Method and apparatus for user interface using gaze interaction

Abstract

A method and apparatus for a user interface using a gaze interaction is disclosed. The method for the user interface using the gaze interaction may include obtaining an image including eyes of a user, estimating a gaze position of the user, using the image including the eyes of the user, and determining whether to activate a gaze adjustment function for controlling a device by a gaze of the user, based on the gaze position of the user with respect to at least one toggle area on a display.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for a user interface using a gaze interaction, the method comprising:
 changing at least one of a position or a shape of at least one internal light source;   obtaining, using a camera, an image including eyes of a user using the at least one changed internal light source included in a display of a device comprising pixels for displaying an image;   estimating, using the obtained image, a gaze position of the user based on the at least one changed internal light source; and   determining, based on the estimated gaze position, an operation of the device.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the determining of the operation of the device comprises:
 unlocking a lock status of the device, based on the gaze position of the user.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the determining of the operation of the device comprises:
 locking an unlock status of the device, based on the gaze position of the user.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the changing comprises:
 changing the at least one of the position or the shape of the at least one internal light source, in response to an occurrence of noise by an external light source.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 removing noise by at least one external light source,   wherein the removing of the noise by the at least one external light source comprises:   separating the at least one changed internal light source and the at least one external light source; and   estimating the gaze position of the user, based on the at least one changed internal light source.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the determining comprises:
 determining whether the gaze position matches at least one toggle area; and   setting the gaze adjustment function to be an activation mode or a deactivation mode, based on a result of the determination.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the determining of whether the gaze position matches the at least one toggle area comprises:
 determining whether the gaze position matches the at least one toggle area, based on at least one of a predetermined period time and a predetermined pattern associated with the at least one toggle area.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 6 , further comprising:
 controlling content of the device based on the gaze position of the user while a mode of the gaze adjustment function of the device is in an activation mode.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 setting at least one vertex area from among a plurality of vertex areas of the display to be the at least one internal light source.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 displaying an icon corresponding to the at least one changed internal light source on the display while a user waits for content to be loaded onto the display.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the determining of the operation of the device comprises:
 locking content of the device when it has been determined that the user has gazed at toggle areas according to the predetermined pattern.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the determining of the operation of the device comprises:
 changing content of the device based on the estimated gaze position and a predetermined rule when an activation mode has been activated.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the predetermined rule comprises scrolling the content of the device downward when the gaze position of the user is estimated as directed towards a bottom portion of the display of the device. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the predetermined rule comprises enlarging the content displayed on a predetermined portion of the display of the device when the gaze position of the user is estimated as directed towards the predetermined portion. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the display presents predetermined area for determining whether to activate or deactivate the gaze adjustment function for the user interface using a gaze interaction. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the determining of the operation of the device comprises:
 determining whether a sequence of gaze positions matches a sequence of toggle areas based on a predetermined pattern.   
     
     
         17 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform the method of  claim 1 . 
     
     
         18 . An apparatus for a user interface using a gaze interaction, the apparatus comprising:
 a display comprising pixels for displaying an image;   a camera;   a processor configured to
 change at least one of a position or a shape of at least one internal light source; 
 obtain, using the camera, an image including eyes of a user using the at least one changed internal light source included in the display; 
 estimate, using the obtained image, a gaze position of the user based on the at least one changed internal light source; and 
 determine, based on the estimated gaze position, an operation of the device. 
   
     
     
         19 . The apparatus of  claim 17 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
 unlock a lock status of the device, based on the gaze position of the user.   
     
     
         20 . The apparatus of  claim 17 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
 lock an unlock status of the device, based on the gaze position of the user.