Electronic device, method, and program for supporting touch panel operation

• US 9,471,178 B2
• Filed: 01/20/2015
• Issued: 10/18/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 01/23/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions, Inc. (Kyocera Corporation)
• Original Assignee: KYOCERA Document Solutions, Inc. (Kyocera Corporation)
• Inventors: Takahashi, Minoru, Ogishi, Ryosuke, Nitta, Tsuyoshi, Tanba, Masato
• Primary Examiner(s): Sherman, Stephen
• Application Number:
  US14/600,151
• Publication Number:
  US 20150205437A1
• Time in Patent Office: 637 Days
• Field of Search: 345173-178, 178 1801- 1809, 178/18.11
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/013 Eye tracking input arrangements G06F3/015 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0412 Digitisers structurally integrated in a display
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0418 for error correction or compensation, e.g. based on parallax, calibration or alignment

Abstract

An electronic device includes a touch panel that detects operation point coordinates of touch input by a user and a line-of-sight detection section that calculates the coordinates of a gaze point on the touch panel at which a line of sight of the user is directed in a specific time range from a time point of the touch input on the touch panel by the user. The electronic device further includes a line-of-sight correction area calculation section that calculates a line-of-sight correction area in a specific range from the coordinates of the gaze point on the touch panel. The electronic device also includes an operation coordinate line-of-sight correction section that a) changes the operation point coordinates to the coordinates of the gaze point if the operation point coordinates are within the line-of-sight correction area; and b) does not change the operation point coordinates if the operation point coordinates are not within the line-of-sight correction area.

Claims

1. An electronic device comprising:

a touch panel that detects coordinates of an operation point of touch input by a user;

a line-of-sight detection section that calculates coordinates of a gaze point on the touch panel at which a line of sight of the user is directed during a specific time range from a time point of the touch input on the touch panel by the user;

a line-of-sight correction area calculation section that calculates a line-of-sight correction area in a specific range from the coordinates of the gaze point, calculated by the line-of-sight detection section, on the touch panel;

an operation coordinate line-of-sight correction section that changes the coordinates of the operation point to the coordinates of the gaze point if the coordinates of the operation point are within the line-of-sight correction area calculated by the line-of-sight correction area calculation section, and does not change the coordinates of the operation point if the coordinates of the operation point are not within the line-of-sight correction area;

a display section that is capable of displaying the coordinates of the operation point changed or unchanged by the operation coordinate line-of-sight correction section; and

a line-of-sight correction time/area modification section that modifies the time range and a range of the line-of-sight correction area if the user corrects the display after the operation coordinate line-of-sight correction section changes the coordinates of the operation point.

2. The electronic device according to claim 1,

wherein, when the user corrects the display after the operation coordinate line-of-sight correction section changes the coordinates of the operation point, the operation coordinate line-of-sight correction section does not change the coordinates of the operation point of the touch input corresponding to the correction of the display.

3. An electronic device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a touch panel that detects coordinates of an operation point of touch input by a user;

a line-of-sight detection section that calculates coordinates of a gaze point on the touch panel at which a line of sight of the user is directed during a specific time range from a time point of the touch input on the touch panel by the user;

a line-of-sight correction area calculation section that calculates a line-of-sight correction area in a specific range from the coordinates of the gaze point, calculated by the line-of-sight detection section, on the touch panel;

an operation coordinate line-of-sight correction section that changes the coordinates of the operation point to the coordinates of the gaze point if the coordinates of the operation point are within the line-of-sight correction area calculated by the line-of-sight correction area calculation section, and does not change the coordinates of the operation point if the coordinates of the operation point are not within the line-of-sight correction area;

an operation correction result information holding section that holds the coordinates of the operation point, the coordinates of the gaze point, and a result of changing the coordinates of the operation point by the operation coordinate line-of-sight correction section as operation correction result information;

a display section that is capable of displaying the coordinates of the operation point changed or unchanged by the operation coordinate line-of-sight correction section; and

a line-of-sight correction time/area modification section that refers to the operation correction result information held by the operation correction result information holding section, and that modifies the time range and a line-of-sight correction range if correction of the display on the display section by the user is detected after changing the coordinates of the operation point by the operation coordinate line-of-sight correction section,

wherein the line-of-sight correction area calculation section calculates the line-of-sight correction area corresponding to the line-of-sight correction range from the coordinates of the gaze point on the touch panel, calculated by the line-of-sight detection section.

