Method and terminal for entering instructions

• US 7,113,170 B2
• Filed: 11/08/2002
• Issued: 09/26/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/16/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Tobii Technology AB
• Original Assignee: Swisscom Mobile AG (Government of Switzerland)
• Inventors: Lauper, Eric, Huber, Adriano
• Primary Examiner(s): CHANG, KENT WU
• Application Number:
  US10/290,916
• Publication Number:
  US 20030076300A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,418 Days
• Field of Search: 345/7, 345/8, 345/9, 345/156, 345/157, 345/158, 345/168, 345/700, 345/863, 351/209, 351/210, 351/211, 351/203, 382/103, 382/117, 382/115, 382/118, 715/863
• US Class Current: 345/158
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/36 by graphic or iconic representation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/013 Eye tracking input arrangements G06F3/015 takes precedence

Abstract

Method with which users (1) enter instructions, in which said instructions are entered with sequences of voluntary movements of eye parts, the sequence required for entering a certain instruction being individual for each user.

Claims

1. A method for entering user instructions into a terminal, comprising the steps of:

training the terminal, during a learning phase, by detecting a user-selected sequence of eye movements of the user to be associated with an instruction being individual for the specific user entering the user-selected sequence;

associating said user-selected sequence of eye movements with said instruction, and

entering said instruction when the sequence of eye movements is detected.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said sequence comprises a plurality of viewing directions.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein an image is reproduced to said user and wherein said viewing directions correspond to predefined image parts.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein said image is three-dimensional.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein said image parts correspond to a virtual keyboard.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein said image is represented on a screen.

7. The method of claim 3, wherein said image is reproduced with a VRD device.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said sequence comprises different focusing distances.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein said sequence comprises at least one blink.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein said sequence comprises at least one voluntary squinting eye movement.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein said sequence is converted to digital code.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein said digital code is signed electronically.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein said code is signed electronically with the user'"'"'s private key.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein said code is signed with the user'"'"'s biometric characteristics.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein said biometric characteristics of the user comprise eye characteristics.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein said biometric characteristics of the user comprise eye characteristics of eye parts of both eyes.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein a parameter dependent on the body temperature is measured and is linked with said sequence.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein a parameter dependent on the warming of the retina of the user is measured and linked with said sequence.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein the reaction of the iris of the user to light variations is measured and linked as parameter with said sequence.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein said sequence is determined through a portable terminal, said sequence being transmitted through a mobile radio part in said terminal over a mobile radio network to a remote server.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein said server is administered by a service provider and wherein the connection between said mobile radio part and said server is encrypted end-to-end.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein said sequence is compared in said server with a sequence stored by the user in advance, and wherein said instruction is only then carried out when the entered and the stored sequences correspond.

23. The method of claim 1, wherein a plurality of different individual sequences is provided for each user, each sequence corresponding to another instruction.

24. The method of claim 1, wherein said sequence is determined through a portable terminal and is compared with a sequence stored in said portable terminal.

25. the method of claim 1, wherein said method is practiced for a plurality of users, and wherein said user-selected sequences are unique for at least some of said plurality of users.

26. A terminal, comprising:

means for learning a sequence of user-selected voluntary movements of eye parts of a person during a learning phase, wherein said voluntary eye movements are not in response to any predetermined pattern expected by the terminal;

means for detecting said sequence of voluntary movements of eye parts,

means for encoding and encrypting said sequences, and

means for sending said encoded and encrypted sequences over a mobile radio network to a remote server.

27. A server in a communication network, comprising a database in which a plurality of individual sequences of voluntary movements of eye parts are stored, said individual sequences being obtained from a terminal, during a learning phase of said terminal, from a plurality of users, wherein each of said individual sequences is selected by the user not in response to any predetermined pattern expected by the server and corresponds to a certain instruction of a certain one of the plurality of users.

28. A method for entering user instructions into a terminal, comprising the steps of:

training the terminal by detecting a user-selected sequence of eye movements of the user;

associating said user-selected sequence of eye movements with a user selected one of a plurality of instructions; and

when said sequence of eye movements is detected, entering the instruction associated with said detected sequence of eye movements.

29. The method of claim 28, further comprising the steps of:

further training the terminal by detecting an additional one or more different user-selected sequences of eye movements;

associating each one of said additional user-selected sequences of eye movements with a corresponding different one of said instructions; and

when one of said sequences of eye movements is detected, entering the instruction associated with that detected sequence of eye movements.

30. The method according to claim 29, further comprising the step of providing a list of said plurality of instructions to the user prior to said associating.

31. The method according to claim 30, wherein said list is provided by a server, said method further comprising the step of sending the one of said instructions associated with the detected sequence of eye movements to the server.