IP Library › Granted Patent US 12681571
Granted Patent B2
US 12681571 · App. 19/074,854 · Granted Jul 14, 2026

Eye-gaze based biofeedback

Inventors: Grant H. Mulliken (Los Gatos, CA); Christine Godwin (Sunnyvale, CA); Izzet B. Yildiz (Sunnyvale, CA); Sterling R. Crispin (Santa Cruz, CA)
Assignee: Apple Inc.
G06F3/013G06F3/015G06T19/006
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12681571
App. No.
19/074,854
Granted
Jul 14, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

Various implementations disclosed herein include devices, systems, and methods that determine an attentive state of a user during an experience (e.g., visual and/or auditory content that could include real-world physical environment, virtual content, or a combination of each) based on the user's gaze characteristic(s) to enhance the experience. For example, an example process may include obtaining physiological data associated with a gaze of a user during an experience, determine a gaze characteristic during a segment of the experience based on the obtained physiological data, and determine that the user has a first attentive state during the segment of the experience based on classifying the gaze characteristic of the user during the segment of the experience.

Claims (36)

1 . A method comprising:

at a device comprising a processor:

obtaining physiological data associated with a gaze while presenting content to a user during a first period of time;

determining gaze characteristics for the first period of time based on the obtained physiological data;

determining that the user has a first attentive state during the first period of time based on classifying the gaze characteristics, wherein the first attentive state comprises a mind wandering state that includes a different stability of the gaze characteristics compared to a focused state, wherein the mind wandering state corresponds to a decrease in eye gaze stability or an increase in eye gaze velocity compared to the focused state; and

in response to determining that the first attentive state differs from a second attentive state intended for the content presented during the first period of time based on exceeding a threshold, presenting feedback content for a second period of time that directs the user to modify a physiological action associated with the first attentive state.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the second attentive state intended for the content comprises the focused state.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein presenting the feedback content for the second period of time comprises presenting guided and supportive instructions to direct the user to the second attentive state intended for the content.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the content is a meditation experience.

5 . The method of claim 4 , wherein presenting the feedback content for the second period of time comprises presenting real-time feedback on a meditation performance of the user during the meditation experience.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the feedback content is selected based on a customization experience setting associated with the user.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the threshold associated with the mind wandering state for the first period of time is customized based on a prior experience.

8 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

identifying second content based on similarity of the second content to the content; and

providing a recommendation of the second content to the user based on determining that the user has the first attentive state.

9 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising adjusting the content in response to determining that the first attentive state differs from a second attentive state intended for the content.

10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the gaze characteristics for the first period of time based on the obtained physiological data comprises determining a variability of the gaze characteristic during the first period of time.

11 . The method of claim 10 , wherein determining the variability of the gaze characteristic during the first period of time comprises a measurement of at least one of a range, a variance, and a standard deviation of the gaze characteristic over the first period of time.

12 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the variability of the gaze characteristic is classified during the first period of time based on comparing the variability of the gaze characteristic to a threshold.

13 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the gaze characteristics comprises at least one of a direction of the gaze, a velocity of the gaze, and a gaze fixation.

14 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the gaze characteristics are derived from a saccade characteristic.

15 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the physiological data comprises an image of an eye or electrooculography (EOG) data.

16 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the device is a head-mounted device (HMD).

17 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the content is presented in an extended reality (XR) environment.

18 . A device comprising:

a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium; and

one or more processors coupled to the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, wherein the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprises program instructions that, when executed on the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:

obtaining physiological data associated with a gaze while presenting content to a user during a first period of time;

determining gaze characteristics for the first period of time based on the obtained physiological data;

determining that the user has a first attentive state during the first period of time based on classifying the gaze characteristics, wherein the first attentive state comprises a mind wandering state that includes a different stability of the gaze characteristics compared to a focused state, wherein the mind wandering state corresponds to a decrease in eye gaze stability or an increase in eye gaze velocity compared to the focused state; and

in response to determining that the first attentive state differs from a second attentive state intended for the content presented during the first period of time based on exceeding a threshold, presenting feedback content for a second period of time that directs the user to modify a physiological action associated with the first attentive state.

19 . A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, storing program instructions executable via one or more processors to perform operations comprising:

obtaining physiological data associated with a gaze while presenting content to a user during a first period of time;

determining gaze characteristics for the first period of time based on the obtained physiological data;

determining that the user has a first attentive state during the first period of time based on classifying the gaze characteristics, wherein the first attentive state comprises a mind wandering state that includes a different stability of the gaze characteristics compared to a focused state, wherein the mind wandering state corresponds to a decrease in eye gaze stability or an increase in eye gaze velocity compared to the focused state; and

in response to determining that the first attentive state differs from a second attentive state intended for the content presented during the first period of time based on exceeding a threshold, presenting feedback content for a second period of time that directs the user to modify a physiological action associated with the first attentive state.