SETTINGS GUIDE

Version 2.2

Issue 2

This
document contains proprietary information of IVIM Inc,

and is not to be disclosed or used except in accordance with applicable
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Copyright©2014
IVIM Inc. All Rights Reserved.

www.nouse.ca

Nouse – Settings Guide

Version 2.2

Issued – June 2014

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Applications Suite:

·
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·
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·
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·
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·
All other product names are trademarks or
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All
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Nouse is a trademark of IVIM Inc.

Table of Contents

Preface. 5

Chapter 1 – Configuring Nouse Settings. 6

1.1 User Files. 6

1.2 Basic Settings. 8

1.2.1 Cursor Size. 8

1.2.2 Cursor Speed. 8

1.2.3 Countdown Calibration Time. 8

1.2.4 Countdown Dwell Time. 8

1.2.5 Enable Sounds. 8

1.2.6 Enable Yellow State. 8

1.2.7 Primary Navigation Type. 9

1.2.8 Vertical and Horizontal Range of Motion. 9

1.2.9 Resolution in Pixels. 10

1.2.10 Resolution in Seconds. 10

1.2.11 Activate Uses Face Detection. 10

1.2.12 Light Normalization. 10

1.2.13 Enable Automatic Recalibration. 11

1.3 Advanced Settings - Control Settings Tab. 11

1.3.1 Control Settings. 11

1.3.1.1 Countdown Confirm Click. 11

1.3.1.2 Countdown Confirm Calibration. 12

1.3.1.3 Cursor Location Relative to
NouseCursor 12

1.3.1.4 Joystick Neutral Zone. 13

1.3.1.5 Calibrate Automatically. 13

1.3.1.6 Big Motion Induces
Calibration. 13

1.3.1.7 Big Motion Size. 13

1.3.1.8 Use Voice Commands. 14

1.3.1.9 Use Mouth Click. 14

1.3.1.10 Minimum Mouth Click Height 14

1.3.1.11 Click on Command. 15

1.3.1.12 Discrete Direction. 15

1.3.1.13 Enable Dwell Clicking. 15

1.3.1.14 Always Left Click. 16

1.3.1.15 Lag (Average Position Over Time) 16

1.3.1.16 Activate Assumes Headwidth. 16

1.3.1.17 "No change back to
reset" (Seconds) 16

1.3.1.18 "No motion back to
reset" (Seconds) 17

1.3.1.19 Click/Calibration Box Size. 17

1.3.2 Advanced Settings - Visual Settings Tab. 18

1.3.2.1 Mirror Camera Image. 18

1.3.2.2 Cursor Shows Face. 18

1.3.2.3 Cursor Shows Countdown. 18

1.3.2.4 Translucent Cursor 19

1.3.2.5 Translucence
"Solidness". 19

1.3.2.6 Face Detection Type. 19

1.3.2.7 Webcam Index. 19

1.3.2.8 Process Load (Filter noise) 19

1.3.3 Advanced Settings - Board Settings Tab. 20

1.3.3.1 NouseBoard Configuration. 20

1.3.3.2 Configuring NouseBoard. 21

1.3.3.3 Available Special Options for
NouseBoard Cells. 22

1.3.3.4 NouseBoard Word Completion. 22

1.3.3.5 Loading and Saving NouseBoard
configurations. 23

1.3.3.6 Text Size Scale. 23

1.3.3.7 Board Text Scale. 23

1.3.3.8 Jitter Threshold. 23

1.3.3.9 NouseCursor in Board. 24

Preface

Purpose

Nouse
or “nose as a mouse” is a technology that enables
users to control the computer mouse pointing device hands-free using only a
webcam as an input device and the movement of the user’s nose. The unique, patented technology uses advanced video recognition algorithms to
map the movement of the user’s nose to the movement of a computer mouse
device thereby allowing a user to operate a computer hands-free. This Settings
Guide will navigate the user through the customization of the Nouse settings so
that they suit the user’s unique setup needs.

Getting Started

Before getting started, the user must first install Nouse
application. The Quick Start document is designed to assist the user in installing
and getting the application running quickly. In addition, the user must review
the Nouse User Guide which provides an overview of the basic features of the
application.

This
Settings Guide assumes that the user has a basic knowledge and understanding of
Windows applications, Web browsers and concepts such as double-clicking, menu
bars, and dialog boxes.

Graphics

The
appearance of graphics found in this document may vary according to the site
configuration and operating system used.

Related Documentation

The
user should first use the Nouse Quick Start Guide in conjunction with Nouse User Guide before reviewing this Settings
Guide.

