Pupil Diameter Attention Measurement with Brightness and Pulse Correction

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing methods for determining a viewer's attention degree towards a visual object are inaccurate due to individual differences in pupil diameter response to brightness and darkness, and are influenced by respiration and pulse, leading to incorrect calculations and negative attention values.

Innovation Solution

A device and system that measures pupil diameter while accounting for brightness, darkness, respiration, and pulse influences by using a reference brightness/darkness screen to generate reference data, allowing for the correction of actual pupil diameter measurements and calculation of attention degrees.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If pupil diameter is measured to determine attention degree, then attention measurement is achieved, but measurement precision deteriorates due to influence of brightness, respiration, and pulse

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveattention degree measurement precisionVSAvoidinfluence of brightness, respiration, and pulse
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts and removes the harmful influences of brightness, respiration, and pulse from the pupil diameter measurement by measuring these factors separately and subtracting their effects from the total pupil diameter change, leaving only the attention-related component

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces intermediary measurements of brightness, respiration, and pulse as mediators that allow the separation and elimination of their confounding effects from the pupil diameter measurement, enabling accurate attention assessment

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Adaptability or versatility

If reference brightness/darkness screen is used to account for individual differences, then adaptability improves, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveindividual difference adaptationVSAvoidmeasurement system complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent performs preliminary measurements of brightness, respiration, and pulse characteristics using reference screens before actual attention measurement, allowing the system to adapt to individual viewers and establish baseline data for later correction

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes measurement parameters by introducing multiple reference screens with different brightness levels and measuring pupil diameter under varying conditions, enabling the system to characterize individual responses and improve adaptability

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

3Ease of operation

If stay time of visual point is used to measure attention, then ease of operation is maintained, but measurement precision deteriorates due to erroneous determination

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveattention measurement simplicityVSAvoidattention degree accuracy
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces the mechanical/visual method of tracking visual point stay time with a physiological measurement system that monitors pupil diameter, providing more accurate attention assessment while maintaining operational simplicity through automated measurement

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

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

Accurately determines viewer attention by isolating the effects of brightness, darkness, respiration, and pulse, ensuring positive attention values and improved measurement reliability.

Implementation Method 1

a relationship between luminance of a display and a pupil diameter is measured in advance regarding a brightness/darkness response

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectPupil diameter response to luminance:

Implementation Method 2

the pupil diameter periodically changes depending on respiration and pulse

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectRespiration-induced pupil diameter change:

Implementation Method 3

the pupil diameter periodically changes depending on respiration and pulse

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectPulse-induced pupil diameter change:

Data Source

PatentEP3357424B1Viewer emotion determination apparatus that eliminates influence of brightness, breathing, and pulse, viewer emotion determination program
Publication Date: 2023.06.07 NATSUME RES INST
  • EP3357424B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3357424B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3357424B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

To determine the feeling of a viewer more accurately by measuring the pupil diameter while eliminating the influence of brightness, breathing, and pulse. [Solution] A reference data measuring unit 22 measures, as reference data, a reference pupil diameter Csk, a breathing influenced pupil diameter Dskt, and a pulse influenced pupil diameter Eskt for each of various combinations of the brightness of an entire screen and the brightness of a visual point. A measuring unit 23 identifies the reference pupil diameter Csk, the breathing influenced pupil diameter Dskt, and the pulse influenced pupil diameter Eskt corresponding to the elapsed time of content. The measuring unit 23 sets a pupil diameter Bt as an attentive pupil diameter A1t in the case of two or more breathing times (T1), calculates the attentive pupil diameter A1t by subtracting the breathing pupil diameter Dskt from the pupil diameter Bt in the case of two or more pulse times and less than two breathing times (T2), and calculates the attentive pupil diameter A1t by further subtracting the pulse influenced pupil diameter Eskt therefrom in the case of less than two pulse times (T3). The measuring unit 23 calculates an attention-attributable pupil diameter A2t by subtracting the reference pupil diameter Csk from the attentive pupil diameter A1t, and divides the attentive pupil diameter A1t and the attention-attributable pupil diameter A2t by the reference pupil diameter Csk to calculate the degrees of attention P1t and P2t.