Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system – Image superposition by optical means
Reexamination Certificate
1998-03-31
2001-03-20
Hjerpe, Richard A. (Department: 2774)
Computer graphics processing and selective visual display system
Image superposition by optical means
C345S008000, C345S156000, C345S157000, C345S158000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06204828
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to video cursor positioning systems. More particularly, the invention concerns a system for positioning a cursor on a video screen, in which pointing time and operator fatigue are reduced by integrating eye gaze tracking and manual operator input.
2. Description of the Related Art
In human-computer interaction, one of the most basic elements involves selecting a target using a pointing device. Target selection is involved in opening a file with a mouse “click”, activating a world wide web link, selecting a menu item, redefining a typing or drawing insertion position, and other such operations. Engineers and scientists have developed many different approaches to target selection. One of the most popular target selection devices is the computer mouse. Although computer mouses are practically essential with today's computers, intense use can cause fatigue and repetitive motion injury.
Despite these limitations, further improvement of mouse-activated target selection systems has been difficult. One interesting idea for possible improvement uses eye gaze tracking instead of mouse input. There are several known techniques for monitoring eye gaze. One approach senses the electrical impulses of eye muscles to determine eye gaze. Another approach magnetically senses the position of special user-worn contact lenses having tiny magnetic coils. Still another technique, called “corneal reflection”, calculates eye gaze by projecting an invisible beam of light toward the eye, and monitoring the angular difference between pupil position and reflection of the light beam.
With these types of gaze tracking systems, the cursor is positioned on a video screen according to the calculated gaze of the computer operator. A number of different techniques have been developed to select a target in these systems. In one example, the system selects a target when it detects the operator fixating at the target for a certain time. Another way to select a target is when the operator's eye blinks. One problem with these systems is that humans use their the eyes naturally as perceptive, not manipulative, body parts. Eye movement is often outside conscious thought, and it can be stressful to carefully guide eye movement as required to accurately use these target selection systems. For many operators, controlling blinking or staring can be difficult, and may lead to inadvertent and erroneous target selection. Thus, although eye gaze is theoretically faster than any other body part, the need to use unnatural selection (e.g., by blinking or staring) limits the speed advantage of gaze controlled pointing over manual pointing.
Another limitation of the foregoing systems is the difficulty in making accurate and reliable eye tracking systems. Only relatively large targets can be selected by gaze controlling pointing techniques, because of eye jitter and other inherent difficulties in precisely monitoring eye gaze.
Consequently, known gaze-based target selection systems are not adequate for some applications due to certain unsolved problems.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Broadly, the present invention concerns a system for positioning a cursor on a video screen, where eye gaze information and manual operator input are integrated to reduce pointing time and associated operator fatigue. With the invention, pointing and target selection are perceived as a manual task, but they are aided with gaze tracking. Gaze aided tracking is used to dynamically redefine a home position of the pointing cursor in the vicinity of the target of interest, to reduce the subsequent movement distance needed to manually select the target.
A gaze tracking apparatus monitors eye orientation of a computer operator as the operator views a video screen. Concurrently, the computer monitors an operator input device for activation by the operator. The manual operator input device comprises a mechanically activated device, such as a mouse, keyboard, isometric pointing transducer, trackball, and the like. According to the operator's eye orientation, the computer measures the point of the operator's gaze, called “gaze position.” The computer also calculates a region of video screen surrounding the operator's gaze position. This region, for example, may be a circle that is calculated to include the operator's “actual gaze point” (as opposed to measured gaze position) with a certain probability.
When the computer detects mechanical activation of the operator input device, it determines an “initial display position” within the gaze area, at which to display the cursor. As one example, the initial display position may be a predetermined location with respect to the gaze area, such as a point on the bottom or top of the gaze area periphery. A different approach is to determine an initial direction of motion from the activation of the input device, and then set the initial display position on the opposite side of the gaze area from this motion. Therefore, continued movement of the input device in the same direction will direct the cursor to the measured gaze position, providing a seamless transition from gaze to manual input.
After displaying the cursor on the video screen at the initial display position, the cursor is thereafter positioned manually according to the operator's use of the input device. If the input device becomes inactive for a prescribed time, and is thereafter reactivated, the computer determines the difference between the cursor's position when inactivity began and the operator's present gaze position. If this difference is small, the cursor continues to appear where it was left when the input device became inactive. However, if there is a large difference, a new initial display position is calculated, considering gaze area and input device movement as mentioned above, and the cursor is repositioned there.
Accordingly, in one embodiment, the invention may be implemented to provide a computer-driven method to position a cursor on a video screen, where eye gaze information and manual operator input are integrated to reduce pointing time and associated operator fatigue. In another embodiment, the invention may be implemented to provide an apparatus, such as a digital processing apparatus, configured to position a cursor on a video screen, where eye gaze information and manual operator input are integrated to reduce pointing time and associated operator fatigue. In still another embodiment, the invention may be implemented to provide a signal-bearing medium tangibly embodying a program of machine-readable instructions executable by a digital data processing apparatus to perform method steps for positioning a cursor on a video screen, where eye gaze information and manual operator input are integrated to reduce pointing time and associated operator fatigue.
The invention affords its users with a number of distinct advantages. Generally, the invention enables computer users to select video screen targets more quickly than with a manual pointing device alone. Since the user's target of interest is always inside the gaze area, and the cursor is initially presented near the gaze area, the user does not have to move the cursor over large distances of the computer screen. Advantageously, the pointing cursor always appears near where it needs to be. The faster speed and use of gaze helps reduces an operator's reliance on a computer mouse and keyboard, helping to avoid fatigue and possible repetitive motion injuries. In addition, the integration of gaze and manual input is seamless and therefore especially convenient to the operator. The invention also provides a number of other advantages and benefits, which should be apparent from the following description of the invention.
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Amir Arnon
Flickner Myron Dale
Ihde Steven Carlyle
Zhai Shumin
Dan Hubert & Assoc.
Hjerpe Richard A.
International Business Machines - Corporation
Tran Henry N.
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