Methods and systems to increase accuracy of eye tracking
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.
1. A system comprising:
a sensor to gather gaze data from a user viewing media content 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 of the user at a first time based on the gaze data and a first calibration setting, the first gaze location having first spatial coordinates;
alter a portion of the display at the first spatial coordinates;
after the portion of the display has been altered, determine a second gaze location of the user at a second time based on the gaze data and the first calibration setting, the second gaze location having second spatial coordinates;
determine whether a difference between the first spatial coordinates and the second spatial coordinates satisfies a threshold;
determine whether the user is disinterested in the media content on the display based on at least one of interaction data or the gaze data; and
when (A) the difference does not satisfy the threshold and (B) the user is not disinterested in the media content, update the first calibration setting to a second calibration setting.
2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the processor is to generate a first timestamp when the display is altered and generate a second timestamp when the second gaze location is determined.
3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the processor is to determine whether the user is disinterested in the media content based on a difference in time between the first timestamp and the second timestamp.
4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the interaction data is based on a frequency of input from a device separate from the display.
5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the device includes at least one of a mouse or a keyboard.
6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the interaction data is based on a frequency of input from a touchscreen.
7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the second calibration setting is based on the difference between the first spatial coordinates and the second spatial coordinates.
8. The system of claim 1 , further including the display, the display being part of at least one of a personal computer, a smart phone, a tablet, or a headset.
9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the sensor is coupled to the display.
10. The system of claim 1 , wherein, after the processor updates the first calibration setting to the second calibration setting, the processor is to determine a third gaze location of the user at a third time based on the gaze data and the second calibration setting, the third gaze location having third spatial coordinates.
11. 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 of the display to contrast adjacent pixels of the display presenting the media content.
12. A tangible machine-readable storage medium comprising instructions that, when executed, cause at least one processor to at least:
gather gaze data from a user viewing media content presented on a display, the display having spatial coordinates;
determine first spatial coordinates of a first gaze location of the user at a first time based on the gaze data and a first calibration setting;
alter a portion of the display at the first spatial coordinates;
after the portion of the display has been altered, determine second spatial coordinates of a second gaze location of the user at a second time based on the gaze data and the first calibration setting;
determine whether a difference between the first spatial coordinates and the second spatial coordinates does not satisfy a threshold;
determine the user is not disinterested in the media content presented on the display based on at least one of interaction data or the gaze data; and
update the first calibration setting to a second calibration setting based on (A) the determination that the difference does not satisfy the threshold and (B) the determination that the user is not disinterested in the media content.
13. The tangible machine-readable storage medium of claim 12 , wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the at least one processor to generate a first timestamp corresponding to a time when the display is altered and generate a second timestamp corresponding to a time when the second gaze location is determined.
14. The tangible machine-readable storage medium of claim 13 , wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the at least one processor to determine the user is not disinterested in the media content based on a difference in time between the first timestamp and the second timestamp.
15. The tangible machine-readable storage medium of claim 12 , wherein the interaction data is based on a frequency of interaction of the user with a device separate from the display.
16. The tangible machine-readable storage medium of claim 15 , wherein device includes at least one of a mouse or a keyboard.
17. The tangible machine-readable storage medium of claim 12 , wherein the interaction data is based on a frequency of interaction of the user with a touchscreen.
18. The tangible machine-readable storage medium of claim 12 , wherein the first calibration setting includes a calibration vector having an x-component and a y-component, and wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the at least one processor to update the first calibration setting to the second calibration setting by increasing or decreasing at least one of the x-component or the y-component of the calibration vector.
19. The tangible machine-readable storage medium of claim 12 , wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the at least one processor to determine third spatial coordinates of a third gaze location of the user at a third time based on the gaze data and the second calibration setting.
20. The tangible machine-readable storage medium of claim 12 , wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the at least one processor to alter the portion of the display by displaying a first shape that contrasts a second shape surrounding or adjacent to the first shape.