Patent ID: 6997556
Filing Date: 2006-02-14
Classification: A61B

Abstract:
1. A method for detecting, evaluating, and analyzing look sequences of a test person in an environment using a look detection system comprising the steps of: detecting a field of view of the test person with a first test camera, said camera pointing forward and being firmly held on the head of the test person so as to provide the test person an unimpeded view of the environment, said field of view being recorded in frames of a field of view video, detecting a pupil image of at least one of the pupils in the eyes of the test person with a second camera, said second camera being also firmly held on the head of the test person, said pupil image being recorded in frames of an eye video; recording each frame of the eye video at the same time as a corresponding frame of the field of view video is recorded; automatically determining pupil coordinates for a center of said pupil image in each frame of the eye video; instructing the test person to look at a respective given object in the environment at at least one respective given time, a respective given frame of the eye video corresponding to each respective given time when the test person looks at said respective given object, said respective given object being located at a respective given visual point in the field of view shown in each corresponding frame of the field of view video; determining location coordinates for said respective given visual point in each corresponding frame of the field of view video; establishing a correlation function between the pupil coordinates in given frames of the eye video and the location coordinates of said respective given visual point in the field of view shown in each corresponding frame of the field of view video; and extrapolating from pupil coordinates determined from a selected frame of the eye video the location coordinates of the respective selected visual point in the corresponding frame of the field of view video using said correlation function, the location coordinates of said respective selected visual point indicating where in the environment the test person was looking at a time other than a given time.