Electrooculographical control for a mobile device
View Patent ↗A device and computer-readable media are provided for controlling a mobile device by eye movement. Namely, embodiments of the present invention rely on electrooculographical and blink-sensing techniques to detect eye movement, where the eye movement can indicate that a user wishes to perform an action on a mobile device. The mobile device may be a cell phone, a portable digital assistant, or some other communications device. This invention is primarily directed for use by people who have physical impairments preventing them from operating mobile devices in a traditional way.
1. An electrooculographical control device for operating a mobile device, the device comprising:
a plurality of electrooculographical sensors that, when positioned around an eye, detect eye movement, wherein said eye movement indicates a desired action to be performed on said mobile device;
a first processor, coupled to said sensors, that encodes said eye movement into a set of signals;
a transmitter that is operable to communicate said set of signals; and
a receiver that receives said set of signals and that converts them into commands for controlling said mobile device.
2. The device of claim 1 further comprising:
at least one blink sensor that, when positioned in close proximity to said eye, detects eye blinks, wherein said eye blinks indicate a desired action to be performed on said mobile device.
3. The device of claim 1 , wherein a first electrooculographical sensor is placed in an interior position relative to said eye, a second electrooculographical sensor is placed in an inferior position relative to said eye, a third electrooculographical sensor is placed in a superior position relative to said eye, and a fourth electrooculographical sensor is placed in an exterior position relative to said eye.
4. The device of claim 1 , wherein said plurality of electrooculographical sensors are affixed to an eyewear frame.
5. The device of claim 1 , wherein said plurality of electrooculographical sensors are affixed to a removable frame that may be clipped on to an eyewear frame.
6. The device of claim 1 , wherein said transmitter is wireless.
7. The device of claim 1 , wherein said receiver is coupled to said mobile device.
8. The device of claim 1 , wherein said receiver is coupled to a host computer, which is coupled to said mobile device.
9. The device of claim 8 , wherein said host computer presents a display that indicates a current state of said mobile device.
10. The device of claim 1 , wherein said first processor is worn on a belt.
11. The device of claim 1 , wherein said first processor is affixed to a wheelchair.
12. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media having computer-useable instructions embodied thereon for performing a method of controlling a mobile device by eye movement, the method comprising:
detecting said eye movement from a plurality of electrooculographical sensors, wherein said eye movement indicates a desired action to be performed by said mobile device;
converting said eye movement into a set of signals;
communicating said set of signals to a receiver;
receiving said set of signals and converting them into a set of mobile-device commands; and
communicating said set of mobile device commands to said mobile device.
13. The media of claim 12 , wherein the communication of said set of signals is wireless.
14. The media of claim 12 , wherein the communication of said set of commands is wireless.
15. The media of claim 12 further comprising:
receiving an acknowledgement from said mobile device indicating that said desired action was performed.
16. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media having computer-useable instructions embodied thereon for performing a method of controlling a mobile device by eye movement, the method comprising:
presenting a display that indicates a current state of said mobile device;
receiving a set of signals from a plurality of electrooculographical sensors, wherein said set of signals represents a user's eye movement, which indicates a desired action to be performed by said mobile device;
generating input commands, which implement said action based on said set of signals;
communicating said input commands to said mobile device;
receiving an acknowledgement from said mobile device indicating that said desired action was performed; and
updating said display that indicates that said mobile device performed said action.
17. The media of claim 16 , wherein said set of signals also includes signals generated by at least one blink sensor.
18. The media of claim 16 , wherein the communicating of said input commands is wireless.
19. The media of claim 16 , further comprising:
generating an acknowledgement indicating that said mobile device performed said action; and
communicating said acknowledgement.
20. The media of claim 16 , wherein said acknowledgement from said mobile device is reacting to said input commands normally to perform said desired action.