Audio indicators of user attention in AR/VR environment
A method of notifying a user about attention from another user in an augmented reality/virtual reality (AR/VR) system is provided. The method includes displaying a first image on a first electronic display to a first user of the AR/VR system and, upon detecting a gaze of the first user at a second user of the AR/VR system or the second user's avatar in the first image, notifying the second user about the gaze of the first user by changing a parameter of an audio communication channel from the first user to the second user, so as to make the first user more audible to the second user.
1. A method in a wearable display of an AR/VR system, the method comprising:
sounding, using the wearable display, an audio to a second user of the AR/VR system, wherein the audio originated from a first user of the AR/VR system and has a parameter of an audio communication channel from the first user to the second user, wherein the parameter is changed from a first value to a second value, so as to make the first user more audible to the second user, when a processor executing instructions to process eye tracking data of the first user has determined that a vergence of a gaze of the first user is at the second user or an avatar of the second user in an image displayed to the first user.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the parameter is changed from the first value to the second value when the processor executed instructions to determine that eyes of the first user have looked at the second user or the second user's avatar for at least a predefined time interval.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the parameter is changed from the first value to the second value when a direction of the gaze of the first user at the second user or the second user's avatar has been detected.
4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the parameter is changed from the first value to the second value when a pupil dilation of the first user has been detected during the gaze of the first user at the second user or the second user's avatar.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the parameter had the first value before the gaze of the first user.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the parameter is changed from the first value to the second value when at least one of a gaze direction or a gaze vergence of the first user has been determined by the processor at regular time intervals.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the parameter is changed back to the first value when the gaze of the first user has been withdrawn for at least a pre-defined time interval.
8. A non-transitory memory having stored thereon instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to sound, using a wearable display, an audio to a second user of an AR/VR system, wherein the audio originated from a first user of the AR/VR system and has a parameter of an audio communication channel from the first user to the second user, wherein the parameter is changed from a first value to a second value, so as to make the first user more audible to the second user, when a processor executing instructions to process eye tracking data of the first user has determined that a vergence of a gaze of the first user is at the second user or an avatar of the second user in an image displayed to the first user.
9. The non-transitory memory of claim 8 , wherein the parameter is changed from the first value to the second value when the processor executed instructions to determine that eyes of the first user have looked at the second user or the second user's avatar for at least a predefined time interval.
10. The non-transitory memory of claim 8 , wherein the parameter is changed from the first value to the second value when a direction of the gaze of the first user at the second user or the second user's avatar has been detected.
11. The non-transitory memory of claim 10 , wherein the parameter is changed from the first value to the second value when a pupil dilation of the first user has been detected during the gaze of the first user at the second user or the second user's avatar.
12. The non-transitory memory of claim 8 , wherein the parameter had the first value before the gaze of the first user.
13. The non-transitory memory of claim 8 , wherein the parameter is changed from the first value to the second value when at least one of a gaze direction or a gaze vergence of the first user has been determined by the one or more processors at regular time intervals.
14. The non-transitory memory of claim 8 , wherein the parameter is changed back to the first value when the gaze of the first user has been withdrawn for at least a pre-defined time interval.
15. An AR/VR system comprising:
a first wearable display comprising an eye tracking system, a first electronic display for displaying a first image to a first user, and a microphone;
a second wearable display comprising a second electronic display for displaying a second image to a second user, and a speaker; and
a controller communicatively coupled to the first and second wearable displays and configured to establish an audio communication channel from the first user to the second user of the AR/VR system, and to provide data to the first wearable display for displaying the first image, the controller comprising an attention monitor configured to receive data related to eye tracking of the first user from the first wearable display, the controller configured to, upon determining that a vergence of a gaze of the first user is at the second user or an avatar of the second user in an image displayed to the first user, change a parameter of the audio communication channel from a first value to a second value, so as to make the first user more audible to the second user.
16. The AR/VR system of claim 15 , wherein the attention monitor is configured to determine that eyes of the first user look at the second user or the second user's avatar in the first image for at least a predefined time interval.
17. The AR/VR system of claim 15 , wherein the attention monitor is configured to determine a gaze direction of the gaze of the first user.
18. The AR/VR system of claim 17 , wherein the attention monitor is configured to determine a pupil dilation of the first user.
19. The AR/VR system of claim 15 , wherein the parameter comprises at least one of a peak audio frequency, a spectral width of the audio communication channel, or loudness.
20. The AR/VR system of claim 15 , wherein the attention monitor is configured to monitor the gaze of the first user over time, and to change the parameter back to the first value when the gaze of the first user at the second user has been withdrawn for at least a pre-defined time interval.