DISPLAY DEVICE VIEWER GAZE ATTRACTION

• US 20150310657A1
• Filed: 04/29/2014
• Published: 10/29/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/29/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Eden, Ibrahim
• Granted Patent: US 10,424,103 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/213 comprising photodetecting means, e.g. cameras, photodiodes or infrared cells A63F13/219, A63F13/655 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/219 for aiming at specific areas on the display, e.g. light-guns
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/426 involving on-screen location information, e.g. screen coordinates of an area at which the player is aiming with a light gun
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/428 involving motion or position input signals, e.g. signals representing the rotation of an input controller or a player's arm motions sensed by accelerometers or gyroscopes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/013 Eye tracking input arrangements G06F3/015 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04812 Interaction techniques based on cursor appearance or behaviour, e.g. being affected by the presence of displayed objects
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04815 Interaction with a metaphor-based environment or interaction object displayed as three-dimensional, e.g. changing the user viewpoint with respect to the environment or object
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0246 Traffic
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0273 Determination of fees for advertising
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 13/80 2D [Two Dimensional] animation, e.g. using sprites
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2213/12 Rule based animation
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2215/16 Using real world measurements to influence rendering
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/19 Sensors therefor

Abstract

Examples relating to attracting the gaze of a viewer of a display are disclosed. One example method comprises controlling the display to display a target object and using gaze tracking data to monitor a viewer gaze location. A guide element is displayed moving along a computed dynamic path that traverses adjacent to a viewer gaze location and leads to the target object. If the viewer'"'"'s gaze location is within a predetermined divergence threshold of the guide element, then the display continues displaying the guide element moving along the computed dynamic guide path to the target object. If the viewer'"'"'s gaze location diverts from the guide element by at least the predetermined divergence threshold, then the display discontinues displaying the guide element moving along the computed dynamic guide path to the target object.

Claims

1. A method for attracting a gaze of a viewer of a display device, the method comprising:

controlling the display device to display a target object;

using gaze tracking data from a gaze tracking system to monitor a gaze location of the viewer;

controlling the display device to display a guide element moving along a computed dynamic path that traverses within a predetermined region adjacent to the gaze location of the viewer and leads to the target object;

using the gaze tracking data to determine if the gaze location of the viewer is within a predetermined divergence threshold of the guide element;

if the gaze location of the viewer is within the predetermined divergence threshold of the guide element, then controlling the display device to continue displaying the guide element moving along the computed dynamic guide path to the target object; and

if the gaze location of the viewer diverts from the guide element by at least the predetermined divergence threshold, then controlling the display device to discontinue displaying the guide element moving along the computed dynamic guide path to the target object.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein controlling the display device to discontinue displaying the guide element moving along the computed dynamic guide path further comprises either diverting the guide element from the computed dynamic path or ceasing to display the guide element.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the predetermined divergence threshold comprises a distance from the guide element.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein using the gaze tracking data to determine if the gaze location of the viewer is within a predetermined divergence threshold of the guide element further comprises determining if a gaze trajectory of the viewer is within a path divergence threshold of the computed dynamic path.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the method is performed while the viewer plays a computer game, the computer game has at least one non-player character that moves according to non-player character movement rules, and at least one object that moves according to object movement rules, and controlling the display device to display the guide element further comprises moving the guide element along the computed dynamic path according to the non-player character movement rules or the object movement rules.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the method is performed while the user watches a movie, and controlling the display device to display the guide element further comprises moving the guide element along the computed dynamic path according to computer-generated image movement rules for computer-generated images that are rendered in real-time in the movie.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the target object comprises an advertisement from an advertiser displayed on the display device, the method further comprising:

if the gaze location of the viewer overlaps the advertisement, then allocating an ad consumption charge to the advertiser.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the ad consumption charge is a first ad consumption charge, and the method further comprises, if the gaze location of the viewer overlaps the advertisement for at least a predetermined timeframe, then allocate a second ad consumption charge that is greater than the first ad consumption charge.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the target object comprises an advertisement from an advertiser displayed on a web page, the method further comprising:

receiving a viewer input associated with the advertisement, the viewer input triggering an ad consumption charge;

if the gaze location of the viewer overlaps the advertisement on the web page when the viewer input is received, then allocating the ad consumption charge to the advertiser; and

if the gaze location of the viewer does not overlap the advertisement on the web page when the viewer input is received, then canceling the ad consumption charge.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the display device is a wearable display device that includes the gaze tracking system.

