Eye Tracking Attention State Detection via Variability Metrics
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional eye tracking techniques fail to determine a user's level of attention accurately, leading to unsatisfactory man-machine interactions and ineffective content delivery, as they rely solely on gaze direction without considering the quality of attention.
Innovation Solution
A method and system that use eye position measurements to calculate a variability metric, comparing it to a baseline to determine the user's attention state, allowing for dynamic content delivery based on attention levels, including pausing or modifying content when the user is not attending.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If conventional eye tracking techniques are used to monitor gaze direction, then the system can detect where the user is looking, but it cannot accurately determine the user's level of attention
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the attention assessment into multiple independent metrics: gaze location, gaze duration, and gaze variability. Each metric is calculated separately from eye position data, allowing the system to evaluate different aspects of attention independently and combine them for a comprehensive attention assessment.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from two-dimensional gaze location tracking to three-dimensional attention analysis by adding the temporal dimension (gaze duration) and variability dimension (gaze dispersion). This dimensional expansion enables the system to capture the quality of attention, not just the location.
2Ease of operation
If content delivery is based solely on gaze direction, then the system can provide location-based content, but the man-machine interaction becomes unsatisfactory due to lack of attention quality consideration
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism where the system continuously monitors eye position data, calculates attention metrics, and uses this feedback to dynamically adjust content delivery. The system provides feedback to both the content delivery system (about user attention state) and to the user (through personalized content adjustments), creating a closed-loop interaction system.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transforms static content delivery based on fixed gaze location into a dynamic system that continuously adapts content delivery based on real-time attention assessment. The system dynamically adjusts content parameters such as playback rate, content selection, and presentation timing based on the user's moment-to-moment attention state.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the system continuously monitors eye position to determine attention state, then it can provide dynamic content delivery, but the computational complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies partial action by calculating only the necessary attention metrics from eye position data rather than analyzing all possible eye movement parameters. The system computes gaze location, duration, and variability using selective processing of eye tracker output, performing sufficient analysis to determine attention state without exhaustive computation of every eye movement characteristic.
Data Source
AI summary
A method of presenting content to a subject based on eye position measurements includes presenting the subject with content. While presenting the content to the subject, one or more of the subject's eye positions is measured, from which a locus of the subject's gaze is determined. The method includes continuously performing the operations of: generating an attention metric using the one or more measured eye positions; based on the attention metric, determining an attention state of the subject; and determining a trajectory of the locus of the subject's gaze. In accordance with detecting a change in the attention state of the subject, the presentation of the content is modified based on the trajectory of the locus of the subject's gaze so as to present different content than if the attention state of the subject had remained the not attending state.