online 2008 Dec 27. doi: 10.1016 / j.cognition.2008.11.010 https: / / www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov / pmc / articles / PMC2663531 / ). It is also known that consumers of videos and computer-implemented games spend a significant amount of time looking at faces within the content that they consume. Therefore, in one or more embodiments, the system may comprise a face detection component arranged to detect one or more faces within an image. Preferably, the face detection component is arranged to detect the face(s) in real time. The system is then able to obfuscate, blur, mask or otherwise process each face or a selection of faces within the image. The face may be a human face or a graphical representation of a human face such as a cartoon face. Advantageously, while the overall area of the image may be large the system is able to focus on only the image portions which comprise faces. Such portions will typically comprise much smaller areas within the image. Spatial blurring of the whole scene or a substantial part thereof, as per prior art arrangements, will therefore generally be more time and resource consuming than just blurring the area around the faces. It thus becomes feasible to blur just the area of the faces in images. Thus, an improved and more efficient system is provided. It should be noted that an embodiment of the disclosure may comprise either the facial obscuring aspect, or the temporal filtering aspect, or both, in other embodiments, one or both of these filtering aspects may also be used in combination with an auto stereoscreen or red / green anaglyph for the dichoptic presentation to the user as discussed below. Dichoptic Presentation Of The Input Data In use, embodiment of the disclosure may be implemented using apparatus that enables the user to view both the processed and initial versions of the data at the same time, by different eyes, as explained above. An overview of an example of such is illustrated in Figure 2. In accordance with one possible embodiment, a colour filter may be used to present the different versions of the data to the user's eyes. In such embodiments, the initial and processed versions of the input data may be presented on a conventional output screen and viewed by a user wearing red / green ('anaglyph') glasses. However, in a preferred embodiment, the temporally filtered and non-temporally filtered data is presented to the user by means of an auto stereoscreen. The auto stereoscreen is provided as an output component of, or associated with, the computing based resource. It may be in communication with other components of the computing-based resource via a wired, physical or wireless communication means. In Use, the auto stereoscreen is operative to present dichoptic data comprising temporally processed data for receipt (viewing) by the first eye of a user, and non-temporally processed data (e.g. the original version of the visual data) by the second eye of the user. Such auto stereoscreen devices operate by providing an array of fine cylindrical lenticular lenses in front of a screen which displays both the images for the left and right eye. These images are interwoven in register with the lenticular lenses. The result is that two separate images are viewed by a different viewing angle, ensuring that each eye sees a different image. While the screen can be used with or without headtracking apparatus for optimal graphical resolution, it can also be used without headtracking wearables, thus providing advantages such as, but not limited to, wider applicability and improved comfort and convenience for more users. Example Of a Preferred Embodiment With reference to Figure 2, we now provide an overview of a system which embodies and implements a particularly beneficial arrangement in accordance with the disclosure. This example is not intended to be limiting and is provided for purposes of illustration only. In Figure 2, a computer-based arrangement 1 is provided which enables dichoptic presentation of data to a user 6. In this arrangement, visual data 2 is provided to a component 4 of a computing-based resource 1, which could be or could comprise, for example, a laptop, a mobile phone, a desktop computer, a network terminal etc. In some embodiments, the computing resource may comprise a collection of processing resources that might be distributed across geographical locations or processor-based devices / systems, but for the sake of simplicity and ease of illustration we will use a single, stand-alone resource such as a laptop as our computing resource 1. The visual data 2 could be or comprise one or more of video, animation, multimedia, gaming content etc. The visual data 2 may be provided from internal storage i.e. retrieved from hardware or a storage medium associated with the computing-based resource, or it could be obtained from an external source e.g. it may be streamed by an external source to the computing resource, downloaded by the computing resource 1 from the external resource etc. The external resource may be located on or distributed over a network such as the internet, a peer-to-peer network, a WAN or