Eye-Tracked Display Updates During Saccades and Blinks

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Solution Overview

Problem

Display adjustments in electronic devices can be obtrusive to users if not made carefully, leading to potential disruptions during device operation.

Innovation Solution

Electronic devices with eye monitoring systems detect saccades and blinks to coordinate display adjustments during periods of suppressed visual sensitivity, allowing adjustments to be made unnoticed by the user.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If display adjustments are made during device operation, then display performance and adaptability are improved, but the adjustments become obtrusive to the user

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedisplay adjustment capabilityVSAvoiduser obtrusiveness

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary detection of eye events (saccades and blinks) before making display adjustments. By anticipating the user's visual attention state through eye monitoring, the system prepares and executes adjustments during periods when the user's visual sensitivity is naturally suppressed, thereby avoiding obtrusiveness while maintaining adaptability

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system implements a feedback loop where eye monitoring continuously provides information about user visual state, which then informs timing decisions for display adjustments. This closed-loop control ensures adjustments are made at optimal moments based on real-time user response, reducing perceptibility while preserving display adaptability

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

2Adaptability or versatility

If display adjustments are made frequently, then display adaptability is improved, but power consumption increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedisplay adjustment frequencyVSAvoidpower consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The system uses periodic eye events (blinks and saccades) as natural timing opportunities for display adjustments. By synchronizing adjustments with these periodic physiological events rather than using continuous or arbitrary timing, the system achieves necessary display adaptability while minimizing overall adjustment frequency and associated power consumption

Inventive Principle:

Principle #19Periodic action

Data Source

PatentUS12625550B2Electronic devices with display operation based on eye activity

Publication Date: 2026.05.12 APPLE INC

AI summary

An electronic device may have a display for displaying image content. Head-mounted support structures in the device may be used to support the display. The electronic device may have an eye monitoring system that detects eye saccades and eye blinks. Control circuitry in the electronic device may coordinate operation of the display with periods of suppressed visual sensitivity that are associated with the saccades and blinks. By making adjustments to display circuitry and image content during periods of suppressed visual sensitivity, potentially visually obtrusive changes to displayed images can be hidden from a user of the electronic device. Adjustments to display operation may help reduce burn-in effects, may help reduce power consumption, and may otherwise improve device performance.