Systems and methods for panning a display of a wearable device

• US 9,830,513 B2
• Filed: 09/26/2016
• Issued: 11/28/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/24/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tobii Technology AB
• Original Assignee: Tobii Technology AB
• Inventors: Gustafsson, Simon, Bjrk, Henrik, Lindh, Fredrik, Olsson, Anders
• Primary Examiner(s): Amadiz, Rodney
• Application Number:
  US15/276,563
• Publication Number:
  US 20170090562A1
• Time in Patent Office: 428 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 3/113 for determining or recording eye movement
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0138 comprising image capture systems, e.g. camera
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/014 comprising information/image processing systems
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0187 slaved to motion of at least a part of the body of the user, e.g. head, eye
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0093 with means for monitoring data relating to the user, e.g. head-tracking, eye-tracking
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/017 Head mounted
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0179 Display position adjusting means not related to the information to be displayed
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/0381 Multimodal input, i.e. interface arrangements enabling the user to issue commands by simultaneous use of input devices of different nature, e.g. voice plus gesture on digitizer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/012 Head tracking input arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/013 Eye tracking input arrangements G06F3/015 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0304 Detection arrangements using opto-electronic means constructional details of pointing devices not related to the detection arrangement using opto-electronic means G06F3/033; optical digitisers G06F3/042
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04815 Interaction with a metaphor-based environment or interaction object displayed as three-dimensional, e.g. changing the user viewpoint with respect to the environment or object
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04845 for image manipulation, e.g. dragging, rotation, expansion or change of colour
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0485 Scrolling or panning
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/19 Sensors therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/0464 Positioning
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2354/00 Aspects of interface with display user
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/34 for rolling or scrolling

Abstract

A method for panning content on a display of a wearable device is disclosed. The method may include determining, via an eye tracking device, a gaze direction of a user. The method may also include determining, via a movement detection system, a head direction of the user. The method may further include, based at least in part on the gaze direction and the head direction both being consistent with a particular direction, causing content displayed on a display of the wearable device to be panned in the particular direction. The method may additionally include determining during panning of the content, via the eye tracking device, that the gaze direction of the user has returned to a neutral position. The method may moreover include, based at least in part on the gaze direction of the user returning to the neutral position, causing content displayed on the display to stop panning.

Claims

1. A method for panning content on a display of a wearable device, wherein the method comprises:

determining, via an eye tracking device, a gaze direction of a user of a wearable device;

determining, via a movement detection system, a head direction of the user of the wearable device;

based at least in part on the gaze direction and the head direction both being consistent with a particular direction, causing content displayed on a display of the wearable device to be panned in the particular direction;

determining during panning of the content, via the eye tracking device, that the gaze direction of the user has returned to a neutral position while the head direction of the user remains in the particular direction; and

based at least in part on the gaze direction of the user returning to the neutral position while the head direction of the user remains in the particular direction, causing content displayed on the display of the wearable device to stop panning.

2. The method for panning content on a display of a wearable device of claim 1, wherein the movement detection system is selected from a group consisting of:

a motion detection system remote from the wearable device; and

a motion detection system integrated with the wearable device.

3. The method for panning content on a display of a wearable device of claim 1, wherein causing content displayed on the display of the wearable device to be panned is further based at least in part on:

the head direction of the user exceeding a certain angular distance from a forward direction.

4. The method for panning content on a display of a wearable device of claim 3, wherein the certain angular distance is based at least in part on:

an angular direction of the head direction.

5. The method for panning content on a display of a wearable device of claim 1, wherein:

a speed of panning is based at least in part on the gaze direction.

6. The method for panning content on a display of a wearable device of claim 1, wherein:

a speed of panning is based at least in part on the head direction.

7. The method for panning content on a display of a wearable device of claim 1, wherein causing content displayed on the display of the wearable device to stop panning is further based at least in part on:

the gaze direction of the user returning to the neutral position for at least a predefined period of time.

8. The method for panning content on a display of a wearable device of claim 1, wherein causing content displayed on the display of the wearable device to stop panning is further based at least in part on:

an additional input from the user being received.

9. The method for panning content on a display of a wearable device of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises:

causing an indication to be provided to the user that panning has stopped.