11. A computing device for attracting a gaze of a viewer of a display device, the computing device comprising:

a gaze attraction program executed by a processor of the computing device, the gaze attraction program configured to;

control the display device to display a target object;

monitor a gaze location of the viewer using gaze tracking data from a gaze tracking system;

control the display device to display a guide element moving along a computed dynamic path that traverses within a predetermined region adjacent to the gaze location of the viewer and leads to the target object;

using the gaze tracking data, determine if a gaze trajectory of the viewer is within a path divergence threshold of the computed dynamic path;

if the gaze location of the viewer is within the path divergence threshold of the computed dynamic path, then control the display device to continue displaying the guide element moving along the computed dynamic guide path to the target object; and

if the gaze location of the viewer diverts from the computed dynamic path by at least the path divergence threshold, then control the display device to discontinue the guide element moving along the computed dynamic path.

12. The computing device of claim 11, wherein the gaze attraction program is further configured to move the guide element along the computed dynamic path according to non-player character movement rules that govern movement of non-player characters in a computer game which the viewer is playing, or according to object movement rules that govern movement of objects in the computer game.

13. The computing device of claim 11, wherein the gaze attraction program is further configured to move the guide element along the computed dynamic path according to computer-generated image movement rules for computer-generated images that are rendered in real-time in a movie which the viewer is watching.

14. The computing device of claim 11, wherein the target object comprises an advertisement from an advertiser displayed on the display device, and the gaze attraction program is further configured to, if the gaze location of the viewer overlaps the advertisement, allocate an ad consumption charge to the advertiser.

15. The computing device of claim 14, wherein the ad consumption charge is a first ad consumption charge, and the gaze attraction program is further configured to, if the gaze location of the viewer overlaps the advertisement for at least a predetermined timeframe, allocate a second ad consumption charge that is greater than the first ad consumption charge.

16. The computing device of claim 11, wherein the target object comprises an advertisement from an advertiser displayed on a web page, and the gaze attraction program is further configured to:

receive a viewer input associated with the advertisement displayed on the web page, the viewer input triggering an ad consumption charge;

if the gaze location of the viewer overlaps the advertisement on the web page when the viewer input is received, then allocate the ad consumption charge to the advertiser; and

if the gaze location of the viewer does not overlap the advertisement on the web page when the viewer input is received, then cancel the ad consumption charge.

17. The computing device of claim 11, wherein the computing device is integrated into a wearable display device that includes the gaze tracking system.

18. The computing device of claim 11, wherein the computing device shares a common enclosure with the gaze tracking system, and the computing device does not share a common enclosure with the display device.

19. The computing device of claim 11, wherein the computing device, the gaze tracking system and the display device share a common enclosure.

20. In a head-mounted display device worn by a viewer, a method for attracting a gaze of the viewer, the method comprising:

controlling the head-mounted display device to display a target object;

using gaze tracking data from a gaze tracking system of the head-mounted display device to monitor a gaze location of the viewer;

controlling the head-mounted display device to display a guide element moving along a computed dynamic path that traverses within a predetermined region adjacent to the gaze location of the viewer and leads to the target object;

using the gaze tracking data to determine if a gaze trajectory of the viewer is within a path divergence threshold of the computed dynamic path;

if the gaze trajectory of the viewer is within the path divergence threshold of the computed dynamic path, then controlling the head-mounted display device to continue displaying the guide element moving along the computed dynamic guide path to the target object; and

if the gaze trajectory of the viewer diverts from the computed dynamic path by at least the path divergence threshold, then controlling the head-mounted display device to discontinue displaying the guide element moving along the computed dynamic guide path to the target object.