Gesture Control System Using Eye and Head Tracking for Intent Detection

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing methods for controlling electronic devices lack effective detection and confirmation of user intention, particularly in hands-free and voice-free interactions, which limits their versatility and accuracy across various applications.

Innovation Solution

The development of methods and systems that utilize eye tracking, head tracking, facial expressions, and other user actions to define, interpret, and communicate user gestures, enabling hands-free and voice-free control through symbolic language representation and Time and Magnitude Bounded (TMB) user actions, modifier actions, and Gesture Wakeup Sequences.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If traditional control methods (remote controls, keyboards, mice) are used, then device control functionality is achieved, but user intention detection accuracy and hands-free operation capability are limited

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveuser intention detection accuracyVSAvoidhands-free operation capability
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces mechanical control systems (remote controls, keyboards, mice) with an optical-based gesture recognition system. The system uses cameras to capture visual data of user gestures and processes this data to determine user intentions, substituting physical mechanical interactions with optical detection and computational analysis.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces an intermediary processing system that acts as a mediator between the user's physical gestures and the electronic device control. The gesture processing system captures gestures, processes them through algorithms, and translates them into device control commands, serving as an intelligent intermediary layer.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Measurement precision

If multiple sensing modalities (eye tracking, head tracking, facial expressions, hand tracking) are integrated, then user intention detection accuracy improves, but system complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveuser intention detection accuracyVSAvoidsystem complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges multiple sensing modalities (eye tracking, head tracking, facial expression recognition, hand tracking) into a unified gesture processing system. These diverse sensing methods are integrated to work together, with each modality contributing different aspects of user intention detection, creating a comprehensive multi-modal recognition system.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent creates a universal gesture processing system that can handle multiple types of gestures and user actions through a single integrated framework. The system is designed to process various gesture types (eye movements, head movements, facial expressions, hand gestures) using common processing algorithms and data structures.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

3Reliability

If gesture recognition processes continuous data from multiple sensors, then user intention detection reliability improves, but processing time and computational resources increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveuser intention detection reliabilityVSAvoidprocessing time
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements preliminary action by performing gesture recognition and intention detection before executing device control commands. The system continuously monitors and processes gesture data in advance, preparing control commands ready for immediate execution when user intentions are clearly identified, reducing latency in the overall control process.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent employs periodic action by processing gesture data at optimized intervals rather than continuously analyzing every data point. The system uses frame sampling and periodic evaluation of gesture sequences to maintain detection reliability while reducing computational burden and processing time.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #19Periodic action

Data Source

PatentUS12158987B2Gesture based user interfaces, apparatuses and systems using eye tracking, head tracking, hand tracking, facial expressions and other user actions
Publication Date: 2024.12.03 PERCEPTIVE DEVICES LLC
  • US12158987B2 patent drawing
  • US12158987B2 patent drawing
  • US12158987B2 patent drawing

AI summary

User interaction concepts, principles and algorithms for gestures involving facial expressions, motion or orientation of body parts, eye gaze, tightening muscles, mental activity, and other user actions are disclosed. User interaction concepts, principles and algorithms for enabling hands-free and voice-free interaction with electronic devices are disclosed. Apparatuses, systems, computer implementable methods, and non-transient computer storage media storing instructions, implementing the disclosed concepts, principles and algorithms are disclosed. Gestures for systems using eye gaze and head tracking that can be used with augmented, mixed or virtual reality, mobile or desktop computing are disclosed. Use of periods of limited activity and consecutive user actions in orthogonal axes is disclosed. Generation of command signals based on start and end triggers is disclosed. Methods for coarse as well as fine modification of objects are disclosed.