Gaze-based device interactions for notifications

1 . A method at an electronic device, the method comprising:

causing gaze tracking to be performed in response to display of a notification on a touch-sensitive display of the electronic device while the electronic device is operating in a default mode, wherein, in the default mode, an interaction with the notification is enabled by detecting a touch input on the touch sensitive display within the notification;

determining, within a defined time period starting from the display of the notification, that recent point of gaze locations determined by the gaze tracking fall within a proxy region of the notification, the proxy region being defined to encompass a display area of the notification and extended to cover an area larger than the display area of the notification; and

switching operation of the electronic device to a one-handed mode in response to determining that recent point of gaze locations fall within the proxy region of the notification within the defined time period starting from the display of the notification, wherein, in the one-handed mode, the notification is determined to be an interaction target of the touch input detected anywhere on the touch-sensitive display including outside the notification, and the interaction with the notification is enabled by detecting the touch input anywhere on the touch-sensitive display.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein determining that recent point of gaze locations fall within the proxy region of the notification comprises:

using a sliding window, corresponding to a time window shorter than the defined time period, to define the recent point of gaze locations; and

determining that a threshold amount of point of gaze locations in the sliding window fall within the proxy region of the notification.

3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein determining that recent point of gaze locations fall within the proxy region of the notification comprises:

storing the determined point of gaze location at each timestep in a first-in first-out buffer, the buffer being sized to correspond to the time window of the sliding window; and

determining that a threshold number of point of gaze locations stored in the buffer fall within the proxy region of the notification.

4 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising, during operation of the electronic device in the one-handed mode:

detecting the touch input on the touch-sensitive display outside a display area of the notification; and

processing the touch input as the interaction with the notification.

5 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising, during operation of the electronic device in the one-handed mode:

detecting another touch input on the touch-sensitive display in a display area of the notification; and

switching operation of the electronic device back to the default mode and processing the other touch input as the interaction with the notification.

6 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising, during operation of the electronic device in the one-handed mode:

displaying a one-handed user interface (UI) including at least one of:

a visual indicator indicating a type of touch input for interacting with the notification;

a UI element displayed in a thumb-accessible region of the touch-sensitive display for interacting with the notification;

a visual element indicating operation in the one-handed mode; or

a visual modification of the notification.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the notification is displayed in a thumb-inaccessible region of the touch-sensitive display.

8 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

in response to switching operation of the electronic device to the one-handed mode, terminating gaze tracking.

9 . An electronic device comprising:

a processing unit configured to execute instructions to cause the electronic device to:

cause gaze tracking to be performed in response to display of a notification on a touch-sensitive display of the electronic device while the electronic device is operating in a default mode, wherein, in the default mode, an interaction with the notification is enabled by detecting a touch input on the touch sensitive display within the notification;

determine, within a defined time period starting from the display of the notification, that recent point of gaze locations determined by the gaze tracking fall within a proxy region of the notification, the proxy region being defined to encompass a display area of the notification and extended to cover an area larger than the display area of the notification; and

switching operation of the electronic device to a one-handed mode in response to determining that recent point of gaze locations fall within the proxy region of the notification within the defined time period starting from the display of the notification, wherein, in the one-handed mode, the notification is determined to be an interaction target of the touch input detected anywhere on the touch-sensitive display including outside the notification, and the interaction with the notification is enabled by detecting the touch input anywhere on the touch-sensitive display.

10 . The electronic device of claim 9 , wherein the processing unit is configured to execute the instructions to cause the electronic device to determine that recent point of gaze locations fall within the proxy region of the notification by:

using a sliding window, corresponding to a time window shorter than the defined time period, to define the recent point of gaze locations; and

determining that a threshold amount of point of gaze locations in the sliding window fall within the proxy region of the notification.

11 . The electronic device of claim 10 , wherein the processing unit is configured to execute the instructions to cause the electronic device to determine that recent point of gaze locations fall within the proxy region of the notification by:

storing the determined point of gaze location at each timestep in a first-in first-out buffer, the buffer being sized to correspond to the time window of the sliding window; and

determining that a threshold number of point of gaze locations stored in the buffer fall within the proxy region of the notification.

12 . The electronic device of claim 9 , wherein the processing unit is configured to execute the instructions to cause the electronic device to, during operation of the electronic device in the one-handed mode:

detect the touch input on the touch-sensitive display outside a display area of the notification; and

process the touch input as the interaction with the notification.

13 . The electronic device of claim 9 , wherein the processing unit is configured to execute the instructions to cause the electronic device to, during operation of the electronic device in the one-handed mode:

detect another touch input on the touch-sensitive display in a display area of the notification; and

switch operation of the electronic device back to the default mode and processing the other touch input as the interaction with the notification.

14 . The electronic device of claim 9 , wherein the processing unit is configured to execute the instructions to cause the electronic device to, during operation of the electronic device in the one-handed mode:

display a one-handed user interface (UI) including at least one of:

a visual indicator indicating a type of touch input for interacting with the notification;

a UI element displayed in a thumb-accessible region of the touch-sensitive display for interacting with the notification;

a visual element indicating operation in the one-handed mode; or

a visual modification of the notification.

15 . The electronic device of claim 9 , wherein the notification is displayed in a thumb-inaccessible region of the touch-sensitive display.

16 . The electronic device of claim 9 , wherein the processing unit is configured to execute the instructions to cause the electronic device to:

in response to switching operation of the electronic device to the one-handed mode, terminate gaze tracking.

17 . A non-transitory computer readable medium having instructions stored thereon, wherein the instructions are executable by a processing unit of an electronic device to cause the electronic device to:

cause gaze tracking to be performed in response to display of a notification on a touch-sensitive display of the electronic device while the electronic device is operating in a default mode, wherein, in the default mode, an interaction with the notification is enabled by detecting a touch input on the touch sensitive display within the notification;

determine, within a defined time period starting from the display of the notification, that recent point of gaze locations determined by the gaze tracking fall within a proxy region of the notification, the proxy region being defined to encompass a display area of the notification and extended to cover an area larger than the display area of the notification; and

switching operation of the electronic device to a one-handed mode in response to determining that recent point of gaze locations fall within the proxy region of the notification within the defined time period starting from the display of the notification, wherein, in the one-handed mode, the notification is determined to be an interaction target of the touch input detected anywhere on the touch-sensitive display including outside the notification, and the interaction with the notification is enabled by detecting the touch input anywhere on the touch-sensitive display.

18 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 17 , wherein determining that recent point of gaze locations fall within the proxy region of the notification comprises:

using a sliding window, corresponding to a time window shorter than the defined time period, to define the recent point of gaze locations; and

determining that a threshold amount of point of gaze locations in the sliding window fall within the proxy region of the notification.

19 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 18 , wherein determining that recent point of gaze locations fall within the proxy region of the notification comprises:

storing the determined point of gaze location at each timestep in a first-in first-out buffer, the buffer being sized to correspond to the time window of the sliding window; and

determining that a threshold number of point of gaze locations stored in the buffer fall within the proxy region of the notification.

20 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

returning operation of the electronic device to the default mode;

displaying a second notification on the touch-sensitive display of the electronic device while the electronic device is operating in the default mode;

causing gaze tracking to be performed in response to the display of the second notification;

determining, within a second defined time period starting from the display of the second notification, that point of gaze locations determined by the gaze tracking fall outside of the second proxy region of the second notification; and

ending the gaze tracking after expiry of the second defined time period and maintaining operation of the electronic device in the default mode.