Methods and devices for recording changes in visual stimuli observed through browser-based interfaces

Abstract

The invention provides methods and devices that address problems encountered when attempting to accurately reconstruct visual stimuli being displayed to a user as they interact with online-content, typically through a browser interface. In one embodiment, the invention provides for the browser to maintain a record of selected technical parameters and relevant data that may impact the manner in which online-content is being displayed to the user, taking into consideration the current context in which the browser is being operated. In another embodiment, the invention is a device for recording events as reported from a browser interface. The events are recorded in a selected format and syntax to form a primary index of events and related outcomes which comprise the user's interface experience. In operation, the devices detect events as detected at the browser interface. Next, the devices identify, categorize, and filter detected events as to their relevance to the visual stimuli being presented to the user. The devices then assign a unique identifier, preferably in the form of an alphanumeric string, to each relevant event. Furthermore, the devices record selected events into a log (along with their categorization), a unique identifier, and the time in which the event occurred. Yet another embodiment are devices that record changes in parameters that may impact the visual stimuli.

1 - 17 . (canceled) 
     
     
         18 . A method for recording user-viewable visual stimuli, the method comprising:
 verifying that a content-access event causes at least one change in visual stimuli presented to a user;   recording one or more parameters associated with the at least one change in visual stimuli, wherein at least one of the one or more parameters indicate the user's eye position or eye dilation obtained by an eye-tracking device; and   storing the one or more recorded parameters, wherein the one or more recorded parameters are usable to recreate, at least in part, the at least one change in visual stimuli.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the content-access event includes a user interaction with one or more web pages via a browser. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the visual stimuli is presented to the user via a user interface implemented via a browser. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 18 , further comprising categorizing the content-access event in accordance with a measure of the content-access event's relevance to the visual stimuli. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein verifying that a content-access event causes at least one change in visual stimuli presented to a user is based, at least in part, on a category of the content-access event. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein recording the one or more parameters comprises recording the one or more parameters in association with a time in which the content-access event occurred. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein at least one of the recorded parameters stores a network address corresponding to online content immediately displayed to the user in response to the content-access event. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein at least one of the recorded parameters indicates a two-dimensional offset of a display of online content within a browser window. 
     
     
         26 . A computer-readable medium storing content that, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform actions comprising:
 determining that a content-access event causes at least one change in visual stimuli presented to a user;   identifying one or more parameters associated with the at least one change in visual stimuli, wherein at least one of the one or more parameters indicate the user's eye position or eye dilation obtained by an eye-tracking device; and   storing the one or more parameters, wherein the one or more parameters are usable to recreate, at least in part, the at least one change in visual stimuli.   
     
     
         27 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 26 , wherein the one or more parameters include information relating to a property of at least one browser object, the property being one of: a horizontal position, a vertical position, a size of a window, or a network address. 
     
     
         28 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 26 , wherein one or more of the parameters include properties from a Document Object Model of web content. 
     
     
         29 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 26 , wherein one or more of the parameters indicate at least one of a size or location of a child window within a parent window. 
     
     
         30 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 26 , wherein the actions further comprise detecting the content-access event in response to the user interacting with online content. 
     
     
         31 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 26 , wherein the actions further comprise classifying the content-access event in accordance with a measure of the content-access event's relevance to the visual stimuli. 
     
     
         32 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 31 , wherein determining that the content-access event causes at least one change in visual stimuli presented to the user is based, at least in part, on the classifying of the content-access event. 
     
     
         33 . A system comprising:
 an eye-tracking device,   one or more processors, and   at least a memory storing content that, when executed by the one or more processors, causes the system to:
 determine that a content-access event causes at least one change in visual stimuli presented to a user; 
 identify one or more parameters associated with the at least one change in visual stimuli, wherein at least one of the one or more parameters indicate the user's eye position or eye dilation obtained by the eye-tracking device; and 
 store the one or more parameters, wherein the one or more parameters are usable to recreate, at least in part, the at least one change in visual stimuli. 
   
     
     
         34 . The system of  claim 33 , wherein the content further causes the system to store the one or more parameters in association with a time in which the content-access event occurred. 
     
     
         35 . The system of  claim 33 , wherein the visual stimuli is viewable in a browser application. 
     
     
         36 . The system of  claim 33 , wherein at least one of the identified parameters indicates: a two-dimensional offset within a browser window, a horizontal position of a browser object, a vertical position of the browser object, a size of a window, a network address, or properties from a Document Object Model item. 
     
     
         37 . The system of  claim 33 , wherein the content further causes the system to determine that the identified one or more parameters reflects a change as compared with one or more corresponding parameters previously stored.