Eye-Tracking Heat Maps Using Multi-Parameter Gaze Metrics

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Solution Overview

Problem

Traditional heat maps generated by eye tracking systems are limited in their ability to illustrate data beyond gaze point and gaze duration, failing to capture additional parameters that provide deeper insights into user behavior and mental workload.

Innovation Solution

An eye tracking system that captures and generates heat maps based on additional parameters such as saccade velocity, saccade start and stop positions, regressions, and mental workload, allowing for more detailed visualization of user behavior and mental state.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of information

If traditional heat map methods are used to visualize gaze data, then the visualization is simple and easy to generate, but the ability to illustrate data beyond gaze points and gaze duration is limited

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveinformation representation capabilityVSAvoiddata processing complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of informationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the observed region into multiple sections and processes different gaze parameters (gaze points, gaze duration, fixation count, pupil diameter, saccade velocity) separately for each section. This segmentation allows comprehensive information representation while maintaining manageable processing complexity through modular computation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent transitions from traditional 2D heat map visualization to a multi-dimensional representation by incorporating multiple gaze parameters simultaneously. Each parameter can be visualized as a separate heat map layer or combined into a composite visualization, adding informational dimensions without proportionally increasing processing complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

2Loss of information

If multiple gaze parameters are collected and processed to form comprehensive heat maps, then the information representation capability is improved, but the data processing complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvegaze data information completenessVSAvoidprocessing system complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of informationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The processing system divides the observed region into discrete sections and processes each gaze parameter independently for each section. This segmentation strategy reduces overall processing complexity by breaking down the complex task of multi-parameter analysis into manageable, parallelizable sub-tasks while preserving complete information representation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent transforms multiple raw gaze parameters (pupil diameter, saccade velocity, fixation duration) into standardized normalized values that can be directly compared and visualized. This parameter transformation simplifies the processing complexity by creating a unified data structure while maintaining the completeness of original information.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

3Measurement precision

If gaze data is normalized and processed with multiple parameters, then the measurement precision is improved, but the difficulty of detecting and measuring increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvegaze parameter measurement accuracyVSAvoidparameter detection complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSDifficulty of detecting and measuring

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies normalization transformations to convert raw gaze parameters into standardized metrics with consistent scales. This parameter change approach improves measurement precision by eliminating scale differences between parameters while the automated normalization process manages the detection complexity through algorithmic standardization.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces manual measurement and analysis methods with automated computational processing of gaze parameters. This substitution improves measurement precision through consistent algorithmic application while reducing the difficulty of detecting and measuring multiple parameters simultaneously through automated data collection and processing systems.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Data Source

PatentEP4446854B1Method to determine universal heat map
Publication Date: 2026.04.29 TOBII TECH AB
  • EP4446854B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP4446854B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4
  • EP4446854B1 patent drawingFigure 5a~5b

AI summary

Disclosed herein is a method for an eye tracking system comprising at least one camera and it is configured to provide a heat map based on an observation of at least one user comprising processing data related to a first gaze metric comprising gaze point data and gaze duration data of the user, the first gaze metric being determined in relation to the region (8-8‴) comprising the stimulus (10-10d) and over a duration of time; and a second metric, the second metric comprising data different from the first gaze metric, the second metric being determined in relation to said region (8-8‴) and over a duration of time, by allocating values to the sections, so that a heatmap can be generated based on these allocated values and the sections; and mapping the processed data to the plurality of sections and generating a heat map for visually illustrating the processed data.