EYE TRACKER BASED CONTEXTUAL ACTION

• US 20110175932A1
• Filed: 01/21/2010
• Published: 07/21/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/21/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tobii Technology AB
• Original Assignee: Tobii Technology AB
• Inventors: Holtz Elvesjo, John Mikael, Yu, Aron
• Granted Patent: US 9,507,418 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/661
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/163 Wearable computers, e.g. on a belt
• 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 3/013 Eye tracking input arrangements G06F3/015 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/02 Input arrangements using manually operated switches, e.g. using keyboards or dials
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03543 Mice or pucks G06F3/03541 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03547 Touch pads, in which fingers can move on a surface
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/038 Control and interface arrangements therefor, e.g. drivers or device-embedded control circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/048 Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04845 for image manipulation, e.g. dragging, rotation, expansion or change of colour
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures

Abstract

The present invention relates to systems and methods for assisting a user when interacting with a graphical user interface by combining eye based input with input for e.g. selection and activation of objects and object parts and execution of contextual actions related to the objects and object parts. The present invention also relates to such systems and methods in which the user can configure and customize specific combinations of eye data input and input that should result in a specific contextual action.

Claims

1. A method for manipulating objects or parts of objects and performing contextual actions related to the objects presented on a display of a computer device associated with an eye tracking system, said method comprising:

displaying objects on said display of said computer device;

providing an eye-tracking data signal describing a user'"'"'s gaze point on the display and/or relatively said display;

receiving activation input;

identifying an object or a part of an object on which said user is gazing at using said determined gaze point and/or said activation input;

determining said object or object part to be an object or object part of interest if current gaze conditions fulfil predetermined gaze conditions and/or said activation input fulfils predetermined conditions;

determining a specific contextual action based on the received activation input and the object or object part of interest; and

executing said specific contextual action.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of determining a specific contextual action comprises:

determining the combination of activation input and eye-tracking data signal; and

determining the specific contextual action based on a predetermined configuration for the combination of the specific activation input and eye-tracking data signal for a specific object or object part of interest.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of determining the specific contextual action comprises at least one of:

determining a state of the object of interest; and

determining a historical and/or a current state of the operating system; and

determining a historical and/or a current state of the computer.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

configuring an activation input including selecting which input or combination of input in combination with which eye-tracking data signal that should result in a specific contextual action upon determining that a specific object is of interest or part of object is of interest.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

configuring said predetermined gaze conditions including selecting which gaze conditions to be fulfilled to result in a specific contextual action.

6. A system for assisting a user in manipulating objects or parts of objects and performing contextual actions related to the objects presented on a display of a computer device associated with an eye tracking system, said system comprising:

an input module adapted to receive activation input from an input device associated with said computer device;

an object identifier adapted to;

receive an eye-tracking data signal describing a user'"'"'s gaze point on the display and/or relatively said display,

identify an object or a part of an object on which said user is gazing at using said determined gaze point and/or said activation input, and

determine said object to be an object of interest if current gaze conditions fulfil predetermined gaze conditions and/or if said activation input fulfils predetermined conditions; and

an action determining module adapted to;

determine a specific contextual action based on the received activation input and the object or object part of interest, and

providing instructions for execution of said specific contextual action.

7. A method for manipulating objects or parts of objects and performing contextual actions related to the objects presented on a display of a computer device associated with an eye tracking system, said method comprising:

providing an eye-tracking data signal describing a user'"'"'s gaze point on the display;

receiving first activation input;

performing a zooming action, wherein an area around said gaze point or an object or object part of interest is gradually enlarged;

receiving second activation input from said input device;

determining a specific contextual action based on the received activation input and said enlarged area or object or object part of interest; and

executing said specific contextual action.