Chapter 1 – Configuring Nouse Settings

This chapter provides a detailed description of Nouse
settings that can be configured by the user. Nouse application contains many
settings and configurations that are modifiable by the user. These settings are
broken down into basic and advanced settings, where the basic settings are
options that most users will be expected to modify at some point, while the
advanced settings will likely only be used by advanced users of Nouse. It is
important to note that Nouse application is installed with a default
configuration so that the user does not need to change any settings at the
beginning. The default settings are set to values that will be acceptable to
most users. It is recommended that the user modify the default setting only
after becoming comfortable with using Nouse.

To access the settings for Nouse application, simply click
on the “Settings" button on the main Nouse interface (see section
3.4 of the User Guide) or by selecting the “Settings” menu option
on Nouse submenu (see section 3.3 of the User Guide). This will launch Nouse
Settings program which displays Nouse settings window for the user (see Figure
1.1).

Figure 1.1: Nouse
Settings Program

1.1 User Files

When launching Nouse Settings program for the first time, it
will load the “settings.nouse” file, which contains the default
settings for Nouse. Any time a user makes a change to the settings in this
program and clicks on "Save to settings.nouse", the “settings.nouse”
file will be updated to the new settings. Nouse reads from this file in order
to determine what options to use.

Nouse application allows the user to create custom setting
files. A user can create a new settings file by selecting the new settings and
then clicking on the “File” menu at the top left hand corner then "Save
as..." submenu. The user must then choose a new user name, such as "James".
This will cause Nouse Settings program to create a new file called "James.nouse".
When a new settings file is saved it becomes the default settings file loaded
when Nouse application runs. In the above example the “James.nouse”
settings file would become the setting file loaded by default (see figure 1.2).

Figure 1.2 –
Saving a custom settings file

To change which settings file will be used by Nouse, the
user can simply click on "File->Load" and select the desired
settings file. When the user selects a different settings file to load, Nouse application
automatically sets the loaded settings file to the default file.

At any time a user can change the settings of a
"James.nouse” (defined by the user) file back to the original or
default values by clicking on "File->Load default values into “James.nouse".
Doing this will replace the "James.nouse" file with default values
and load these default values into Nouse Settings program.

1.2 Basic Settings

The following section provides a detailed description of the
basic settings for Nouse application.

1.2.1 Cursor Size

This option controls the size of NouseCursor. It can range
in values between 1 and 10 with 1 being very small and 10 being very large. The
default value is 2.

1.2.2 Cursor Speed

This option is only applicable to the joystick navigation
mode (see section 3.2.1 of the User Guide). It controls the speed at which NouseCursor
moves with values ranging from 1-10, with 1 being very slow and 10 being very
fast. The default value is 3.

1.2.3 Countdown Calibration Time

This option controls the amount of time in seconds Nouse
application will count down while in calibration mode (see section 2.5). This
countdown can range in length from 1 to 20 seconds. The default is 3. The user
does not need to modify this option.

1.2.4 Countdown Dwell Time

The basic way to click or type using NouseCursor or
NouseBoard is to navigate to the location and to stop NouseCursor movement.
When Nouse application detects that the user is still it will commence a
countdown. When NouseCursor is still the application assumes the user would
like to move into “Nouse Click Mode” (see section 3.3 of the User
Guide). When the countdown reaches 0 the application moves into click mode. The
length of time for the countdown is called the Countdown Dwell Time. This countdown
can be modified by the user. The range is values from 0 to 10 seconds. The
default is 3.

This value can be set lower once the user becomes
comfortable using Nouse. This will allow them to perform the click actions
quicker.

Setting the value to 0 will disable the countdown. This
value can be set if the user chooses another method for clicking such as mouth
click or voice commands.

1.2.5 Enable Sounds

This option allows the user to turn sound effects off or on.
The default value is enabled/on or a check in the box.

1.2.6 Enable Yellow State

For some users, it may be difficult to move NouseCursor to a
precise point on the screen using either the “direct” or
“joystick” mode as the primary navigation mode. In these cases,
Nouse application provides another mode of navigation that can be used in
conjunction with the primary navigation called “Yellow” state (named
is an analogy to a traffic light’s interim state between green and red).

When the "Enable Yellow State" option is enabled
the user continues to utilize one of the primary navigation modes but once the
user is in the general area where they would like to click (i.e., they do not
need to be on the exact spot they would like to click on), they allow the click
countdown to reach zero as before. Once the countdown reaches zero however,
instead of moving to “Click Mode” NouseCursor moves into the
“Yellow State” mode indicated by a yellow stripe along the bottom
(see Figure 1.3).

