Portable device including control actions dependent on a user looking at a touchscreen

摘要

In one embodiment, a phone detects the eyes of a user to determine if the user is looking at the phone prior to the phone initiating one or more predetermined actions. This is useful, for example, to prevent unwanted activation of a control on the phone as when a user inadvertently touches a control on the phone while taking the phone out of a pocket. Another embodiment prevents the phone from taking actions that may change the display, such as dimming, hibernating, sleeping, turning off, etc., if it is determined that the user is looking at the display screen.

主权项

1. A method comprising:
detecting eyes of a user by using a camera on a phone; checking for a position of the eyes relative to a display screen of the phone prior to the phone initiating one or more predetermined actions; and halting an initiation of the one or more actions if the position of the eyes is detected as looking at the phone, wherein the detecting of the position of the eyes comprises: taking a first picture prior to the phone initiating the one or more predetermined actions; determining if eyes are in the first picture; if eyes are in the first picture:
estimating a first direction of the eyes in the first picture;taking a second picture; andestimating a second direction of the eyes in the second picture; anddetermining that the eyes are moving if the first direction is different from the second direction.