AUTOMATED FACIAL DETECTION AND EYE TRACKING TECHNIQUES IMPLEMENTED IN COMMERCIAL AND CONSUMER ENVIRONMENTS

• US 20130005443A1
• Filed: 06/27/2012
• Published: 01/03/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/01/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: 3G Studios, Inc.
• Original Assignee: 3G Studios, Inc.
• Inventors: KOSTA, JAMES PETER, WOLF, DEAN E., PETTY, DYLAN S.
• Application Number:
  US13/535,061
• Publication Number:
  US 20130005443A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/25
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/20 Input arrangements for video game devices
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/25 Output arrangements for video game devices
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/87 Communicating with other players during game play, e.g. by e-mail or chat
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3206 Player sensing means, e.g. presence detection, biometrics
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/001 Interfacing with vending machines using mobile or wearable devices
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/009 User recognition or proximity detection
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/023 Arrangements for display, data presentation or advertising

Abstract

Various aspects described or referenced herein are directed to different methods, systems, and computer program products for facilitating and/or implementing automated facial detection and eye tracking techniques implemented in commercial and consumer environments. Various types of commercial devices may be configured or designed to include facial detection & eye tracking component(s) which may be operable to facilitate and/or provide one or more of the following operation(s)/action(s)/feature(s) (or combinations thereof): facial feature detection functionality for identifying facial features associated with a user that is interacting with the commercial device; facial expression recognition functionality for detecting and recognizing facial expressions associated with a user that is interacting with the commercial device; eye tracking functionality detecting and tracking eye movements associated with a user that is interacting with the commercial device.

Claims

1. A gaming device in a gaming network, comprising:

a gaming controller;

memory;

a first display;

at least one interface for communicating with at least one other device in the gaming network;

at least one facial detection component;

the gaming device being operable to;

control a wager-based game played at the gaming device;

recognize facial features associated with a first user that is interacting with the gaming device; and

initiate a first action in response to identifying a recognized facial feature associated with the first user.

2. The gaming device of claim 1 being further operable to:

recognize facial expressions associated with the first user; and

influence an outcome of at least one event of the first gaming session in response to identifying a recognized facial expression associated with the first user.

3. The gaming device of claim 1 being further operable to:

enable the first user to participate in a first gaming session at the gaming device;

recognize facial features associated with the first user; and

influence an outcome of at least one event of the first gaming session in response to identifying a recognized facial feature associated with the first user.

4. The gaming device of claim 1 being further operable to:

enable the first user to participate in a first gaming session at the gaming device;

monitor events of the first gaming session in which the first user is a participant;

monitor the first user'"'"'s facial expressions during participation of at least one event of the first gaming session; and

create a first association between a first identified event of the first gaming session and a first facial expression made by the first user while participating in the first identified event.

5. The gaming device of claim 1 being further operable to:

enable the first user to participate in a first gaming session at the gaming device;

monitor events of the first gaming session in which the first user is a participant;

interpret a first facial expression made by the first user during participation in a first event of the first gaming session; and

create a first association between the first identified event of the first gaming session and the interpretation of the user'"'"'s first facial expression made by the first user while participating in the first identified event.

6. The gaming device of claim 1 being further operable to:

track one or more eye movements associated with the first user during a first time interval; and

identify at least one object being observed by the first user during the first time interval in response to tracking one or more eye movements associated with the user.

7. The gaming device of claim 1 further comprising a first multi-layer display (MLD), the first MLD including a first display screen and a second display screen, the first MLD being configured or designed to display a first portion of game-related content on the first display screen, and being further operable to display a second portion of game-related content on the second display screen;

the gaming device being further operable to;

identify a current position or location of the first user'"'"'s eyes;

dynamically adjust display of content displayed on at least one display screen of the MLD in a manner which facilitates improved visual alignment of content displayed on the first and second display screens as observed from the identified current position or location of the first user'"'"'s eyes.

8. The gaming device of claim 1 further comprising a first multi-layer display (MLD), the first MLD including a first display screen and a second display screen, the first MLD being configured or designed to display a first portion of game-related content on the first display screen, and being further operable to display a second portion of game-related content on the second display screen;

the gaming device being further operable to;

identify a current position or location of the first user'"'"'s eyes;

determine an amount of adjustment to be made to content displayed on at least one display screen of the MLD for facilitating improved visual alignment of content displayed on the first and second display screens as observed from the identified current position or location of the first user'"'"'s eyes.

9. The gaming device of claim 1 further comprising a first display;

the gaming device being further operable to;

identify a current position or location of the first user'"'"'s head;

dynamically influence, using information relating to the current position or location of the first user'"'"'s head, a behavior of a selected virtual character displayed at the first display.