Figure 1.3:
NouseCursor in Yellow State

In the yellow state the user continues to navigate
NouseCursor however the cursor moves in much small amounts across the screen.
By restricting the movement of NouseCursor the user is better able to navigate
to a more precise point on the screen. To move NouseCursor in “Yellow State”
the user simply moves their nose away from NouseCursor crosshair in the
direction they would like to move and then back to the crosshair until NouseCursor
is at the desired location.

Just like in a primary navigation mode such as
"Joystick" or "Direct", when the user becomes still in
yellow state, a second countdown begins. When the countdown reaches 0, Nouse
changes to the clicking mode (see section 3.3 of the User Guide).

The default value is to have the “Yellow State”
disabled or no check in the box. Users who have difficulty navigating
NouseCursor to a precise point on the screen should active this option.

1.2.7 Primary Navigation Type

Nouse provides two options for navigation: Joystick and Direct.

Both the Joystick and Direct navigation modes are described
in detail in section 3.2 of the User Guide. The default is Joystick mode.

In order to change from Direct to Joystick or from Joystick
to Direct, the user will need to make the change in the settings program and
restart Nouse application.

1.2.8 Vertical and Horizontal Range of Motion

These options allow the user to determine how sensitive
NouseCursor will be to the vertical and horizontal movement of the user’s
nose. For both options the default setting is 5 however both range from 1 to
15. For the average user the default setting of 5 should be adequate.

Users with low mobility can set the value lower. This means
NouseCursor is more sensitive to the nose movements of the users (i.e.,
NouseCursor will move from one side of the screen to the other with a smaller
range of nose movement).

Users with high mobility can set the value higher. This
means NouseCursor is less sensitive to the movements of the nose by the users
(i.e.  To move NouseCursor from one
side of the screen to the other requires a larger range of nose movement).

The range of motion selected is visualized in NouseCursor as
the image in NouseCursor presents the entire range that is available to the
user. If both ranges are set to be very high, the image in NouseCursor will be
zoomed out from the nose and if the ranges are very low, the image will be
zoomed in by a large amount.

1.2.9 Resolution in Pixels

The resolution in pixels option is related to how Nouse application
decides if the nose is still or if it is moving. Since it is very difficult for
a user to be perfectly still, Nouse application uses relative positioning to
determine NouseCursor movement (i.e., if the user is relatively still it can
interpret this as being still to activate the click mode). It is reflected in
the size of the red circle around the nose in NouseCursor. Its value can range
from 1 to 10. The default value is 3.

Depending on the tracking conditions (lighting, skin colour,
head tremors, etc.) a different value for this option may be optimal. For
example, if the user has a slight tremor, increasing the number allows Nouse to
interpret a wider range movement as staying still in order to activate the
click mode.

1.2.10 Resolution in Seconds

This option works in conjunction with Resolution in Pixels
option. Although the Resolution in Pixels option deals with the relative location
of the nose in determining movement, this option deals with how much time to
wait before determining if a movement has occurred. The possible values range
from 1 to 3 with the value of 1 as default.

1.2.11 Activate Uses Face Detection

When Nouse application starts there is a calibration step
described in section 2.5 where the application looks for the user’s face.
When this option is active or checked, the application will indefinitely look
for the user’s face until it is found. The default setting for this
option is active or checked and this should not be changed by the user for best
results.

However, there may be a situation where the camera
conditions are so bad that Nouse is unable to detect a face. This does not mean
though that Nouse will not be able to track a nose once it is presented. If the
“Activate Uses Face Detection” option is not selected, Nouse
will automatically skip face detection step and assume the user’s face is
in the center of the camera’s field of view. It will start the
calibration process directly with learning the nose.

1.2.12 Light Normalization

When using Nouse, it is important to be in an environment
with "good" lighting. In this context, good lighting means that the
face (and especially nose) is clearly visible and not over or under exposed. If
there is an unavoidable problem with the lighting, it is possible to improve
the situation by activating Light Normalization. This in effect decreases the
bright values of an image, increases the dark values and adjusts everything in
between to remain consistent. This option is disabled or unchecked by default
and should only be activated when lighting cannot be improved.

1.2.13 Enable Automatic Recalibration

This option can be used to turn on or off Nouse’s
automatic recalibration functionality described in section 3.4.4 of the User
Guide. By default this option is enabled and the user does not need to
recalibrate manually.

