Methods and systems for controlling vehicle functions with gaze

A system for gaze-based control of vehicle functions comprising:

• one or more eye contact sensors for monitoring one or both eyes of a user;
• one or more manual input devices;
• and
• one or more processors configured to perform operations including:
• tracking a gaze of a user located within a vehicle;
• identifying a first gaze condition from the one or more eye contact sensors in response to determining that the gaze of the user is directed to a first object of interest in the vehicle for at least a first predetermined dwell-time;
• receiving a first manual input from the one or more manual input devices;
• identifying a display device gaze condition in response to determining that the gaze of the user is directed to a display device in the vehicle for at least a device predetermined dwell-time;
• activating a first command interaction in the display device associated with the first object of interest in response to identifying both the first gaze condition and the display device gaze condition and receiving the first manual input;
• receiving, while the first command interaction is active, a first command associated with the first object of interest from the user;
• and
• initiating a first vehicle function based on the received first command;
• deactivating the first command interaction in response to determining an absence of the first command prior to expiration of a time-out period;
• identifying a pinning gaze condition in response to determining that the gaze of the user is directed to the first object of interest for at least a pinning dwell-time;
• receiving a pinning manual input from the user, the pinning manual input associated with the vehicle;
• and
• adding a pinned representation of a display element associated with the first object of interest in the display device in response to identifying the pinning gaze condition and receiving the pinning manual input.

One or more non-transitory, computer-readable storage media comprising computer-executable instructions, wherein the instructions, when executed, cause one or more processors to perform actions comprising:

• tracking, by a sensor associated with the vehicle, a gaze of a user located within the vehicle;
• identifying a first gaze condition in response to determining that the gaze of the user is directed to a first object of interest in the vehicle for at least a first predetermined dwell-time;
• receiving a first manual input from the user, the first manual input associated with the vehicle;
• identifying a display device gaze condition in response to determining that the gaze of the user is directed to a display device in the vehicle for at least a device predetermined dwell-time;
• activating a first command interaction in the display device associated with the first object of interest in response to identifying both the first gaze condition and the display device gaze condition and receiving the first manual input;
• receiving, while the first command interaction is active, a first command associated with the first object of interest from the user;
• initiating a first vehicle function based on the received first command;
• deactivating the first command interaction in response to determining an absence of the first command prior to expiration of a time-out period;
• identifying a pinning gaze condition in response to determining that the gaze of the user is directed to the first object of interest for at least a pinning dwell-time;
• receiving a pinning manual input from the user, the pinning manual input associated with the vehicle;
• and
• adding a pinned representation of a display element associated with the first object of interest in the display device in response to identifying the pinning gaze condition and receiving the pinning manual input.