Visual comfort of binocular and 3D displays

A method is provided for modifying an image. The method comprises displaying an image, the image comprising a portion of an object; and determining if an edge of the object is in a location within the portion. The method further comprises detecting movement, in a member direction, of an operating member with respect to the edge. The method still further comprises moving, if the edge is not in the location, the object in an object direction corresponding to the detected movement; and modifying, if the edge is in the location, the image in response to the detected movement, the modified image comprising the edge in the location.

Information processing apparatus, information processing method and program

A novel approach to three-dimensional (3-D) gaze tracking using 3-D computer vision techniques is proposed in this paper This method employs multiple cameras and multiple point light sources to estimate the optical axis of user's eye without using any user-dependent parameters Thus, it renders the inconvenient system calibration process which may produce possible calibration errors unnecessary A real-time 3-D gaze tracking system has been developed which can provide 30 gaze measurements per second Moreover, a simple and accurate calibration method is proposed to calibrate the gaze tracking system Before using the system, each user only has to stare at a target point for a few (2-3) seconds so that the constant angle between the 3-D line of sight and the optical axis can be estimated The test results of six subjects showed that the gaze tracking system is very promising achieving an average estimation error of under 1/spl deg/

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A novel approach to 3-D gaze tracking using stereo cameras

Changes in six measures of eye activity were assessed as a function of task workload in a target identification memory task. Eleven participants completed four 2-hr blocks of a mock anti-air-warfare task, in which they were required to examine and remember target classifications (friend/enemy) for subsequent prosecution (fire upon/allow to pass), while targets moved steadily toward two centrally located ship icons. Target density served as the task workload variable; between one and nine targets were simultaneously present on the display. For each participant, moving estimates of blink frequency and duration, fixation frequency and dwell time, saccadic extent, and mean pupil diameter, integrated over periods of 10 to 20 s, demonstrated systematic changes as a function of target density. Nonlinear regression analyses found blink frequency, fixation frequency, and pupil diameter to be the most predictive variables relating eye activity to target density. Participant-specific artificial neural network models, developed through training on two or three sessions and subsequently tested on a different session from the same participant, correlated well with actual target density levels (mean R = 0.66). Results indicate that moving mean estimation and artificial neural network techniques enable information from multiple eye measures to be combined to produce reliable near-real-time indicators of workload in some visuospatial tasks. Potential applications include the monitoring of visual activity of system opetators for indications of visual workload and scanning efficiency.

Eye activity correlates of workload during a visuospatial memory task.

This paper describes a computer vision system based on active IR illumination for real-time gaze tracking for interactive graphic display. Unlike most of the existing gaze tracking techniques, which often require assuming a static head to work well and require a cumbersome calibration process for each person, our gaze tracker can perform robust and accurate gaze estimation without calibration and under rather significant head movement. This is made possible by a new gaze calibration procedure that identifies the mapping from pupil parameters to screen coordinates using generalized regression neural networks (GRNNs). With GRNNs, the mapping does not have to be an analytical function and head movement is explicitly accounted for by the gaze mapping function. Furthermore, the mapping function can generalize to other individuals not used in the training. To further improve the gaze estimation accuracy, we employ a hierarchical classification scheme that deals with the classes that tend to be misclassified. This leads to a 10% improvement in classification error. The angular gaze accuracy is about 5° horizontally and 8° vertically. The effectiveness of our gaze tracker is demonstrated by experiments that involve gaze-contingent interactive graphic display.

Eye and gaze tracking for interactive graphic display

In this paper, a new kind of human-computer interface allowing three-dimensional (3-D) visualization of multimedia objects and eye controlled interaction is proposed. In order to explore the advantages and limitations of the concept, a prototype system has been set up. The testbed includes a visual operating system for integrating novel forms of interaction with a 3-D graphic user interface, autostereoscopic (free-viewing) 3-D displays with close adaptation to the mechanisms of binocular vision, and solutions for nonintrusive eye-controlled interaction (video-based head and gaze tracking). The paper reviews the system's key components and outlines various applications implemented for user testing. Preliminary results show that most of the users are impressed by a 3-D graphic user interface and the possibility to communicate with a computer by simply looking at the object of interest. On the other hand, the results emphasize the need for a more intelligent interface agent to avoid misinterpretation of the user's eye-controlled input and to reset undesired activities.