1.3 Advanced Settings - Control Settings Tab

The advanced settings will likely only be used by experienced
Nouse users. To view the advanced Nouse settings, simply click on the
"Advanced Settings" button from the main settings dialog (figure 1.1).
This will launch the Advanced Settings window for the user. This window
contains three tabs, Control Settings, Visual Settings and Board Settings that
are visible along the top. Each of these tabs has a group of settings that can
be modified by the user. By default the Control Settings tab is displayed first
(see figure 1.3). To move to another tab the user can simply click on the tab
name.

Figure 1.3: Advanced
Nouse Settings: Control Settings Tab

1.3.1 Control Settings

This section describes the options found on the
“Control Settings” tab.

1.3.1.1 Countdown Confirm Click

This option is similar to the “Countdown Dwell
time” (see section 1.2.4) however the “Countdown Confirm
Click” is used to count down when Nouse is in “Nouse Click
Mode” (see section 3.3 of the User Guide). This countdown is used to
allow the user to select the click option. The user must select the click
option (i.e., left, right, up or down) before the countdown reaches zero. If
the countdown reaches zero and no click is made then Nouse goes back to
navigation mode. The range is values from 1 to 5. The default for this option
is 2.

1.3.1.2 Countdown Confirm Calibration

This option controls the amount of time in seconds Nouse
application will count down while in calibration mode (see section 2.5).The
value ranges from 1 to 10. The default for this option is 3.

1.3.1.3 Cursor Location Relative to NouseCursor

Nouse application allows the user to modify the location and
behaviour of the purple pointing component (see section 3.1 of the User Guide)
of NouseCursor. Since NouseCursor is a bigger icon than the traditional mouse
pointing icon, the user may have difficulty navigating and clicking on
positions along the outside edges of the screen. This option allows the user to
select where the actual click point will be within NouseCursor. There are three
options (by default this option is set to top left):

1.      Top
left (default option): The purple pointing component stays at the top left corner
of NouseCursor and as such the click point is in the top left location of NouseCursor
(see Figure 1.4a).  The user can
still select items near the bottom or far right of the screen, but part of
Nouse Cursor will not be visible.

Figure
1.4a – NouseCursor set to Top Left

2.      Moves:
This option means the purple
pointing component moves depending on where NouseCursor is on the computer
screen. It is designed to allow the user to point on any location on the
screen. For this option the cursor remains on the top left of NouseCursor for
the majority of the time. However, if NouseCursor is moved to touch the right
side of the screen then the purple pointing component (and click point) will
move to the right of NouseCursor. This will allow the user to select items very
close to the right hand side of the screen. In addition, if NouseCursor is
moved to touch the bottom of the screen then the purple pointing component (and
click point) will move to the bottom of NouseCursor. This will allow the user
to select items very close to the bottom of the screen.

Once NouseCursor is moved away
from the right hand side or bottom of the screen, then the purple pointing
component will move back to the top left of NouseCursor (see Figure 1.4b).

Figure
1.4 b – NouseCursor set to Moves – Figure one is NouseCursor on the
right hand side of the screen and the second figure is NouseCursor at the
bottom of the screen

3.      Always
Center: This option means there is no purple pointing component but the click
point is located in the center of NouseCursor (see Figure 1.4c). This option is
only recommended if a translucent cursor is being used as well (see section 1.3.2
Translucent Cursor).

Figure 1.4c –
NouseCursor set to Center

1.3.1.4 Joystick Neutral Zone

In order to stop NouseCursor from moving at a desired
location on the screen, the user needs to move the red circle to the center of
the crosshairs. The Neutral Zone option is related to how Nouse application decides
if the user’s nose is at the center of the crosshair. Since it is very
difficult for a user put the red circle in the exact center, Nouse application
uses relative percentage positioning to determine if the red circle is in the
middle (i.e., if the user moves the red circle close to the center of the
crosshair it can interpret this as being at the center and stop NouseCursor
from moving). This option uses a percentage from 1 - 100. The default value is
15%.

For users that have difficulty bringing their nose directly
to the center, it may be useful to make this value higher than the default 15%
so that it will be easier for them to stop NouseCursor. Conversely, advanced
Nouse users may wish to make this value lower in order to allow more of their
motion range to be used for moving NouseCursor around.

NOTE: This option
is only applicable if the user has set the navigation to “Joystick”
mode.

1.3.1.5 Calibrate Automatically

When Nouse application is started, the application goes
through a step of learning and confirming where the user’s nose is
located (see section 2.5). This option allows the user to skip this step. As
such, instead of presenting a countdown to the user and allowing the user to put
their nose in the center crosshair, Nouse application will assume that the nose
is in the crosshair as soon as calibration begins and thus jump directly into
NouseCursor navigation mode. By default the option is disabled/off and the user
needs to go through the manual calibration described in section 2.5.

