CONFIRMING INPUT INTENT USING EYE TRACKING

• US 20130145304A1
• Filed: 12/02/2011
• Published: 06/06/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/02/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Kyndryl Incorporated
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: DeLuca, Lisa Seacat, Goodman, Brian D., Jang, Soobaek
• Application Number:
  US13/309,688
• Publication Number:
  US 20130145304A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/781
• 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

Abstract

A tool for detecting potential unintentional user input. Eye tracking technology is used to keep a record of where on a display a user is looking or if the user is even looking at the display. When input, such as a mouse selection or a tap on a touch screen, is received, the location of the selection is compared to a location of the user'"'"'s gaze around when the selection was made. If the gaze location is outside of an acceptable range from the selection location, it is determined that the selection may have been in error and the selection is disregarded or a confirmation is requested of the user.

Claims

1. A method for verifying a user selection, the method comprising the steps of:

a computer system tracking eye movement of a user to determine a location of the user'"'"'s gaze on a display;

the computer system receiving a user selection at a location on the display; and

the computer system verifying the user selection based on the location of the user'"'"'s gaze and the location of the user selection.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of the computer system verifying the user selection comprises the steps of:

the computer system determining that the location of the user'"'"'s gaze is within a defined region of the display corresponding to the location of the user selection, and in response, the computer system performing one or more instructions corresponding to the user selection.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of the computer system verifying the user selection comprises the steps of:

the computer system determining that the location of the user'"'"'s gaze is not within a defined region of the display corresponding to the location of the user selection;

the computer system subsequently requesting confirmation from the user that the user selection was intended; and

in response to receiving confirmation from the user that the user selection was intended, the computer system performing one or more instructions corresponding to the user selection.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of the computer system verifying the user selection comprises the steps of:

the computer system determining that the location of the user'"'"'s gaze is not within a defined region of the display corresponding to the location of the user selection;

the computer system subsequently displaying one or more alternative user selections based on the location of the user'"'"'s gaze; and

in response to receiving a selection of one of the one or more alternative user selections, the computer system performing one or more instructions corresponding to the one of the one or more alternative user selections.

5. The method of claim 1,

wherein the step of the computer system tracking eye movement of the user to determine the location of the user'"'"'s gaze on the display, further comprises the computer system storing a record of locations and corresponding times of the user'"'"'s gaze on the display;

and

wherein the step of the computer system receiving the user selection at a location on the display, further comprises the computer system storing a relative time of the user selection; and

wherein the step of the computer system verifying the user selection comprises the computer system determining whether to perform one or more instructions corresponding to the user selection based on whether a location of the user'"'"'s gaze, at or near the relative time of the user selection, is within a defined region of the display corresponding to the location of the user selection.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the location of the user'"'"'s gaze, at or near the relative time of the user selection, is any location from the record of locations where the respective corresponding time is less than one second prior to the relative time of the user selection and is not after the relative time of the user selection.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the location of the user'"'"'s gaze, at or near the relative time of the user selection, is any location from the record of locations where the respective corresponding time is within a range of times, wherein the range of times is determined based on a history of one or more user selections confirmed by the user and, for each respective confirmed user selection from the one or more confirmed user selections, a location of the user'"'"'s gaze within a defined region of the display corresponding to a location of the respective confirmed user selection, nearest in time to the respective confirmed user selection, and the corresponding time of the location.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein the defined region of the display corresponding to the location of the user selection comprises a region of coordinates on the display including at least the location of the user selection.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of the computer system verifying the user selection comprises the steps of:

the computer system determining that the location of the user'"'"'s gaze is not within a defined region of the display corresponding to the location of the user selection, and in response, the computer system determining not to perform instructions corresponding to the user selection.

10. A computer program product for verifying a user selection, the computer program product comprising:

one or more computer-readable tangible storage devices and program instructions stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices, the program instructions comprising;

program instructions to track eye movement of a user to determine a location of the user'"'"'s gaze on a display;

program instructions to receive a user selection at a location on the display; and

program instructions to verify the user selection based on the location of the user'"'"'s gaze and the location of the user selection.

11. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein the program instructions to verify the user selection comprise program instructions to:

determine that the location of the user'"'"'s gaze is within a defined region of the display corresponding to the location of the user selection, and in response, perform one or more instructions corresponding to the user selection.

12. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein the program instructions to verify the user selection comprise program instructions to:

determine that the location of the user'"'"'s gaze is not within a defined region of the display corresponding to the location of the user selection;

request confirmation from the user that the user selection was intended; and

in response to receiving confirmation from the user that the user selection was intended, perform one or more instructions corresponding to the user selection.

13. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein the program instructions to verify the user selection comprise program instructions to:

determine that the location of the user'"'"'s gaze is not within a defined region of the display corresponding to the location of the user selection;

display one or more alternative user selections based on the location of the user'"'"'s gaze; and

in response to receiving a selection of one of the one or more alternative user selections, perform one or more instructions corresponding to the one of the one or more alternative user selections.

14. The computer program product of claim 10,

wherein the program instructions to track eye movement of the user to determine the location of the user'"'"'s gaze on the display, further comprise program instructions to store a record of locations and corresponding times of the user'"'"'s gaze on the display;

and

wherein the program instructions to receive the user selection at a location on the display, further comprise program instructions to store a relative time of the user selection; and

wherein the program instructions to verify the user selection comprise program instructions to determine whether to perform one or more instructions corresponding to the user selection based on whether a location of the user'"'"'s gaze, at or near the relative time of the user selection, is within a defined region of the display corresponding to the location of the user selection.

15. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein the location of the user'"'"'s gaze, at or near the relative time of the user selection, is any location from the record of locations where the respective corresponding time is less than one second prior to the relative time of the user selection and is not after the relative time of the user selection.

16. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein the location of the user'"'"'s gaze, at or near the relative time of the user selection, is any location from the record of locations where the respective corresponding time is within a range of times, wherein the range of times is determined based on a history of one or more user selections confirmed by the user and, for each respective confirmed user selection from the one or more confirmed user selections, a location of the user'"'"'s gaze within a defined region of the display corresponding to a location of the respective confirmed user selection, nearest in time to the respective confirmed user selection, and the corresponding time of the location.

17. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein the defined region of the display corresponding to the location of the user selection comprises a region of coordinates on the display including at least the location of the user selection.

18. A computer system for verifying a user selection, the computer system comprising:

one or more processors, one or more computer-readable memories, one or more computer-readable tangible storage devices and program instructions which are stored on the one or more storage devices for execution by the one or more processors via the one or more memories, the program instructions comprising;

program instructions to track eye movement of a user to determine a location of the user'"'"'s gaze on a display;

program instructions to receive a user selection at a location on the display; and

program instructions to verify the user selection based on the location of the user'"'"'s gaze and the location of the user selection.

19. The computer system of claim 18, wherein the program instructions to verify the user selection comprise program instructions to:

determine that the location of the user'"'"'s gaze is within a defined region of the display corresponding to the location of the user selection, and in response, perform one or more instructions corresponding to the user selection.

20. The computer system of claim 18, wherein the program instructions to verify the user selection comprise program instructions to:

determine that the location of the user'"'"'s gaze is not within a defined region of the display corresponding to the location of the user selection;

request confirmation from the user that the user selection was intended; and

in response to receiving confirmation from the user that the user selection was intended, perform one or more instructions corresponding to the user selection.

21. The computer system of claim 18, wherein the program instructions to verify the user selection comprise program instructions to:

determine that the location of the user'"'"'s gaze is not within a defined region of the display corresponding to the location of the user selection;

display one or more alternative user selections based on the location of the user'"'"'s gaze; and

in response to receiving a selection of one of the one or more alternative user selections, perform one or more instructions corresponding to the one of the one or more alternative user selections.

22. The computer system of claim 18,

wherein the program instructions to track eye movement of the user to determine the location of the user'"'"'s gaze on the display, further comprise program instructions to store a record of locations and corresponding times of the user'"'"'s gaze on the display;

and

wherein the program instructions to receive the user selection at a location on the display, further comprise program instructions to store a relative time of the user selection; and

wherein the program instructions to verify the user selection comprise program instructions to determine whether to perform one or more instructions corresponding to the user selection based on whether a location of the user'"'"'s gaze, at or near the relative time of the user selection, is within a defined region of the display corresponding to the location of the user selection.

23. The computer system of claim 22, wherein the location of the user'"'"'s gaze, at or near the relative time of the user selection, is any location from the record of locations where the respective corresponding time is less than one second prior to the relative time of the user selection and is not after the relative time of the user selection.

24. The computer system of claim 22, wherein the location of the user'"'"'s gaze, at or near the relative time of the user selection, is any location from the record of locations where the respective corresponding time is within a range of times, wherein the range of times is determined based on a history of one or more user selections confirmed by the user and, for each respective confirmed user selection from the one or more confirmed user selections, a location of the user'"'"'s gaze within a defined region of the display corresponding to a location of the respective confirmed user selection, nearest in time to the respective confirmed user selection, and the corresponding time of the location.

25. The computer system of claim 22, wherein the defined region of the display corresponding to the location of the user selection comprises a region of coordinates on the display including at least the location of the user selection.