Gaze tracking password input method and device utilizing the same

A gaze tracking password input method and a device utilizing the same wherein the method includes the following steps: picking up photo images of a person's eyes by a photographing unit which continually takes photo shots at a particular area as the person approaches to the photographing unit and his eye enters the particular area; transmitting the photo images taken at the particular area to an operation unit; setting a script associated with a particular point as a password; and then determining the person's gaze tracking direction which indicates the script to be input by the operation unit. The operation unit comparing the multiple input scripts with predetermined passwords, if the input scripts are matched with the predetermined passwords, then the person is officially authorized.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Technical Field

The present invention relates to a method of inputting passwords, and in particular a method of inputting passwords in accordance with tracked gazes of a person in use of the device.

2. Description of Related Art

The currently available password input method uses a keyboard to input numerals, characters, or symbols into a device or a machinery; if the input scripts conforms to preset passwords, then an identifying process is officially approved and the device or a process carried out in the device is started.

However, if the input of a password is spied on by other people, the divulgence of the password becomes unavoidable in operation. Besides, the detection of the left fingerprints or temperature on the keyboard can also be employed to steal or copy an input password. Even the most advanced iris identification cannot differentiate if a person inputting such a data is under free will. The palm print or finger print identification device can also fail due to the copy of the palm prints or finger prints being possible in one aspect and the input of such data of a person cannot be identified to be carried out under free will in another aspect. Moreover, in case a person under abduction is forced to carry out an unlock operation, he or she can gaze at a help-seeking script in silence for asking for rescue.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In view of this, the object of the present invention is to provide a gaze tracking password input method whereby the input password is determined by way of the detection of a person's line of sight.

One preferred embodiment of the gaze tracking password input method of the present invention includes the following steps:

Setting up a password input device comprising a photographing unit, a display unit, and an operation unit; the photographing unit, which continually picks up photo images of a particular area and transmits the same to the operation unit; a person approaching the password input device with the person's eyes coming close to the particular area so that the photographing unit can take the photo images of the eyes of the person, which are transmitted to the operation unit; the operation unit identifying the person's approach; focusing the person's eyes onto an input zone to carry out the input of a password; the operation unit will find out the input photo images of the person's eyes focusing on a numeral, character, or symbol picked up in the input zone by the photographing unit as an input of a set of password; the person's eyes keeps on gazing at the input zone for the input of a password; the operation unit will determine the numerals, characters, or symbols on which the person's eyes focus as a next input of a set of password; after all passwords are input, the operation unit will compare the input numerals, characters, or symbols with preset passwords; if the comparison is correctly matched, then the person's identification is officially approved.

In the precedent preferred embodiment, it further includes the following steps: as the operation unit assures the approach of the person and begins to show in the display unit the input zone and a password zone wherein the input zone is provided with a multiple of numerals, characters, or symbols and the password zone is made up of a plurality of input boxes; as the operation unit identifies the numerals, characters and the symbols in the input zone, onto which the person's eyes focus as a completed input in one of the input boxes of the password zone.

In the precedent preferred embodiment, the operation unit further includes a storage unit in which those input numerals, characters, or symbols are stored for the time being, as all the input boxes of the password zone as shown have been filled up; the operation unit will compare those input numerals, characters, or symbols with the preset passwords. As those input boxes of the password zone show similar symbols, it means the passwords in those input boxes have been input in success.

In the precedent preferred embodiment, the input zone can be set in a dynamic display mode, the numerals, characters, or symbols in the input zone will be changed along with time.

The precedent preferred embodiment further includes the following steps: as a numeral, character, or symbol in the input zone, onto which is specifically focused by a person's eyes, those focused scripts will be illuminated themselves to indicate that they have been input as passwords.

The precedent preferred embodiment further includes the following steps: as a numeral, character, or symbol in the input zone, onto which is specifically focused by a person's eyes, the lights disposed above those focused scripts will be illuminated to indicate that they have been input as passwords. In such a situation, the numerals, characters, or symbols are disposed in a printed form in the input zone.

The precedent preferred embodiment further includes the following steps: a rescue-seeking script is disposed in the input zone, as a person's eyes gaze at the rescue-seeking script determined by the operation unit, the operation unit will send out a rescue alarm signal.

The gaze tracking password input method described above can protect passwords from leakage and can be widely applied to the lock mechanism of the household door locks, door locks in hotels, door locks for safes, and other security equipment. Moreover, it can also be applied to the password input operations in automatic cash dispensers and to any other processes in need of identification of passwords. Moreover, the user must be in conscious will to input the password. As the user under abduction is being forced to input passwords, the user can input a help-seeking password by gazing at the numerals, characters, or symbols; the system will send out rescue alarm signals to the police station.

In order to make the other objects, features and advantages of the above described present invention understood in a clearer manner, one preferred practice of the embodiment of the present invention in company with the attached diagrams is disclosed in details below.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

Referring toFIG. 1, the block diagram shows the application of the gaze tracking input method of the present invention to a lock.FIG. 2is a perspective diagram showing the lock using the gaze tracking password input method of the present invention which includes a lock body1000comprising a password input unit100and a lock mechanism200. The password input unit100is associated with the lock mechanism200.

The password input device100is comprised of an operation unit10, a photographing unit20, and a display unit30. The photographing unit20continually picks up photo images of the front area of the password input device100and transmits the taken photo images to the operation unit10.

As shown inFIG. 2, as a person P approaches the password input device100with his or her eyes coming up to the above described photo taking area, the photographing unit20takes the person's P eye images which are then transmitted to the operation unit10. At this moment, the operation unit10identifies the approach of the person P and will show on the display unit30an input zone32and a password zone34. Shown in the input zone32are numerals, English letters, and a plurality of symbols. In the password zone34are provided with a plurality of input boxes342. In the present practical embodiment, there are 6 input boxes shown in the password zone34.