Users can set this option to automatic if they experience
difficulty setting the calibration manually (e.g., the lighting prevents Nouse
application from easily finding the user’s nose).

1.3.1.6 Big Motion Induces Calibration

This option allows the user to perform a Calibration without
the need to go through the application menus. This can be done by having the
user perform a “Big Motion” while navigating NouseCursor or from
within NouseBoard. By default this option disabled.

1.3.1.7 Big Motion Size

If the “Big Motion Induces Calibration” is
enabled then Nouse application allows the user to set a parameter for capturing
what is a “big motion” action by the user (i.e., this option
controls how much motion is considered big enough).

The way Nouse calculates a motion is by determining what
percentage of the image from the webcam has recently changed. If a user makes a
sudden "big" motion, this percentage will become quite high. The user
can control this percentage in order to determine a high enough value that
would be considered a “big motion” and as such activate the
Calibration function automatically.

By default this option is set at 30% and will only be used
if “Big Motion Induces Calibration” is enabled.

1.3.1.8 Use Voice Commands

Nouse application can utilize Voice commands to perform
certain mouse actions such as clicks and to generally make Nouse activities
faster and easier. This option can be used to enable or disable the use of
voice commands to help control Nouse. The various voice commands are described
in detail in section 1.4. By default this option is disabled.

1.3.1.9 Use Mouth Click

Nouse application can utilize the movement of the
user’s mouth to skip countdowns (i.e., the user does not need to wait for
the countdown). This can be utilized in 2 instances:

a)      To
allow the user to jump to click mode from navigation mode instantly;

b)      For
NouseBoard to jump to field selection instantaneously when hovering over a
specific NouseBoard cell.

This would allow the user to perform mouse clicks and to
generally make Nouse activities faster and easier (i.e., there is no countdown
to move into click mode).

A mouth click can be executed simply by having the user open
their mouth. By default this option is disabled. The amount that the mouth
needs to be opened in order for a mouth click to be executed is controlled by
the "Minimum Mouth Click Height" option (see section 1.3.1.10).

Mouth clicks can be used in the following circumstances:

·
In NouseCursor mode when navigating (blue
state), a mouth click will bring Nouse to the clicking state. The user can then
perform one of the following:

o
Select the desired click by moving the
user’s nose (Standard);

o
Perform another mouth click to exit click mode
and go back to navigation mode without selecting anything;

o
If "Click on Command" is enabled (see
section 1.3.1.11) a left click will be executed automatically and move the user
back to navigation mode;

·
In NouseBoard mode, a mouth click will bring
Nouse application into field selection mode for the cell that is being hovered
over. The user can then perform one of the following:

o
User can select the desired field in the
standard manner (i.e., move their Nose in the direction of the field to be
selected)

o
Perform another mouth click and exit back to
cell selection mode without typing anything.

1.3.1.10 Minimum Mouth Click Height

The amount that the mouth needs to be opened in order for a
mouth click to be executed is controlled by this "Minimum Mouth Click
Height" option. This option controls how high (in pixels)
the user has to open his mouth in order to perform a mouth click. The available
values range from 1 to 20. The default is set to 3.

1.3.1.11 Click on Command

This option is used in conjunction with the “Use Mouth
Click” option (see section 1.3.1.9). If this option is enabled, a mouth
click while the user is in NouseCursor navigation mode will result in a left
click. If it is disabled then Nouse will go to the standard clicking mode. The
“Use Mouth Click” option must be enabled in order to use this
option. By default this option is disabled.

1.3.1.12 Discrete Direction

Nouse application allows the user to control the directional
movement of NouseCursor. There may be situations where users find it easier to
have NouseCursor move in a different manner (e.g., users with head tremors).

Note: This option
is only available when NouseCursor is set to Joystick mode.

Nouse application provides 3 methods for moving NouseCursor.
They are as follows:

·
All Directions - The default
option. NouseCursor moves in a fluid motion emulating the exact moves of the
nose in any direction.

·
8 Directions - NouseCursor can
only move in 8 directions: Up, Down, Left, Right and the 4 diagonal directions.

·
4 Directions - NouseCursor can
only move Up, Down, Left or Right.

Users who have difficulty controlling their head movements
and who find it difficult to use NouseCursor should try either the 8 or 4
directions option.

1.3.1.13 Enable Dwell Clicking

Nouse application provides a second method for selecting a
click option. The standard method for clicking is described in section 3.3 of
the User Guide - Nouse Clicking mode. In the Enable Dwell Clicking mode, the
application displays a pop up window with four click options (i.e., Left Click,
Right Click, Double Click and Drag). See Figure 1.5.

