Terminal, system, communication method, and recording medium storing a communication program

• US 9,619,023 B2
• Filed: 01/15/2016
• Issued: 04/11/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/2015
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Inventors: Mizuhara, Takuya
• Primary Examiner(s): Gauthier, Gerald
• Application Number:
  US14/996,324
• Publication Number:
  US 20160252958A1
• Time in Patent Office: 452 Days
• Field of Search: 235404, 345156, 345158, 345419, 345633, 345672, 348 45, 348 66, 348 78, 348143, 362 5, 382108, 382128, 382195, 382254, 600437, 701 70, 702 94, 702184, 715863, 340573, 351205, 351206, 356 29
• 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: G16H 30/20 for handling medical images, e.g. DICOM, HL7 or PACS
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/20 for computer-aided diagnosis, e.g. based on medical expert systems
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 80/00 ICT specially adapted for facilitating communication between medical practitioners or patients, e.g. for collaborative diagnosis, therapy or health monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/147 Communication arrangements, e.g. identifying the communication as a video-communication, intermediate storage of the signals selecting H04Q

Abstract

A communication terminal for communicating with a counterpart communication terminal includes a receiver that receives image data including an eye image of a user operating the counterpart communication terminal from the counterpart communication terminal, the eye image of the user being captured at the counterpart communication terminal while the user is viewing a predetermined position on a counterpart display, and circuitry that specifies a sightline position indicating a sightline position of the user operating the counterpart communication terminal based on the received image data, generates calibration data indicating a relationship between a first area including the specified sightline position of the user and a second area including the predetermined position on the counterpart display, and adjusts the specified sightline position of the user on a display at the communication terminal based on the generated calibration data.

Claims

1. A communication terminal for communicating with a counterpart communication terminal, the communication terminal comprising:

a receiver to receive image data, including an eye image representing an eye of a user operating the counterpart communication terminal, from the counterpart communication terminal, the eye image representing an eye of the user being captured but not displayed at the counterpart communication terminal while the user is viewing a position on a counterpart display; and

circuitry to specify a sightline position indicating a sightline position of the user operating the counterpart communication terminal based on the received image data, generate calibration data indicating a relationship between a first area including the specified sightline position of the user and a second area including the position on the counterpart display, and adjust the specified sightline position of the user on a display at the communication terminal based on the generated calibration data.

2. The communication terminal of claim 1, wherein the counterpart display includes a plurality of display areas, and the circuitry is configured to compare a positional relationship between the first area including the specified sightline position of the user and the second area including the position on the counterpart display for each of the plurality of display areas of the counterpart display to generate a plurality of comparison results.

3. The communication terminal of claim 2, wherein the circuitry is configured to generate the calibration data based on an average value of the comparison results for the plurality of display areas.

4. The communication terminal of claim 1, wherein the circuitry is configured to control the display at the communication terminal to display sightline information indicating the sightline position of the user at the specified sightline position.

5. The communication terminal of claim 4, wherein the circuitry is configured to control the counterpart display at the counterpart communication terminal to display pointing information to guide the user to look at the position on the counterpart display, before receiving the eye image of the user at the counterpart communication terminal.

6. The communication terminal of claim 2, wherein the circuitry is configured to generate the calibration data indicating a relationship between the first area including the sightline position of the user and a second area including the position on the counterpart display for at least one of the plurality of display areas of the counterpart display, and is configured to display calibrated information indicating that the calibration data has been generated at the at least one of the plurality of display areas on the counterpart display when the calibration data is generated for the at least one of the plurality of display areas.

7. The communication terminal of claim 1, further comprising:

a memory to store the generated calibration data,

wherein the circuitry is configured to adjust the specified sightline position of the user based on the calibration data stored in the memory.

8. A system, comprising the communication terminal of claim 1.

9. A communication method, performed by a communication terminal in communication with a counterpart communication terminal, the method comprising:

receiving image data including an eye image representing an eye of a user operating the counterpart communication terminal from the counterpart communication terminal, the eye image representing an eye of the user being captured but not displayed at the counterpart communication terminal while the user is viewing a position on a counterpart display;

specifying a sightline position indicating a sightline position of the user operating the counterpart communication terminal based on the received image data;

generating calibration data indicating a relationship between a first area including the specified sightline position of the user and a second area including the position on the counterpart display; and

adjusting the specified sightline position of the user on a display at the communication terminal based on the generated calibration data.

10. The communication method of claim 9, further comprising controlling the display at the communication terminal to display sightline information indicating the sightline position of the user at the specified sightline position.

11. The communication method of claim 10, further comprising controlling the counterpart display at the counterpart communication terminal to display pointing information to guide the user to look at the position on the counterpart display, before receiving the eye image of the user at the counterpart communication terminal.

12. A non-transitory recording medium which, when executed by one or more processors of a communication terminal in communication with a counterpart communication terminal, cause the processors to perform a communication method, comprising:

receiving image data including an eye image representing an eye of a user operating the counterpart communication terminal from the counterpart communication terminal, the eye image representing an eye of the user being captured but not displayed at the counterpart communication terminal while the user is viewing a position on a counterpart display;

specifying a sightline position indicating a sightline position of the user operating the counterpart communication terminal based on the received image data;

generating calibration data indicating a relationship between a first area including the specified sightline position of the user and a second area including the position on the counterpart display; and

adjusting the specified sightline position of the user on a display at the communication terminal based on the generated calibration data.

13. The non-transitory recording medium of claim 12, to cause the processors to perform the communication method, further comprising controlling the display at the communication terminal to display sightline information indicating the sightline position of the user at the specified sightline position.

14. The non-transitory recording medium of claim 13, to cause the processors to perform the communication method, further comprising controlling the counterpart display at the counterpart communication terminal to display pointing information to guide the user to look at the position on the counterpart display, before receiving the eye image of the user at the counterpart communication terminal.