Method and apparatus for communication between humans and devices
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A method for determining a subject'"'"'s response and/or interest toward an object, surface, or visual material, comprising:
- using a hardware sensor coupled to the object, surface, or visual material, the hardware sensor sensing at least one index of the subject'"'"'s attention specifically toward the hardware sensor together with the object, surface, or visual material; and
using a processor to output a result indicating the subject'"'"'s response and/or interest in the object, surface, or visual material based on the sensed at least one index of the subject'"'"'s attention;
wherein sensing does not elicit a change in the at least one index of the subject'"'"'s attention;
wherein the at least one index is eye contact or head and/or face orientation;
wherein sensing includes;
(i) obtaining alternating odd and even video frames of at least one of the subjects'"'"' pupils including determining whether a frame was illuminated by on-axis or off-axis illumination and whether a pixel is classified as non-zero or zero;
(ii) subtracting the alternating odd and even video frames to produce a subtracted frame;
(iii) detecting at least one pupil and a glint in the subtracted frame; and
(iv) determining alignment of the at least one pupil and the glint;
wherein alignment of the at least one pupil and the glint confirms eye contact of the subject and is related to the subject'"'"'s response and/or interest toward the object, surface, or visual material.
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Abstract
This invention relates to methods and apparatus for improving communications between humans and devices. The invention provides a method of modulating operation of a device, comprising providing an attentive user interface for obtaining information about an attentive state of a user; and modulating operation of a device on the basis of the obtained information, wherein the operation that is modulated is initiated by the device. Preferably, the information about the user'"'"'s attentive state is eye contact of the user with the device that is sensed by the attentive user interface.
109 Citations
22 Claims
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1. A method for determining a subject'"'"'s response and/or interest toward an object, surface, or visual material, comprising:
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using a hardware sensor coupled to the object, surface, or visual material, the hardware sensor sensing at least one index of the subject'"'"'s attention specifically toward the hardware sensor together with the object, surface, or visual material; and using a processor to output a result indicating the subject'"'"'s response and/or interest in the object, surface, or visual material based on the sensed at least one index of the subject'"'"'s attention; wherein sensing does not elicit a change in the at least one index of the subject'"'"'s attention; wherein the at least one index is eye contact or head and/or face orientation; wherein sensing includes; (i) obtaining alternating odd and even video frames of at least one of the subjects'"'"' pupils including determining whether a frame was illuminated by on-axis or off-axis illumination and whether a pixel is classified as non-zero or zero; (ii) subtracting the alternating odd and even video frames to produce a subtracted frame; (iii) detecting at least one pupil and a glint in the subtracted frame; and (iv) determining alignment of the at least one pupil and the glint; wherein alignment of the at least one pupil and the glint confirms eye contact of the subject and is related to the subject'"'"'s response and/or interest toward the object, surface, or visual material. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. An apparatus for determining a subject'"'"'s response and/or interest toward an object, surface, or visual material, comprising:
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a hardware sensor coupled to the object, surface, or visual material, the hardware sensor sensing at least one index of the subject'"'"'s attention specifically toward the hardware sensor together with the object, surface, or visual material; and a processor that outputs a result indicating the subject'"'"'s response and/or interest in the object, surface, or visual material based on the sensed at least one index of the subject'"'"'s attention; wherein sensing does not elicit a change in the at least one index of the subject'"'"'s attention; wherein the at least one index of the subject'"'"'s attention is eye contact or head and/or face orientation; wherein the hardware sensor comprises; (i) a digital imaging source for obtaining alternating odd and even video frames of at least one of the subject'"'"'s pupils; (ii) a subtractor that subtracts the alternating odd and even video frames to produce a subtracted frame; (iii) a detector that detects the at least one pupil and a glint in the subtracted frame; and (iv) a processor that determines alignment of the at least one pupil and the glint and whether a frame was illuminated by on-axis or off-axis illumination including determining whether a pixel is classified as non-zero or zero; wherein an odd or even video frame was illuminated by on-axis or off-axis illumination; wherein alignment of the at least one pupil and the glint confirms eye contact of the subject and is related to the subject'"'"'s response and/or interest toward the object, surface, or visual material. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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Specification