Information processing apparatus and information processing method

Abstract

There is provided an information processing apparatus including a line-of-sight position acquisition unit configured to acquire a line-of-sight position of a user, a state control unit configured to perform a transition to an active state in response to a first operation performed by the user, the active state being capable of selecting an object by the user through a line of sight of the user, and a processing unit configured to determine an object corresponding to the acquired line-of-sight position as a selected object in response to a second operation performed by the user subsequent to the first operation.

1 . An information processing apparatus comprising:
 at least one processor configured to:
 acquire, from at least one of a first sensor or an operating device, a hand input of a user; 
 determine whether the hand input is being acquired from the at least one of the first sensor or the operating device; 
 control, based on determination that the hand input is being acquired from the at least one of the first sensor or the operating device, a display device to cause a first object to transition from an inactive state to an active state; 
 control, based on determination that the hand input is not being acquired from the at least one of the first sensor or the operating device, the display device to cause the first object to transition from the active state to the inactive state, 
 acquire, from a second sensor, a position of a line-of-sight input of the user while the hand input is being acquired from the at least one of the first sensor or the operating device; 
 perform, based on the acquired position of the line-of-sight input, a process related to the first object when the first object is caused to transition from the active state to the inactive state based on determination that the hand input is not being acquired from the at least one of the first sensor or the operating device. 
   
     
     
         2 . The information processing apparatus according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the operating device includes at least one of a button or a switch,   wherein the at least one processor is configured to acquire the hand input of the user in response to a control signal corresponding to the operated button or the operated switch.   
     
     
         3 . The information processing apparatus according to  claim 2 ,
 wherein the at least one processor is configured to:
 control, based on determination that the control signal being issued by the operating device, the display device to cause the first object to transition from the inactive state to the active state; 
 control, based on determination that the control signal is not being issued by the operating device, the display device to cause the first object to transition from the active state to the inactive state. 
   
     
     
         4 . The information processing apparatus according to  claim 3 ,
 wherein the operating device is configured to issue the control signal corresponding to the button or the switch that is being pressed by the user.   
     
     
         5 . The information processing apparatus according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the first sensor includes at least one of a proximity sensor or a touch sensor, and   wherein the at least one processor is configured to acquire the hand input of the user in response to a control signal corresponding to the proximity sensor or the touch sensor.   
     
     
         6 . The information processing apparatus according to  claim 5 ,
 wherein the information processing apparatus is a head mounted display further comprising the first sensor, the display device, the second sensor, and a camera.   
     
     
         7 . The information processing apparatus according to  claim 6 ,
 wherein the head mounted display is a transparent head mounted display.   
     
     
         8 . The information processing apparatus according to  claim 7 ,
 wherein the position of the line-of-sight input corresponds to a position in a real space viewed by the user through the transparent head mounted display.   
     
     
         9 . The information processing apparatus according to  claim 8 ,
 wherein the at least one processor is configured to determine a position of a real object in the real space as the position of the line-of-sight input.   
     
     
         10 . The information processing apparatus according to  claim 8 , further comprising
 wherein the second sensor includes a camera configured to acquire an image for determining the line-of-sight input.   
     
     
         11 . The information processing apparatus according to  claim 10 ,
 wherein the camera is configured to acquire the image corresponding to an eye of the user, and   wherein the at least one processor is configured to determine the line-of-sight input based on the acquired image.   
     
     
         12 . The information processing apparatus according to  claim 11 ,
 wherein the second sensor further includes an infrared sensor.   
     
     
         12 . (canceled) 
     
     
         13 . The information processing apparatus according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the first object includes a plurality of icons that represent a menu and correspond to respective functions different from each other.   
     
     
         14 . The information processing apparatus according to  claim 13 ,
 wherein respective positions of the plurality of icons are fixed at corresponding absolute positions in a peripheral region of the display device.   
     
     
         15 . The information processing apparatus according to  claim 14 ,
 wherein the plurality of icons include at least one icon representing a surgical item or a medical item.   
     
     
         16 . The information processing apparatus according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the active state of the first object is a state where the first object is selectable by the user through the line-of sight input.   
     
     
         17 . The information processing apparatus according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the inactive state of the first object is a state where the first object is not displayed on a display screen of the display device.   
     
     
         18 . The information processing apparatus according to  claim 1 ,
 the at least one processor is further configured to control, in the inactive state, the display device to display a second object at an absolute position on a display screen where the first object is to be displayed in the active state.   
     
     
         19 . An information processing method, the method being executed via at least one processor, and comprising:
 acquiring, from at least one of a first sensor or an operating device, a hand input of a user;   determining whether the hand input is being acquired from the at least one of the first sensor or the operating device;   controlling, based on determination that the hand input is being acquired from the at least one of the first sensor or the operating device, a display device to cause a first object to transition from an inactive state to an active state;   controlling, based on determination that the hand input is not being acquired from the at least one of the first sensor or the operating device, the display device to cause the first object to transition from the active state to the inactive state,   acquiring, from a second sensor, a position of a line-of-sight input of the user while the hand input is being acquired from the at least one of the first sensor or the operating device;   performing, based on the acquired position of the line-of-sight input, a process related to the first object when the first object is caused to transition from the active state to the inactive state based on determination that the hand input is not being acquired from the at least one of the first sensor or the operating device.   
     
     
         20 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium having embodied thereon a program, which when executed by a computer causes the computer to execute a method, the method comprising:
 acquiring, from at least one of a first sensor or an operating device, a hand input of a user;   determining whether the hand input is being acquired from the at least one of the first sensor or the operating device;   controlling, based on determination that the hand input is being acquired from the at least one of the first sensor or the operating device, a display device to cause a first object to transition from an inactive state to an active state;   controlling, based on determination that the hand input is not being acquired from the at least one of the first sensor or the operating device, the display device to cause the first object to transition from the active state to the inactive state,   acquiring, from a second sensor, a position of a line-of-sight input of the user while the hand input is being acquired from the at least one of the first sensor or the operating device;   performing, based on the acquired position of the line-of-sight input, a process related to the first object when the first object is caused to transition from the active state to the inactive state based on determination that the hand input is not being acquired from the at least one of the first sensor or the operating device.   
     
     
         21 . The information processing apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising
 a camera configured to acquire a face image of the user,   wherein the at least one processor is configured to determine an orientation of the face image of the user with respect to the display device to determine the line-of-sight input.