Device and process for objectively determining and quantitatively measuring the level of interest of test subjects for picture material and parts thereof.

p0001The present invention relates to a method for objectively determining or quantitatively measuring the interest levels of volunteers to an initial charge of imagery and its parts, and a device for carrying out this process. In particular, this method can be applied in advertising effectiveness research on promotional materials such as advertisements, pictures of packs and the like. It is understood, however, that the method and apparatus are not limited thereto, but rather can also be applied in the field of medicine (neurology and psychology) as well as the wide range of research into the world of work.

p0002In the prior art, various methods and devices are known that allow either because of its simplicity very inadequate statements about the perceptions of subjects, or in spite of their lavishness still contain a high degree of subjective evaluation criteria. The Tachistoskop allows eg, a test person to show images or slides only for an extremely short period of time, which is then increased subsequently, so as to analyze the emergence of certain perceptions. This method is intended to make it clear where causes of inadequate or defective perceptions are. In marketing area can thus analyze the effect of advertisements, billboards, shop window designs, advertisements, brochures, packaging design, product perceptions within a supply range by interviewing subjects. The subjective nature of this process is strong here in the foreground.

p0003The present invention therefore has the object to improve the known, more or less subjective method such that one can speak of an objective determination or quantitative measurement of interest levels of volunteers to an initial charge of imagery and its parts. So it is a new quality of results analysis, and thus the results themselves can be achieved which enables excellent assessment analogous real conditions. The aim of the invention is therefore to provide a method and apparatus for performing the method with which results can be obtained, which are used to test theoretical assumptions of cognitive psychology by documenting actual perceptual processes to real objects. This object or target to be achieved by the characterized in claim 1. The method or by the characterized in claim 10 closer device.

p0004The inventive method thus allows not only short-term performances, such as the existing electrical Tachistoskope, but an actual quantitative measurement of what the subject or the viewer in the individual interested in what he has looked at the footage and which parts or elements of it for them are or of interest to him and which, so that it can not then be put to the standing behind the design concept in conjunction. The novel process gives the following results: it can draw conclusions on the interest, understanding and attention from test subjects, so that after evaluation, if necessary corrections can be made at the real to switching display or the actually established poster to an even greater and better attention and recognition to achieve the desired level of detail or a particular image area or by topic. ie According to the invention creates a situation in the imagery, as displays and the like, is presented as a test object of a subject in an exactly specified time, so that they "perceive" the image information can, ie the artwork is illuminated extremely short, so that only a extremely volatile impression is created. Then the artwork is darkened so that the subject can be found no more information more the image submitted. Will now be given according to the invention, this test person by means of a movable light source or lighting device, the possibility to generate a cone of light to illuminate such parts or aspects of the image presented, which they called "interested". In this way it is possible to detect the individual's interest or physically interest level and thus to quantify. The time for improved illumination desired partial image areas is so short that the subject only can illuminate important to them coordinate points with prominent content. The test subject performs here with reduced speed compared to the very rapid, fleeting eye, so exactly what else is happening with the "normal" viewing an ad or a poster. At the same time this is done to this operation, the digital recording of a plurality of coordinates of the projected light cone faces and their length of stay by a photosensitive scanner or a camera suitable for this purpose. The digitized coordinates and time data is stored in a computer interface and can be selected depending on the selection criteria. This computer or computer can output the stored information per individual observer and all viewers or subjects a display numerically and graphically, thereby observing priorities, the eye movement between them and the duration may also be reflected in the focus of observation. The inventive registration conducted by the subject light cone so the effect of visual objects is quantified, as does the information recording by the test person objectively clear without defects must be taken into account, which occur due to subjective, subsequent questions that even the memory include the subjects as critical with.

p0005Further advantages and features of the method are described in the dependent claims which relate to particularly advantageous dimensions, in particular, time and or length specifications.

p0006The method and apparatus of the invention shows that, based on the data collected accurately any direct or indirect influence is ruled out by the experimenter or evaluating people, so that the statistical analysis may according to the invention are considered objectively unaffected. It should be clear that based on the determined and stored digital data of statisticians and computer processed and worked as a skilled person this data material, in order to achieve certain specific statements.

p0007In the following a preferred embodiment of the present invention is explained in detail with reference to the drawing.

