Systems and methods for panning a display of a wearable device

• US 10,380,419 B2
• Filed: 10/16/2018
• Issued: 08/13/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/24/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tobii Technology AB
• Original Assignee: Tobii Technology AB
• Inventors: Gustafsson, Simon, Bjork, Henrik, Lindh, Fredrik, Olsson, Anders
• Primary Examiner(s): Amadiz, Rodney
• Application Number:
  US16/162,223
• Publication Number:
  US 20190050644A1
• Time in Patent Office: 301 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 3/113 for determining or recording eye movement
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0138 comprising image capture systems, e.g. camera
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/014 comprising information/image processing systems
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0187 slaved to motion of at least a part of the body of the user, e.g. head, eye
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0093 with means for monitoring data relating to the user, e.g. head-tracking, eye-tracking
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/017 Head mounted
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0179 Display position adjusting means not related to the information to be displayed
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/0381 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 Class Codes: G06F 3/012 Head tracking input arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/013 Eye tracking input arrangements G06F3/015 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0304 Detection arrangements using opto-electronic means constructional details of pointing devices not related to the detection arrangement using opto-electronic means G06F3/033; optical digitisers G06F3/042
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04815 Interaction with a metaphor-based environment or interaction object displayed as three-dimensional, e.g. changing the user viewpoint with respect to the environment or object
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04845 for image manipulation, e.g. dragging, rotation, expansion or change of colour
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0485 Scrolling or panning
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/19 Sensors therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/0464 Positioning
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2354/00 Aspects of interface with display user
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/34 for rolling or scrolling

Abstract

A method for panning content on a display of a wearable device is disclosed. The method may include determining, via an eye tracking device, a gaze direction of a user. The method may also include determining, via a movement detection system, a head direction of the user. The method may further include, based at least in part on the gaze direction and the head direction both being consistent with a particular direction, causing content displayed on a display of the wearable device to be panned in the particular direction. The method may additionally include determining during panning of the content, via the eye tracking device, that the gaze direction of the user has returned to a neutral position. The method may moreover include, based at least in part on the gaze direction of the user returning to the neutral position, causing content displayed on the display to stop panning.

Claims

1. A method for panning content on a virtual reality display, the method comprising:

determining, with an eye tracking device, a gaze direction of a user;

determining, with a head detection system, a head direction of the user; and

panning content on a virtual reality display in a particular direction and at a particular speed wherein;

the particular direction is based on the gaze direction and the head direction; and

the particular speed is based on the gaze direction and the head direction, wherein the particular speed is increased when the gaze direction corresponds with the head direction;

determining, during panning of the content, via the eye tracking device, that the gaze direction of the user has returned to a neutral position; and

causing the content to stop panning and automatically re-centering the content on the virtual reality display based at least in part on the gaze direction of the user returning to the neutral position.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the particular speed being based on the gaze direction and the head direction comprises:

decreasing the particular speed when the gaze direction differs from the head direction by at least a predetermined angle.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the gaze direction corresponding with the head direction comprises:

the gaze direction being within a predetermined angular direction of the head direction.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the particular speed being based on the gaze direction and the head direction comprises:

the particular speed being zero when the gaze direction is determined to be in a neutral direction for a predetermined period of time.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the particular speed is further based on:

a signal from a user input device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the particular speed being based on the gaze direction and the head direction comprises:

adjusting the particular speed in proportion to a change in the head direction.

7. A system for panning digital content on a virtual reality display comprising:

a virtual reality display;

an eye tracking device;

a head detection system; and

one or more processors configured to;

determine, with the eye tracking device, a gaze direction of a user;

determine, with the head detection system, a head direction of the user; and

pan content displayed on the virtual reality display in a particular direction and at a particular speed wherein;

the particular direction is based on the gaze direction and the head direction; and

the particular speed is based on the gaze direction and the head direction, wherein the particular speed is increased when the gaze direction corresponds with the head direction;

determine, during panning of content, via the eye tracking device, that the gaze direction of the user has returned to a neutral position; and

cause the content to stop panning and automatically re-center the content on the virtual reality display based at least in part on the gaze direction of the user returning to the neutral position.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the gaze direction corresponding with the head direction comprises:

the gaze direction being within a predetermined angular direction of the head direction.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the particular speed being based on the gaze direction and the head direction comprises:

decreasing the particular speed when the gaze direction differs from the head direction by at least a predetermined angle.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein the particular speed being based on the gaze direction and the head direction comprises:

the particular speed being zero when the gaze direction is determined to be in a neutral direction for a predetermined period of time.

11. The system of claim 7, wherein the particular speed is further based on:

an input signal from a physical input device.

12. The system of claim 7, wherein the particular speed being based on the gaze direction and the head direction comprises:

adjusting the particular speed in proportion to a change in the head direction.

13. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon for panning content on a virtual reality display that when executed cause one or more processors to perform operations comprising:

determining a gaze direction of a user based on data from an eye tracking device;

determining a head direction of the user based on data from a movement detection system; and

panning content displayed on a virtual reality display in a particular direction and at a particular speed wherein;

the particular direction is based on the gaze direction and the head direction; and

the particular speed is based on the gaze direction and the head direction, wherein the particular speed is increased when the gaze direction correlates with the head direction;

determining, during panning of the content, via the eye tracking device, that the gaze direction of the user has returned to a neutral position; and

causing the content to stop panning and automatically re-centering the content on the virtual reality display based at least in part on the gaze direction of the user returning to the neutral position.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the gaze direction correlating with the head direction comprises:

the gaze direction being within a predetermined angular direction of the head direction.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the particular speed being based on the gaze direction and the head direction comprises:

decreasing the particular speed when the gaze direction differs from the head direction by at least a predetermined angle.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the particular speed being based on the gaze direction and the head direction comprises:

the particular speed being zero when the gaze direction is determined to be in a neutral direction for a predetermined period of time.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the particular speed is further based on:

an input signal from a physical user input device.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the particular speed being based on the gaze direction and the head direction comprises:

changing the particular speed in proportion to a change in the gaze direction or the head direction.