Attention-based rendering and fidelity

Abstract

Methods and systems for attention-based rendering on an entertainment system are provided. A tracking device captures data associated with a user, which is used to determine that a user has reacted (e.g., visually or emotionally) to a particular part of the screen. The processing power is increased in this part of the screen, which increases detail and fidelity of the graphics and/or updating speed. The processing power in the areas of the screen that the user is not paying attention to is decreased and diverted from those areas, resulting in decreased detail and fidelity of the graphics and/or decreased updating speed.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for updating displayed content, the method comprising:
 identifying a gaze direction of a user while an eye of the user is focused on displayed content in a display based on data received by an optical sensor, the gaze direction corresponding to a first location within the display;   tracking movement of the eye of the user to a second location within the display based on changes in the identified gaze direction of the user;   detecting that the user has indicated an instruction while the gaze direction corresponds to the second location; and   updating at least the displayed content at the second location according to the instruction indicated by the user.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein detecting that the user has indicated the instruction comprises receiving vocal input from the user, wherein updating the displayed content is based on the vocal input. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising increasing processing power to render an object at the second location with greater detail or speed. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising decreasing processing power used to render displayed content at another location within the display, wherein the displayed content at the other location is rendered with less detail than the displayed content at the second location. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein detecting that the user has indicated the instruction is based on acceleration data detected by an accelerometer of a control device; and identifying the indicated instruction includes identifying a position of the control device in three dimensional (3D) space based on the acceleration sensor data. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein detecting that the user has indicated the instruction is further based on infrared sensor data detected by an infrared sensor, wherein identifying the position of the control device in 3D space is further based on the received infrared sensor data. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein detecting that the user has indicated the instruction is based on movement data detected by a sensor. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein detecting that the user has indicated the instruction is based on facial recognition data detected by a camera. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein detecting that the user has indicated the instruction includes identifying that the user has performed a gesture. 
     
     
         10 . An apparatus for updating displayed content, the apparatus comprising:
 a display device that displays content; and   one or more sensors that:
 receive data identify a gaze direction of a user while an eye of the user is focused on the displayed content, the gaze direction corresponding to a first location within the display, 
 track movement of the eye of the user to a second location within the display based on changes in the identified gaze direction of the user; and 
 detect that the user has indicated an instruction while the gaze direction corresponds to the second location, wherein the display device updates at least the displayed content at the second location according to the instruction indicated by the user. 
   
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the sensors include a microphone that detects that the user has indicated the instruction by receiving vocal input from the user, wherein the display device updates the displayed content based on the vocal input. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 10 , further comprising a processor that increases processing power to render an object at the second location with greater detail or speed. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 10 , further comprising a processor that decreases processing power used to render displayed content at another location within the display, wherein the displayed content at the other location is rendered with less detail than the displayed content at the second location. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the sensors include an accelerometer of a control device that detects that the user has indicated the instruction by detecting acceleration data and that further identifies the indicated instruction by identifying a position of the control device in three dimensional (3D) space based on the acceleration sensor data. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 3 , wherein the sensors include an infrared sensor that detects that the user has indicated the instruction by detecting infrared sensor data and that further identifies the position of the control device in 3D space based on the received infrared sensor data. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the sensors detect that the user has indicated the instruction is based on detected movement data. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the sensors include a camera that detects that the user has indicated the instruction based on facial recognition data. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the sensors include a camera that detects that the user has indicated the instruction by identifying that the user has performed a gesture. 
     
     
         19 . A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, having embodied thereon a program executable by a processor to perform a method for updating displayed content, the method comprising:
 identifying a gaze direction of a user while an eye of the user is focused on displayed content in a display based on data received by an optical sensor, the gaze direction corresponding to a first location within the display;   tracking movement of the eye of the user to a second location within the display based on changes in the identified gaze direction of the user;   detecting that the user has indicated an instruction while the gaze direction corresponds to the second location; and   updating at least the displayed content at the second location according to the instruction indicated by the user.