Systems and methods for evaluating human eye tracking
Inventors
GROSS, Adam Todd • HUNFALVAY, Melissa
Assignees
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Publication Number
US-12251161-B2
Publication Date
2025-03-18
Expiration Date
Abstract
Systems and methods are disclosed for evaluating human eye tracking. One method includes receiving data representing the location of and/or information tracked by an individual's eye or eyes before, during, or after the individual performs a task; identifying a temporal phase or a biomechanical phase of the task performed by the individual; identifying a visual cue in the identified temporal phase or biomechanical phase; and scoring the tracking of the individual's eye or eyes by comparing the data to the visual cue.
Core Innovation
The invention provides a computer-implemented method and an eye evaluation system for evaluating human eye tracking of a participant user performing an activity. The method determines the activity, identifies a visual search strategy associated with the activity, and defines one or more visual search locations that the participant user should target with gaze relative to the activity. The visual search strategy is associated with visual cues corresponding to one or more temporal phases of the activity.
During performance of the activity, the system causes one or more eye trackers in communication with the eye evaluation system to collect eye tracking data, including a response of the participant user to the visual cues and one or more second locations targeted by the gaze relative to the activity. For each temporal phase, the system determines a comparison between the one or more first locations that should be targeted and the one or more second locations that were targeted. The comparison is used to determine a visual search evaluation of the participant user for performance of the activity.
The method and system further cause an electronic interface to output a visual indication of the visual search evaluation. The disclosed approach identifies visual search strategies that include one or more visual search locations targeted during, before, or after performance of one or more physical decision making activity and evaluates gaze relative to the activity across temporal phases. In refinements, the visual search locations can move over time, the evaluation can be based on target ranges defining ideal viewing areas, and the evaluation can incorporate an interval of time between onset of visual search locations and initiation of a response.
Claims Coverage
The independent claims cover three complementary aspects of the same concept: a computer-implemented method, an eye evaluation system, and a non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions to perform the method. Across these independent claims, the main inventive features total include determining an activity, identifying a visual search strategy and visual cues tied to temporal phases, collecting eye tracking data via eye trackers, comparing intended first gaze locations with actual second gaze locations per temporal phase, determining a visual search evaluation, and outputting a visual indication via an electronic interface.
Activity-based visual search strategy with targeted gaze locations
identifying a visual search strategy associated with the determined activity, the visual search strategy including one or more visual search locations to be targeted by the participant user during performance of the activity, wherein the visual search locations define one or more first locations that should be targeted by a gaze of the participant user relative to the activity
Temporal-phase visual cues
identifying one or more visual cues associated with one or more temporal phases of the activity
Eye tracker data collection of cue responses and targeted gaze locations
causing one or more eye trackers in communication with the eye evaluation system to collect eye tracking data of the participant user during the performance of the activity, the eye tracking data including a response of the participant user to the one or more visual cues and including one or more second locations that were targeted by the gaze of the participant user relative to the activity
Per-phase comparison between intended and actual gaze locations
for each of the one or more temporal phases, determining, via the eye evaluation system, a comparison between the one or more first locations that should be targeted by the gaze of the participant user and the one or more second locations that were targeted by the gaze of the participant user
Visual search evaluation from the comparison with interface output
determining, based on the comparison and via the eye evaluation system, a visual search evaluation of the participant user for the performance of the activity; and causing, via the eye evaluation system, an electronic interface to output a visual indication of the visual search evaluation
Visual search strategy including physical decision making activity
identifying a visual search strategy associated with the determined activity, the visual search strategy including one or more physical decision making activity and one or more visual search locations to be targeted by the participant user during, before, or after performance of the one or more physical decision making activity, wherein the visual search locations define one or more first locations that should be targeted by a gaze of the participant user relative to the activity
Non-transitory medium instructions for cue-based gaze evaluation with interface output
identifying a visual search strategy associated with the determined activity, the visual search strategy including one or more visual search locations to be targeted by the participant user during performance of the activity; identifying one or more visual cues associated with one or more temporal phases of the activity; causing one or more eye trackers in communication with an eye evaluation system to collect eye tracking data of the participant user and data of a response of the participant user to the one or more visual cues during the performance of the activity; for each of the one or more temporal phases, determining a comparison between the collected eye tracking data and the one or more visual search locations; determining, based on the comparison, a visual search evaluation of the participant user for the performance of the activity; and causing an electronic interface to output a visual indication of the visual search evaluation
Across independent claim coverage, the invention evaluates human eye tracking by mapping an activity to a visual search strategy and temporal-phase visual cues, collecting eye tracking data that includes cue responses and targeted gaze locations, and determining a per-temporal-phase comparison between intended first locations and actual second locations to derive a visual search evaluation that is visually indicated via an electronic interface.
Stated Advantages
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