Apple has filed for a new patent application that reads eye movement. The application is for a gaze detection function that would know when the user is looking at the screen and respond accordingly.
“An electronic device may have gaze detection capabilities that allow the device to detect when a user is looking at the device,” the filing said. “When the device detects that the user has looked away from the device, the device may dim a display screen and may perform other suitable actions. The device may pause a video playback operation when the device detects that the user has looked away from the device.Gaze detector circuitry may be powered down when sensor data indicates that gazed detection readings will not be reliable or are not needed,” the application read.
This technology mimics Samsung’s Galaxy S4 Smart Stay and eye scrolling technology. Apple had previously filed for a “Samsung Eye Scroll” trademark and a patent for “Eye Pause.”
Earlier in the year a patent squabble almost developed between Samsung and LG Electronics over eye-tracking technology.
Samsung’s Galaxy S4 and LG’s Optimus G Pro both offer an eye-recognition feature that automatically reacts to the movement of the user’s eyes.
The Galaxy S4 already comes built with Smart Scroll, which lets people scroll through the screen and trigger certain actions by moving their eyes up and down. The phone also includes Smart Pause, which pauses a video when a person looks away from the screen.
LG has Smart Video eye-recognition feature to its Optimus G Pro, courtesy of a “value pack” software update.LG’s Smart Video allows users to pause and restart a video by moving their heads back and forth.
The healthy rivalry between companies seems to make eye scrolling technology a high priority in electronic devices like mobile phones and tablets-maybe laptops may follow suit?
Would you want eye gaze technology on an iOS device? Let us know.