As the eyes of the person P gaze at the scripts of the input zone32, the photographing unit20will pick up the photo images of the eyes of the person P. The operation unit10then calculates out the line of vision of the person P and determines at which script in the input zone32is gazed by the person P. InFIG. 3, it demonstrates that the letter g determined by the operation unit10is the person's P target of view (as illustrated by the dashed line). So the letter g is confirmed to be the password to be input by the person P. At the same time, the third input box342of the password zone34appears an asterisk *. As long as the asterisk * appears in an input box342, it means the input of a password in that input box342has been completed. When an input box342is marked with the asterisk to indicate the input of a password in that input box342is completed, the photographing unit20continually picks up the photo image of the eyes of that person P to find out the line of vision of that person P again to perform the input of the next password in another input box342. The same step is repeated until all the 6 input boxes342of the password zone34are filled up. The operation unit10will then compare the input scripts with preset passwords. If the comparison is correctly matched, then the person's identification is officially approved.

Although in this preferred embodiment an asterisk * is adopted to indicate completion of input, it is not limited for the use of such a mark. To fully blacken the input box342is another option to indicate the completion of input. Numerals, English letters, or symbols are chosen in the present embodiment as input of passwords, but it is not limited as a single way of input. In the input zone32of the present invention, the Chinese phonetic symbols or Japanese Hiragana or Katakana characters, letters of European languages, or any other scripts can be used as passwords.

In the display unit30, there are disposed a green light36and a red light38. The illumination of the green light36indicates the pass of identification and the light up of the red lights38stands for the failure of identification and the password must be input once more.

The password input device100is connected to the lock mechanism200. After the person P in check is accepted, the operation unit10of the password input device100will send out a control signal to the lock mechanism200, then the lock mechanism200will receive the control signal to get the lock mechanism unlocked accordingly.

The operation unit10comprises a storage unit12, the input scripts by the person P will be stored first in the storage unit12until all the inputs in the input boxes342of the password zone34are completed. Then the operation unit10will pick up all the input scripts in the storage unit12and get them compared with the preset passwords.

Referring toFIG. 4, an embodiment of another lock employing the gaze tracking password input method of the present invention. In the input zone32, there is a plurality of designs322provided for input choice. The photographing unit20will take the photo image of the eyes of the person P in operation of the lock and the operation unit10will then calculate out the line of sight of the person P so as to decide which one of the designs322is to be input in the first block342in the password zone34. As long as all the picked designs322are input sequentially into the 6 respective blocks342, the operation unit10will perform a comparison of the 6 input designs322with a group of preset designs in a sequential order. If the input sequence of the designs is correctly matched, then the person P passes the identification.

The gaze tracking password input method of the present invention can be applied to door locks or safe locks wherein the lock mechanism200is installed on a door body5as shown inFIG. 3. The password input device100can be mounted onto the door body5or the surrounding wall of the door body5.

Referring toFIG. 5, an embodiment of another lock employing the gaze tracking password input method of the present invention. In this embodiment, a shield40is disposed on the door5to cover the input zone32with a window42defined on the shield40so that the person P can gaze at the input zone32through the window42and the photographing unit20can pick up the photo images of the eyes of the person P. Then the operation unit10can find out via calculation the line of vision of the person P as shown inFIG. 6. The use of a shield40can surely protect the input process of the passwords from being watched so as to avoid stealing of the passwords.

With the equipment of the shield40, the password zone34as illustrated inFIG. 3can be removed as shown inFIG. 7. As the operation unit10finds out via calculation the person P is gazing at the English letter g, the letter g is illuminated to make the person P aware of the letter g having been successfully input as a password. Moreover, as shown inFIG. 8, an LED31can be located at the top of each script shown in the input zone32so that as the letter g is identified by the operation unit10as the letter being gazed at by the person P, the LED31above the letter g will illuminate accordingly. In the layout shown inFIG. 8, the scripts in the input zone32can appear in a print form instead of in a lightened screen form.

As shown inFIGS. 9aand9b, there is another embodiment of the input zone32in which the scripts are variable. InFIG. 9a, the scripts shown in the input zone32are A, B, C, D, E, but after a period of time, the scripts shown in the input zone32will be changed to 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. The person P can pick out from the letters A, B, C, D, E as input of the passwords in the first stage, and at a second stage, the numerals 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 can be chosen as the input of passwords.

Moreover, in order to prevent a person P under abduction from being forced to input passwords, as shown in the embodiment of the present invention fromFIG. 5toFIG. 8, a help-seeking script39is provided. As the person P under abduction is being forced to input passwords, the person P can gaze at the help-seeking script39, and when the operation unit10is activated to confirm that the person P is gazing at the help-seeking script39, the operation unit10will send out rescue alarm signals to security guards for rescue so as to permit people to seek help in silence. Consequently, the person P or user must be in conscious will to input the password. As the user under abduction is being forced to input passwords, the user can gaze at the help-seeking script39to ask for help, the system will send out rescue alarm signals to the police station.

The gaze tracking password input method of the present invention can also be applied to the input of password of automatic cash dispensers or other electronic appliance.

By means of the precedent gaze tracking password input method, leakage of input passwords can be effectively prevented. It can be widely applied to locks, such as household door locks, door locks for hotels and doors for property safes. Furthermore, the present method can also be applied to the password input operation in automatic cash dispenser and any other procedures in need of password identification.

While the invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to the preferred embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and details may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. It is intended to cover various modifications and similar arrangements and procedures, and the scope of the appended claims therefore should be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and similar arrangements and procedures.