Figure 1.5: Dwell
Click Popup Window with Left Click selected

As with the standard Nouse Click mode, while in navigation
mode the application will countdown to zero (0). However instead of moving to
the click state (i.e. as in standard click mode) the application executes the
click option selected in the Dwell Clicking popup window. Using Figure 1.4 as
an example, the user would be executing a left click when the countdown reached
zero. After the click NouseCursor moves back to navigation mode. The user can
continuously execute “Left Clicks” by allowing NouseCursor
countdown to reach zero (0).

If the user would like to select a different click option
(i.e., either the Right Click, Double Click, or Drag)
then the user can move NouseCursor over the desired click box and allow the
countdown to reach zero (0). This will select the different click option. Once
the user has executed a click, the Dwell popup window will automatically switch
back to “Left Click”.

By default the application is set to use the standard click
mode described in section 3.3 of the User Guide. This option by default is
disabled.

1.3.1.14 Always Left Click

This option is used for training purposes. As users start to
use Nouse application it may be beneficial to use the application in a simpler
mode. This option if enabled will only allow “Left Clicks” to be
executed by the users when NouseCursor moves into click mode (i.e., No other
clicking is possible). By default this option is disabled.

1.3.1.15 Lag (Average Position Over Time)

This option is useful for users that have mild tremors or
shaking of their head. For these types of users, the movement of their head is
not a consistent motion (i.e., due to head tremors or shaking). This can cause
NouseCursor to jump as it tries to follow the movement of the nose. To provide
a more consistent and smoother movement of NouseCursor, the application allows
the average of recent previous positions to determine the position of the nose
instead of using the information of the video feedback position. This will
cause the location of the Nose to follow or lag behind the actual nose
position. By default this option is disabled.

1.3.1.16 Activate Assumes Headwidth

In order to capture the movement of the user’s nose
from the Webcam feed, Nouse application defines an area (or box) where it will
monitor for movements. This area or box is used to determine how NouseCursor
will react to the movement of the nose. The smaller the area the application
monitors the more sensitive NouseCursor will be to movements (i.e., move
faster). The larger the area the application monitors the less sensitive
NouseCursor will be to movements (i.e., move slower). This area or box is
defined in the Calibration set described in section 2.5 when it automatically
zooms in on the user’s face.

Nouse application allows the user to define the size of the
area or box it monitors for movement of the nose. This option ranges from 10%
to 90%. By default this value is set to 25%

1.3.1.17 "No change back to reset" (Seconds)

While the user is using Nouse application there may be
situations where the user’s nose can move off the screen or make a
significant motion that would cause the application to lose the nose location.
In this case Nouse application will constantly try to find the user’s
nose while in navigation mode.

In this option, if NouseCursor does not move for the number
of seconds controlled by this option, Nouse will automatically exit NouseCursor
mode and go to the Face Detection stage of Calibration. By default this options
is disabled or set to 9999 seconds.

1.3.1.18 "No motion back to reset"
(Seconds)

While the user is using Nouse application there may be
situations where the user’s nose can move off the screen or make a
significant motion that would cause the application to lose the nose location.
In this case Nouse application will constantly try to find the user’s
nose while in navigation mode.

In this option, if Nouse application does not detect any
motion from the webcam video feed for the number of seconds controlled by this
option, then Nouse will automatically exit NouseCursor mode and go to the Face
Detection stage of Calibration. By default this options is disabled or set to
9999 seconds.

1.3.1.19 Click/Calibration Box Size

Nouse application allows the user to control how sensitive
the application will be to the movement of the user’s nose when the
application is in “click mode” (i.e., selecting a click can be
configured to require a bigger movement or a very small movement). Users can
choose a very sensitive setting which means the user would only need to make a
small movement in selecting the desired click or they can choose a less
sensitive setting which means the user would need to make a bigger movement of
their nose to select a desired click. This option can be set to a number
ranging from 1 to 4. By default this option is set to 1 or a sensitive
movement.

Users who have trouble selecting the desired click option
(i.e., they select the incorrect click option) can increase this value. The
user would then require a bigger movement to select the desired click.

1.3.2 Advanced Settings - Visual Settings Tab

This section discusses the options in the Visual Settings
tab of Nouse Advanced Settings window (see figure 1.6).

Figure 1.6: Advanced
Nouse Settings: Visual Settings tab

1.3.2.1 Mirror Camera Image

Nouse application presents the image of the user’s
face from the webcam at several different points throughout the use of the
application. By default the user is presented with their image as if they were
looking into a mirror to make it easier for the user to navigate NouseCursor.

