Accelerated gaze-supported manual cursor control

Abstract

A method for improving user interaction with a virtual environment includes measuring a first position of a user's gaze relative to the virtual environment, receiving a system engagement input, presenting a guidance cursor at the first position, receiving a target engagement input and decoupling the guidance cursor from the user's gaze, receiving a movement input, and translating the guidance cursor based on the movement input.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for improving user interaction with a virtual environment, the method comprising:
 measuring a first position of a user's gaze relative to the virtual environment;   receiving a system engagement input;   presenting a guidance cursor at the first position;   receiving a target engagement input and decoupling the guidance cursor from the user's gaze;   receiving a movement input; and   translating the guidance cursor based on the movement input.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , the system engagement input and the target engagement input being received from a single input device. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , the system engagement input, the target engagement input, and the movement input being received from a single input device. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 measuring a second position of the user's gaze relative to the virtual environment; and   when the second position is beyond a threshold distance from the guidance cursor, translating the guidance cursor through the virtual environment to the second position.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 receiving a system disengagement input, and   hiding the guidance cursor.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , the system engagement input and system disengagement input being received from a single input device. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , the guidance cursor having a diameter related to a gaze cloud. 
     
     
         8 . A method for improving user interaction with a virtual environment, the method comprising:
 measuring a first position of a user's gaze relative to the virtual environment;   presenting a guidance cursor at the first position;   receiving a movement input having a movement direction; and   snapping the guidance cursor on a first selectable object in the virtual environment where the first selectable object is in the movement direction relative to the first position.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , the movement input being received from a gesture recognition device. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 8 , the guidance cursor having a cursor area and snapping the guidance cursor to a first selectable object including snapping the guidance cursor to a first selectable object within the cursor area. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 8 , further comprising:
 receiving a step input having a step direction, and   moving the guidance cursor from the first selectable object to a second selectable object in the step direction relative to the first selectable object.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , the movement input and the step input being received from a single input device. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11 , the guidance cursor having a cursor area and snap moving the guidance cursor from the first selectable object to a second selectable object including moving the guidance cursor to a second selectable object within the cursor area. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 8 , snapping the guidance cursor on a first selectable object including snapping the guidance cursor on a first selectable object within 6° of the guidance cursor. 
     
     
         15 . A method for improving user interaction with a virtual environment, the method comprising:
 measuring a first position of a user's gaze relative to the virtual environment;   presenting a guidance cursor at the first position;   measuring a second position of the user's gaze relative to the virtual environment; and   when the second position is beyond a threshold distance from the guidance cursor, translating the guidance cursor through the virtual environment to the second position.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , translating the guidance cursor including moving the guidance cursor with a constant velocity. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 15 , translating the guidance cursor including moving the guidance cursor to the second position in no more than 1.0 second. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 15 , translating the guidance cursor including moving the guidance cursor at a first velocity toward the second position and at a second velocity with a lesser magnitude than first velocity near the second position. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 15 , the guidance cursor having a cursor radius, the threshold distance being at least the cursor radius. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 15 , the threshold distance being less than 3° from the guidance cursor.