Function of touch panel determined by user gaze

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9791923-B2
Application number	US-201214375275-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 15, 2012
Priority date	Feb 15, 2012
Publication date	Oct 17, 2017
Grant date	Oct 17, 2017

Abstract

The invention is directed to systems, methods and computer program products for configuring a user interface of a portable mobile communication device. An exemplary method includes determining, by at least one of the portable mobile communication device or an electronic device in communication with the portable mobile communication device, a direction associated with a user's gaze. Additionally, the method includes at least one of: in response to determining the direction associated with the user's gaze is at least partially towards a display associated with the electronic device, configuring the portable mobile communication display to function as a touch pad that enables interaction with a user interface displayed on the electronic device; or in response to determining the direction associated with the user's gaze is at least partially towards a display associated with the portable mobile communication device, configuring the portable mobile communication device display to display a user interface.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for configuring a user interface of a portable mobile communication device, the method comprising:
determining, by at least one of the portable mobile communication device configured to receive and place voice calls or an electronic device in communication with the portable mobile communication device, a direction associated with a user's gaze, wherein the determination is based on a combination of an electronic device-determined direction of the user's gaze and portable mobile communication device-determined direction of the user's gaze; and
in response to determining the direction associated with the user's gaze is at least partially towards a display associated with the electronic device, configuring a display of the portable mobile communication to function as a touch pad that enables interaction with a user interface displayed on the electronic device display, wherein the user interface is associated with an application being executed by a processor on the portable mobile communication device.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
in response to determining the direction associated with the user's gaze is at least partially towards the portable mobile communication device display, configuring the portable mobile communication device display to display a user interface.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the electronic device display is configured to display the user interface displayed by the portable mobile communication device display in response to determining the direction associated with the user's gaze is at least partially towards the portable mobile communication device display.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein a graphical indicator is displayed on the user interface, and wherein the touch pad enables interaction with the user interface via the graphical indicator.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the configuring step further comprises configuring the portable mobile communication device display to not display a user interface.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the configuring step further comprises configuring the portable mobile communication device display to display a blank interface.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one of the portable mobile communication device or the electronic device comprises an image capturing component.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the portable mobile communication device is in wireless communication with the electronic device.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the electronic device comprises at least one of a television, monitor, smart screen or tablet.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the direction associated with the user's gaze comprises a line of sight associated with at least one of the user's eye or the user's face.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the touch pad accepts at least one of single-touch or multi-touch input.

12. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
at least one of:
in response to determining the direction associated with the user's gaze is not at least partially towards the portable mobile communication device display and not at least partially towards the electronic device display, configuring the portable mobile communication device display to display a user interface; or
in response to determining the direction associated with the user's gaze is at least partially towards the portable mobile communication device display and at least partially towards the electronic device display, configuring the portable mobile communication device display to display a user interface.

13. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
in response to receiving a selection of an electronic device mode option via the touch pad, displaying selectable control options on the portable mobile communication device display.

14. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
in response to determining that a direction associated with the user's eye is substantially different from a direction associated with the user's face, determining a direction associated with the user's gaze based on the direction associated with the user's eye.

15. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
enabling a user to input a selection via the portable mobile communication display to switch between modes, wherein, in a first mode, the portable mobile communication device is configured to display a user interface, and wherein, in a second mode, the portable communication device is configured to function as the touch pad that enables interaction with a user interface displayed on the electronic device display.

16. A computer program product for configuring a user interface of a portable mobile communication device configured to receive and place voice calls that is in communication with an electronic device, the computer program product comprising:
a non-transitory computer readable medium comprising code configured to:
determine a direction associated with a user's gaze based on a combination of an electronic device-determined direction of the user's gaze and portable mobile communication device-determined direction of the user's gaze; and
in response to determining the direction associated with the user's gaze is at least partially towards a display associated with the electronic device, configure the portable mobile communication display to function as a touch pad that enables interaction with a user interface displayed on the electronic device display, wherein the user interface is associated with an application being executed by a processor on the portable mobile communication device.

17. A portable mobile communication device configured to receive and place voice calls, which is in communication with an electronic device, the portable mobile communication device comprising:
a display;
an image capturing component;
a touch panel associated with the display; and
a processor configured to:
determine, using the image capturing component, a direction associated with a user's gaze;
combine the determined direction of the user's gaze and an electronic-device determined direction of the user's gaze to result in a final direction of the user's gaze; and
in response to determining the final direction associated with the user's gaze is at least partially towards a display associated with the electronic device, configure the touch panel to function as a touch pad that enables interaction with a user interface displayed on a display associated with the electronic device, wherein the user interface is associated with an application being executed by a processor on the portable mobile communication device.

18. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
in response to determining the direction associated with the user's gaze is at least partially towards a display associated with the electronic device, switch off a display function of the display of the portable mobile communication device.

19. The portable mobile communication device of claim 17 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
in response to determining the final direction associated with the user's gaze is at least partially towards a display associated with the electronic device, switch off a display function of the display of the portable mobile communication device.

Assignees

• De Léon David
• Johansson Fredrik
• Sony Mobile Communications Inc

Inventors

• De Léon David
• Johansson Fredrik

Classifications

• H04N21/44218

  Detecting physical presence or behaviour of the user, e.g. using sensors to detect if the user is leaving the room or changes his face expression during a TV programme (methods or arrangements for recognising human body or animal bodies or body parts G06V40/10; methods or arrangements for acquiring or recognising human faces, facial parts, facial sketches, facial expressions G06V40/16; methods or arrangements for recognising movements or behaviour G06V40/20; arrangements for identifying users in broadcast systems H04H60/45) · CPC title

• H04N21/4223

  Cameras (H04N23/00 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G06F3/013 Primary

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

• G06F2203/04108

  Touchless 2D- digitiser, i.e. digitiser detecting the X/Y position of the input means, finger or stylus, also when it does not touch, but is proximate to the digitiser's interaction surface without distance measurement in the Z direction · CPC title

• G06F3/041

  Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means · CPC title