a LAN. The visual data may be received from the external source using a wired or wireless communication channel, using an associated communication protocol such as TCP / IP, IPv4, IPv6, Internet Protocol (IP) Wi-Fi, HTTP, Bluetooth / Bluetooth Low Energy, NFC, Zigbee etc. Thus, the computing resource 1 may be operative to transmit and receive data to and from the external resource. The computing-based resource 1 comprises a temporal filter component 3 that is operative to receive and / or obtain the visual data 1 and process it. The temporal filter 3 outputs a temporally filtered version of the visual data 2. In other words, it provides a processed version of the visual data 1 in which at least one exogenous attention shifting stimulus is obfuscated relative to an initial version of the visual data, as explained above. The temporal filter component 3 may be a sub-component of a larger (parent) component 4 operative to provide the desired functionality of the embodiment. For example, the larger component 4 could be a browser that the temporal filter 3 is embedded in, and / or the larger component 4 could be an app for execution on the computing-based resource 1. The software component 4 is arranged to send the output from the temporal filter 3 to at least one output component 5 so that it can be presented to a user 6 for viewing. The visual data 2 may also be sent to the output component(s) 5 by the software component 4, but in other embodiments it may be provided to the output component(s) 5 by another component of the system 1. The output component(s) present the temporally processed version of the visual data 2 to the user 6. They also present the non-temporally processed version. This dual presentation occurs such that the two versions of the data are received by the user's eyes in parallel i.e. such that they are received simultaneously (or substantially simultaneously) by the user's respective first and second eyes. The non-temporally processed version of the data 2 that is presented may be the version of the visual data as received from the external resource or obtained from internal storage. In other embodiments, though, the visual data may have been processed in other ways before being sent to the output component(s) 5. For example, brightness, luminosity, alterations due to language translations (dubbing) or any other desired adaptations may have been made by one or more system component(s) to enhance or alter the visual data 2. The same alteration(s) may also be made to the temporally filtered version that will be presented to the user 6. As explained above, the user views the two channels of data (temporally processed and non-temporally processed) via respective eyes. This can be achieved with the use of a non-auto stereoscreen display component if the user is using an anaglyph device such as red-green glasses, or (preferably) via the use of an auto stereoscreen that avoids the need for such wearables. ILLUSTRATIVE AND ENUMERATED STATEMENTS Embodiments of the present disclosure are provided in the following statements for the purpose of illustration, and without limitation. Any feature mentioned below in respect of one particular aspect, embodiment or form of wording is not intended to be thus limited and may be used in combination with any other feature(s), embodiment(s), aspect(s), or form(s) of wording. One or more embodiments of the disclosure may comprise systems and corresponding methods that comprise solutions and tools for: binocular training of a user's eyes; and / or stimulation of a user's brain to process (input) data from one eye in preference over the user's other eye. Embodiments provide improved alternatives to eye patches or eye drops as medical aids / tools / apparatus for the treatment of amblyopia. One or more embodiments of the disclosure may comprise a system that includes: • An electronic device comprising at least one processor and comprising or associated with one or more of: • at least one visual output device such as a screen. In some examples, this may be a touch screen. The system may also comprise at least one audio output device such as a speaker. • At least one software component comprising instructions for execution on the at least one processor of the electronic device. The system may comprise at least one of the following components: • a temporal filter component arranged to provide a temporally processed / filtered version of input data as disclosed herein; and / or • facial filter component arranged to provide a facially processed / filtered version of input data as disclosed herein; and / or • a facial detection component; and / or • an autosteroscreen. The system may be operative to use an autostereoscreen to present the processed version of the data to the user. The term 'component' is intended to include 'element', 'system', 'device(s)', and a component may comprise software, hardware, firmware ora combination thereof. The term 'obfuscate' may be used interchangeably herein with 'blur', 'mask', 'redact', 'remove' and 'degrade' and is intended to cover all of these terms. The term 'obfuscate' may be used as an umbrella term covering