Display device viewer gaze attraction

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10424103-B2
Application number	US-201414265103-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 29, 2014
Priority date	Apr 29, 2014
Publication date	Sep 24, 2019
Grant date	Sep 24, 2019

Abstract

Examples relating to attracting the gaze of a viewer of a display are disclosed. One example method comprises controlling the display to display a target object and using gaze tracking data to monitor a viewer gaze location. A guide element is displayed moving along a computed dynamic path that traverses adjacent to a viewer gaze location and leads to the target object. If the viewer's gaze location is within a predetermined divergence threshold of the guide element, then the display continues displaying the guide element moving along the computed dynamic guide path to the target object. If the viewer's gaze location diverts from the guide element by at least the predetermined divergence threshold, then the display discontinues displaying the guide element moving along the computed dynamic guide path to the target object.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for attracting a gaze of a viewer of a display device, the method comprising:
controlling the display device to display a target object;
via a gaze tracking system, obtaining gaze tracking data of the viewer;
using the gaze tracking data from the gaze tracking system to monitor a gaze location of the viewer;
controlling the display device to display a guide element moving along a computed dynamic path that traverses within a predetermined region adjacent to the gaze location of the viewer and leads to the target object;
using the gaze tracking data to determine if the gaze location of the viewer is within a predetermined divergence threshold of the guide element;
if the gaze location of the viewer is within the predetermined divergence threshold of the guide element, then controlling the display device to continue displaying the guide element moving along the computed dynamic path to the target object; and
if the gaze location of the viewer diverts from the guide element by at least the predetermined divergence threshold, then controlling the display device to discontinue displaying the guide element moving along the computed dynamic path to the target object.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein controlling the display device to discontinue displaying the guide element moving along the computed dynamic path further comprises either diverting the guide element from the computed dynamic path or ceasing to display the guide element.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the predetermined divergence threshold comprises a distance from the guide element.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein using the gaze tracking data to determine if the gaze location of the viewer is within a predetermined divergence threshold of the guide element further comprises determining if a gaze trajectory of the viewer is within a path divergence threshold of the computed dynamic path.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the method is performed while the viewer plays a computer game, the computer game has at least one non-player character that moves according to non-player character movement rules, and at least one object that moves according to object movement rules, and controlling the display device to display the guide element further comprises moving the guide element along the computed dynamic path according to the non-player character movement rules or the object movement rules.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the method is performed while the user watches a movie, and controlling the display device to display the guide element further comprises moving the guide element along the computed dynamic path according to computer-generated image movement rules for computer-generated images that are rendered in real-time in the movie.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the target object comprises an advertisement from an advertiser displayed on the display device, the method further comprising:
if the gaze location of the viewer overlaps the advertisement, then allocating an ad consumption charge to the advertiser.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the ad consumption charge is a first ad consumption charge, and the method further comprises, if the gaze location of the viewer overlaps the advertisement for at least a predetermined timeframe, then allocate a second ad consumption charge that is greater than the first ad consumption charge.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the target object comprises an advertisement from an advertiser displayed on a web page, the method further comprising:
receiving a viewer input associated with the advertisement, the viewer input triggering an ad consumption charge;
if the gaze location of the viewer overlaps the advertisement on the web page when the viewer input is received, then allocating the ad consumption charge to the advertiser; and
if the gaze location of the viewer does not overlap the advertisement on the web page when the viewer input is received, then canceling the ad consumption charge.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the display device is a wearable display device that includes the gaze tracking system.

11. A computing device for attracting a gaze of a viewer of a display device, the computing device comprising:
a gaze tracking system configured to acquire gaze tracking data of the viewer;
a gaze attraction program executed by a processor of the computing device, the gaze attraction program configured to:
control the display device to display a target object;
monitor a gaze location of the viewer using the gaze tracking data from the gaze tracking system;
control the display device to display a guide element moving along a computed dynamic path that traverses within a predetermined region adjacent to the gaze location of the viewer and leads to the target object;
using the gaze tracking data, determine if a gaze trajectory of the viewer is within a path divergence threshold of the computed dynamic path;
if the gaze location of the viewer is within the path divergence threshold of the computed dynamic path, then control the display device to continue displaying the guide element moving along the computed dynamic path to the target object; and
if the gaze location of the viewer diverts from the computed dynamic path by at least the path divergence threshold, then control the display device to discontinue the guide element moving along the computed dynamic path.

12. The computing device of claim 11 , wherein the gaze attraction program is further configured to move the guide element along the computed dynamic path according to non-player character movement rules that govern movement of non-player characters in a computer game which the viewer is playing, or according to object movement rules that govern movement of objects in the computer game.

13. The computing device of claim 11 , wherein the gaze attraction program is further configured to move the guide element along the computed dynamic path according to computer-generated image movement rules for computer-generated images that are rendered in real-time in a movie which the viewer is watching.

14. The computing device of claim 11 , wherein the target object comprises an advertisement from an advertiser displayed on the display device, and the gaze attraction program is further configured to, if the gaze location of the viewer overlaps the advertisement, allocate an ad consumption charge to the advertiser.

15. The computing device of claim 14 , wherein the ad consumption charge is a first ad consumption charge, and the gaze attraction program is further configured to, if the gaze location of the viewer overlaps the advertisement for at least a predetermined timeframe, allocate a second ad consumption charge that is greater than the first ad consumption charge.

16. The computing device of claim 11 , wherein the target object comprises an advertisement from an advertiser displayed on a web page, and the gaze attraction program is further configured to:
receive a viewer input associated with the advertisement displayed on the web page, the viewer input triggering an ad consumption charge;
if the gaze location of the viewer overlaps the advertisement on the web page when the viewer input is received, then allocate the ad consumption charge to the advertiser; and
if the gaze location of the viewer does not overlap the advertisement on the web page when the viewer input is received, then cancel the ad consumption charge.

17. The computing device of claim 11 , wherein the computing device is integrated into a wearable display device that includes the ga

Assignees

• Microsoft Technology Licensing Llc

Inventors

• Eden Ibrahim

Classifications

• G06T1/0035

  Output size adaptive watermarking · CPC title

• G06T1/0028 Primary

  Adaptive watermarking, e.g. Human Visual System [HVS]-based watermarking · CPC title

• A63B2071/0638

  Displaying moving images of recorded environment, e.g. virtual environment · CPC title

• A63B2071/0602

  Non-electronic means therefor · CPC title

• G06F3/0484

  for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range · CPC title