Gaze Detection System for Visual Attention Measurement

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current gaze detection systems are not precise enough to measure visual attention effectively, particularly in safety-critical environments, leading to inadequate perception of important visual elements like traffic signs and control elements, and inefficient advertising media design.

Innovation Solution

A method utilizing a gaze detection system with high-accuracy eye tracking, involving synchronized cameras to record pupil movement and field of view, processing data to determine precise visual coordinates and fixation points, and applying a correlation function to differentiate between fixations and saccades, ensuring accurate measurement of visual attention.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If conventional gaze detection systems are used, then the system complexity is reduced, but the measurement precision of visual attention is insufficient

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvevisual attention measurement precisionVSAvoidgaze detection system complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system segments the visual field into multiple regions of interest and analyzes fixation patterns within each region separately. By dividing the complex task of measuring overall visual attention into smaller, manageable regional analyses, the system achieves higher measurement precision while maintaining manageable system complexity through modular processing.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces temporal dimension to the measurement by analyzing fixation duration and sequence across multiple time points. By adding the time dimension to spatial coordinate data, the system can distinguish between sustained fixations (indicating attention) and transient glances, thereby improving measurement precision without requiring fundamentally more complex hardware.

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

2Measurement precision

If high-accuracy eye tracking is implemented, then the measurement precision improves, but the device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvevisual coordinates determination precisionVSAvoideye tracking system complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system employs a multi-functional gaze detection apparatus that simultaneously captures pupil movement, tracks eye position, and records fixation patterns using the same hardware infrastructure. By making the eye tracking system serve multiple measurement functions, the patent avoids needing separate specialized devices for each function, thus improving measurement precision without proportionally increasing device complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent creates a digital model or copy of eye movement data that represents actual physiological measurements. By working with these replicated data representations rather than direct complex physiological interference, the system achieves high measurement precision while simplifying the processing and analysis requirements, effectively decoupling measurement precision from processing complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #26Copying

3Measurement precision

If fixation criteria are applied to differentiate fixations from saccades, then the measurement precision of focused attention improves, but the processing time increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefocused attention measurement precisionVSAvoiddata processing time
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary filtering of eye movement data by pre-establishing fixation criteria thresholds and pre-identifying potential fixation regions. By preparing these reference frameworks in advance, the system can rapidly classify new eye movement data as fixations or saccades without performing complex real-time analysis, thus improving measurement precision while minimizing processing time during actual measurement.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements a skip-ahead approach where the system quickly identifies and processes only the most relevant fixation events that meet predefined criteria, rather than sequentially analyzing every eye movement data point. By skipping through non-relevant data (such as routine saccades between fixation points), the system achieves high measurement precision for focused attention while significantly reducing overall processing time.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #21Skipping (Rushing through)

Data Source

PatentEP2157903B1Method for perception measurement
Publication Date: 2012.12.12 PFLEGER ERNST
  • EP2157903B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP2157903B1 patent drawingFigure 3
  • EP2157903B1 patent drawingFigure 4

AI summary

The invention relates to a method for perception measurement, in particular for measuring the visual attention of an individual, wherein at least first visual coordinates of a first point of vision (37), associated to a first image of a visual field, and at least second visual coordinates of a second point of vision (38), associated to a second image of a visual field, are processed, first and second visual coordinates being detected essentially by a visual detection system. The invention is characterized in that the second image of a visual field is recorded after the first image of a visual field. In order to determine visual attention for specific surrounding areas as accurately as possible, the invention proposes that the second visual coordinates of the second point of vision (38) are analyzed with the first visual coordinates of the first point of vision (37) in a comparative device for meeting at least one first predetermined fixation criterium (25). When the first fixation criterium (25) is fulfilled, the first and second points of vision (37, 38) are allocated to a first fixation (48) that can be associated to ordered perception, and when the first fixation criterium (25) is not fulfilled, the first and second points of vision (37, 38) are marked and allocated to a first saccade associated with aleatoric perception.