4. The electronic device according to claim 3,

wherein if correction by the user matches the display of the gaze point, the line-of-sight correction time/area modification section expands the line-of-sight correction range;

wherein if correction by the user matches the display of the operation point, the line-of-sight correction time/area modification section contracts the line-of-sight correction range; and

wherein if correction by the user matches neither the display of the gaze point nor the display of the operation point, the line-of-sight correction time/area modification section moves the line-of-sight correction range by the operation correction result information.

5. The electronic device according to claim 3,

wherein when the user corrects the display after the coordinates of the operation point are changed, the operation coordinate line-of-sight correction section does not change the coordinates of the operation point of the touch input corresponding to correction of the display.

6. A method of supporting operation, the method comprising:

detecting, via a touch panel, coordinates of an operation point of touch input by a user;

calculating, via a line-of-sight detection section, coordinates of a gaze point on the touch panel at which a line of sight of the user is directed during a specific time range from a time point of the touch input on the touch panel by the user;

calculating, via a line-of-sight correction area calculation section, a line-of-sight correction area in a specific range from the coordinates of the gaze point, calculated by the line-of-sight detection section, on the touch panel;

changing, via an operation coordinate line-of-sight correction section, the coordinates of the operation point to the coordinates of the gaze point if the coordinates of the operation point are within the line-of-sight correction area calculated by the line-of-sight correction area calculation section, and not changing the coordinates of the operation point if the coordinates of the operation point are not within the line-of-sight correction area;

displaying, via a display section, the corresponding coordinates of the operation point changed or unchanged by the operation coordinate line-of-sight correction section; and

modifying, via a line-of-sight correction time/area modification section, the time range and a range of the line-of-sight correction area if the user corrects the display after the operation coordinate line-of-sight correction section changes the coordinates of the operation point.

7. The method of supporting operation according to claim 6, further comprising:

not changing, via the operation coordinate line-of-sight correction section, the coordinates of the operation point of the touch input corresponding to the correction of the display when the user corrects the display after the operation coordinate line-of-sight correction section changes the coordinates of the operation point.

8. A method of supporting operation comprising:

detecting, via a touch panel, coordinates of an operation point of touch input by a user;

calculating, via a line-of-sight detection section, coordinates of a gaze point on the touch panel at which a line of sight of the user is directed during a specific time range from a time point of the touch input on the touch panel by the user;

calculating, via a line-of-sight correction area calculation section, a line-of-sight correction area in a specific range from the coordinates of the gaze point, calculated by the line-of-sight detection section, on the touch panel;

changing, via an operation coordinate line-of-sight correction section, the coordinates of the operation point to the coordinates of the gaze point if the coordinates of the operation point are within the line-of-sight correction area calculated by the line-of-sight correction area calculation section, and not changing the coordinates of the operation point if the coordinates of the operation point are not within the line-of-sight correction area;

holding, via an operation correction result information holding section, the coordinates of the operation point, the coordinates of the gaze point, and a result of changing the coordinates of the operation point by the operation coordinate line-of-sight correction section as operation correction result information;

displaying, via a display section, the coordinates of the operation point changed or unchanged by the operation coordinate line-of-sight correction section;

referring, via a line-of-sight correction time/area modification section, to the operation correction result information held by the operation correction result information holding section and modifying the time range and a line-of-sight correction range if correction of the display on the display section by the user is detected after changing the coordinates of the operation point by the operation coordinate line-of-sight correction section; and

calculating, via the line-of-sight correction area calculation section, the line-of-sight correction area corresponding to the line-of-sight correction range from the coordinates of the gaze point on the touch panel, calculated by the line-of-sight detection section.