one, some or all of 'blur', 'mask', 'redact', 'remove' and 'degrade'. The (input) data may be referred to herein as "visual data" for ease of reference. It may comprise one or more of: visual or video data; video content; multimedia content; digital images, a challenge or skills-based exercise, a game or gamified challenge. The input data may comprise a plurality of data segments. The data segments may be referred to as 'frames' or 'scenes'. Each data segment may comprise a plurality of features, which may also be referred to as 'objects' or 'items'. The features may be visible to a user when the initial version of the input data is presented via an output component of the system such as a screen. The term 'selective filter' as used herein is intended to include, but not be limited to, a 'temporal filter' and / or a 'facial filter'. A selective filter as used herein is intended to include a filter which is operative (i.e. arranged and / or configured) to produce a processed version of data in which at least one exogenous attention shifting stimulus is detected, selected and / or obfuscated relative to an initial version of the data. The at least one exogenous attention shifting stimulus may comprise: at least one face; and / or at least one visual element that moves, varies, appears or disappears. The at least one exogenous attention shifting stimulus may be referred to as a high visual saliency feature. The obfuscation may be provided such that the when the data is visually presented to a user the obfuscated feature(s) are more difficult to see relative to: the non-obfuscated version of the same feature(s) in the initial version of the data; and / or other features that are provided in the processed version of the data. The selective filter may comprise a temporal filter and the temporal filter may be arranged to detect at least one predetermined attribute in each sub-portion of a segment of the data. Thus, the input data may comprise or be divided into a plurality / group of segments. One, some or each segment in the plurality may comprise one or a plurality of sub-portions. The sub-portions may be called images (or, alternatively, frames). Each image may comprise one or more pre-determined attributes such as RGB attributes, pixel-related attributes etc. Additionally, or alternatively, the disclosure provides a computer-implemented system comprising: apparatus for dichoptic presentation of data to a user such that (i.e. the system is operative to enable) one eye of the user is presented with a processed (e.g. filtered) version of data and the other eye is presented with a non-processed (e.g. non-filtered) version of the data. 'Apparatus' as used herein includes one or more devices, each of which may comprise hardware, software, firmware or a combination thereof. The processed version of the data may be produced or provided by a filter component. The filter component may be or comprise a selective filter component. The selective filter may comprise a temporal filter component and / or a facial filter component. The apparatus may comprise one or more of: - a red / green anaglyph; - an auto stereoscreen. Additionally, or alternatively, in accordance with aspect / form of wording the present disclosure provides apparatus and solutions for dichoptic presentation of digital video / multimedia data to a user. It is particularly advantageous for users having amblyopia, as an alternative to conventional medical aids or tools such as eye patches or eye drops. Preferred embodiments involve the use of temporal and / or facial filters to detect, control and / or influence stimuli that can give may give rise to exogenous attention shifts by the user. Preferred embodiments may be implemented by way of a filter embedded in a browser or app, which then produces output to a display mechanism such as an autosteroscreen or red / green anaglyph (i.e. glasses with differently coloured lenses). In accordance with one or more embodiments, the disclosure provides at least one method comprising the step of providing, using or configuring a system as described or claimed herein. Also in accordance with the disclosure, there is provided: a system for dichoptic presentation of data to a user, wherein the system is operative to: use an autosteroscreen to present a processed version of the data to the user in which at least one exogenous attention shifting stimulus is obfuscated relative to an initial version of the data. Also in accordance with the disclosure, there is provided: a method for dichoptic presentation of data to a user, wherein the method comprises: using an autosteroscreen to present a processed version of the data to the user in which at least one exogenous attention shifting stimulus is obfuscated relative to an initial version of the data. According to another aspect of the disclosure, there is provided a computer implemented system arranged to perform any method step or combination of method steps described, enumerated or claimed herein. According to another aspect of the disclosure, there is provided a method comprising one or more steps arranged to provide the operations, functionality