METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR SECURE DISPLAY OF VISUAL CONTENT

• US 20090141895A1
• Filed: 11/29/2008
• Published: 06/04/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/29/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tobii Technology AB
• Original Assignee: Oculis Labs Incorporated (Optio Labs, Inc.)
• Inventors: Heron, George L., Pujia, Steve, Turner, Steve, Anderson, William R.
• Granted Patent: US 8,462,949 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 380/252
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/60 Protecting data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/84 output devices, e.g. displays or monitors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/341 using temporal multiplexing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2013/403 the images being monoscopic

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for displaying visual content on a display such that the content is comprehensible only to an authorized user for a visual display system such as a computer, a television, a video player, a public display system (including but not limited to a movie theater), a mobile phone, an automated teller machine (ATM), voting booths, kiosks, security screening workstations, tactical displays and other systems where information is displayed for viewing.

Claims

1. A computer-controlled display device for displaying content to an authorized viewer, comprising a first secure display region corresponding to the gazepoint of said authorized viewer such that content displayed in said first region is intelligible to said authorized viewer, and a second region outside of said first region, wherein said content is displayed in a substantially unintelligible format.

2. The computer-controlled display device of claim 1, wherein said device is configured to authenticate said authorized viewer.

3. The computer controlled display device of claim 1, further comprising a second authorized viewer and a second secure display region corresponding to the gazepoint of said second authorized viewer.

4. The computer-controlled display device of claim 3, further comprising a gazetracking device that is configured to determine the gaze-point of each of said first and said second authorized viewers.

5. The computer-controlled display device of claim 3, further comprising two gazetracking devices, each of said two gazetracking devices being configured to determine the gazepoint of each of said first and said second authorized viewers individually.

6. The computer controlled display device of claim 1, wherein said content in said second region comprises distracter images or disrupter images during user saccades.

7. A computer-controlled system for displaying secure content to an authorized viewer, comprising:

a gazetracking device configured to determine the gazepoint of said authorized viewer, said gazetracking device in electronic communication with a computer in electronic communication with said display, said computer being configured to send said secure content to said display such that said display includes a first secure display region corresponding to the gazepoint of said authorized viewer such that content displayed in said first region is intelligible to said authorized viewer, and a second region outside of said first region, wherein said content is displayed in a substantially unintelligible format.

8. The computer-controlled system of claim 6, wherein said device is configured to authenticate said authorized viewer.

9. The computer controlled system of claim 6, further comprising a second authorized viewer and a second secure display region corresponding to the gazepoint of said second authorized viewer.

10. The computer-controlled system of claim 8, further comprising a gazetracking device that is configure to determine the gazepoint of each of said first and said second authorized viewers.

11. The computer-controlled system of claim 8, further comprising two gazetracking devices, each of said two gazetracking devices being configured to determine the gazepoint of each of said first and said second authorized viewers individually.

12. The computer controlled display device of claim 7, wherein said content in said second region comprises distracter images or disrupter images during user saccades.

13. A method for displaying secure content to an authorized viewer using a display device, comprising:

receiving gazepoint information of said authorized viewer at a computer in electronic communication with said display, said computer being configured to control the contents of said display;

defining a first secure display region corresponding to said gazepoint of an authorized viewer;

sending content to said display such that said secure content in said first secure display region in a format intelligible to said authorized viewer, and content outside of said first region in a format not intelligible to an unauthorized viewer.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising authenticating said authorized viewer.

15. The method of claim 12, further comprising determining the saccades of said authorized viewer.

16. The method of claim 12, further comprising sending distracter images or disrupter images during said authorized viewer saccades to said display device for display as said content outside of said first region.

17. A computer-readable medium containing computer-readable program control devices thereon, said computer-readable program control device being configured to enable a computer to:

receive gazepoint information of said authorized viewer at a computer in electronic communication with said display, said computer being configured to control the contents of said display;

define a first secure display region corresponding to said gazepoint of an authorized viewer;

send content to said display such that said secure content in said first secure display region in a format intelligible to said authorized viewer, and content outside of said first region in a format not intelligible to an unauthorized viewer.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, further comprising computer-readable program control devices configured to enable said computer to authenticate said user.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, further comprising computer-readable program control devices configured to enable said computer to determine the saccades of said authorized viewer.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 17, further comprising computer-readable program control devices configured to enable said computer to send distracter images or disrupter images during said authorized viewer saccades to said display device for display as said content outside of said first region.