Eye Gaze I/O Controller for Network Device Sharing
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Solution Overview
Problem
In networked systems, there is a need to share input and output devices among interconnected systems, where only one system may have an I/O device, or the device is not user-friendly, necessitating a method to redirect or forward data based on user directives for seamless device sharing.
Innovation Solution
A method involving image capture and processing to determine user directives, such as eye gaze, to redirect input device data or forward output device data across systems, allowing any system in the network to act as the owner of a peripheral device, thereby enabling device sharing through network communication protocols.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If an I/O device is connected to only one system in the network, then the device has a clear owner and simple connection management, but other systems in the network cannot access or use the device
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an I/O controller as an intermediary device between the I/O device and multiple systems. The controller receives commands from any system in the network, determines the appropriate target system based on eye gaze detection, and routes commands accordingly. This mediator enables multi-system access without requiring direct connections between each system and the I/O device, thus improving accessibility while maintaining manageable complexity through centralized control.
Solution Approach 2:
The I/O controller is designed to handle commands from multiple different systems and route them to the appropriate target system. It serves multiple functions: receiving commands from any system, detecting eye gaze to determine intent, identifying the target system, and routing commands appropriately. This multi-functional design allows a single controller to manage device sharing across the entire network, improving versatility without proportionally increasing complexity.
2Ease of operation
If an I/O device of system A is used, then system A has dedicated device control, but the device may not be user-friendly compared to system B's I/O device
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces traditional mechanical or manual device selection methods (such as physical switches, menu navigation, or explicit connection changes) with eye gaze detection. The user simply looks at the desired system's display, and the system automatically detects the gaze direction and redirects commands accordingly. This substitution of mechanical interaction with optical detection significantly improves ease of operation, allowing users to switch between systems with a natural eye movement rather than complex manual procedures.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs automatic system identification and command routing based on eye gaze detection without requiring user intervention. When a user looks at a system's display, the system automatically detects the gaze, identifies the target system, and redirects commands accordingly. This self-service mechanism eliminates the need for users to manually configure connections or navigate complex settings, making the device as user-friendly as possible while minimizing the operational complexity users must manage.
3Ease of operation
If eye gaze detection is implemented to determine user directives, then device sharing becomes seamless and intuitive, but the system requires image capture and processing capabilities
Solution Approach 1:
The system integrates multiple functions into a single integrated platform: image capture from displays, eye gaze detection, target system identification, and command routing. By combining these functions into a unified system, the patent avoids the complexity of separate independent systems for each function. The multi-functional design allows the same hardware and software infrastructure to handle the entire device sharing workflow, making the added complexity manageable while achieving seamless operation.
Data Source
AI summary
A technique for sharing a peripheral device among a group of systems comprises capturing a set of images of a user, and processing the set of images of the user to determine a user directive to designate a first system in the group as an owner of a peripheral device of a second system in the group. If the peripheral device is an input device, the technique further comprises redirecting, responsive to the user directive, from the second system to the first system, data entered using the input device of the second system. If the peripheral device is an output device, the technique further comprises forwarding, responsive to the user directive, from the first system to the second system, data for processing by the output device of the second system. In an embodiment, the user directive is in the form of the user's eye gaze directed at a camera.