or features of any system that is described, enumerated or claimed herein. There is provided a computer-implemented apparatus (e.g. system, network, one or more devices) comprising one or a plurality of computer-implemented resources (e.g. network node, user device, terminal, etc), wherein at least one computer-implemented resource comprises: a processor; and memory including executable instructions that, as a result of execution by the processor, causes the system to perform any variation of the computer-implemented method claimed, enumerated or described herein. According to another aspect, there is provided a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon executable instructions that, as a result of being executed by a processor of a computer system, cause the computer system to perform any version of the computer-implemented method claimed, enumerated or described herein. According to possible embodiments of the disclosure, there may be provided methods and accompanying systems as following: Enumerated statement 1: A dichoptic presentation system and / or, in an alternative wording, a system for dichoptic presentation of data to a user. Preferably, the system is operative to: provide / produce a processed version of the data in which at least one exogenous attention shifting stimulus is obfuscated relative to an initial version of the data. Preferably, providing the processed version of the data comprises using a selective filter. The selective filter may be selective in the sense that it is operative to detect and / or select specified features or types of features. The feature(s) may be or comprise at least one exogenous attention shifting stimulus. Preferably, the selective filter is operative to apply at least one filtering process to the detected and / or selected feature(s). Enumerated statement 2. A system according to statement 1, wherein the system is operative to: present the processed version of the data to a first eye of a user; and the initial version of the data is presented to the second eye of the user. Enumerated statement 3. A system according to statement 1 or 2, wherein: i) the selective filter comprises at least one of: a temporal filter or a facial filter; and / or ii) the at least one exogenous attention shifting stimulus comprises: at least one face; and / or at least one visual element that moves, varies, appears or disappears. Enumerated statement 4. A system according to statement 2 or 3, wherein the processed version of the data is presented to the first eye of the user, and / or the initial version of the data is presented to the second eye of the user, via or using one or more of: at least one stereoscopic technique and / or apparatus; at least one 3-D display or output device; at least one autostereogram; at least one virtual reality hardware and / or software component; at least one augmented reality hardware and / or software component; a virtual retina display component and / or software; at least one passive or active 3D viewer such as a shutter system, a polarisation system, an interference system; at least one colour anaglyph device; at least one wearable device arranged to induce, or facilitate the generation of, the Pulfrich effect upon the user; at least one autosteroscopic device; at least one wiggle stereoscopy component; at least one integral imaging component; at least one volumetric display; at least one holographic display component. Enumerated statement 5. A system according to any preceding statement, wherein the system comprises at least one of: i) a facial detection component; ii) an auto stereoscreen; iii) a browser operative to apply a selective filter Enumerated statement 6. A system according to any preceding statement, wherein the selective filter comprises at least one temporal filter and the at least one temporal filter is arranged to calculate a temporal average of a specified portion of the initial version of the data. Enumerated statement 7. A system according to statement 6, wherein: the at least one temporal filter is operative to perform a low pass temporal filter process on the initial version of the data. Enumerated statement 8. A system according to any preceding statement, wherein: the data is provided via a data stream; and / or the selective filter is provided in, embedded in or executed / executable via a browser or app obtained from a remote location relative to the device. Enumerated statement 9. A system according to any preceding statement, wherein the system comprises: a distance measuring component operative to determine the distance of the user's eye or eyes from a screen or other output device that the data is presented on. Enumerated statement 10. A system according to any preceding statement, wherein the system comprises: an eye-tracking component arranged to track the first and / or second eye of the user. Enumerated statement 11. A system according to any preceding statement, wherein the data comprises one or more of: visual or video data; video content; multimedia content; digital images, a challenge or skills-based exercise, a game or gamified challenge. Enumerated statement 12. A