1.3.2.2 Cursor Shows Face

By default NouseCursor displays a gray background, a black
crosshair and a red circle around the where Nouse thinks the user’s nose
is located. Nouse application allows the user to display the user’s nose
(from the webcam feed) in NouseCursor. It may be easier for some users to use
the application when they can see their nose in relation to the crosshair
instead of just the red circle. By default this option is disabled (i.e., no
video feed of the user’s nose). Figure 1.7 shows an example of a user
with this option enabled.

Figure 1.7:
NouseCursor showing user’s face.

1.3.2.3 Cursor Shows Countdown

When the user navigates NouseCursor to a click point and
NouseCursor is stopped or still Nouse application counts down before moving
into click mode. With this option the user can turn the countdown on or off
depending on their preference. By default this option is enabled to provide the
user with feedback on the countdown.

1.3.2.4 Translucent Cursor

NouseCursor background can be set to a gray background or to
show the user’s face. Nouse application provides one additional option
called “translucent background”. This option means NouseCursor will
be transparent or see-through. This will allow the user to see the contents of
the screen behind NouseCursor. By default this option is enabled.

In addition, Nouse application allows the user to control
the degree to which NouseCursor is translucent or see-through using the "Translucence
Solidness" option described below.

1.3.2.5 Translucence "Solidness"

This option is used in conjunction with the
“Translucent Cursor” option described above. If the
"translucent cursor" option is enabled, this option specifies the extent
to which NouseCursor will be translucent (or see-through). The value can be
anything between 0 and 255, with 0 meaning completely invisible and 255 meaning
completely solid. The default value for this option is 140 or semi-transparent.

1.3.2.6 Face Detection Type

Each user’s face consists of unique features. Nouse
application has been designed to capture the general features of each
person’s face. However, there may be situations where a user’s face
is unique and as such may cause Nouse application to have difficulty in
tracking. Nouse application provides three additional methods for tracking the
user’s face (i.e., four (4) methods in total). By default this option is
set to 1 and should work well in most cases. If face detection is not working
well in the calibration mode then the user can change this option to see if
another method works better.

1.3.2.7 Webcam Index

There may be situations where the user has more than one
webcam attached to the computer. This option allows the user to set which
webcam Nouse should use. If there is only one webcam connected to the computer,
the index should be set to 0. If there are two webcams attached, the user can
set this value to 0 or 1 to select the desired webcam. This option is only
loaded by Nouse when the application is launched. If a user wants to change the
webcam, this value must be changed and saved and then the application must be closed
and restarted.

1.3.2.8 Process Load (Filter noise)

This option controls the amount of information provided by
the video webcam that is used by Nouse application. As a general rule, the more
information used by the application the more accurate the use of NouseCursor.
However, the more information that is processed by the application the more
computer processing power is required. As such, Nouse application allows the
user to control the amount of information processed so that users with
computers that do not have powerful processors can set this option to a value
that allows the application to run smoothly and not slowly.

The possible values for this option range from 1 to 3, where
1 means process the minimum amount of information (i.e., less accuracy and runs
faster) and 3 means process the maximum amount of information (i.e., most
accurate and requires a powerful processor). By default this option is set to
1.

1.3.3 Advanced Settings - Board Settings Tab

Nouse application provides the user with the ability to
enter text without the need to use the standard keyboard. The
“NouseBoard” is an on-screen configurable keyboard that works with
Nouse application to allow a user to type hands-free. This section describes
the configuration options of NouseBoard that can be modified by the user. These
configuration options can be found in the Board Settings tab of Nouse Advanced
Settings dialog (see Figure 1.8).

Figure 1.8: Advanced
Nouse Settings: Board Settings tab

1.3.3.1 NouseBoard Configuration

The “Board Settings” tab displays the layout of
NouseBoard keys. This layout can be changed or reconfigured by the user. This
includes the modification of letters and options and where they appear on the
keyboard.

In order to provide all the letters and options for a
keyboard, NouseBoard uses levels to represent the different layouts. Each level
or layout of NouseBoard displays a different set of letters, numbers and/or
options. This is the equivalent to the standard keyboard where you can use the
Shift key to get capital letters or the Alt key to get different options.

Nouse application comes with the ability to use 3 levels or
keyboard layouts. The following describes the default layout for NouseBoard:

Level 1 – Generally consists of the lower case letters
and numbers. See Figure 1.9a for the standard configuration.

Figure 1.9a –
Standard configuration for NouseBoard layout of Level 1

Level 2 – Generally consists of the uppercase letters
and the symbols found above the numbers of a standard keyboard. See Figure 1.9b
for the standard configuration.

