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Sony · Input & haptics · Filed Apr 24, 2024 · USPTO published Jun 11, 2026 · Jun 11 release

Sony Patents a System That Moves Objects by Tracking Where You Look

Sony is exploring a way to let your eyes do the controlling — a system that figures out what you're looking at and then moves something in response, without you pressing a button.

By · Updated · 2 min read

Sony Patent: Eye-Tracking That Moves Objects Based on Your Gaze, figure from US 2026/0161220 A1
Figure from the official USPTO publication.
Publication number
US 2026/0161220 A1(US20260161220A1)
Applicant
SONY GROUP CORPORATION
Filed · Published
Apr 24, 2024 · Jun 11, 2026
Inventors
TAKURO NODA, MIYU IWAFUNE, KENJI MORITA, AKIRA UEHARA
Status when we published
Examiner raised objections; the company can respond
Document
20 claims
US classification
345/156
Examiner
KIYABU, KARIN A (Art Unit 2626)
Parent application
National Stage Entry of PCT/JP2022/034886 (filed Sep 20, 2022)(PCTJP2022034886)
Hardware

What Sony's eye-tracking motion control actually does

Imagine you're playing a game or using a device, and instead of pointing a controller at something, you just look at it — and the device responds. That's the core idea behind this Sony patent.

The system tracks the direction of your gaze, figures out which object in your field of view you're focused on, and then moves a designated target based on that. Think of it like giving your eyes a remote control.

The patent is written broadly — Sony doesn't specify a particular product here, so this could apply to anything from a smart TV interface to a robot to a VR headset. The goal, as Sony puts it, is "smoother user communication," meaning less friction between what you intend and what the device does.

How the system maps your gaze to a target's movement

The patent describes a three-part system built around real-time eye tracking:

  • Acquisition unit: Captures line-of-sight data — essentially a continuous stream of information about where your eyes are pointed.
  • Estimation unit: Interprets that gaze direction and identifies which specific object in the scene the user is looking at.
  • Control unit: Takes that estimated object and uses it to drive the motion of a "target" — some other object or element in the system.

The indirect relationship is the interesting part. You're not directly controlling the target — the system infers your intent from what you're looking at, then acts accordingly. This is a form of gaze-based interaction (using eye position as an input instead of a button or voice command).

The patent is intentionally abstract. "Target" and "object" are left undefined, which is common in broad filings meant to cover a wide design space. The underlying idea — that where you look tells the system what you want to interact with — is the protected concept here.

What this means for Sony's future interfaces and devices

Eye tracking has been slowly creeping into consumer technology for years, but it's mostly been used as a passive feature — think scroll-to-read or cursor assistance. This patent is about making gaze an active control input that triggers physical or on-screen movement, which is a meaningful step up.

Sony makes a wide range of products where this could show up: PlayStation VR headsets, robotics research, professional cameras with subject tracking, or accessibility tools. If you've ever struggled to navigate a smart TV menu with a clunky remote, the promise of just looking at what you want is obvious. The patent is broad enough that Sony could apply this across several product lines.

Source: US 2026/0161220 A1 at the USPTO (PDF). Full patent text and figures are in the official publication.

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