METHOD OF AND SYSTEM FOR DETERMINING A HEAD-MOTION/GAZE RELATIONSHIP FOR A USER, AND AN INTERACTIVE DISPLAY SYSTEM

• US 20110128223A1
• Filed: 07/24/2009
• Published: 06/02/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/07/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Mubin, Omar, Van Loenen, Evert Jan, Lashina, Tatiana Aleksandrovna
• Application Number:
  US13/056,726
• Publication Number:
  US 20110128223A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/158
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/012 Head tracking input arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/013 Eye tracking input arrangements G06F3/015 takes precedence

Abstract

The invention describes a method of determining a head-motion/gaze relationship for a user (1), which method comprises the steps of allocating at least one first target (T₁) and at least one second target (T₂) in a display area (D); attracting the user'"'"'s gaze towards a first target (T₁) and observing the user'"'"'s head (H) to obtain a first head orientation measurement value (M₁). The method further comprises the steps of subsequently attracting the user'"'"'s gaze towards a second target (T₂) and observing the user'"'"'s head (H) to obtain a second head orientation measurement value (M₂); and analysing the head orientation measurement values (M₁, M₂) to obtain a head-motion/gaze relationship (R) for that user (1). The invention further describes an interactive display system (2), and a method of performing a gaze-based interaction between a user (1) and an interactive display system (2).

Claims

1. A method of determining a head-motion/gaze relationship for a user (1), which method comprises the steps of

allocating at least one first target (T1) and at least one second target (T2) in a display area (D) of a remote environment;

attracting the user'"'"'s gaze towards the first target (T1) and observing the user'"'"'s head (H) to obtain a first head orientation measurement value (M1);

subsequently attracting the user'"'"'s gaze towards the second target (T2) and observing the user'"'"'s head (H) to obtain a second head orientation measurement value (M2);

analysing the head orientation measurement values (M1, M2) to determine a head-motion/gaze relationship (R) for that user (1).

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the first and second head orientation measurement values (M1, M2) each comprise at least horizontal and vertical vector components, and the first and second head orientation measurement values (M1, M2) are analysed to obtain a head-motion/gaze relationship for a horizontal direction, and optionally to obtain a head-motion/gaze relationship for a vertical direction.

3. A method according to claim 1 wherein the method is applied to obtain a first head-motion/gaze relationship for a first direction and subsequently the method is applied to obtain a second head-motion/gaze relationship for a second direction, which second direction is essentially orthogonal to the first direction.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein the method is applied to obtain a first head-motion/gaze relationship for a first direction, and a second head-motion/gaze relationship for a second direction, essentially orthogonal to the first direction, is derived from the first head-motion/gaze relationship.

5. A method according to claim 1 wherein a target (T1, T2) in the display area (D) is visually emphasised to attract the user'"'"'s gaze towards that target (T1, T2).

6. A method according to claim 1, wherein at least two sets of targets (T1, T2) are allocated in the display area (D), and head orientation measurements values are successively obtained for the targets of each set of targets (T1, T2).

7. A method according to claim 1, wherein the head-motion/gaze relationship (R) for a user (1) is stored in a memory and associated with that user (1).

8. A method of performing a gaze-based interaction between a user (1) and an interactive display system (2) comprising a display area (D) of a remote, which method comprises the steps of

determining a head-motion/gaze relationship (R) for the user (1) using a method according to claim 1

observing the user'"'"'s head (H) to obtain a head orientation measurement value (Mx);

applying the head-motion/gaze relationship (R) to the head orientation measurement value (Mx) to estimate the gaze direction (Gx); and

controlling the display area (D) on the basis of the estimated gaze direction (Gx).

9. A method according to claim 8, wherein an item in the display area (D) is identified on the basis of the estimated gaze direction (Gx) of the user (1), and the display area (D) is controlled to visually emphasise that item.

10. A method according to claim 9, wherein visually emphasising an item in the display area (D) comprises visually presenting item-related information to the user (1).

11. A system (4) for determining a head-motion/gaze relationship for a user (1), which system comprises

an allocation unit for allocating at least one first'"'"'target (T1) and at least one second target (T2) in a display area (D) of a remote environment;

a control unit for controlling the display area (D) to attract the user'"'"'s gaze towards the first target (T1) and to subsequently attract the user'"'"'s gaze towards the second target (T2);

an observation means (3) for observing the user'"'"'s head (H) to obtain a first head orientation measurement value (M1) related to the first target (T1) and a second head orientation measurement value (M2) related to the second target (T2); and

an analysis unit for analysing the head orientation measurement values (M1, M2) to determine a head-motion/gaze relationship (R) for that user (1).

12. A system (4) according to claim 11, comprising a storage means for storing a head-motion/gaze relationship (R, R′

) for a user (1), and an association means for associating a user (1) with a stored head-motion/gaze relationship (R′

).

13. An interactive display system (2) comprising

a display area (D) of a remote environment, in which items are displayed;

a means for obtaining a head-motion/gaze relationship (R) for a user (1);

an observation means (3) for observing a user'"'"'s head (H) to obtain a head orientation measurement value (Mx);

a gaze direction estimation unit for applying the head-motion/gaze relationship (R) to the head orientation measurement value (Mx) of the user (1) to estimate the user'"'"'s gaze direction (Gx); and

a display area controller for controlling the display area (D) on the basis of the estimated gaze direction (Gx).

14. An interactive display system (2) according to claim 13 comprising a system (4) for determining a head-motion/gaze relationship (R) for a user.

15. An interactive display system (2) according to claim 13 wherein the display area (D) comprises a projection screen (5), which projection screen (5) is controlled according to an output of the display area controller.