Systems and methods for processing data entered using an eye-tracking system

• US 7,719,520 B2
• Filed: 08/18/2005
• Issued: 05/18/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/18/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Scenera Technologies LLC (Scenera Research LLC)
• Original Assignee: Scenera Technologies LLC (Scenera Research LLC)
• Inventors: Singh, Mona, Thomas, Theodosios
• Primary Examiner(s): Awad; Amr
• Assistant Examiner(s): DAVIS, TONY O
• Application Number:
  US11/206,596
• Publication Number:
  US 20070040799A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,734 Days
• Field of Search: 345/168, 345/169, 345/175
• US Class Current: 345/169
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/013 Eye tracking input arrangements G06F3/015 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/017 Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0227 Cooperation and interconnection of the input arrangement with other functional units of a computer G06F3/023 - G06F3/037 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/023 Arrangements for converting discrete items of information into a coded form, e.g. arrangements for interpreting keyboard generated codes as alphanumeric codes, operand codes or instruction codes

Abstract

A method for processing data entered using an electronic device and an electronic device capable of implementing the method is described. In one embodiment, the electronic device includes at least one multi-value key associated with at least two input data values. Each multi-value key includes a plurality of units and each input data value corresponds to at least one unit. The electronic device also includes an eye-tracking system that determines an area where a user is gazing by monitoring eye movements of the user, and an input value selection module coupled to the plurality of units and to the eye-tracking system. The input value selection module determines probabilistically which input data value was entered based on a value received from at least one unit and on the area where the user is gazing.

Claims

1. An electronic device comprising:

at least one multi-value key associated with at least two input data values, wherein each multi-value key includes a plurality of units and each input data value corresponds to at least one unit;

an eye-tracking system for determining an area where a user is gazing by monitoring an eye movement of the user; and

an input value selection module coupled to the plurality of units and to the eye-tracking system;

a plurality of pressure sensors coupled to the input value selection module, wherein at least one pressure sensor is associated with each unit of the multi-value key and wherein each of the pressure sensors is configured to measure a pressure asserted on the associated unit of the multi-value key;

wherein the input value selection module determines probabilistically which input data value was entered based on a value received from at least one unit and on an area where the user is gazing by concurrently analyzing the pressure measurements and the area at which the user is gazing to determine which input data value was entered by;

assigning a pressure weight to each of the input data values associated with the multi-value key, the pressure weight corresponding to measured pressured asserted on the unit corresponding to the input data value;

assigning a gaze weight to each of the input data values based on an amount of time that the area at which the user is gazing coincides with the unit corresponding to the input data value;

combining the pressure weight and the gaze weight of each input data value; and

entering the input data value based on the combined pressure and gaze weights.

2. The electronic device according to claim 1 wherein the area at which the user is gazing substantially coincides with a unit associated with an input data value.

3. The electronic device according to claim 1 wherein the electronic device is a hand held device.

4. The electronic device according to claim 3 wherein the handheld device is either a camera, a telephone, or a personal digital assistant.

5. An electronic device comprising:

a plurality of data input keys, wherein each input key is associated with at least one input data value and at least one data input key is a multi-value key associated with at least two input data values, wherein each multi-value key includes a plurality of units and each input data value corresponds to at least one unit;

an eye-tracking system for determining an area where a user is gazing by monitoring an eye movement of the user, wherein the eye-tracking system determines an area covering portions of at least two data input keys, at least one of which is a multi-value key;

an input value selection module coupled to the plurality of data input keys and to the eye-tracking system;

wherein the input value selection module determines which input data value was entered based on a manually pressed data input key and on the area where the user is gazing by;

assigning a pressure weight to each input data value, the pressure weight corresponding to pressure asserted on the unit corresponding to the input data value;

assigning a gaze weight to each of the input data values based on an amount of time that the area at which the user is gazing coincides with the unit corresponding to the input data value

combining the pressure weight and the gaze weight of each input data value; and

determining which input data value was entered based on the combined pressure weight and gaze weight.

6. The electronic device according to claim 5 comprising a plurality of defined gaze areas, at least one gaze area overlapping at least two multi-value keys and associated with one input data value in each of at least two of the at least two multi-value keys.

7. The electronic device according to claim 6 further comprising a focal point for a user to focus on in the at least one gaze area overlapping at least two multi-value keys.

8. The electronic device according to claim 6 wherein each defined gaze area is associated with one input data value in each of a first and a second multi-value key.

9. The electronic device according to claim 6 wherein each defined gaze area is associated with one input data value in each of a first, a second, a third and a fourth multi-value key.

10. The electronic device according to claim 8 wherein the input value selection module enters the input data value that is associated with the gaze area and that is associated with the manually pressed multi-value key.

11. The electronic device according to claim 5 wherein the electronic device is a handheld device.

12. The electronic device according to claim 11 wherein the handheld device is either a camera, a telephone, or a personal digital assistant.

