Adjusting your Settings for use with ECOpoint
The following menu options are listed in the order that should be most helpful for you to use them. Start by using the Eye Track Status option. When you have completed that, select Calibrate Now and see how things are working for you. If there are problems, and you are wearing glasses, open the Eye Track Settings option and enter your glasses prescription. The Calibration Settings options give you more detail to select from. You may find that you will have to make corrections to both the positioning of the system and some of these options more than once before everything works well together. Once you get the system working well with you, continue to practice with it. In a little time using it will be second nature to you.
Note: The designation Insertable Tool under an option means that that option can be assigned to a key on your overlay or stored under a sequence using the Insertable Tool function. The designated options are specifically helpful for ECOpoint.
* See the Store/Assign Tools…chapter in your manual for information about assigning Tools to keys.
Eye Track Status
Insertable Tool: ECOPOINT EYE TRACK STATUS
This option allows you to open (and close) the Track Status window to see if your eyes are within the ECOpoint's field of view.
When the track status window is open, you should see to two white circles on a black background. If you have only one eye, you will see a single circle. The circles may move as your eyes move but they should not be "flickering". If "flicker" is present, it is most likely that you will have to adjust the position of the user or the device.
You will see something similar to the picture above when you select Eye Track Status.
At the top of the Eye Track Status box is a yellow arrow on a green background. If the user is in the view area, the arrow will be located in the center between to two red boxes.
To Close the Status Window
• Select the Eye Track Status option in the menu;
• Click the small red box with an "x" in it in the top right corner of the status window;
• Assign the ECOPOINT TRACK STATUS tool to a key on your overlay to toggle the window open and closed.
Calibrate Now Insertable Tool: CALIBRATE ECOPOINT
The 5-point calibration process allows ECOpoint to track and learn your eye-gaze. Default calibration settings will be used unless you change the settings in the Calibrate Settings option. When the calibration is finished, select OK. You can begin tracking with ECOpoint once the pointer appears.
Calibration Settings
The options in this menu help personalize the ECOpoint system for your eyes. As you experiment with some of these options you may also have to re-work the positioning of the system. Choose the settings you want and select OK. Then select the Calibrate Now option to perform a calibration.
Stimulus Type: Point, Image, Video. If you select Image or Video you must have an Image or Video file stored in your device or a USB flash drive to be displayed. Image or Video files are recommended when a user has difficulty looking specifically at the Point or is better motivated by a personal image or video. If you select Point you can also select a Pointer Color.
Stimulus Size: Small to Large. This increases or decreases the size of the point, image or video that is being displayed during calibration.
*For the most accurate calibration it is best to use a smaller point, image or video.
Stimulus Speed: Normal, Fast, Very Fast, Slow, Very Slow. Adjust this option if there are motor issues with the eye's ability to perform smooth pursuits.
*If an individual has visual tracking problems, we suggest you decrease the speed of the stimulus.
Active Eye: Both, Left, Right or Single Eye. Both means that ECOpoint will track both your eyes as you look at the screen; Left or Right means that ECOpoint will see both your eyes but will track only the eye that you have selected in this option; select Single Eye if you have only one eye (e.g., you wear a patch over one of your eyes or have lost an eye).
Stimulus Sound: YES (on), NO (off). If the sound is on, you will hear a beep at the end of a gaze point calibration.
Keyboard Step-through: YES (on), NO (off) allows the user to step through each calibration point manually. A USB keyboard must be plugged into the ECO-14 in order to use this option. You must use the "s" key on the keyboard to step through the calibration.
Calibration Area: Large, Medium or Small. Select the area of the screen that you want to use for calibration. The size you select is only for eye-tracking calibrations; you will be able to use the whole screen when you are actually using the ECO with the ECOpoint system. You may want to select a calibration area, do the calibrations and then practice on the ECO screen. You may have to try out the all the calibration areas before you find and are satisfied with the one that will work best for you.