system according to any preceding statement, wherein the data is received from and / or provided by or via: at least one data streaming resource; at least one hardware storage device; an internet-based resource a distributed and / or peer-to-peer computing resource; a subscription service. Enumerated statement 13. A system according to any preceding statement, wherein the system communicates with, interfaces with and / or comprises one, some or all of: at least one processor; memory storing, or configured to store, executable instructions that are capable of execution by the at least one processor; at least one output device capable of presenting the processed version of the data to the user. Enumerated statement 14. A method for dichoptic presentation of data to a user, the method comprising the step of: producing a processed version of the data in which at least one exogenous attention shifting stimulus is obfuscated relative to an initial version of the data. The step of producing the processed version of the data may comprise using a selective filter. Enumerated statement 15. A method according to statement 14, wherein the method further includes: presenting the processed version of the data to a first eye of the user; and presenting the initial version of the data to the second eye of the user. Enumerated statement 16. A method according to any of statements 14 to 15, wherein: i) the selective filter comprises at least one of: a temporal filter or a facial filter; and / or ii) the at least one exogenous attention shifting stimulus comprises: at least one face; and / or at least one visual element that moves, varies, appears or disappears. Enumerated statement 17. A method according to any of statements 14 to 16, wherein the processed version of the data is presented to the first eye of the user, and / or the initial version of the data is presented to the second eye of the user, via or using one or more of: at least one stereoscopic technique and / or apparatus; at least one 3-D display or output device; at least one autostereogram; at least one virtual reality hardware and / or software component; at least one augmented reality hardware and / or software component; a virtual retina display component and / or software; at least one passive or active 3D viewer such as a shutter system, a polarisation system, an interference system; at least one colour anaglyph device; at least one wearable device arranged to induce, or facilitate the generation of, the Pulfrich effect upon the user; at least one autosteroscopic device; at least one wiggle stereoscopy component; at least one integral imaging component; at least one volumetric display; at least one holographic display component. Enumerated statement 18. A method according to any of statements 14 to 17, wherein the method further comprises the step of providing at least one of: i) a facial recognition component; ii) an auto stereoscreen; iii) a browser operative to apply a selective filter Enumerated statement 19. A method according to any of statements 14 to 18, wherein the selective filter comprises at least one temporal filter and the temporal filter is operative to calculate a temporal average of a specified portion of the initial version of the data. Enumerated statement 20. A method according to any of statements 14 to 19, wherein: the temporal filter is operative to perform a low pass temporal filter process on the initial version of the data. Enumerated statement 21. A method according to any of statements 14 to 20, wherein: the data is provided via a data stream; and / or the selective filter is provided in, embedded in or executed / executable via a browser or app obtained from a remote location relative to the device. Enumerated statement 22. A method according to any of statements 14 to 21, wherein the method comprises providing: a distance measuring component operative to determine the distance of the user's eye or eyes from a screen or other output device that the data is presented on. Enumerated statement 23. A method according to any of statements 14 to 15, wherein the method comprises providing: an eye-tracking component arranged to track the first and / or second eye of the user. Enumerated statement 24. A method according to any of statements 14 to 23, wherein the data comprises one or more of: visual or video data; video content; multimedia content; digital images, a challenge or skills-based exercise, a game or gamified challenge. Enumerated statement 25. A method according to any of statements 14 to 24, wherein the data is received from and / or provided by or via: at least one data streaming resource; at least one hardware storage device; an internet-based resource a distributed and / or peer-to-peer computing resource; a subscription service. Enumerated statement 26. A method according to any of statements 14 to 25, wherein the method comprises the step of using an autostereoscreen to present the processed version of the data to the user. Additionally, or alternatively, there is provided: Enumerated statement 27. A computer-implemented apparatus (e.g. system, network, one or more devices) comprising one or a