US 9,311,718 B2Granted

Automated content scrolling

AssigneeMicrosoft Technology Licensing, LLC

InventorsMichael J. Scavezze, Adam G. Poulos, Johnathan Robert Bevis, Nicholas Gervase Fajt, Cameron G. Brown, Daniel J. McCulloch, Jeremy Lee

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Abstract

Methods for controlling the display of content as the content is being viewed by an end user of a head-mounted display device (HMD) are described. In some embodiments, an HMD may display the content using a virtual content reader for reading the content. The content may comprise text and/or images, such as text or images associated with an electronic book, an electronic magazine, a word processing document, a webpage, or an email. The virtual content reader may provide automated content scrolling based on a rate at which the end user reads a portion of the displayed content on the virtual content reader. In one embodiment, an HMD may combine automatic scrolling of content displayed on the virtual content reader with user controlled scrolling (e.g., via head tracking of the end user of the HMD).

Claims20

Dependent claims

An electronic device for displaying content, comprising:

a see-through display configured to display a virtual content reader to an end user of the electronic device;
and
one or more processors configured to cause a first portion of the content to be displayed within a first region of the virtual content reader and cause the first portion of the content to scroll in response to detecting that the end user has viewed at least a subset of the first portion of the content, the one or more processors configured to enable eye tracking of the end user of the electronic device and detect that the end user has gazed at a second region of the virtual content reader different from the first region for at least a first period of time based on the eye tracking, the one or more processors configured to enable head tracking of the end user of the electronic device in response to detecting that the end user of the electronic device has gazed at the second region of the virtual content reader for at least the first period of time and disable scrolling of the first portion of the content in response to detecting that the end user gazed at the second region, the one or more processors configured to detect a selection of a bookmark based on one or more head movements of the end user subsequent to enabling the head tracking of the end user of the electronic device, the bookmark corresponds with a section of the content that the end user focused on for at least a particular period of time, the one or more processors configured to cause a second portion of the content corresponding with the section of the content to be displayed in response to detecting the selection of the bookmark and cause the second portion of the content to scroll in response to detecting that the end user has viewed at least a subset of the second portion of the content.

A method, comprising:

generating an augmented reality environment using a head-mounted display device, the augmented reality environment includes a virtual content reader;
acquiring content using the head-mounted display device;
displaying a first portion of the content within a first region of the virtual content reader;
scrolling the first portion of the content in response to detecting that an end user of the head-mounted display device has viewed at least a subset of the first portion of the content;
enabling eye tracking of the end user of the head-mounted display device;
detecting that the end user of the head-mounted display device has gazed at a second region of the virtual content reader different from the first region for at least a first period of time based on the eye tracking of the end user of the head-mounted display device;
enabling head tracking of the end user of the head-mounted display device in response to detecting that the end user of the head-mounted display device has gazed at the second region of the virtual content reader for at least the first period of time;
disabling the scrolling the first portion of the content in response to detecting that the end user of the head-mounted display device has gazed at the second region of the virtual content reader for at least the first period of time;
generating a bookmark corresponding with a section of the content that the end user focused on for the longest period of time over all sections of the content;
detecting a selection of the bookmark based on one or more head movements of the end user of the head-mounted display device subsequent to enabling the head tracking of the end user of the head-mounted display device;
displaying a second portion of the content corresponding with the section of the content in response to detecting the selection of the bookmark;
and
scrolling the second portion of the content in response to detecting that the end user of the head-mounted display device has viewed at least a subset of the second portion of the content.

10 more elements

One or more storage devices containing processor readable code for programming one or more processors to perform a method for displaying content using a head-mounted display device comprising the steps of:

displaying a virtual content reader to the end user of the head-mounted display device;
displaying a first portion of the content within a first region of the virtual content reader;
scrolling the first portion of the content in response to detecting that the end user has viewed at least a subset of the first portion of the content;
enabling eye tracking of the end user of the head-mounted display device;
detecting that the end user of the head-mounted display device has gazed at a second region of the virtual content reader different from the first region for at least a first period of time based on the eye tracking of the end user of the head-mounted display device;
enabling head tracking of the end user of the head-mounted display device in response to detecting that the end user of the head-mounted display device has gazed at the second region of the virtual content reader for at least the first period of time;
disabling the scrolling the first portion of the content in response to detecting that the end user of the head-mounted display device has gazed at the second region of the virtual content reader for at least the first period of time;
detecting a selection of a bookmark based on one or more head movements of the end user of the head-mounted display device subsequent to enabling the head tracking of the end user of the head-mounted display device, the bookmark corresponds with a section of the content that the end user focused on for the longest period of time over all sections of the content;
displaying a second portion of the content corresponding with the section of the content in response to detecting the selection of the bookmark;
and
scrolling the second portion of the content in response to detecting that the end user of the head-mounted display device has viewed at least a subset of the second portion of the content.

8 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 14/161,693Filed 23 Jan 2014
Published: US 2015/0206321 A123 Jul 2015
Granted: 12 Apr 2016
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification17 codes

G06F 3/012
Arrangements for interaction with the human body, e.g. for user immersion in virtual reality: head tracking input arrangements
G02B 27/0172
Head mounted: characterised by optical features
G06F 3/013
Arrangements for interaction with the human body, e.g. for user immersion in virtual reality: eye tracking input arrangements
G06F 3/0485
For the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a…:…