VIEWER-BASED DEVICE CONTROL

• US 20150116212A1
• Filed: 12/29/2014
• Published: 04/30/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/05/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: Freed, Ian W., Hart, Gregory M., Bezos, Jeffrey P.
• Granted Patent: US 9,405,918 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/156
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1686 the I/O peripheral being an integrated camera
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/10 Protecting distributed programs or content, e.g. vending or licensing of copyrighted material protection in video systems or pay television H04N7/16 ; Digital rights management [DRM]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/60 Protecting data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6245 Protecting personal data, e.g. for financial or medical purposes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/82 Protecting input, output or interconnection devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/013 Eye tracking input arrangements G06F3/015 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0304 Detection arrangements using opto-electronic means constructional details of pointing devices not related to the detection arrangement using opto-electronic means G06F3/033; optical digitisers G06F3/042
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/068 for control of viewing angle adjustment
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/08 Arrangements within a display terminal for setting, manually or automatically, display parameters of the display terminal
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/0407 Resolution change, inclusive of the use of different resolutions for different screen areas
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2354/00 Aspects of interface with display user
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2358/00 Arrangements for display data security
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/003 to produce spatial visual effects
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/00 Control arrangements or circuits for visual indicators common to cathode-ray tube indicators and other visual indicators image data processing or generation, in general G06T

Abstract

A computing device can monitor the gaze direction of people around the device to determine whether any unintended viewers are viewing content displayed on the device. A user can activate a privacy mode of the device, such that when an unintended viewer is detected the device can take an appropriate action. In some cases the device can notify the primary user of the device using audible, visual, or tactile alerts. In other cases, the device can modify the display of content such that the unintended viewer is unable to decipher or view the content, or is otherwise notified of the detection.

Claims

1. A method of controlling viewable access to content displayed by a computing device, comprising:

obtaining an image using an imaging element of the computing device, the imaging element positioned with respect to the computing device such that one or more viewers viewing a display element of the computing device appear in at least a portion of the obtained image;

analyzing the obtained image, using the computing device, to identify if a viewer other than a primary viewer appears in the obtained image;

when a viewer other than the primary viewer appears in the obtained image, determining a gaze direction of the other viewer; and

when the gaze direction of the other viewer is determined to be substantially toward at least a portion of the computing device, performing at least one privacy action with respect to at least one of the content and the computing device.