p0008It shows:<ul><li>Figure 1 is a schematic view of the inventive device for carrying out the method according to the invention. and</li><li>Fig. 2 is a graphical illustration of the observation focus of an image by a plurality of test persons.</li></ul>

p0009In Fig. 1, the system or apparatus for implementing the method according to the invention is generally designated 10. It consists of a device 12 for holding and positioning pictorial material 14, which rotates in a plane perpendicular to the axis of the scanner / camera 18 in front of a subject, not shown, in interval control means of a motor 15 on an endless conveyor. The image material 14 comprises in this case a so-called. Test block of twelve ads, in which at a certain site, the test display is included. This test block is presented each subject in detail absolutely identical. This enables not only accurate detection of what the subjects saw, but also how to see and view a display of the other or the other is different. The number of consecutive test in block ads is in no way critical, but may be selected in any context. Also can be tested for their advertising effectiveness within a series simultaneously several test ads. Advantageously located in the display of the photographic material 14 to conventional magazine formats. However, larger and smaller sizes are also conceivable, for example in the study of advertising effectiveness of packaging or posters. The incident on the display light quantity is for short-term illumination by the illumination devices 16 is regulated so that the viewer displaying only very imperfectly, but - as a rough guide - perceives in his across and within. Particularly suitable here is the short-term illumination over a period of 0.25 second has been found. Following this "perception" the imagery 14 or the display means of the illumination device 16 is darkened so that the dose intensity of the subject for further recording of the image information is no longer sufficient. However, the test person can then manually using a mobile lighting device 18, in particular a light beam, illuminate within the predetermined fixed interval time per frame of about 5 -7 seconds desired, partial image area of ​​the display improves, so consider the information that she is interested or also must find in order to even understand the image information content as a whole. The diameter of the light beam has been found in advertisements of about 3 cm to be favorable. For better handling, the illumination device 18 includes a handle 19. Both the illumination apparatus 16 and 18 are connected via corresponding lines with a relay controller 30 for regulating the illumination and its intensity. The relay controller 30 and the motor 15 are connected via the interface 25 to the computer 24 which controls the entire process sequence. The display image with it is - according to the eye- moving point of light is received by a connected to the relay controller 30 and the computer 24 camera / scanner photosensitive 20th The camera 20 includes a digitizer 22 or is connected to such a to accommodate the digital recording of a plurality of coordinates of the projected light cone faces and their length of stay and the path between the observed points. The camera (20) is commercially available and can for example be manufactured by Bosch. The digitizer (22) may also be part of the computer (24). The digitizer converts the video signals of the camera into digital and checks the level. She notes how much light points per scan are registered.

p0010Is commercially available and the computer 24 with interface 25 with connected screen 28 and the printers 26 and 27, where it is equipment of Compaq, Philips, Star, Sekonic companies. Statistical analysis of the data stored and selected can then be effected by numerical and / or graphic print or on-screen display 28, wherein observation focal points, the eye movement between them and the length of stay in the focus of observation are calculated. The computer 24 can output numerically and / or graphically this information per subject and all subjects of a display.

p0011In Fig. 2 as shown such observation priorities of 27 subjects for a display image, the strong shaded squares 40 represent the actual focal points, while the weaker shaded squares 50 are of little interest in the subjects and the white areas were 60 not illuminated and were thus perceived by the subjects as not attention-arousing. So this objective graphical analysis displays in the upper right and lower left of the display five observation areas 40 and in the environment that is why even those quadrants with interest, however, is somewhat lower (50), while in the upper left and lower right half of the practically white areas 60 indicate that here have seen and felt uninteresting text and / or print information, the plurality of test subjects. It is understood that the computer expert can change the size of the quadrants and their number by modifying the stored parameters readily to rough order, clarity on the one hand and detailed representations on the other hand to reach. It is also conceivable that the quadrants are displayed in a circular shape. The diameter of the circles or the edge Läge of the quadrants can be selected depending on the coordinate density. Here, certain values ​​are specified, up to how densely the observations are still to be detected.

p0012Moreover, the representation of the eye movement of one, several or all subjects is no problem. Fixed points represent the observation priorities, the sequence is determined, in which the test subjects looked at these priorities. From this it can be shown readily a frequency distribution per priority. The maximum of this distribution indicates then, at which point this emphasis has been observed in the time sequence. Each focus can then be assigned a number, so that then the chronological, graphical linking these priorities gives a representative view history for all subjects. Furthermore, it should be clear that the length of stay in the focus of observation based on the determined time information separately for each test or persons can also apply to all together represent numerically and / or graphically.