9. The method of supporting operation according to claim 8, further comprising:

via the line-of-sight correction time/area modification section,

expanding the line-of-sight correction range if correction by the user matches the display of the gaze point,

contracting the line-of-sight correction range if correction by the user matches the display of the operation point, and

moving the line-of-sight correction range by the operation correction result information if correction by the user matches neither the display of the gaze point nor the display of the operation point.

10. The method of supporting operation according to claim 8, further comprising:

not changing, via the operation coordinate line-of-sight correction section, the coordinates of the operation point of the touch input corresponding to the correction of the display when the user corrects the display after the coordinates of the operation point are changed.

11. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium for storing an operation support program executable by a computer, the operation support program comprising:

a first program code that causes the computer to detect coordinates of a touch input operation point on a touch panel by a user;

a second program code that causes the computer to calculate coordinates of a gaze point on the touch panel at which a line of sight of the user is directed during a specific time range from a time point of the touch input on the touch panel by the user;

a third program code that causes the computer to calculate a line-of-sight correction area in a specific range from the coordinates of the gaze point, calculated by the second program code, on the touch panel;

a fourth program code that causes the computer to change the coordinates of the operation point to the coordinates of the gaze point if the coordinates of the operation point are within the line-of-sight correction area calculated by the third program code, and not to change the coordinates of the operation point if the coordinates of the operation point are not within the line-of-sight correction area;

a fifth program code that causes the computer to display the coordinates of the operation point changed or unchanged by the fourth program code; and

a sixth program code that causes the computer to modify the time range and a range of the line-of-sight correction area if the user corrects the display after the fourth program code changes the coordinates of the operation point.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable recording medium according to claim 11, the operation support program further comprising:

when the user corrects the display after the fourth program code changes the coordinates of the operation point, a seventh program code that causes the computer not to change the coordinates of the operation point of the touch input corresponding to the correction of the display.

13. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium for storing an operation support program executable by a computer, the operation support program further comprising:

a first program code that causes the computer to detect coordinates of a touch input operation point on a touch panel by a user;

a second program code that causes the computer to calculate coordinates of a gaze point on the touch panel at which a line of sight of the user is directed during a specific time range from a time point of the touch input on the touch panel by the user;

a third program code that causes the computer to calculate a line-of-sight correction area in a specific range from the coordinates of the gaze point, calculated by the second program code, on the touch panel;

a fourth program code that causes the computer to change the coordinates of the operation point to the coordinates of the gaze point if the coordinates of the operation point are within the line-of-sight correction area calculated by the third program code, and not to change the coordinates of the operation point if the coordinates of the operation point are not within the line-of-sight correction area;

a fifth program code that causes the computer to hold the coordinates of the operation point, the coordinates of the gaze point, and a result of changing the coordinates of the operation point by the fourth program code as operation correction result information;

a sixth program code that causes the computer to display the coordinates of the operation point changed or unchanged by the fourth program code; and

a seventh program code that causes the computer to refer to the operation correction result information held by the fifth program code, and to modify the time range and a line-of-sight correction range if correction of the display by the sixth program code is detected after changing the coordinates of the operation point by the fourth program code,

wherein the third program code causes the computer to calculate the line-of-sight correction area corresponding to the line-of-sight correction range from the coordinates of the gaze point on the touch panel, calculated by the second program code.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable recording medium according to claim 13,

wherein the seventh program code causes the computer to,

expand the line-of-sight correction range if correction by the user matches the display of the gaze point,

contract the line-of-sight correction range if correction by the user matches the display of the operation point, and

move the line-of-sight correction range by the operation correction result information if correction by the user matches neither the display of the gaze point nor the display of the operation point.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable recording medium according to claim 13, further comprising,

when the user corrects the display after the coordinates of the operation point are changed, an eighth program code that causes the computer not to change the coordinates of the operation point of the touch input corresponding to correction of the display.