US 2014/0208226 A1 · COGNITIVE LOAD ASSESSMENT FOR DIGITAL DOCUMENTS

Abstract

An embodiment of the invention includes a system that tracks a user's pupillary response to content located on a web page. The system then determines a cognitive load for the user that is based on the measured response. Cognitive load refers to the total amount of mental activity imposed on working memory in any one instant. Further, the system may aggregate the cognitive load data for one user over time, for many different users, and/or for many different users over time. The cognitive load may be determined for different portions of a displayed page, such as a document object model (DOM) included on the page. The cognitive load may be specified for different elements that make up the DOM. Also, cognitive load may be apportioned over several different DOM elements at one moment in time or over a period of time. Other embodiments are described herein.

Claims20

Dependent claims

At least one storage medium having instructions stored thereon for causing a system to perform a method comprising:

processing a first user's pupil activity, using the at least one processor, to determine the first user's first cognitive load for first and second hierarchical elements of a hierarchical user interface (UI) model included on a first page that displays the first and second elements in a first spatial orientation to one another;
processing the first user's pupil activity, using the at least one processor, to determine the first user's second cognitive load for the first and second elements of the first UI model included on a second page that displays the first and second elements in a second spatial orientation to one another that is unequal to the first orientation;
storing the first user's first and second cognitive loads in at least one machine accessible medium coupled to the at least one processor;
and
determining a single aggregate cognitive load for one of the first and second elements of the first UI model based on both of the first user's first and second cognitive loads.

2 more elements

An apparatus comprising:

at least one processor;
control logic, coupled to the at least one processor, to:
process a first user's pupil activity, using the at least one processor, to determine the first user's first cognitive load for first and second hierarchical elements of a first hierarchical user interface (UI) model included on a first page that displays the first and second elements in a first spatial orientation to one another;
process the first user's pupil activity, using the at least one processor, to determine the first user's second cognitive load for the first and second elements of the first UI model included on a second page that displays the first and second elements in a second spatial orientation to one another that is unequal to the first orientation;
and
determine a single aggregate cognitive load for one of the first and second elements of the first UI model based on both of the first user's first and second cognitive loads.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Cognitive load assessment for digital documents

Life of this patent

Cognitive load assessment for digital documents

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20