Input system

• US 9,176,582 B1
• Filed: 04/10/2013
• Issued: 11/03/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/10/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Johnson, Michael Patrick, Braun, Max Benjamin
• Primary Examiner(s): Lao, Lun-Yi
• Assistant Examiner(s): McLoone, Peter D
• Application Number:
  US13/860,242
• Time in Patent Office: 937 Days
• Field of Search: 345/7, 345/8, 345/156, 359/13, 359/630, 709/206, 709/207, 382/103
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/163 Wearable computers, e.g. on a belt
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/013 Eye tracking input arrangements G06F3/015 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/147 using display panels
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2320/0261 in the context of movement of objects on the screen or movement of the observer relative to the screen
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/12 Overlay of images, i.e. displayed pixel being the result of switching between the corresponding input pixels
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2354/00 Aspects of interface with display user

Abstract

Devices and methods are described for timing notifications based on blinks. An example method may include (1) receiving input data that is indicative of movement of an eye; (2) detecting an occurrence of an event; in response to detection of the event: (3) determining at least one notification corresponding to the event; (4) delaying presentation of the at least one notification until the computing device determines that the input data is indicative of at least one blink by the eye; and in response to the input data that is indicative of the at least one blink, (5) causing the at least one notification to be presented.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a non-transitory computer-readable medium; and

program instructions stored on the non-transitory computer-readable medium and executable by at least one processor to cause a computing device to;

receive input data that is indicative of at least one user activity;

receive an indication that a length of time has elapsed;

receive input data indicating a number of blinks that occurred in the given length of time;

determine an estimated attentive blink rate, wherein the estimated attentive blink rate is based on the at least one user activity and comprises;

the given length of time; and

the number of blinks that occurred in the given length of time;

detect an occurrence of an event; and

in response to detection of the event;

determine at least one notification corresponding to the event;

delay presentation of the at least one notification until the computing device determines that the number of blinks that occurred in the given length of time is above the estimated attentive blink rate; and

in response to the determination that the number of blinks that occurred in the given length of time is above the estimated attentive blink rate, cause the at least one notification to be presented.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one notification comprises at least one of a visual notification, an audible notification, and a tactile notification.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the system further comprises a head-mountable device, wherein the head-mountable device comprises at least one display element, and wherein the at least one notification is displayed on the display element.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising program instructions stored on the non-transitory computer-readable medium and executable by at least one processor to cause the computing device to:

maintain a queue of notifications that have not been presented;

assign a priority value to each notification in the queue; and

in response to the determination that the number of blinks that occurred in the given length of time is above the estimated attentive blink rate, cause the notification in the queue with the highest priority value to be presented.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising program instructions stored on the non-transitory computer-readable medium and executable by at least one processor to cause the computing device to:

assign a threshold queue time to a given notification;

receive an indication that a given time period has elapsed, wherein the given time period is greater than the threshold queue time assigned to the given notification; and

in response to the indication that the given time period has elapsed, cause the given notification to be presented.

6. The system of claim 5, further comprising program instructions stored on the non-transitory computer-readable medium and executable by at least one processor to cause the computing device to:

in response to the indication that the given time period has elapsed, update the given notification.

7. A computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving input data that is indicative of at least one user activity;

receiving an indication that a given length of time has elapsed;

receiving input data indicating a number of blinks that occurred in the given length of time;

determining an estimated attentive blink rate, wherein the estimated attentive blink rate is based on the at least one user activity and comprises;

the given length of time; and

the number of blinks that occurred in the given length of time;

detecting an occurrence of an event; and

in response to detection of the event;

determining at least one notification corresponding to the event;

delaying presentation of the at least one notification until the computing device determines that the number of blinks that occurred in the given length of time is above the estimated attentive blink rate; and

in response to the determination that the number of blinks that occurred in the given length of time is above the estimated attentive blink rate, causing the at least one notification to be presented.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 7, wherein the at least one notification comprises at least one of a visual notification, an audible notification, and a tactile notification.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 7, wherein the method is implemented by a head-mountable device comprising at least one display element, and wherein the step of causing the at least one notification to be presented comprises causing the at least one notification to be displayed on the display element.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 7, further comprising the steps of:

maintaining a queue of notifications that have not been presented; and

assigning a priority value to each notification in the queue, wherein the step of causing the at least one notification to be presented comprises causing the notification in the queue with the highest priority value to be presented.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 7, further comprising the steps of:

assigning a threshold queue time to a given notification;

receiving an indication that a given time period has elapsed, wherein the given time period is greater than the threshold queue time assigned to the given notification; and

in response to the indication that the given time period has elapsed, causing the given notification to be presented.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 11, further comprising the steps of:

in response to the indication that the given time period has elapsed, updating the given notification.

13. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon, the instructions comprising:

instructions for receiving input data that is indicative of at least one user activity;

instructions for receiving an indication that a given length of time has elapsed;

instructions for receiving input data indicating a number of blinks that occurred in the given length of time;

instructions for determining an estimated attentive blink rate, wherein the estimated attentive blink rate is based on the at least one user activity and comprises;

the given length of time; and

the number of blinks that occurred in the given length of time;

instructions for detecting an occurrence of an event; and

in response to detection of the event;

instructions for determining at least one notification corresponding to the event;

instructions for delaying presentation of the at least one notification until a computing device determines that number of blinks that occurred in the given length of time is above the estimated attentive blink rate; and

in response to the determination that the number of blinks that occurred in the given length of time is above the estimated attentive blink rate, instructions for presenting the at least one notification.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13, further comprising instructions for presenting the at least one notification as at least one of a visual notification, an audible notification, and a tactile notification.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13, further comprising instructions for displaying the at least one notification on a display element of a head-mountable device.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13, further comprising:

instructions for maintaining a queue of notifications that have not been presented;

instructions for assigning a priority value to each notification in the queue; and

in response to the determination that the number of blinks that occurred in the given length of time is above the estimated attentive blink rate, instructions for causing the notification in the queue with the highest priority value to be presented.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13, further comprising:

instructions for assigning a threshold queue time to a given notification;

instructions for receiving an indication that a given time period has elapsed, wherein the given time period is greater than the threshold queue time assigned to the given notification; and

in response to the indication that the given time period has elapsed, instructions for causing the given notification to be presented.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17, further comprising:

in response to the indication that the given time period has elapsed, instructions for updating the given notification.