System for gaze interaction

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10025381-B2
Application number	US-201514601007-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 20, 2015
Priority date	Jan 4, 2012
Publication date	Jul 17, 2018
Grant date	Jul 17, 2018

Abstract

A control module for generating gesture based commands during user interaction with an information presentation area is provided. The control module is configured to acquire user input from a touchpad and gaze data signals from a gaze tracking module; and determine at least one user generated gesture based control command based on a user removing contact of a finger of the user with the touchpad; determine a gaze point area on the information presentation area including the user's gaze point based on at least the gaze data signals; and execute at least one user action manipulating a view presented on the graphical information presentation area based on the determined gaze point area and at least one user generated gesture based control command, wherein the user action is executed at said determined gaze point area.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A system for generating gesture based commands during user interaction with an object of a graphical information presentation area, wherein said system comprises a control module configured to:
acquire user input from a touchpad and gaze data signals from a gaze tracking module;
determine at least a first user generated gesture based control command based on a user pressing the touchpad with a first number of fingers of the user;
determine a gaze point area on said graphical information presentation area including the user's gaze point based on at least the gaze data signals;
activate the object based on the first user generated gesture based control command and the gaze point area;
determine, while the object is activated, whether at least a second user generated gesture based control command corresponds to a release of all the fingers from contact with the touchpad or to a release of only a second number of the fingers from contact with the touchpad, the second number being different from the first number; and
execute at least one user action manipulating the object of the graphical information presentation area based on the second user generated gesture based control command, wherein:
the at least one user action comprises repositioning the object based on the second user generated gesture based control command corresponding to the release of all the fingers, and
the at least one user action comprises resizing the object based on the second user generated gesture based control command corresponding to the release of the second number of the fingers.

2. The system according to claim 1 , wherein resizing the object comprises opening an application represented by an icon in the gaze point area.

3. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the second user generated gesture based control command is movement of at least one finger on the touchpad.

4. The system according to claim 3 , wherein repositioning the object comprises repositioning a window by a pinch-like motion.

5. The system according to claim 3 , wherein if the gaze point area is adjacent a vertical edge of a window, the control module is configured to resize a horizontal size of the window according to the user generated gesture.

6. The system according to claim 3 , wherein if the gaze point area is adjacent a horizontal edge of a window, the control module is configured to resize a vertical size of the window according to the user generated gesture.

7. The system according to claim 3 , wherein if the gaze point area is adjacent a corner of the window, the control module is configured to resize the window in both horizontal and vertical directions according to the user generated gesture.

8. The system according to claim 4 , wherein the repositioning of the window occurs upon release of at least one finger from the touchpad.

9. The system according to claim 4 , wherein repositioning of the window occurs upon gazing at a desired new location for the window.

10. The system according to claim 4 , wherein repositioning of the window occurs upon gazing at a desired new location for the window and issuing a voice command.

11. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the user action is performing an action associated with a window.

12. The system according to claim 11 , wherein the action associated with the window is visually indicated on the graphical information presentation area.

13. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the object is repositioned at a point in time in which the user removes contact of all the fingers of the user with the touchpad.

14. A method for generating gesture based commands during user interaction with an object of an graphical information presentation area, comprising:
acquiring user input from a touchpad;
acquiring gaze data signals;
determining a first user generated gesture based control command based on a user pressing the touchpad with a first number of fingers of the user;
determining, based at least on said gaze data signals, a gaze point area on the graphical information presentation area including the user's gaze point;
activate the object based on the first user generated gesture based control command and the gaze point area;
determine, while the object is activated, whether a second user generated gesture based control command corresponds to a release of a second number of the fingers from contact with the touchpad or to a release of a third number of the fingers from contact with the touchpad, the first, second and third numbers being different from each other; and
executing a user action manipulating the object presented on the graphical information presentation area based on the second user generated gesture based control command, wherein:
the user action comprises repositioning the object based on the second user generated gesture based control command corresponding to the release of the second number of the fingers, and
the user action comprises resizing the object based on the second user generated gesture based control command corresponding to the release of the third number of the fingers.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising computer-executable instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause a control module to perform the method of claim 1 .

16. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first number of fingers is at least two.

17. The system of claim 1 , wherein the second user generated gesture based control command is a resizing command.

18. The method of claim 14 , wherein the first number of fingers is at least two.

19. The method of claim 14 , wherein the second user generated gesture based control command is a resizing command.

Assignees

• Tobii Ab

Inventors

• Cederlund Markus
• Gavelin Robert
• Vennström Anders
• Kaplan Anders
• Olsson Anders
• Skogö Mårten
• George-Svahn Erland

Classifications

• G06F2203/0381

  Multimodal input, i.e. interface arrangements enabling the user to issue commands by simultaneous use of input devices of different nature, e.g. voice plus gesture on digitizer · CPC title

• G06F3/03547

  Touch pads, in which fingers can move on a surface · CPC title

• G06F3/014

  Hand-worn input/output arrangements, e.g. data gloves · CPC title

• G06F3/04883

  for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text · CPC title

• G06F3/013 Primary

  Eye tracking input arrangements (G06F3/015 takes precedence) · CPC title