Gaze-actuated user interface with visual feedback

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10146303-B2
Application number	US-201514717878-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 20, 2015
Priority date	Jan 20, 2015
Publication date	Dec 4, 2018
Grant date	Dec 4, 2018

Abstract

A method to provide visual feedback for gazed-based user-interface navigation includes presenting, on a display, a first image representing a digital object available for user interaction, recognizing a user gaze axis, and computing a point of intersection of the user gaze axis through the first image. An offset distance between the point of intersection and a reference position of the first image then recognized, and a second image is presented on the display. The second image is presented displaced from the point of intersection by an amount dependent on the offset distance.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method to provide visual feedback for gaze-based user-interface navigation, the method comprising:
presenting on a display a first image representing a digital object available for user interaction;
recognizing a user gaze axis;
computing a point of intersection of the user gaze axis through the first image;
recognizing an offset distance between the point of intersection and a reference position within the first image; and
presenting on the display, together with the first image, a like second image shifted away from the first image along a line connecting the point of intersection and the reference position, wherein the second image and the point of intersection are located on opposite sides of the first image, and wherein the second image is shifted by an amount dependent on the offset distance.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising estimating coordinates of the gaze axis based on signal from a camera configured to image an eye of the user.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising estimating coordinates of the gaze axis based on signal from a non-imaging gaze-tracking sensor.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising estimating coordinates of the gaze axis based on skeletal tracking of the user.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the skeletal tracking employs a camera system directed toward the user, and wherein the display is a stationary display.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising estimating coordinates of the gaze axis based on signal from an inertial measurement sensor worn by the user.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the gaze axis extends from an eye of the user to a focal point of the user, the focal point being defined as an intersection of right and left gaze axes computed, respectively, for right and left eyes of the user.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first image is a forward image from among a plurality of images representing the digital object.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second image is a shadowing image of the first image, the shadowing image appearing behind a plane passing through the first image and shifted away from the point of intersection in a direction parallel to the plane.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the shadowing image is a darker facsimile of the first image.

11. The method of claim 1 , further comprising highlighting the first image at the point of intersection.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second image is a re-colored facsimile of the first image.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second image is a rotated form of the first image.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first image is one of a stereoscopic image pair.

15. The method of claim 1 , wherein the digital object is a user-interface control element.

16. A wearable computer device comprising:
a near-eye display configured to present virtual imagery to a wearer;
a camera configured to image an eye of the wearer; and
operatively coupled to the display and to the camera, a controller having a processor and associated computer memory, the memory storing instructions that cause the processor to:
present on the display a first image representing a digital object available for interaction by the wearer,
receive sensory signal from the camera, the sensory signal indicating a gaze axis of the wearer,
compute a point of intersection of the gaze axis through the first image,
recognize an offset distance between the point of intersection and a reference position within the first image, and
present on the display, together with the first image, a like second image shifted away from the first image along a line connecting the point of intersection and the reference position, wherein the second image and the point of intersection are located on opposite sides of the first image, and wherein the second image is shifted by an amount dependent on the offset distance.

17. The device of claim 16 , wherein the display is a stereoscopic display, and wherein said acts of presenting, receiving, and computing are enacted separately for each eye of the wearer.

18. A method to provide visual feedback for gazed-based user-interface navigation, the method comprising:
presenting on a display a first image representing a digital object available for interaction by a user;
recognizing a gaze axis of the user;
computing a point of intersection of the gaze axis through the first image; and
presenting on the display, together with the first image, a like second image shifted away from the first image, wherein the second image and the point of intersection are located on opposite sides of the first image, and wherein the second image comprises a shadow image corresponding to the first image, the shadow image appearing behind a plane passing through the first image.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the first image is a planar image, and wherein the gaze axis is substantially normal to the plane.

20. The method of claim 18 , further comprising highlighting the first image at the point of intersection.

Assignees

• Microsoft Technology Licensing Llc

Inventors

• Cerriteno Alberto
• Jeromin Aaron Chandler
• Saunders Megan
• Osborn Dan
• Heaney Adam Christopher
• Gouin Forest Woodcroft
• Nakashima James
• Ryan Patrick

Classifications

• G06F3/013 Primary

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

• G06F3/04842

  Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements (G06F3/0482 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G06F3/0304

  Detection arrangements using opto-electronic means (constructional details of pointing devices not related to the detection arrangement using opto-electronic means G06F3/033; optical digitisers G06F3/042) · CPC title

• G06F3/0346

  with detection of the device orientation or free movement in a three-dimensional [3D] space, e.g. 3D mice, 6-DOF [six degrees of freedom] pointers using gyroscopes, accelerometers or tilt-sensors · CPC title

• G06F3/017

  Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures (interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883) · CPC title