Methods and systems to increase accuracy of eye tracking

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10304209-B2
Application number	US-201715491682-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 19, 2017
Priority date	Apr 19, 2017
Publication date	May 28, 2019
Grant date	May 28, 2019

Abstract

Systems and methods to monitor and interact with users viewing screens are disclosed. An example system includes a sensor to gather gaze data from a user viewing images on a display. The display has spatial coordinates. The system includes a processor communicatively coupled to the display and the sensor. The processor determines a first gaze location having first spatial coordinates based on the gaze data and calibration settings associated with determining gaze locations. The processor alters a portion of the display at or near the first gaze location. After the portion of the display has been altered, the processor determines a second gaze location having second spatial coordinates based on the gaze data and the calibration settings. The processor performs a comparison of the first gaze location to the second gaze location. If the comparison does not meet a threshold, the processor updates the calibration settings based on the comparison and determines a third gaze location having third spatial coordinates based on the gaze data and the updated calibration settings.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system comprising:
a sensor to gather gaze data from a user viewing images on a display, the display having spatial coordinates; and
a processor communicatively coupled to the display and the sensor, the processor to:
determine a first gaze location having first spatial coordinates based on the gaze data and calibration settings associated with determining gaze locations;
alter a portion of the display that is offset to the first spatial coordinates by a pre-determined distance;
after the portion of the display has been altered, determine a second gaze location having second spatial coordinates based on the gaze data and the calibration settings;
determine a difference between the first gaze location and the second gaze location;
compare the difference to a threshold; and
if the difference does not meet the threshold,
update the calibration settings to updated calibration settings based on the difference; and
determine a third gaze location having third spatial coordinates based on the gaze data and the updated calibration settings.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the processor is to continue iterations of display alterations and difference determinations until the threshold is met.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the processor is to alter the portion of the display by changing a color of one or more pixels to contrast adjacent pixels.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the processor is to alter the portion of the display by including a first shape that contrasts a second shape surrounding or adjacent to the first shape.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the processor is to alter the portion of the display for a time interval between about 1 millisecond and about 100 milliseconds.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the processor is to alter the portion of the display periodically or aperiodically.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the threshold is associated with the pre-determined distance.

8. A method comprising:
presenting images to a user via a display, the display having spatial coordinates associated with the images;
gathering gaze data from the user viewing the images via a sensor;
determining a first gaze location having first spatial coordinates based on the gaze data and calibration settings associated with determining gaze locations;
altering a portion of the display that is offset to the first spatial coordinates by a pre-determined distance;
after the portion of the display has been altered, determining a second gaze location having second spatial coordinates based on the gaze data and the calibration settings;
determining a difference between the first gaze location and the second gaze location;
comparing the difference to a threshold; and
if the difference does not meet the threshold,
updating the calibration settings to updated calibration settings based on the difference; and
determining a third gaze location having third spatial coordinates based on the gaze data and the updated calibration settings.

9. The method of claim 8 , further including continuing iterations of display alterations and difference determinations until the threshold is met.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein altering the portion of the display includes changing a color of one or more pixels to contrast adjacent pixels.

11. The method of claim 8 , wherein altering the portion of the display includes providing a first shape that contrasts a second shape surrounding or adjacent to the first shape.

12. The method of claim 8 , wherein altering the portion of the display occurs for a time interval between 1 millisecond and 100 milliseconds.

13. The method of claim 8 , wherein the portion is repeatedly altered.

14. A tangible machine-readable storage medium comprising instructions which, when executed, cause a processor to:
present images to a user via a display, the display having spatial coordinates associated with the images;
gather gaze data from the user viewing the images via a sensor;
determine a first gaze location having first spatial coordinates based on the gaze data and calibration settings associated with determining gaze locations;
alter a portion of the display that is offset to the first spatial coordinates by a pre-determined distance;
after the portion of the display has been altered, determine a second gaze location having second spatial coordinates based on the gaze data and the calibration settings;
determine a difference between the first gaze location and the second gaze location;
compare the difference to a threshold; and
if the difference does not meet the threshold,
update the calibration settings to updated calibration settings based on the difference; and
determine a third gaze location having third spatial coordinates based on the gaze data and the updated calibration settings.

15. The tangible machine-readable storage medium of claim 14 , further including instructions which, when executed, cause the processor to continue iterations of display alterations and difference determinations until the threshold is met.

16. The tangible machine-readable storage medium of claim 14 , further including instructions which, when executed, cause the processor to alter the portion of the display by changing a color of one or more pixels to contrast adjacent pixels.

17. The tangible machine-readable storage medium of claim 14 , further including instructions which, when executed, cause the processor to alter the portion of the display by providing a first shape that contrasts a second shape surrounding or adjacent to the first shape.

18. The tangible machine-readable storage medium of claim 14 , further including instructions which, when executed, cause the processor to alter the portion of the display for a time interval between 1 millisecond and 100 milliseconds.

Assignees

• Nielsen Co Us Llc

Inventors

• Alonso Rafael E

Classifications

• G06F3/0304

  Detection arrangements using opto-electronic means (constructional details of pointing devices not related to the detection arrangement using opto-electronic means G06F3/033; optical digitisers G06F3/042) · CPC title

• G06F3/013

  Eye tracking input arrangements (G06F3/015 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G06T7/80 Primary

  Analysis of captured images to determine intrinsic or extrinsic camera parameters, i.e. camera calibration · CPC title

• G06T2207/30201

  Face · CPC title

• G06T7/74

  involving reference images or patches · CPC title