SYSTEMS AND METHODS OF EYE TRACKING CONTROL

• US 20140204029A1
• Filed: 01/20/2014
• Published: 07/24/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/21/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: META Platforms Technologies LLC (Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.))
• Original Assignee: The Eye Tribe APS (Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.))
• Inventors: Lopez, Javier San Agustin, Sztuk, Sebastian, Tall, Martin Henrik
• Granted Patent: US 9,829,971 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/163
• 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 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures

Abstract

Methods and systems to facilitate eye tracking control are provided. A user input is received at a computing device. Point of regard information associated with a user of the computing device is determined while the user input is being received. The point of regard information indicates a location on a display of the computing device at which the user is looking. An operation associated with a display object identified based on the point of regard information is performed when receipt of the user input is determined to have terminated.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving a user input at a computing device;

determining, by a processor, point of regard information associated with a user of the computing device including determining the point of regard information while the user input is being received, the point of regard information indicating a location on a display of the computing device at which the user is looking;

determining whether receipt of the user input has terminated; and

performing an operation associated with a display object identified based on the point of regard information when the receipt of the user input has terminated.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying the display object in response to receiving the user input.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the user input is any one of a touch sensor input, a push button input, a mouse input, a keyboard input, a voice command, or a biometric signal input.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the operation associated with the display object includes moving or selecting the display object.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the operation associated with the display object includes launching an application.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

initiating an eye control mode in response to receiving the user input, the eye control mode providing a plurality of display objects each associated with a respective operation capable of being performed based on the point of regard information when the receipt of the user input has terminated.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

terminating the eye control mode when the receipt of the user input has terminated.

8. A machine-readable storage medium storing instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:

receiving a user input at a computing device;

determining point of regard information associated with a user of the computing device including determining the point of regard information while the user input is being received, the point of regard information indicating a location on a display of the computing device at which the user is looking;

determining whether receipt of the user input has terminated; and

performing an operation associated with a display object identified based on the point of regard information when the receipt of the user input has terminated.

9. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the instructions cause the one or more processors to perform further operations comprising:

displaying the display object in response to receiving the user input.

10. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the user input is any one of a touch sensor input, a push button input, a mouse input, a keyboard input, a voice command, or a biometric signal input.

11. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the operation associated with the display object includes moving or selecting the display object.

12. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the operation associated with the display object includes launching an application.

13. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the instructions cause the one or more processors to perform further operations comprising:

initiating an eye control mode in response to receiving the user input, the eye control mode providing a plurality of display objects each associated with a respective operation capable of being performed based on the point of regard information when the receipt of the user input has terminated.

14. A computing device comprising:

a hardware-implemented input module configured to receive a user input at the computing device and determine whether receipt of the user input has terminated; and

a hardware-implemented eye tracking module configured to;

determine point of regard information associated with a user of the computing device including determining the point of regard information while the user input is being received, the point of regard information indicating a location on a display of the computing device at which the user is looking; and

perform an operation associated with a display object identified based on the point of regard information when the receipt of the user input has terminated.

15. The computing device of claim 14, further comprising:

a hardware-implemented output module configured to display the display object in response to receiving the user input.

16. The computing device of claim 14, wherein the user input is any one of a touch sensor input, a push button input, a mouse input, a keyboard input, a voice command, or a biometric signal input.

17. The computing device of claim 14, wherein the operation associated with the display object includes moving or selecting the display object.

18. The computing device of claim 14, wherein the operation associated with the display object includes launching an application.

19. The computing device of claim 14, wherein the hardware-implemented eye tracking module is further configured to initiate an eye control mode in response to receiving the user input, the eye control mode providing a plurality of display objects each associated with a respective operation capable of being performed based on the point of regard information when the receipt of the user input has terminated.

20. The computing device of claim 19, wherein the hardware-implemented eye tracking module is further configured to terminate the eye control mode when the receipt of the user input has terminated.