Unlocking method for a computing system

• US 8,939,584 B2
• Filed: 07/10/2013
• Issued: 01/27/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Raffle, Hayes Solos, Wong, Adrian, Geiss, Ryan
• Primary Examiner(s): HASAN, MOHAMMED A
• Application Number:
  US13/938,313
• Publication Number:
  US 20130300652A1
• Time in Patent Office: 566 Days
• Field of Search: 351200-246
• US Class Current: 351/209
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 3/113 for determining or recording eye movement
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0178 Eyeglass type eyeglass details G02C
• 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 27/017 Head mounted
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/013 Eye tracking input arrangements G06F3/015 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/19 Sensors therefor

Abstract

Methods and systems for unlocking a screen using eye tracking information are described. A computing system may include a display screen. The computing system may be in a locked mode of operation after a period of inactivity by a user. Locked mode of operation may include a locked screen and reduced functionality of the computing system. The user may attempt to unlock the screen. The computing system may generate a display of a moving object on the display screen of the computing system. An eye tracking system may be coupled to the computing system. The eye tracking system may track eye movement of the user. The computing system may determine that a path associated with the eye movement of the user substantially matches a path associated with the moving object on the display and switch to be in an unlocked mode of operation including unlocking the screen.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving eye-sensing information;

based on the eye-sensing information, determining that a gaze characteristic substantially matches a predetermined gaze characteristic; and

in response to determining that the gaze characteristic substantially matches the predetermined gaze characteristic, causing a computing device to switch from operating in a first mode of operation to operating in a second mode of operation, wherein the second mode of operation comprises a state of increased responsiveness to user-input as compared to the first mode of operation.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the computing device includes a head-mounted display (HMD), and wherein the eye-sensing information is indicative of eye movement with respect to the head-mounted display.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

adjusting the eye-sensing information based on a location of a gaze axis of an eye with respect to a reference axis.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein adjusting the eye-sensing information comprises:

applying a transform to the eye-sensing information, and wherein the transform comprises an offset associated with a shift in the gaze axis with respect to the reference axis.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein adjusting the eye-sensing information comprises:

applying a transform to the eye-sensing information, and wherein the transform comprises a rotational adjustment associated with a rotation in the gaze axis with respect to the reference axis.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the eye-sensing information comprises information indicative of eye-pupil movement, and wherein the gaze characteristic is related to the eye-pupil movement.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the gaze characteristic is related to a period of time during which a gaze is directed at a location on a display device.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein determining that the gaze characteristic substantially matches the predetermined gaze characteristic comprises:

determining that a sequence of eye gazes at one or more objects matches a predetermined sequence.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the one or more objects are displayed on a head-mounted display coupled to the computing device.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein determining that the gaze characteristic substantially matches the predetermined gaze characteristic comprises:

determining that an eye gaze is directed at a predetermined location.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein determining that the gaze characteristic substantially matches the predetermined gaze characteristic comprises:

determining, based on the eye-sensing information, that an eye gaze traces a shape; and

determining that the shape substantially matches a predetermined shape.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating a display of a plurality of objects that appear in sequence over time on a display device,

wherein determining that the gaze characteristic substantially matches the predetermined gaze characteristic comprises determining that an eye gaze is directed at the plurality of objects one object at a time as they appear in sequence on the display device.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein determining that the gaze characteristic substantially matches the predetermined gaze characteristic comprises:

determining, based on the eye-sensing information, that an eye movement is associated with reading a text.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein determining that the gaze characteristic substantially matches the predetermined gaze characteristic comprises:

determining, based on the eye-sensing information, that an eye movement is associated with tracing a path of an object.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the object is displayed on a display device.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving mode information indicating an attempt to change a mode of operation of the computing device from the first mode of operation to the second mode of operation; and

enabling the eye-sensing system based on the mode information.

17. A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon instructions that, when executed by a computing device, cause the computing device to perform functions comprising:

receiving eye-sensing information from an eye-sensing system coupled to the computing device, wherein the computing device is operable to be in a locked mode of operation;

based on the eye-sensing information, determining that a gaze pattern substantially matches a predetermined gaze pattern; and

in response to determining that the gaze pattern substantially matches the predetermined gaze pattern, causing the computing device to operate in an unlocked mode of operation, wherein functionality of the computing device is reduced in the locked mode as compared to the unlocked mode.

18. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein the function of determining that the gaze pattern substantially matches the predetermined gaze pattern comprises:

determining that an eye gaze traces a predetermined path.

19. A system comprising:

a wearable computing device;

a display coupled to the wearable computing device, wherein the display is in a locked mode of operation;

an eye-sensing device in communication with the wearable computing device;

at least one processor coupled to the wearable computing device and the eye-sensing device; and

data storage comprising instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the wearable computing device to perform functions comprising;

receiving eye-sensing information from the eye-sensing device;

based on the eye-sensing information, determining that a gaze characteristic substantially matches a predetermined gaze characteristic; and

in response to determining that the gaze characteristic substantially matches the predetermined gaze characteristic, causing the display to switch from being in the locked mode of operation to an unlocked mode of operation, wherein functionality of the display is increased in the unlocked mode of operation as compared to the locked mode.

20. The system of claim 19, further comprising a sensor coupled to the wearable computing device, wherein the functions further comprise:

receiving mode information indicative of an attempt to change a mode of operation of the wearable computing device; and

enabling, based on the mode information, the eye-sensing device so as to receive the eye-sensing information.