Gaze-based display control

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9454225-B2
Application number	US-201313960822-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 7, 2013
Priority date	Feb 9, 2011
Publication date	Sep 27, 2016
Grant date	Sep 27, 2016

Abstract

A method includes receiving an image including an eye of a user of a computerized system and identifying, based the image of the eye, a direction of a gaze performed by the user. Based on the direction of the gaze, a region on a display coupled to the computerized system is identified, an operation is performed on content presented in the region.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An apparatus, comprising:
a display; and
a computer coupled to the display and configured to present a start button in a corner of the display, to receive, from a sensing device coupled to the computer, an input representing a gaze direction of a user, to identify a target point on the display based on the gaze direction, to present, upon finding that the target point is in proximity to the start button appearing in the corner of the display, one or more second interactive items as tabs arranged radially outward in a concentric pattern around the start button in the corner of the display, and after presenting the one or more second interactive items, to select one of the second interactive items responsively to a shift of the gaze direction such that the target point is in proximity to the one of the second interactive items.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the tabs are configured for opening applications that are available on the computer.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the computer is configured to open a window associated with one of the applications responsively to selecting the one of the second interactive items, to present a back button in another corner of the display, diagonally opposite the start button, and upon detecting a further shift of the gaze direction such that the target point is in proximity to the back button, to return to a previous menu.

4. A method, comprising:
presenting, by a computerized system, a start button in a corner of a display coupled to the computer;
receiving, from a sensing device coupled to the computer, an input representing a gaze direction of a user;
identifying a target point on the display based on the gaze direction;
upon finding that the target point is in proximity to the start button appearing in the corner of the display, presenting one or more second interactive items as tabs arranged radially outward in a concentric pattern around the start button in the corner of the display; and
after presenting the one or more second interactive items, selecting one of the second interactive items responsively to a shift of the gaze direction such that the target point is in proximity to the one of the second interactive items.

5. The method according to claim 4 , wherein the tabs are configured for opening applications that are available on the computerized system.

6. The method according to claim 5 , and comprising:
opening a window associated with one of the applications responsively to selecting the one of the second interactive items;
presenting a back button in another corner of the display, diagonally opposite the start button; and
upon detecting a further shift of the gaze direction such that the target point is in proximity to the back button, returning to a previous menu.

7. A computer software product comprising a non-transitory computer-readable medium, in which program instructions are stored, which instructions, when read by a computer, cause the computer to present a start button in a corner of the display, to receive, from a sensing device coupled to the computer, an input representing a gaze direction of a user, to identify a target point on the display based on the gaze direction, to present, upon finding that the target point is in proximity to the start button appearing in the corner of the display, one or more second interactive items as tabs arranged radially outward in a concentric pattern around the start button in the corner of the display, and after presenting the one or more second interactive items, to select one of the second interactive items responsively to a shift of the gaze direction such that the target point is in proximity to the one of the second interactive items.

8. The product according to claim 7 , wherein the tabs are configured for opening applications that are available on the computer.

9. The apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the instructions cause the computer to open a window associated with one of the applications responsively to selecting the one of the second interactive items, to present a back button in another corner of the display, diagonally opposite the start button, and upon detecting a further shift of the gaze direction such that the target point is in proximity to the back button, to return to a previous menu.

Assignees

• Primesense Ltd
• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Bychkov Eyal
• Brezner Oren
• Galor Micha
• Or Ofir
• Pokrass Jonathan
• Hoffnung Amir
• Berliner Tamir

Classifications

• G06F3/013 Primary

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

• G06F3/011

  Arrangements for interaction with the human body, e.g. for user immersion in virtual reality (blind teaching G09B21/00) · 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