plurality of computer-implemented resources (e.g. network node, user device, terminal, laptop, mobile / portable / handheld processing device etc), wherein the at least one computer-implemented resource comprises: at least one component that is operative to present temporally filtered data to a first eye of a user while presenting non-temporally filtered data to a second eye of the user. The at least one component may comprise one, some or all of the following features: comprise a temporal filter for providing the temporally filtered data; comprise a browser; be implemented in software, hardware or firmware; comprise an autosteroscreen for presentation of the temporally filtered data to the first eye of the user and presentation of the non-temporally filter data to the second eye of the user; be configured to receive, upload, download, retrieve or otherwise obtain input data that is or can be: i) provided to a temporal filter for generation of the temporally filtered data; and / or ii) presented to the second eye of the user. The presentation of the temporally filtered data and the non-temporally filtered data to the first eye and second eye of the user respectively may be performed simultaneously or substantially simultaneously. Enumerated statement 28. A method comprising the step of providing computer implemented apparatus arranged, implemented, configured or operative according to enumerated statement 27. ILLUSTRATIVE COMPUTING ENVIRONMENT FIG. 3 illustrates an example device 2500, with a processor 2502 and memory 2504 that can be configured to implement various embodiments of the methods and processes as discussed in the present application. The skilled person will readily appreciate that many other forms and arrangements of hardware, software and / or firmware can be used, and that this is just an illustrative example. Memory 2504 can also host one or more databases and can include one or more forms of volatile data storage media such as random-access memory (RAM), and / or one or more forms of nonvolatile storage media (such as read-only memory (ROM), flash memory, and so forth). Device 2500 is one example of a computing device or programmable device and is not intended to suggest any limitation as to scope of use or functionality of device 2500 and / or its possible architectures. For example, device 2500 can comprise one or more computing devices, programmable logic controllers (PLCs), etc. Further, device 2500 should not be interpreted as having any dependency relating to one or a combination of components illustrated in device 2500. For example, device 2500 may include one or more of computers, such as a laptop computer, a desktop computer, a mainframe computer, etc., or any combination or accumulation thereof. Device 2500 can also include a bus 2508 configured to allow various components and devices, such as processors 2502, memory 2504, and local data storage 2510, among other components, to communicate with each other. Bus 2508 can include one or more of any of several types of bus structures, including a memory bus or memory controller, a peripheral bus, an accelerated graphics port, and a processor or local bus using any of a variety of bus architectures. Bus 2508 can also include wired and / or wireless buses. Local data storage 2510 can include fixed media (e.g., RAM, ROM, a fixed hard drive, etc.) as well as removable media (e.g., a flash memory drive, a removable hard drive, optical disks, magnetic disks, and so forth). One or more input / output (I / O) device(s) 2512 may also communicate via a user interface (UI) controller 2514, which may connect with I / O device(s) 2512 either directly or through bus 2508. In one possible implementation, a network interface 2516 may communicate outside of device 2500 via a connected network. A media drive / interface 2518 can accept removable tangible media 2520, such as flash drives, optical disks, removable hard drives, software products, etc. In one possible implementation, logic, computing instructions, and / or software programs comprising elements of module 2506 may reside on removable media 2520 readable by media drive / interface 2518. In one possible embodiment, input / output device(s) 2512 can allow a user (such as a human annotator) to enter commands and information to device 2500, and also allow information to be presented to the user and / or other components or devices. Examples of input device(s) 2512 include, for example, sensors, a keyboard, a cursor control device (e.g., a mouse), a microphone, a scanner, and any other input devices known in the art. Examples of output devices include a display device (e.g., a monitor or projector), speakers, a printer, a network card, and so on. Various systems and processes of present disclosure may be described herein in the general context of software or program modules, or the techniques and modules may be implemented in pure computing hardware. Software generally includes routines, programs, objects, components, data structures, and so forth that perform particular tasks or implement particular abstract data types. An implementation of these modules and techniques