Abstract: A system and method to calibrate a gaze point on a screen of an eye as the eye watches an object move on the screen. A movement of an eye may be tracked in a series of images, and a pattern of the movement of the eye may be detected. Detection of a pattern of eye movements that is associated with watching the moving object on a screen may be an indication that the eye was watching the object at the time that the pattern of eye movements was detected. The identified gaze point may be part of a calibration for purpose of gaze tracking. The detected pattern may be included in an indication that the viewer looked at the moving object.

Abstract: A method of determining a point or object on a digital display that is being gazed at by a viewer by capturing an image of the viewer's iris and at least one other feature of the viewer's face, calculating an imaginary line from the object being viewed, to the iris and continuing to an imaginary center of the viewer's eye, then calculating a position of the center of the eye relative to the other feature of the viewer's face. Upon a change in the position of the eye and the iris, a calculation can be made of a position of the iris in a second image. An imaginary line can be extended out from the center of the eye, through the new position of the iris onto the digital display to determine the point of gaze of the viewer.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention may include a method of scrolling content on an electronic display upon detection that a gaze of a user is pointed to a pre-defined area of the display, such as for example an edge of the display. A scroll may be triggered by the gaze point of the user being directed to the pre-defined area of the screen or on a plane of the screen. A scroll may move the displayed content by a fixed amount or by a distance that is sufficient to bring the gaze point of the user our of the pre-defined area that triggered the scroll. A scroll may continue for example so long as a smooth pursuit of the viewers eyes is maintained. Embodiments may include tracking a position of a viewer of an electronic display, and altering an orientation of a one or more elements of the display to correspond to the changed orientation of the user. A layout of content that is display may be altered to accommodate the change in orientation.

Abstract: A method may track a motion of a body part in a series of images captured by an imager that is associated with an electronic device, and detect in such motion a gesture of the body part that matches a pre-defined gesture. Upon such detection of the gesture, a function that is associated with the gesture is activated but only upon a contact or other input, such as a push of a button by a user. The combination of the ‘push to enable’ and the ‘gesture to activate the function’ may provide comfortable operation of the gesture activation of a function. A system and method of altering a zoom of an image displayed on an electronic device by detecting in a series of images a change in distance between the device and a viewer of the image, and zooming the image to correspond to such change in position. The captured images and detected change in distance may be interpreted by a processor as a zoom gesture that may trigger a zoom of the displayed image.

Abstract: A system and method of tracking a viewer's focus and attention by displaying an object on a screen and instructing the user to look at such object. A camera captures an image of an eye of the user as he looks at the object, and then captures one or more further images of the eye of the user to determine when or if the user looked away from the object. A duration of time during which the user looked at the object may be used as a measure of focus or attention of the user.

Abstract: A method for optimizing the position and size of a search window in a tracking system is disclosed. According to some embodiments of the present invention, the method may comprise: calculating a velocity of a tracked object based on comparison of at least two previously captured consecutive frames; calculating an expected position of the tracked object in a subsequent frame based on calculated velocity of the tracked object; determine possible positions of the tracked object in the subsequent frame, based on the last known position of the tracked object, status of the tracked object, the expected position and the acceleration of the tracked object; and optimizing the size and position of the search window within the subsequent frame so that the search window covers the expected position and at least one of the possible positions of said tracked object.

Abstract: An eye tracking method includes: in a frame of a series of acquired frames, estimating an expected size and expected location of an image of an iris of an eye within that frame; and determining a location of the iris image within that frame by identifying a region within the expected location, the size of the region being consistent with the expected size, pixels of that region being darker than pixels of other such regions within that frame.

Abstract: An eye tracking method includes: in a frame of a series of acquired frames, estimating an expected size and expected location of an image of an iris of an eye within that frame; and determining a location of the iris image within that frame by identifying a region within the expected location, the size of the region being consistent with the expected size, pixels of that region being darker than pixels of other such regions within that frame.

Abstract: A system and method of using an imager to capture a series of images of a body part, of using a processor to interpret a gesture or movement(s) of the body part that is detected in the series of images as an instruction to a processor to execute a function on a device. The detected movement may interpreted as insignificant or unintended and may be discounted as unintended noise or otherwise ignored.

Abstract: A system and method of determining that a movement of an eye, head or body part, as is captured in a series of images, is a movement intended to activate a function, by defining ranges within which the movement is deemed as not intended for function activation, and beyond which the movement is deemed as intended for function activation. The ranges may be adjusted dynamically to account for shifts in a resting position of the eye, head or body part.