System and method for controlling a display of a mobile device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9558714-B2
Application number	US-201414252048-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 14, 2014
Priority date	Nov 3, 2010
Publication date	Jan 31, 2017
Grant date	Jan 31, 2017

Abstract

A method and system are provided for controlling the display of an mobile device by: capturing an image using a camera device of the mobile device, the camera device being directed in a same direction as a display of the mobile device, the image comprising one or more subjects (e.g. users or other humans seen in the image); determining a point of regard in the image for at least one of the one or more subjects, the point of regard being indicative of an area on the display at which a gaze of the corresponding subject is directed; determining, based on the point of regard, an instruction for controlling the display; and controlling the display according to the instruction, wherein controlling the display includes reducing visibility of at least one portion of what is displayed on the display.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method of controlling a display of a mobile device including a camera, comprising:
capturing a first image including a person, using the camera, the camera being directed in a same direction as the display;
determining in the first image, a first point of regard indicative of an area on the display at which a gaze of the person is directed;
capturing a second image including the person, using the camera, the capturing according to a frequency, the frequency determined according to a criterion associated with a location of the mobile device;
determining a second point of regard in the second image; and
modifying visibility of at least one portion of what is presented on the display of the mobile device when the second point of regard is directed to an area off the display.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of modifying visibility includes performing one or more of the following: turning off the at least one portion of the display, initiating a screensaver, dimming a backlight, adjusting a focus of content being presented on the display, and locking-out the mobile device.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first point of regard and the second point of regard are determined using at least one of eye tracking and face tracking.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the frequency is proportional to sensitivity of the content.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the mode of the mobile device is a security mode.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of modifying visibility includes reducing visibility.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first image and the second image are captured using a same camera.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the person is a user of the mobile device.

9. A mobile device comprising a processor, memory, a display, and a camera, the memory storing computer executable instructions for:
capturing a first image including a person, using the camera, the camera being directed in a same direction as the display;
determining in the first image, a first point of regard indicative of an area on the display at which a gaze of the person is directed;
capturing a second image including the person, using the camera, the capturing according to a frequency, the frequency determined according to a criterion associated with a location of the mobile device;
determining a second point of regard in the second image; and
reducing visibility of at least one portion of what is presented on the display when the second point of regard is directed to an area off the display.

10. The mobile device of claim 9 , including an accelerometer, and in which the change in orientation of the mobile device is detectable by the accelerometer.

11. The mobile device of claim 10 , wherein the camera does not capture a next second image when the accelerometer detects that the mobile device is being rotated quickly.

12. The mobile device of claim 9 , wherein the mode of the mobile device is a security mode.

13. The mobile device of claim 9 , wherein the first image and the second image are captured using a same camera.

14. The mobile device of claim 9 , wherein the person is a user of the mobile device.

15. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium for controlling a display of a mobile device including a camera, comprising computer executable instructions for:
capturing a first image including a person, using the camera, the camera being directed in a same direction as the display;
determining in the first image, a first point of regard indicative of an area on the display at which a gaze of the person is directed;
capturing a second image including the person, using the camera, the capturing according to a frequency, the frequency determined according to a criterion associated with a location of the mobile device;
determining a second point of regard in the second image; and
modifying visibility of at least one portion of what is presented on the display when the second point of regard is directed to an area off the display.

16. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 15 , wherein modifying visibility includes performing one or more of the following: turning off the at least one portion of the display, initiating a screensaver, dimming a backlight, adjusting a focus of content being presented on the display, and locking-out the mobile device.

17. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 15 , wherein the first point of regard and the second point of regard are determined using at least one of eye tracking and face tracking.

18. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 15 , wherein the frequency is proportional to sensitivity of the content.

19. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 15 , wherein the mode of the mobile device is a security mode.

20. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 15 , wherein the modifying visibility includes reducing visibility.

Assignees

• Blackberry Ltd

Inventors

• Pasquero Jerome
• Griffin Jason Tyler

Classifications

• G09G2330/022

  in absence of operation, e.g. no data being entered during a predetermined time · CPC title

• G06F3/013 Primary

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

• G09G2320/0261

  in the context of movement of objects on the screen or movement of the observer relative to the screen · 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

• G09G5/10 Primary

  Intensity circuits · CPC title