Portable device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10409388-B2
Application number	US-201816049290-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 30, 2018
Priority date	Nov 4, 2011
Publication date	Sep 10, 2019
Grant date	Sep 10, 2019

Abstract

A portable computing device is disclosed which may include a base element, a lid element, a first motion sensor, a second motion sensor, a processor, and an eye tracking system. The first motion sensor may be disposed in the base element. The second motion sensor may be disposed in the lid element. The processor may be configured to control the first motion sensor to detect first motion information, control the second motion sensor to detect second motion information; and determine final motion information based at least in part on the first motion information and the second motion information. The eye tracking system may be configured to determine a gaze position of a user based at least in part on the final motion information, wherein the processor is further configured to execute one or more control processes based at least in part on the determined gaze position meeting a predetermined condition.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A portable computing device, comprising: a base element; a lid element comprising a display unit and rotatably coupled with the base element, such that an angle between the base element and the lid element is capable of being varied: a first motion sensor disposed in the base element; a second motion sensor disposed in the lid element; a processor configured to: control the first motion sensor to detect first motion information; control the second motion sensor to detect second motion information; and determine final motion information based at least in part on the first motion information and the second motion information; and an eye tracking system configured to determine a gaze position of a user based at least in part on the final motion information, wherein the eye tracking system is further configured to determine a head pose of the user with respect to the display unit, and wherein the processor is further configured to execute one or more control processes based at least in part on the determined gaze position meeting a predetermined condition; wherein the first motion information comprises a first angle value (Vbase) between the gravitational force exerted by the Earth and a plane of the base element; and the second motion information comprises a second angle value (Vlid) between the gravitational force exerted by the Earth and a plane of the lid element.

2. A portable computing device according to claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to determine the head pose by examining one or more facial features and their positions and orientations relative to one another.

3. A portable computing device according to claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to take the head pose information into account to determine the gaze position of the user.

4. A portable computing device according to claim 1 , wherein an open angle value (Vcloseup) between the base element and the lid element is based on the first angle value (Vbase) and the second angle value (V IM ), and wherein the processor is further configured to determine final motion information by using Vclose up.

5. A portable computing device according to claim 4 , wherein the processor is configured to determine final motion information by using at least one 3D coordinates value, wherein the calculation of a 3D coordinate value is based on the first angle value (Vbase), the second angle value (Vlid), an open angle value (Vclose up) and a pre-known dimension information of the display unit.

6. A portable computing device according to claim 5 , wherein 3D coordinate values of at least three points on the surface of the lid element with respect to a predetermined position at the display unit is used.

7. A portable computing device according to claim 5 , wherein the processor is configured to determine final motion information by using Vclose up and/or a 3D coordinates value.

8. A portable computing device according to claim 4 , wherein the processor is configured to determine final motion information by using Vclose up and/or a 3D coordinates value.

9. A portable computing device according to claim 1 , wherein the one or more control processes include a selection from a group consisting of:
(i) powering the eye tracker ON or OFF,
(ii) pausing the eye tracker for image collection,
(iii) adjusting one or more photography parameters of the eye tracking system,
(iv) starting over the calibration process of the eye tracker system, and
(v) controlling one or more system events associated with the eye tracker.

10. A method comprising: detecting first motion information with at least a first motion sensor disposed in a base element, detecting second motion information with at least a second motion sensor disposed in a lid element, wherein the lid element is rotatably coupled with the base element such that an angle between the base element and the lid element is capable of being varied, determining final motion information based at least in part on the first motion information and the second motion information; and determining a gaze position of a user based at least in part of an eye tracking and on the final motion information, determining the head pose of the user with respect to the display with the eye tracking system, wherein one or more control processes are executed based at least in part on the determined gaze position meeting a predetermined condition; wherein the first motion information comprises a first angle value (Vbase) between the gravitational force exerted by the Earth and a plane of the base element; and the second motion information comprises a second angle value (Vlid) between the gravitational force exerted by the Earth and a plane of the lid element.

11. A method according to claim 10 , wherein the head pose is determined by examining one or more facial features and their positions and orientations relative to one another.

12. A method according to claim 10 , wherein the head pose information is taken into account to determine the gaze position of the user.

13. A method according to claim, 10 wherein an open angle value (Vclose up) between the base element and the lid element is based on the first angle value (Vbase) and the second angle value (Vlid), and wherein the final motion information is determined by using Vclose up.

14. A method according to claim 13 , wherein the final motion information is determined by using at least one 30 coordinates value, wherein the 3D coordinates value is based on the first angle value (Vbase), the second angle value (Vlid), the open angle value (Vclose up) and a pre-known dimension information of the display unit.

15. A method according to claim 14 , wherein 3D coordinate values of least three points on the surface of the lid element with respect to a predetermined position at the display unit is used.

16. A method according to claim 14 , wherein the processor is configured to determine final motion information by using Vclose up and/or a 3D coordinates value.

17. A method according to claim 13 , wherein the processor is configured to determine final motion information by using Vclose up and/or a 3D coordinates value.

18. A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon a program comprising the steps of: detecting first motion information with at least a first motion sensor disposed in a base element, detecting second motion information with at least a second motion sensor disposed in a lid element, wherein the lid element is rotatably coupled with the base element such that an angle between the base element and the lid element is capable of being varied, determining final motion information based at least in part on the first motion information and the second motion information; and determining a gaze position of a user based at least in part on an eye tracking and on the find motion information, determining the head pose of the user with respect to the display with the eye tracking system, wherein one or more control processes are executed based at least in part on the determined gaze position meeting a predetermined condition.

Assignees

• Tobii Ab

Inventors

• Skogö Mårten
• Elvesjö John
• Lundkvist Jan-Erik
• Lundberg Per

Classifications

• G06V10/147

  Details of sensors, e.g. sensor lenses (fingerprint or palmprint sensors G06V40/13; vascular sensors G06V40/145; eye sensors G06V40/19) · CPC title

• G06F3/013

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

• G06F2200/1637

  Sensing arrangement for detection of housing movement or orientation, e.g. for controlling scrolling or cursor movement on the display of an handheld computer · CPC title

• G06F1/203

  for portable computers, e.g. for laptops · CPC title

• G06F3/017 Primary

  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