Eyegaze Calibration: Per User Area or Global. This determines if the eyegaze is calibrated once for the entire device (Global) or if each User Area has its own calibration (Per User Area).
Select Background Color: You can select a color for the calibration area. This is useful if you have visual problems that are helped when you are looking at certain colors.
Select Pointer Color: If you select Point for your Stimulus Type, you can select a Pointer color.
Select Image: You can select an icon to use as the image you look at when you are calibrating your ECOpoint. If you do not want to use an icon you can select an image you already have stored on a USB drive or a folder on your ECO. This is useful if your eyes track an image better than a dot or point.
More ECOpoint Access Menu Options
Pause/Resume Insertable Tool: DISABLE POINTER
Use this option to stop and restart the ECOpoint system while you make adjustments to ECOpoint settings and options. Only Direct Selection will work when ECOpoint is paused.
To Pause ECOpoint:
Method 1
Go to the Toolbox and open the ACCESS METHOD MENU Press or gaze at the Pause/Resume option to set (or release) Pause.
Method 2
Gaze directly at the infrared window between the and keys on the front of the ECO case until PAUSE or RESUME is selected.
Method 3
Assign the insertable Tool DISABLE POINTER to a key on your overlay. Press the key to set PAUSE. Press again to set RESUME.
Note: See the Store/Assign Tools…chapter in your manual for information about assigning Tools to keys.
Pointer Color
A pointer color should help you find the pointer easily and to maintain you gaze on it.
Pointer Size
This option allows you to adjust the pointer size from 5 to 45 pixels in diameter. The default size is 20.
*A larger pointer size may impact an individual's ability to maintain eye contact with the target key.
Pointer Type
This option allows you to select the type of pointer you want to use. The options are Shrinking Dot, Clock and Invisible. You can use this in conjunction with Highlight Keys option.
*We suggest you experiment with this option to see which pointer works best for you.
Acceptance Time
This is the amount of time it takes from when you gaze at a key until the device accepts and selects the key. With ECOpoint, the Acceptance Time can often be set to a much shorter length than with other access methods (including head tracking and scanning). If you notice that the gaze cursor begins to move over the key you want, then suddenly shifts to another key before a selection can be made, you may want to try shortening your Acceptance Time. A longer Acceptance Time means you must hold your gaze on a key longer to get it selected. Generally, the eye does not like to hold still for long periods of time. The default Acceptance Time is .7 seconds.
Auto Repeat
Choose the amount of time you must look at a selected key before it begins to repeat itself. For example, if you select 1/0 of a second for the auto repeat time, you must first select a key on your overlay, then gaze at the selected key for 1/10 of a second until it begins to repeat itself. The key will repeat at 1/10th of a second intervals until you move your eyes away from the repeating key.
Selection Type
This allows you to switch between three types of selection options: Auto means your device will automatically select the key using dwell selection which is based on the amount of time you set in the Acceptance Time option. Switch allows you to plug a single switch into your ECO-14 or to use the PRC Bluetooth switch to make selections. Blink allows you to open and close your eyes for a period of time. Set the amount of time using the Minimum Blink Duration and the Maximum Blink Duration options.
Predictive Selection
This works hand-in-hand with Icon Prediction. (Icon Prediction is in the FEEDBACK MENU and the default is ON.) When you turn Predictive Selection On, your device highlights only those icons where messages are stored. These highlighted icons are the only keys on the keyboard that will produce a response. You can change the color of the non-active keys to grey or white. Go to the FEEDBACK MENU, Icon Prediction and select Grey or White. Grey allows you to see the shadow of the icon on the key; white turns the entire key white so it looks blank. But if you try to select a grey or white key, nothing will happen.
Note: Icon Prediction alone allows you to press grey or white keys. The key's icon will appear in the Icon display area but no message will be spoken. Icon Prediction will work whether Predictive Selection is On or not.
Highlight Keys
When this is ON the outside border of a key is highlighted when the key is selected. We recommend this function be turned OFF.