10. The gaming device of claim 1 further comprising a first display;

the gaming device being further operable to;

identify a current position or location of the first user'"'"'s head;

dynamically influence a behavior of a first virtual character displayed at the first display to thereby cause the first virtual character to appear to acknowledge a presence of the first user at the identified current position or location.

11. The gaming device of claim 1 being further operable to:

identify a first set of facial features associated with the first user; and

automatically determine, using the first set of identified facial features, user demographic information relating to the first user.

12. The gaming device of claim 1 being further operable to:

identify a first set of facial features associated with the first user;

automatically determine, using the first set of identified facial features, user demographic information relating to the first user;

automatically identify, using the user demographic information, a first portion of user targeted content specifically targeted toward a first portion of the user demographic information; and

dynamically cause the first portion of user targeted information to be displayed at the first display in response to determining the first user'"'"'s demographic information using the first set of identified facial features.

13. A computer implemented method for operating a gaming device in a gaming network, the gaming device including at least one facial detection component, the method comprising:

controlling a wager-based game played at the gaming device;

recognizing, using the at least one facial detection component, facial features associated with a first user that is interacting with the gaming device; and

initiating a first action in response to identifying a recognized facial feature associated with the first user.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising:

recognizing, using the at least one facial detection component, facial expressions associated with the first user; and

influence an outcome of at least one event of the first gaming session in response to identifying a recognized facial expression associated with the first user.

15. The method of claim 13 further comprising:

enabling the first user to participate in a first gaming session at the gaming device;

recognizing, using the at least one facial detection component, facial features associated with the first user; and

influencing an outcome of at least one event of the first gaming session in response to identifying a recognized facial feature associated with the first user.

16. The method of claim 13 further comprising:

enabling the first user to participate in a first gaming session at the gaming device;

monitoring events of the first gaming session in which the first user is a participant;

monitoring, using the at least one facial detection component, the first user'"'"'s facial expressions during participation of at least one event of the first gaming session; and

creating a first association between a first identified event of the first gaming session and a first facial expression made by the first user while participating in the first identified event.

17. The method of claim 13 further comprising:

enabling the first user to participate in a first gaming session at the gaming device;

monitoring events of the first gaming session in which the first user is a participant;

interpreting, using the at least one facial detection component, a first facial expression made by the first user during participation in a first event of the first gaming session; and

creating a first association between the first identified event of the first gaming session and the interpretation of the user'"'"'s first facial expression made by the first user while participating in the first identified event.

18. The method of claim 13 further comprising:

tracking, using the at least one facial detection component, one or more eye movements associated with the first user; and

identifying at least one object being observed by the first user in response to tracking one or more eye movements associated with the user.

19. The method of claim 13 wherein the gaming device includes a first multi-layer display (MLD), the first MLD including a first display screen for displaying a first portion of game-related content, the first MLD further including a second display screen for displaying a second portion of game-related content, the method further comprising:

identifying, using the at least one facial detection component, a current position or location of the first user'"'"'s eyes;

dynamically adjusting display of content displayed on at least one display screen of the MLD in a manner which facilitates improved visual alignment of content displayed on the first and second display screens as observed from the identified current position or location of the first user'"'"'s eyes.

20. The method of claim 13 wherein the gaming device includes a first multi-layer display (MLD), the first MLD including a first display screen for displaying a first portion of game-related content, the first MLD further including a second display screen for displaying a second portion of game-related content, the method further comprising:

identifying, using the at least one facial detection component, a current position or location of the first user'"'"'s eyes;

determining an amount of adjustment to be made to content displayed on at least one display screen of the MLD for facilitating improved visual alignment of content displayed on the first and second display screens as observed from the identified current position or location of the first user'"'"'s eyes.

21. The method of claim 13 further comprising a first display, the method further comprising:

identifying, using the at least one facial detection component, a current position or location of the first user'"'"'s head;

dynamically influencing, using information relating to the current position or location of the first user'"'"'s head, a behavior of a selected virtual character displayed at the first display.

22. The method of claim 13 further comprising a first display, the method further comprising:

identifying, using the at least one facial detection component, a current position or location of the first user'"'"'s head;

dynamically influencing a behavior of a first virtual character displayed at the first display to thereby causing the first virtual character to appear to acknowledge a presence of the first user at the identified current position or location.

23. The method of claim 13 further comprising:

identifying, using the at least one facial detection component, a first set of facial features associated with the first user; and

automatically determining, using the first set of identified facial features, user demographic information relating to the first user.

24. The method of claim 13 further comprising:

identifying, using the at least one facial detection component, a first set of facial features associated with the first user;

automatically determining, using the first set of identified facial features, user demographic information relating to the first user;

automatically identifying, using the user demographic information, a first portion of user targeted content specifically targeted toward a first portion of the user demographic information; and

dynamically causing the first portion of user targeted information to be displayed at a first display of the gaming device in response to determining the first user'"'"'s demographic information using the first set of identified facial features.