may be stored on or transmitted across some form of tangible computer-readable media. Computer-readable media can be any available data storage medium or media that is tangible and can be accessed by a computing device. Computer readable media may thus comprise computer storage media. "Computer storage media" designates tangible media, and includes volatile and non-volatile, removable, and non-removable tangible media implemented for storage of information such as computer readable instructions, data structures, program modules, or other data. Computer storage media include, but are not limited to, RAM, ROM, EEPROM, flash memory or other memory technology, CD-ROM, digital versatile disks (DVD) or other optical storage, magnetic cassettes, magnetic tape, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, or any other tangible medium which can be used to store the desired information, and which can be accessed by a computer. Some of the methods and processes described above, can be performed by one or more processors. The term "processor" should not be construed to limit the embodiments disclosed herein to any particular device type or system. The processor may include or form part of a computer system. Multiple processors may be used, and these may be running in parallel. The computer system may also include at least one computer processor (e.g., a microprocessor, microcontroller, digital signal processor, general-purpose computer, special-purpose machine, virtual machine, software container, and / or appliance) for executing any of the methods and processes described above. The system may be or comprise a decentralized, peer-to-peer or distributed computing architecture. The computer system may further include a memory such as a semiconductor memory device (e.g., a RAM, ROM, PROM, EEPROM, or Flash-Programmable RAM), a magnetic memory device (e.g., a diskette or fixed disk), an optical memory device (e.g., a CD-ROM), a PC card (e.g., PCMCIA card), or other memory device. Alternatively, or additionally, the processor(s) may include discrete electronic components coupled to a printed circuit board, integrated circuitry (e.g., Application Specific Integrated Circuits (ASIC)), and / or programmable logic devices (e.g., a Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGA)). Any of the methods and processes described above can be implemented using such logic devices. Some of the methods and processes described above, can be implemented as computer program logic for use with the computer processor. The computer program logic may be embodied in various forms, including a source code form or a computer executable form. Source code may include a series of computer program instructions in a variety of programming languages (e.g., an object code, an assembly language, or a high-level language such as C, C++, or JAVA). Such computer instructions can be stored in a non-transitory computer readable medium (e.g., memory) and executed by the computer processor. The computer instructions may be distributed in any form as a removable storage medium with accompanying printed or electronic documentation (e.g., shrink wrapped software), preloaded with a computer system (e.g., on system ROM or fixed disk), or distributed from a server or electronic bulletin board over a communication system (e.g., the Internet or World Wide Web). Although only a few example embodiments have been described in detail above, those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that many modifications are possible in the example embodiments without materially departing from this invention. Accordingly, all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of this disclosure as defined in the following claims. In the claims, means-plus-function clauses are intended to cover the structures described herein as performing the recited function and not only structural equivalents, but also equivalent structures. CONCLUDING REMARKS The above-mentioned embodiments are provided for illustration purposes, and not intended to be limiting. The person skilled in the art will be capable of designing many alternative embodiments without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the claims appended herein. Herein: 5 the word "comprising" and "comprises", and the like, can be synonymous with "includes" and does not exclude the presence of features other than those recited in any claim or disclosed in the specification as a whole; "comprises" is intended to mean "includes or consists of" and "comprising" is intended to mean "including or consisting of". The singular reference of an element does not exclude the plural reference of such elements and vice-versa. Embodiments of the disclosure may be 10 implemented by means of hardware comprising several distinct elements, and by means of a suitably programmed computer. In a device or system claim enumerating several means, several of these means may be embodied by one and the same item of hardware. The mere fact that certain measures are recited in mutually different dependent claims does not indicate that a combination of these measures cannot be used to advantage. 15

