ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT

• US 20130176208A1
• Filed: 01/03/2013
• Published: 07/11/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/06/2012
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Kyocera Corporation
• Original Assignee: Kyocera Corporation
• Inventors: TANAKA, Nao, NAGATA, Keisuke, KIDA, Yoshinori
• Application Number:
  US13/733,501
• Publication Number:
  US 20130176208A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/156
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/013 Eye tracking input arrangements G06F3/015 takes precedence

Abstract

A mobile phone which is an example of electronic equipment includes an infrared camera and an infrared LED. The infrared camera is arranged above a display and the infrared LED is arranged below the display. A user, by an eye-controlled input, designates a button image or a predetermined region on a screen. When a line of sight is to be detected, an infrared ray (infrared light) emitted from the infrared LED arranged below the display is irradiated to a lower portion of a pupil. Accordingly, even in a state that the user slightly closes his/her eyelid, the pupil and a reflected light of the infrared light can be imaged.

Claims

1. Electronic equipment provided with a display portion, comprising:

an infrared light detecting portion which is arranged above the display portion and detects an infrared light; and

a first infrared light output portion which is arranged below the display portion.

2. The electronic equipment according to claim 1, wherein the infrared light detecting portion and the first infrared light output portion are arranged on a first line which is in parallel with a vertical direction of the display portion.

3. The electronic equipment according to claim 2, further comprising a second infrared light output portion, wherein

the second infrared light output portion is arranged on a second line which is in parallel with a horizontal direction of the display portion at an opposite side of the infrared light detecting portion in the horizontal direction of the display portion, the infrared light detecting portion being arranged on the second line.

4. The electronic equipment according to claim 1, wherein the infrared light detecting portion and the first infrared light output portion are arranged at diagonal positions sandwiching the display portion.

5. The electronic equipment according to claim 1, further comprising:

a gaze area detecting portion which detects a gaze area on a screen of the display portion at which a user is gazing, based on a pupil of the user detected by the infrared light detecting portion and a reflected light of the first infrared light output portion; and

a performing portion which performs predetermined processing based on the gaze area detected by the gaze area detecting portion.

6. The electronic equipment according to claim 5, wherein the display portion displays one or more images, further comprising a displaying manner changing portion which changes, according to a time lapse, a displaying manner of the one or more images with which the gaze area detected by the gaze area detecting portion overlaps.

7. The electronic equipment according to claim 6, wherein when the image is changes to a predetermined displaying manner by the displaying manner changing portion, the performing portion performs predetermined processing assigned to the concerned image.

8. The electronic equipment according to claim 5, wherein the display portion is set with one or more predetermined regions, and when the gaze area detected by the gaze area detecting portion overlaps with any one of the one or more predetermined regions, the performing portion performs predetermined processing assigned to the concerned predetermined region.

9. The electronic equipment according to claim 8, wherein the predetermined processing includes a turning of a page.

10. The electronic equipment according to claim 8, wherein the predetermined processing includes a scroll of a screen.

11. The electronic equipment according to claim 5, wherein the display portion displays a lock screen which includes a character or image, further comprising:

an arrangement detecting portion which detects, according to a time series, an arrangement of the character or image with which the gaze area detected by the gaze area detecting portion overlaps; and

a lock canceling portion which puts out the lock screen when a predetermined arrangement is included in the arrangement of the character or image detected by the arrangement detecting portion.

12. The electronic equipment according to claim 5, wherein the display portion displays a lock screen which includes a predetermined object, further comprising:

a displaying manner changing portion which changes a displaying manner of the predetermined object when the gaze area detected by the gaze area detecting portion overlaps with the predetermined object; and

a lock canceling portion which puts out the lock screen when a displaying manner which is changed by the displaying manner changing portion is a predetermined displaying manner.

13. The electronic equipment according to claim 5, wherein the display portion displays a lock screen which includes a predetermined object, further comprising a lock canceling portion which put out the lock screen when a time that the gaze area detected by the gaze area detecting portion is overlapping with the predetermined object reaches a predetermined time period.

14. The electronic equipment according to claim 5, wherein the display portion displays at least an alarm screen for stopping an alarm when at a time of an alarm, and

the performing portion stops the alarm when the gaze area detected by the gaze area detecting portion overlaps with a predetermined area continuously more than a predetermined time period.

15. The electronic equipment according to claim 5, further comprising a telephone function, wherein

the display portion displays at a time of incoming call, a selection screen which includes at least two predetermined regions to answer an incoming call or to stop the incoming call, and

when the gaze area detected by the gaze area detecting portion overlaps with either one of the two predetermined areas continuously more than a predetermined time period, the performing portion answers the incoming call or stops the incoming call in accordance with the concerned predetermined region.