Tobii Ab

Tobii Technology Ab

Anders Olsson

Mårten Skogö

John Mikael Elvesjö

Anders Vennström

Fredrik Lindh

Robert Gavelin

Markus Cederlund

Anders Kaplan

Erland George-Svahn

Simon Gustafsson

Aron Yu

Henrik Björk

Johan Sahlén

Rebecka Lannsjö

David Figgins Henderek

Staffan Wingren

Magnus Carl Olof Sävmarker

Dzenan Dzemidzic

Ida Nilsson

Erik Kenneth Holmgren

John Elvesjö

Mårten SkogÖ

A computer system can be controlled with non-contact inputs through zonal control. In an embodiment, a non-contact input that is an eye-tracking device is used to track the gaze of a user. A computer's display, and beyond, can be separated into a number of discrete zones according to a configuration. Each zone is associated with a computer function. The zones and/or their functions can, but need not, be indicated to the user. The user can perform the various functions by moving gaze towards the zone associated with that function and providing an activation signal of intent. The activation signal of intent can be a contact-required or non-contact action, such as a button press or dwelling gaze, respectively.

Zonal gaze driven interaction

The present invention provides improved methods and systems for assisting a user when interacting with a graphical user interface by combining gaze based input with gesture based user commands. The present invention provide systems, devices and method that enable a user of a computer system without a traditional touch-screen to interact with graphical user interfaces in a touch-screen like manner using a combination of gaze based input and gesture based user commands. Furthermore, the present invention offers a solution for touch-screen like interaction using gaze input and gesture based input as a complement or an alternative to touch-screen interactions with a computer device having a touch-screen, such as for instance in situations where interaction with the regular touch-screen is cumbersome or ergonomically challenging. Further, the present invention provides systems, devices and methods for combined gaze and gesture based interaction with graphical user interfaces to achieve a touchscreen like environment in computer systems without a traditional touchscreen or in computer systems having a touchscreen arranged ergonomically unfavourable for the user or a touchscreen arranged such that it is more comfortable for the user to use gesture and gaze for the interaction than the touchscreen.

System for gaze interaction

A gaze tracking system, leaving a low power mode in response to an activation signal, initial burst of eye pictures in short time by restricting the image area of a sensor, purpose of enabling an increased frame rate. Subsequent eye pictures are captured at le rate. The first gaze point value is computed memorylessly based on the initial burst res and no additional imagery, while subsequent values may be computed recursively to account previous gaze point values or information from previous eye pictures. The restriction of the image area may be guided by a preliminary overview picture captured using the different sensor. From the gaze point values, the system may derive a control signal to a computer device with a visual display.

Fast wake-up in gaze tracking system

Disclosed are various embodiments for automatic scrolling of content displayed on a display device in response to gaze detection. Content may be displayed in a window rendered on a display screen. Gaze detection components may be used to detect that a user is gazing at the displayed content and to determine a gaze point relative to the display screen. At least one applicable scroll zone relative to the display screen and a scroll action associated with each applicable scroll zone may be determined. In response to determining that the gaze point is within a first applicable scroll zone, an associated first scroll action may be initiated. The first scroll action causes the content to scroll within the window until at least one of: expiration of a defined period, determining that a portion of the content scrolls past a defined position within the window, determining that the gaze point is outside of the first scroll zone, and detecting an indicator that the user begins reading the content.

Automatic scrolling based on gaze detection

A method and system for assisting a user when interacting with a graphical user interface combines gaze based input with gesture based user commands. A user of a computer system without a traditional touch-screen can interact with graphical user interfaces in a touch-screen like manner using a combination of gaze based input and gesture based user commands. A solution for touch-screen like interaction uses gaze input and gesture based input as a complement or an alternative to touch-screen interactions with a computer device having a touch-screen. Combined gaze and gesture based interaction with graphical user interfaces can be used to achieve a touchscreen like environment in computer systems without a traditional touchscreen or in computer systems having a touchscreen arranged ergonomically unfavorable for the user or a touchscreen arranged such that it is more comfortable for the user to use gesture and gaze for the interaction than the touchscreen.

The present invention relates to control of a computer system, which includes a data processing unit, a display and an eye tracker adapted to register a user's gaze point with respect to the display. The data processing unit is adapted to present graphical information on the display, which includes feedback data reflecting the user's commands entered into the unit. The data processing unit is adapted to present the feedback data such that during an initial phase, the feedback data is generated based on an absolute position of the gaze point. An imaging device of the system is also adapted to register image data representing movements of a body part of the user and to forward a representation of the image data to the data processing unit. Hence, during a phase subsequent to the initial phase, the data is instead generated based on the image data.

Generation of graphical feedback in a computer system

According to the invention, a method for changing the behavior of computer program elements is disclosed. The method may include determining, with an eye tracking device, a gaze point of a user. The method may also include causing, with a computer system, an interactive event controlled by the computer system to alter its behavior based at least in part on the gaze point of the user.

Systems and methods for changing behavior of computer program elements based on gaze input

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.

Systems and methods for panning a display of a wearable device

A personal computer system provides a gaze-controlled graphical user interface having a bidirectional and a unidirectional interaction mode. In the bidirectional interaction mode, a display shows one or more graphical controls in motion, each being associated with an input operation to an operating system. A gaze tracking system provides gaze point data of a viewer, and a matching module attempts to match a relative gaze movement against a relative movement of one of the graphical controls. The system includes a selector which is preferably controllable by a modality other than gaze. The system initiates a transition from the unidirectional interaction mode to the bidirectional interaction mode in response to an input received at the selector. The display then shows graphical controls in motion in a neighborhood of the current gaze point, as determined based on current gaze data.

Gaze-controlled user interface with multimodal input

A system is disclosed which may include an eye tracking device and a processor. The eye tracking device may be for determining a gaze direction of a user. The processor may be configured to cause a first image to be displayed on a display device. The processor may also be configured to determine a velocity of a saccade by a user based at least in part on the gaze direction. The processor may further be configured to modify the first image to generate a second image based at least in part on the velocity of the saccade. Modifying the first image may include altering an image quality of an area of the first image, and the area may be selected based at least in part on the velocity of the saccade.

Gaze and saccade based graphical manipulation

A method and system for assisting a user when interacting with a graphical user interface combines gaze based input with gesture based user commands. A user of a computer system without a traditional touch-screen can interact with graphical user interfaces in a touch-screen like manner using a combination of gaze based input and gesture based user commands. A solution for touch-screen like interaction uses gaze input and gesture based input as a complement or an alternative to touch-screen interactions with a computer device having a touch-screen. Combined gaze and gesture based interaction with graphical user interfaces can be used to achieve a touch-screen like environment in computer systems without a traditional touchscreen or in computer systems having a touchscreen arranged ergonomically unfavorable for the user or a touchscreen arranged such that it is more comfortable for the user to use gesture and gaze for the interaction than the touchscreen.

A gaze tracking system, leaving a low power mode in response to an activation signal, captures an initial burst of eye pictures in short time by restricting the image area of a sensor, with the purpose of enabling an increased frame rate. Subsequent eye pictures are captured at normal frame rate. The first gaze point value is computed memorylessly based on the initial burst of eye pictures and no additional imagery, while subsequent values may be computed recursively by taking into account previous gaze point values or information from previous eye pictures. The restriction of the image area may be guided by a preliminary overview picture captured using the same or a different sensor. From the gaze point values, the system may derive a control signal to be supplied to a computer device with a visual display.

Growing community of inventors

Stockholm, Sweden

Anders Olsson