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An experimental multimedia system allowing 3-D visualization and eye-controlled interaction without user-worn devices

The ongoing integration of IT systems is offering computer users a wide range of new (networked) services and the access to an explosively growing host of multimedia information. Consequently, apart from the currently established computer tasks, the access and exchange of information is generally considered as the driving computer application of the next decade. Major advances are required in the development of the human-computer interface, in order to enable end-users with the most varied backgrounds to master the added functionalities of their computers with ease, and to make the use of computers in general an enjoyable experience. Research efforts in computer science are concentrated on user interfaces that support the highly evolved human perception and interaction capabilities better than today's 2D graphic user interfaces with a mouse and keyboard. Thanks to the boosting computing power of general purpose computers, highly interactive interfaces are becoming feasible supporting a variety of input and output modalities. Multimodal interaction not only makes working with a computer more "natural" and "intuitive" but can substantially help to disambiguate the exchange of information in both directions between the user and the computer. Recent approaches aim to create a (virtual) three-dimensional interaction environment where users find a clear arrangement of the media objects, paths and links used, as well as highly responsive tools supporting continuous interaction. The article overviews the current concepts in general and describes an approach developed by the authors in greater detail as a case study of a 3D PC (the mUltimo3D project). This particular approach uses 3D displays which do not require stereo glasses to present a 3D graphic user interface. A newly developed 3D display makes it possible to seamlessly integrate the virtual interaction space into the real working space. Video trackers remotely sensing the user offer new modalities for unencumbered interaction with the displayed objects. Interface agents watch and interpret the user's actions with regard to the task context, fuse the input from different interaction modalities, and organize the visual interaction space accordingly. The concept aims at the vision of a command-free, continuous human-computer interaction. A test bed has been implemented and used for system evaluation with users. First results are reported.

Three-dimensional PC: toward novel forms of human-computer interaction

Die Erfindung betrifft ein Messverfahren, das primar zur Ermittlung der Kopfposition eines Displaynutzers an einem Computerarbeitsplatz dient ('Head Tracking'). Ein bekanntes gattungsgemasses Verfahren baut mit zwei parallel dauerhaft ausgesendeten Infrarotlichtkeulen zwei Lichtschranken auf, die den zugelassenen Aufenthaltsraum an beiden Seiten begrenzen und nur eine Ja/Nein-Aussage uber die Objektposition zulassen. Um jedoch eine absolute Aussage uber die aktuelle Kopfposition mit einer sehr hohen Messgenauigkeit zu erhalten, ohne den Nutzer physiologisch zu belasten, ist bei dem erfindungsgemassen Messverfahren entlang einer virtuellen Ze ile (VL) eine grossere Anzahl N von Sendeorten (EL) vorgesehen, die zeitlich aufeinanderfolgend und zyklisch kurze Infrarotlichtpulse (IRP) aussenden. Dadurch wird ein Infrarotlichtstrahl erzeugt, der standig den Aufenthaltsraum (OA) scannt. Mittels einer bevorzugt identischen Anzahl M von Messorten (ML) wird der aktuelle Intensitatsverlauf durch gewichtete Erfassung der von der Objektoberflache (OS) reflektierten Infrarotlichtpulse (IRPR) gemessen, um daraus den Flachenschwerpunkt (OP) als relevanten Positionsparameter (po) zu errechnen. Eine bevorzugte Vorrichtung ist als kompakte Sensorzeile (SL) mit abwechselnd integrierten Infrarotlichtquellen (IRL) und Fototransistoren (PT) aufgebaut.

Messverfahren zur Ermittlung der Position eines Objektes vor einem Bildschirm und Vorrichtung zur Durchführung des Verfahrens

The invention relates to a measuring method, which is primarily used for determining the head position of a user of a display at a computer work station ('head tracking'). A method known in prior art constructs two light barriers, using two permanently emitted parallel infra-red lobes of light, which delimit the permitted residence zone on both sides and only allow a yes/no statement about the position of the object. However, in order to obtain an absolute statement about the current head position with a high degree of accuracy, without placing a physiological stress on the user, the inventive measuring method is provided with a large number N of emission locations (EL) along a virtual line (VL), said locations emitting cyclic short infra-red light pulses (IRP) in sequence. This generates an infra-red light beam, which continually scans the occupied space (OA). A preferably identical number M of measuring locations (ML) is used to measure the current intensity profile by a weighted recording of the infra-red light pulses (IRPR) reflected by the object surface (OS), in order to calculate the centroid (OP) as a relevant position parameter (po). The inventive device is preferably configured as a compact sensor line (SL) with alternately integrated infra-red light sources (IRL) and phototransistors (PT).

Jin Liu

Papers

An experimental multimedia system allowing 3-D visualization and eye-controlled interaction without user-worn devices

Three-dimensional PC: toward novel forms of human-computer interaction

Messverfahren zur Ermittlung der Position eines Objektes vor einem Bildschirm und Vorrichtung zur Durchführung des Verfahrens

Measuring method for determining the position of an object in front of a screen and a device for carrying out said method

Real-time Head Tracking in a Multimodal Interface with Changes in Geometry and Illumination.