Gaze-Controlled Dual Cursor Image Scaling on Tablets
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Solution Overview
Problem
Users face difficulty in enlarging or reducing images on a tablet terminal with one hand, as the button required for these operations is not always accessible with the hand holding the device, especially when the terminal is held upright or horizontally.
Innovation Solution
A display device and method that utilize a detecting unit to identify a user's visual line and position on the screen, allowing for image enlargement or reduction by varying the distance between two cursors, and rotation by changing the direction of one cursor relative to the other, enabling single-finger operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a button is used for enlarging or reducing images, then the operation can be performed with one finger, but the button is not necessarily positioned near the finger of the hand holding the tablet terminal, making it inaccessible
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical button-pressing system with an optical detection system. Instead of requiring physical contact with a button, the system uses a camera to detect the user's gaze direction and determines operating positions based on where the user is looking. This substitution eliminates the need for buttons to be within physical reach while maintaining one-finger operation capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces gaze detection as an intermediary between the user's intent and the touch interface. The camera captures the user's line of sight, and the system translates this visual information into touch coordinate positions. This intermediary allows the user to indicate desired screen positions without physically reaching them, solving the accessibility problem across different holding orientations.
2Productivity
If the tablet terminal is held upright or horizontally with one hand, then portability is improved, but the button cannot be pressed by the finger of the one hand holding the tablet
Solution Approach 1:
The system replaces the mechanical requirement of button accessibility with an optical detection mechanism. The camera continuously monitors the user's gaze direction, and the system maps the gaze position to corresponding screen coordinates. This allows users to operate the tablet in any holding orientation without needing to physically reach buttons that may be out of reach.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent adds a new dimension of interaction by incorporating temporal and visual information. Instead of relying solely on spatial positioning of buttons, the system uses the time-based gaze detection to determine user intent. The camera captures gaze direction over time, and the system processes this temporal visual data to identify operating positions, enabling operation regardless of the tablet's physical orientation.
3Ease of operation
If a visual line detection system is implemented, then single-finger operation is enabled, but the system complexity increases due to adding detecting units and control units
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes the camera serve multiple functions: it acts as both the visual line detection device and the positioning sensor. The same camera hardware is used to capture both the user's gaze direction and the screen content, eliminating the need for separate sensors. This multi-functionality reduces overall system complexity despite adding the visual line detection capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the visual line detection function with the existing touch interface control system. The gaze detection results are integrated directly into the touch coordinate processing pipeline, and the control units that process touch inputs are extended to also process gaze-based inputs. This merging approach allows the system to maintain a unified control architecture rather than creating completely separate systems.
Data Source
AI summary
A position of first cursor changes according to a position of thumb. A position of second cursor changes according to a visual line of a user. If a position of first cursor remains unchanged over a predetermined time period, the position of first cursor is fixed. If a distance between first cursor and second cursor has become longer, image G1 on display other than first cursor or second cursor is enlarged. If a distance between first cursor and second cursor has become shorter, image G1 on display other than first cursor or second cursor is reduced.