10. The method for panning content on a display of a wearable device of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises:

determining, after panning of the content has stopped, that the head direction of the user is returning to a forward direction; and

ceasing panning of content displayed on the display during return of the head direction to the forward direction.

11. The method for panning content on a display of a wearable device of claim 1, wherein:

a speed of panning is increased based at least in part on the gaze direction and the head direction being within a predefined angular distance of each other.

12. The method for panning content on a display of a wearable device of claim 1, wherein:

a speed of panning is increased based at least in part on the gaze direction and the head direction being in the same direction.

13. A non-transitory machine readable medium having instructions stored thereon for panning content on a display of a wearable device, wherein the instructions are executable by one or more processors to at least:

determine, via an eye tracking device, a gaze direction of a user of a wearable device;

determine, via a movement detection system, a head direction of the user of the wearable device;

based at least in part on the gaze direction and the head direction both being consistent with a particular direction, cause content displayed on a display of the wearable device to be panned in the particular direction;

determine during panning of the content, via the eye tracking device, that the gaze direction of the user has returned to a neutral position while the head direction of the user remains in the particular direction; and

based at least in part on the gaze direction of the user returning to the neutral position while the head direction of the user remains in the particular direction, cause content displayed on the display of the wearable device to stop panning.

14. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 13, wherein causing content displayed on the display of the wearable device to be panned is further based at least in part on:

the head direction of the user exceeding a certain angular distance from a forward direction.

15. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 13, wherein:

a speed of panning is based at least in part on the gaze direction.

16. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 13, wherein causing content displayed on the display of the wearable device to stop panning is further based at least in part on:

the gaze direction of the user returning to the neutral position for at least a predefined period of time.

17. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 13, wherein the instructions are further executable by one or more processors to at least:

determining, after panning of the content has stopped, that the head direction of the user is returning to a forward direction; and

ceasing panning of content displayed on the display during return of the head direction to the forward direction.

18. A system for panning content on a display of a wearable device, wherein the system comprises:

an eye tracking device for determining a gaze direction of a user of a wearable device;

a movement detection system for determining a head direction of the user of the wearable device; and

one or more processors configured to at least;

based at least in part on the gaze direction and the head direction both being consistent with a particular direction, cause content displayed on a display of the wearable device to be panned in the particular direction;

determine during panning of the content, via the eye tracking device, that the gaze direction of the user has returned to a neutral position while the head direction of the user remains in the particular direction; and

based at least in part on the gaze direction of the user returning to the neutral position while the head direction of the user remains in the particular direction, cause content displayed on the display of the wearable device to stop panning.

19. The system for panning content on a display of a wearable device of claim 18, wherein causing content displayed on the display of the wearable device to be panned is further based at least in part on:

the head direction of the user exceeding a certain angular distance from a forward direction.

20. The system for panning content on a display of a wearable device of claim 19, wherein the certain angular distance is based at least in part on:

an angular direction of the head direction.

21. The system for panning content on a display of a wearable device of claim 18, wherein:

a speed of panning is based at least in part on the gaze direction.

22. The system for panning content on a display of a wearable device of claim 18, wherein causing content displayed on the display of the wearable device to stop panning is further based at least in part on:

the gaze direction of the user returning to the neutral position for at least a predefined period of time.

23. The system for panning content on a display of a wearable device of claim 18, wherein the one or more processors is further configured to at least:

determine, after panning of the content has stopped, that the head direction of the user is returning to a forward direction; and

cease panning of content displayed on the display during return of the head direction to the forward direction.

24. The system for panning content on a display of a wearable device of claim 18, wherein the movement detection system is selected from a group consisting of:

a motion detection system remote from the wearable device; and

a motion detection system integrated with the wearable device.

25. The system for panning content on a display of a wearable device of claim 18, wherein:

a speed of panning is based at least in part on the head direction.

26. The system for panning content on a display of a wearable device of claim 18, wherein causing content displayed on the display of the wearable device to stop panning is further based at least in part on:

an additional input from the user being received.

27. The system for panning content on a display of a wearable device of claim 18, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to at least further comprises:

cause an indication to be provided to the user that panning has stopped.

28. The system for panning content on a display of a wearable device of claim 18, wherein the eye tracking device comprises a profile sensor.