VISUAL FOCUS-BASED CONTROL OF COUPLED DISPLAYS

• US 20130083025A1
• Filed: 09/30/2011
• Published: 04/04/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Gibson, Tyler Edward, Bapat, Vikram, Athans, Emmanuel John, Hammontree, Monty Lee
• Granted Patent: US 9,658,687 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/428
• 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 3/1423 controlling a plurality of local displays, e.g. CRT and flat panel display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1438 using more than one graphics controller
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1454 involving copying of the display data of a local workstation or window to a remote workstation or window so that an actual copy of the data is displayed simultaneously on two or more displays, e.g. teledisplay
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2354/00 Aspects of interface with display user
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2370/06 Consumer Electronics Control, i.e. control of another device by a display or vice versa
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2370/24 Keyboard-Video-Mouse [KVM] switch

Abstract

Various technologies described herein pertain to controlling functionality of a display based on visual focus of a user in a multiple display or multiple computational device environment. A particular display from a set of displays on which a user is visually focused is identified. The set of displays includes at least a first display and a second display. Moreover, a type of input receivable from the user via the first display and/or content rendered on the first display is controlled based on the visual focus of the user.

Claims

1. A method of controlling functionality of a first display, comprising:

receiving visual focus information that specifies a particular display from a set of displays on which a user is visually focused, wherein the set of displays comprises at least the first display and a second display, a first computational device interfaces with the first display and a second computational device interfaces with the second display, and the first computational device interacts with the second computational device; and

causing a processor to control at least one of a type of input receivable from the user via the first display or content rendered on the first display as a function of the visual focus information.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising detecting the visual focus information that specifies the particular display from the set of displays on which the user is visually focused from an output of a sensor.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising detecting the visual focus information by performing at least one of eye tracking, head tracking, or movement tracking on the output of the sensor.

4. The method of claim 1, controlling the content rendered on the first display as a function of the visual focus information further comprises:

rendering the content on the first display when the visual focus information specifies that the user is visually focused on the first display; and

inhibiting rendering of the content on the first display when the visual focus information specifies that the particular display from the set of displays on which the user is visually focused differs from the first display.

5. The method of claim 1, controlling the content rendered on the first display as a function of the visual focus information further comprises:

selecting a granularity of the content rendered on the first display as a function of the visual focus information, wherein the granularity of the content is more detailed when the visual focus information specifies that the user is visually focused on the first display and less detailed when the visual focus information specifies that the particular display from the set of displays on which the user is visually focused differs from the first display; and

rendering the content on the first display with the selected granularity.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the type of input receivable from the user via the first display relates to the first display when the visual focus information specifies that the user is visually focused on the first display and the type of input receivable from the user via the first display relates to the second display when the visual focus information specifies that the user is visually focused on the second display.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving contextual information related to the second display;

identifying the content to be rendered on the first display as a function of the contextual information related to the second display when the visual focus information specifies that the user is visually focused on the first display; and

rendering the content identified as a function of the contextual information on the first display when the visual focus information specifies that the user is visually focused on the first display.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of displays further comprises at least a third display, a third computational device interfaces with the third display, and the third computational device interacts with the first computational device and the second computational device.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of displays further comprises at least a fourth display, and one of the first computational device or the second computational device interfaces with the fourth display.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the first computational device executes a companion application that complements a primary application executed by the second computational device.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

optimizing the first display for the companion application when the visual focus information specifies that the user is visually focused on the first display; and

optimizing the first display for the primary application when the visual focus information specifies that the particular display from the set of displays on which the user is visually focused differs from the first display.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising switching between the first display being a dedicated input device for the second display when the visual focus information specifies that the user is visually focused on the second display and being an input device and output device that renders the content when the visual focus information specifies that the user is visually focused on the first display.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

rendering the content on the first display when the visual focus information specifies that the user is visually focused on the first display, wherein the content rendered on the first display relates to a property of disparate content rendered on the second display; and

manipulating the property of the disparate content rendered on the second display based on the input received via the first display when the visual focus information specifies that the user is visually focused on the first display, wherein a manifestation of the property of the disparate content as manipulated is displayed on the second display when the visual focus information specifies that the user is visually focused on the second display.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the first display is a touch enabled display.

15. A system that controls functionality of a display using visual focus, comprising:

a content management component that controls content rendered on a display as a function of visual focus information that specifies a particular display from a set of displays on which a user is visually focused, wherein the set of displays comprises at least the display and a disparate display; and

an input management component that controls a type of input receivable from the user via the display as a function of the visual focus information.

16. The system of claim 15, further comprising a focus tracking component that detects the visual focus information by analyzing an output of a sensor using at least one of eye tracking, head tracking, or movement tracking.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the content management component further controls content rendered on the disparate display as a function of the visual focus information, and the input management component further controls a type of input receivable from the user via the disparate display as a function of the visual focus information.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein a first computational device interfaces with the display and a second computational device interfaces with the disparate display, and the first computational device interacts with the second computational device.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein the input management component configures the type of input receivable from the user via the display to relate to the display when the visual focus information specifies that the user is visually focused on the display and configures the type of input receivable from the user via the display to relate to the disparate display when the visual focus information specifies that the user is visually focused on the disparate display.

20. A computer-readable storage medium including computer-executable instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform acts including:

identifying a visual focus of a user as being on a first display, wherein a first computational device interfaces with the first display and a second computational device interfaces with a second display, and the first computational device interacts with the second computational device;

rendering content on the first display based on the visual focus of the user being on the first display;

configuring the first display, based on the visual focus of the user being on the first display, to receive a first type of input that manipulates the content rendered on the first display;

identifying the visual focus of the user switching to the second display;

inhibiting rendering of the content on the first display based on the visual focus of the user switching to the second display; and

configuring the first display, based on the visual focus of the user switching to the second display, to receive a second type of input that manipulates disparate content rendered on the second display.