Gaze Tracking Input Device for Augmented Reality
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional contact-type input devices, such as keyboards and mice, are inconvenient for use with augmented reality equipment like HMDs due to visual obstruction, and there is a need for an alternative input method for users with physical disabilities.
Innovation Solution
A gaze-tracking input device that uses a display unit to show keys with distinct display and recognition regions, a gaze tracking unit to calculate the user's gaze position, and an input unit to determine input based on sustained gaze within the recognition region, also offering recommendation words for faster input.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If contact type input devices (keyboard, mouse) are used with augmented reality equipment, then input functionality is maintained, but user convenience deteriorates due to visual obstruction and inability to identify keys
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical contact-based input system (keyboard/mouse) with an optical/gaze-based input system. Instead of requiring physical contact with keys, users employ gaze tracking to select characters, eliminating the need for visible physical keys and thus resolving the visual obstruction problem while maintaining input functionality
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a virtual representation of the keyboard as a display interface. The physical keyboard is copied into a visual format where characters are displayed on a screen, and selection is made through gaze tracking. This virtual copy eliminates the need for physical key visibility while preserving the keyboard's input function
2Ease of operation
If gaze tracking is used to replace contact type input devices, then ease of operation improves for users with physical disabilities, but device complexity increases due to additional tracking components
Solution Approach 1:
The patent integrates the gaze tracking input mechanism into existing display devices, making the display serve multiple functions: both visual output and input selection. By making the display universal for both purposes, the system avoids adding separate input hardware, thus reducing overall device complexity while improving accessibility
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces gaze tracking as an intermediary between the user's visual attention and the input selection process. Instead of requiring direct physical contact, the gaze position acts as a mediator to translate visual focus into input commands, simplifying the interaction model for users with physical disabilities
3Measurement precision
If a single display region is used for keys, then display simplicity is maintained, but input accuracy deteriorates due to inability to distinguish between key search and input intentions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments each key's display region into two distinct parts: a display region showing the character and a recognition region for gaze-based input detection. This segmentation allows the system to distinguish between when a user is viewing a key (display region) and when they are selecting it (recognition region), thereby improving input accuracy without requiring a completely complex display system
Data Source
AI summary
An input device includes a display unit for displaying, on a screen, at least one key having a display region and a recognition region, a gaze tracking unit for calculating a gaze position of a user on the screen, and an input unit for determining, when the gaze position exists inside a recognition region of a particular key from among the at least one key, that a corresponding character in a display region of the particular key has been inputted.