Systems and methods for changing behavior of computer program elements based on gaze input

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10430150-B2
Application number	US-201414467877-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 25, 2014
Priority date	Aug 23, 2013
Publication date	Oct 1, 2019
Grant date	Oct 1, 2019

Abstract

According to the invention, a method for changing the behavior of computer program elements is disclosed. The method may include determining, with an eye tracking device, a gaze point of a user. The method may also include causing, with a computer system, an interactive event controlled by the computer system to alter its behavior based at least in part on the gaze point of the user.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for changing behavior of computer program elements, wherein the method includes operations comprising:
displaying content on a display device;
defining a plurality of locations in the content where artificial intelligence characters can appear;
determining, with an eye tracking device, a gaze point of a user on the display device;
determining, with the eye tracking device, which of the plurality of locations have been gazed at by the user;
causing, with a computer system, artificial intelligence characters to appear at random or in a predefined pattern at at least some of the plurality of locations;
causing, with the computer system, a character controlled by the user to select a virtual weapon based at least in part on the gaze point of the user;
receiving, with a non-gaze input device, a non-gaze input;
causing, with the computer system, an alteration in the random or predefined pattern of where artificial intelligence characters appear, the alteration based at least in part on which of the plurality of locations have been gazed at by the user; and
causing, with the computer system, the selected virtual weapon controlled by the computer system to fire toward a virtual point displayed in the content on the display device based at least in part on receipt of the non-gaze input and the gaze point of the user on the display device correlating to the virtual point.

2. The method for changing behavior of computer program elements of claim 1 , wherein the virtual point comprises:
a graphical representation of a thing, creature, or other character.

3. The method for changing behavior of computer program elements of claim 1 , wherein selecting the virtual weapon based at least in part on the gaze point of the user being to the left or the right of the display device further includes:
causing the character controlled by the user to switch the selected virtual weapon to an additional virtual weapon.

4. The method of claim 1 , the operations further comprising:
determining, with the eye tracking device, that the gaze point of the user is to the left or the right of the display device,
wherein selection of the virtual weapon is further based at least in part on the gaze point of the user being to the left or the right of the display device.

Assignees

• Tobii Ab

Inventors

• Lindh Fredrik
• Vennström Anders
• Olsson Anders

Classifications

• G06F3/167 Primary

  Audio in a user interface, e.g. using voice commands for navigating, audio feedback · CPC title

• G02B27/00

  Optical systems or apparatus not provided for by any of the groups G02B1/00 - G02B26/00, G02B30/00 · CPC title

• H04S2420/07

  Synergistic effects of band splitting and sub-band processing · CPC title

• G06F3/013

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

• 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