Claims

1. A system for dichoptic presentation of data to a user, wherein the system is operative to: provide a processed version of the data in which at least one exogenous attention shifting stimulus is obfuscated relative to an initial version of the data.

2. A system according to claim 1, wherein the system is operative to: present the processed version of the data to a first eye of the user; and the initial version of the data is presented to the second eye of the user.

3. A system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein:i) providing the processed version of the data comprises using a selective filter that comprises at least one of: a temporal filter or a facial filter; and / orii) the at least one exogenous attention shifting stimulus comprises:at least one face; and / orat least one visual element that moves, varies, appears or disappears.

4. A system according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the processed version of the data is presented to the first eye of the user, and / or the initial version of the data is presented to the second eye of the user, via or using one or more of:at least one stereoscopic technique and / or apparatus;at least one 3-D display or output device;at least one autostereogram;at least one virtual reality hardware and / or software component;at least one augmented reality hardware and / or software component;a virtual retina display component and / or software;at least one passive or active 3D viewer such as a shutter system, a polarisation system, an interference system;at least one colour anaglyph device;at least one wearable device arranged to induce, or facilitate the generation of, the Pulfrich effect upon the user;at least one autosteroscopic device;at least one wiggle stereoscopy component;at least one integral imaging component;at least one volumetric display;at least one holographic display component.

5. A system according to any preceding claim, wherein the system comprises at least one of:i) a facial detection component;ii) an auto stereoscreen;iii) a browser operative to apply a selective filter6. A system according to any preceding claim, wherein the selective filter comprises a temporalfilter and the temporal filter is operative to:calculate a temporal average of a specified portion of the initial version of the data; or perform a low pass temporal filter process on the initial version of the data.

7. A system according to any preceding claim, wherein:the data is provided via a data stream; and / orthe selective filter is provided in, embedded in, or executed or executable via a browser or app obtained from a remote location relative to the device .

8. A system according to any preceding claim, wherein the system comprises:a distance measuring component operative to determine the distance of the user's eye or eyes from a screen or other output device that the data is presented on.

9. A system according to any preceding claim, wherein the system comprises:an eye-tracking component arranged to track the first and / or second eye of the user.

10. A system according to any preceding claim, wherein the data comprises one or more of: visual or video data; video content; multimedia content; digital images, a challenge or skills-based exercise, a game or gamified challenge.

11. A system according to any preceding claim, wherein the data is received from and / or provided by or via:at least one data streaming resource;at least one hardware storage device;an internet-based resourcea distributed and / or peer-to-peer computing resource;a subscription service.

12. A system according to any preceding claim, wherein the system communicates with, interfaces with and / or comprises one, some or all of:at least one processor;memory storing, or configured to store, executable instructions that are capable of execution by the at least one processor;at least one output device capable of presenting the processed version of the data to the user.

13. A method for dichoptic presentation of data to a user, the method comprising the step of: using a selective filter to produce a processed version of the data in which at least one exogenous attention shifting stimulus is obfuscated relative to an initial version of the data.

14. A method according to claim 13, wherein the method further includes: presenting the processed version of the data to a first eye of the user; and presenting the initial version of the data to the second eye of the user.

15. A method according to claim 13 or claim 14 and comprising the step of using an autostereoscreen to present the processed version of the data to the user.

16. A system for dichoptic presentation of data to a user, wherein the system is operative to: use an autosteroscreen to present a processed version of the data to the user in which at least one exogenous attention shifting stimulus is obfuscated relative to an initial version of the data.

17. A method for dichoptic presentation of data to a user, wherein the method comprises: using an autosteroscreen to present a processed version of the data to the user in which at least one exogenous attention shifting stimulus is obfuscated relative to an initial version of the data.

18. A computer-implemented apparatus comprising one or a plurality of computer-implemented resources comprising:at least one component that is operative to present temporally filtered data to a first eye of a user while presenting non-temporally filtered data to a second eye of the user.

19. A computer-implemented apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the at least one component comprises one, some or all of the following features:a temporal filter for providing the temporally filtered data;a browser, preferably wherein the browser comprises a temporal filter;5 an autosteroscreen for presentation of the temporally filtered data to the first eye of the user and presentation of the non-temporally filter data to the second eye of the user;is operative to receive, upload, download, retrieve or otherwise obtain input data that is or can be:i) provided to a temporal filter for generation of the temporally filtered data; and / or10 ii) presented to the second eye of the user.31

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