Imaging Method

Abstract

A wearable computing device or a head-mounted display (HMD) may be configured to track the gaze axis of an eye of the wearer. In particular, the device may be configured to observe movement of a wearer's pupil and, based on the movement, determine inputs to a user interface. For example, using eye gaze detection, the HMD may change a tracking rate of a displayed virtual image based on where the user is looking. Gazing at the center of the HMD field of view may, for instance, allow for fine movements of the virtual display. Gazing near an edge of the HMD field of view may provide coarser movements.

1 - 20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . A method comprising:
 detecting a change in orientation of a head-mountable display (HMD) in a particular direction;   detecting a gaze axis that does not move in the particular direction, wherein the gaze axis corresponds to an eye of a wearer of the HMD; and   in response to detecting the gaze axis that does not move in the particular direction, causing images displayed by the HMD to remain stationary within a field of view of the wearer.   
     
     
         22 . The method of claim  1 , wherein the change in orientation is detected via a gyroscope of the HMD. 
     
     
         23 . The method of claim  1 , wherein the change in orientation is detected via an accelerometer of the HMD. 
     
     
         24 . The method of claim  1 , wherein the gaze axis that does not move in the particular direction is detected by capturing an image of a pupil of the eye of the wearer. 
     
     
         25 . The method of claim  4 , wherein the gaze axis that does not move in the particular direction is detected by comparing the captured image to one or more images of the pupil captured during a calibration procedure. 
     
     
         26 . The method of claim  1 , wherein the change in orientation of the HMD in the particular direction is detected substantially simultaneously with the detecting of the gaze axis that does not move in the particular direction. 
     
     
         27 . A head-mountable display (HMD) comprising:
 a processor; and   a non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the HMD to perform functions comprising:
 detecting a change in orientation of the HMD in a particular direction; 
 detecting a gaze axis that does not move in the particular direction, wherein the gaze axis corresponds to an eye of a wearer of the HMD; and 
 in response to detecting the gaze axis that does not move in the particular direction, causing images displayed by the HMD to remain stationary within a field of view of the wearer. 
   
     
     
         28 . The HMD of claim  7 , further comprising a gyroscope, wherein the change in orientation is detected via the gyroscope. 
     
     
         29 . The HMD of claim  7 , further comprising an accelerometer, wherein the change in orientation is detected via the accelerometer. 
     
     
         30 . The HMD of claim  7 , further comprising a camera, wherein the gaze axis that does not move in the particular direction is detected via the camera capturing an image of a pupil of the wearer. 
     
     
         31 . The HMD of claim  10 , wherein the gaze axis that does not move in the particular direction is detected by comparing the captured image to one or more images of the pupil captured by the camera during a calibration procedure. 
     
     
         32 . The HMD of claim  7 , wherein the images displayed by the HMD comprise menu icons. 
     
     
         33 . The HMD of claim  7 , wherein the change in orientation of the HMD in the particular direction is detected substantially simultaneously with the detecting of the gaze axis that does not move in the particular direction. 
     
     
         34 . A method comprising:
 detecting a change in orientation of a head-mountable display (HMD) in a particular direction;   detecting movement of a gaze axis in the particular direction, wherein the gaze axis corresponds to an eye of a wearer of the HMD; and   in response to both detecting the change in orientation and detecting the movement of the gaze axis, causing images displayed by the HMD to move, within a field of view of the wearer, in a direction that is opposite the particular direction.   
     
     
         35 . The method of claim  14 , wherein the change in orientation is detected via a gyroscope of the HMD. 
     
     
         36 . The method of claim  14 , wherein the change in orientation is detected via an accelerometer of the HMD. 
     
     
         37 . The method of claim  14 , wherein the movement of the gaze axis in the particular direction is detected by capturing an image of the pupil. 
     
     
         38 . The method of claim  17 , wherein the movement of the gaze axis in the particular direction is detected by comparing the captured image to one or more images of the pupil captured during a calibration procedure. 
     
     
         39 . The method of claim  14 , wherein the images displayed by the HMD comprise menu icons. 
     
     
         40 . The method of claim  14 , wherein the change in orientation of the HMD in the particular direction is detected substantially simultaneously with detecting the movement of the gaze axis in the particular direction.