13. A method for processing data entered at an electronic device having at least one multi-value key associated with at least two input data values, the method comprising:

assigning a plurality of units to each multi-value key, wherein each input data value corresponds to at least one unit;

assigning at least one pressure sensor to each unit of the multi-value key, wherein each of the pressure sensors is configured to measure and quantify a pressure asserted on the associated unit of the multi-value key;

determining an area where a user is gazing by tracking the user'"'"'s eye movement;

detecting a manual selection of a multi-value key; and

determining probabilistically an input data value entered based on a value received from at least one unit and on the determined area where the user is gazing on the manually selected multi-value key by;

assigning a pressure weight to each of the input data values associated with the multi-value key, the pressure weight corresponding to measured pressured asserted on the unit corresponding to the input data value;

assigning a gaze weight to each of the input data values based on an amount of time that the area at which the user is gazing coincides with the unit corresponding to the input data value;

combining the pressure weight and the gaze weight of each input data value; and

determining the input data value based on the combined pressure and gaze weights.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising defining the area at which the user is gazing as substantially coinciding with a unit associated with an input data value.

15. A method for processing data entered at an electronic device having a plurality of data input keys, each data input key being associated with at least one input data value and at least one data input key being a multi-value key associated with at least two input data values, the method comprising:

determining an area where a user is gazing by tracking the user'"'"'s eye movement, wherein the area covers portions of at least two data input keys, at least one of which is a multi-value key;

detecting a manual selection of a data input key; and

determining which input data value was entered based on the manually pressed data input key and on the area where the user is gazing by;

assigning a pressure weight to each input data value, the pressure weight corresponding to pressure asserted on the unit corresponding to the input data value;

assigning a gaze weight to each of the input data values based on an amount of time that the area at which the user is gazing coincides with the unit corresponding to the input data value

combining the pressure weight and the gaze weight of each input data value; and

determining which input data value was entered based on the combined pressure weight and gaze weight.

16. The method of claim 15 further comprising defining a plurality of gaze areas, at least one gaze area overlapping at least two multi-value keys and associated with one input data value in each of at least two of the at least two multi-value keys.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein each defined gaze area is associated with one input data value in each of a first and a second multi-value key.

18. The electronic device according to claim 16 further comprising defining a focal point for a user to focus on in the at least one gaze area overlapping at least two multi-value keys.

19. The method of claim 17 wherein determining which input data value was entered includes identifying the input data value that is associated with the gaze area and that is associated with the manually pressed multi-value key.

20. A computer readable storage medium containing program instructions for entering data using an electronic device having a plurality of data input keys, wherein each data input key is associated with at least one input data value and at least one data input key is a multi-value key associated with at least two input data values, the computer readable medium comprising program instructions for:

determining an area where a user is gazing by tracking the user'"'"'s eye movement, wherein the area covers portions of at least two data input keys, at least one of which is a multi-value key;

detecting a manual selection of a data input key; and

determining which input data value was entered based on the manually pressed data input key and on the area where the user is gazing by;

assigning a pressure weight to each of the input data values associated with the multi-value key, the pressure weight corresponding to pressured asserted on the unit corresponding to the input data value;

assigning a gaze weight to each of the input data values based on an amount of time that the area at which the user is gazing coincides with the unit corresponding to the input data value;

combining the pressure weight and the gaze weight of each input data value; and

determining the input data value based on the combined pressure and gaze weights.

21. A computer readable storage medium containing program instructions for entering data using an electronic device having at least one multi-value key associated with at least two input data values;

the computer readable medium comprising program instructions for;

assigning a plurality of units to each multi-value key, wherein each input data value corresponds to at least one unit;

determining an area on at least one of the at least one multi-value key where a user is gazing by tracking the user'"'"'s eye movement;

detecting a manual selection of a multi-value key; and

determining probabilistically which input data value was entered based on a value received from at least one unit and on the area where the user is gazing by;

assigning a pressure weight to each of the input data values associated with the multi-value key, the pressure weight corresponding to pressured asserted on the unit corresponding to the input data value;

assigning a gaze weight to each of the input data values based on an amount of time that the area at which the user is gazing coincides with the unit corresponding to the input data value;

combining the pressure weight and the gaze weight of each input data value; and

determining the input data value based on the combined pressure and gaze weights.

22. An electronic device comprising:

at least one multi-value key associated with at least two input data values, wherein each multi-value key includes a plurality of units and each input data value corresponds to at least one unit;

an eye-tracking system for determining an area on at least one of the at least one multi-value key where a user is gazing by monitoring an eye movement of the user; and

an input value selection module coupled to the plurality of units and to the eye-tracking system;

wherein the input value selection module determines probabilistically which input data value was entered based on a value received from at least one unit and on the area where the user is gazing by;

assigning a pressure weight to each of the input data values associated with the multi-value key, the pressure weight corresponding to pressured asserted on the unit corresponding to the input data value;

assigning a gaze weight to each of the input data values based on an amount of time that the area at which the user is gazing coincides with the unit corresponding to the input data value;

combining the pressure weight and the gaze weight of each input data value; and

determining the input data value based on the combined pressure and gaze weights.

23. The electronic device according to claim 22 further comprising:

a plurality of pressure sensors coupled to the input value selection module, wherein at least one pressure sensor is associated with each unit of the multi-value key and wherein each of the pressure sensors is configured to measure a pressure asserted on the associated unit of the multi-value key;

wherein the input value selection module concurrently analyzes the pressure measurements and the area at which the user is gazing to determine which input data value was entered.