Figure 1.9b –
Standard configuration for NouseBoard layout of Level 2

Level 3 – For general use and can be defined by the
user. See Figure 1.9c for the standard configuration.

Figure 1.9c –
Standard configuration for NouseBoard layout of Level 3

To select a different level the users simply changes the
level number found on the “Current Level” drop box found on right
hand side of this tab.

1.3.3.2 Configuring NouseBoard

The user can change or set the values in NouseBoard by
editing one of the keyboard grids (see Figures 1.9a, b and c). NouseBoard
editable grid is meant to be displayed identically to NouseBoard (see section
3.5 of the User Guide).  Just like
NouseBoard, the editable NouseBoard grid is made up of 3 rows and 5 columns of
cells.

Each of the 15 cells in NouseBoard contains 5 fields to be
filled with values; Top, Bottom, Left, Right and Center. The user can set each
field of the cell to their preferred letter/number/Symbol/option by typing the
letter, number or symbol into one of the cell Top, Bottom, Left or Right fields.

The center field is reserved for the background colour of
the cell.  The user can choose the
colour of the cell background by typing one of the colour codes in the center
"colour" field of the cell. Currently the available colour codes are
"r" (red), "g" (green), "b" (blue) and
"w" (white).

Note: Nouse
application does not ensure all letters/numbers have been properly entered. As
such, it is important for the user who re-arranges letters/number to ensure
they are all placed in one of NouseBoard levels.

1.3.3.3 Available Special Options for NouseBoard
Cells

When configuring NouseBoard, the user is free to put any
character/number/symbol in any location of NouseBoard. In addition to the characters/numbers/symbols,
there are also a number of other options the user can put into NouseBoard. To
enter NouseBoard options the user simply types the word in the field of the
cell. The special NouseBoard options are described below:

·
Blank - Leave the option blank.

·
Space - Type a space.

·
Enter - Type the Enter key.

·
Shift - Show NouseBoard’s
level 2.

·
Adv - Show NouseBoard’s
level 3.

·
Normal - Show NouseBoard’s
level 1.

·
<-BKSP - Type the Backspace
key.

·
<-BKSP. – Type a Backspace
then ’.’ then Space. This is especially useful when using word
completion as Nouse will always put a space after a word is completed using
this mechanism.

·
Quit - Exit NouseBoard mode and
go back to NouseCursor mode.

·
Pause - Pause NouseBoard (see
section 3.5.5 of the User Guide).

·
Up - Type the up arrow key.

·
Down - Type the down arrow key.

·
Left - Type the left arrow key.

·
Right - Type the right arrow
key.

·
Clear - Clear the text from
NousePad.

·
DEL - Type the Delete key.

·
PgUp - Type the Page Up key.

·
PgDn - Type the Page Dn key.

·
Home - Type the Home key.

·
End - Type the End key.

·
Tab - Type the Tab key.

·
Predict # - Make this a word completion
location (see section below).

1.3.3.4 NouseBoard Word Completion

To speed up the process of typing words in NouseBoard, Nouse
application provides a word prediction or word completion option. That is, the
application tries to predict the word the user is trying to type. As the user
starts to enter the letters of a word, the application can present words that
start with the letters that have already been typed. If the user sees the word
they are trying to type they can select the word without the need to type the
remaining letters of the word. To select the word the use follows the same
procedure as selecting a letter.

To setup the word prediction the user configures NouseBoard by
placing the word "Predict #" (where # is a positive number) in the fields
of a cell. This will cause the corresponding quadrant in NouseBoard to be a
word prediction or word completion quadrant. When typing in NouseBoard, these
word completion quadrants will contain Nouse application’s prediction of
what word is being typed. If the user sees the word they would like to type
from one of these words, they can select it and Nouse application will finish
typing the word and then add a space at the end.

The user can decide how many NouseBoard word completion fields
within a cell will be used. The default setup is 4. That is, the application is
configured for 4 word completion fields named "Predict 1",
"Predict 2", "Predict 3" and "Predict 4". These
will then always contain the top 4 words that Nouse application believes the
user may be trying to type.

1.3.3.5 Loading and Saving NouseBoard
configurations

Nouse application allows the user to save their NouseBoard
configurations to a file much like Nouse settings. This will allow different
users to save their custom keyboard layouts.

To save a NouseBoard configuration, Nouse application
provides a “Save Board” button found on this tab. By clicking on
the button the user can select a location and name for the custom NouseBoard
file. A NouseBoard file is identified by a user-defined name and a
“.board” extension.

To load a NouseBoard configuration, Nouse application
provides a “Load Board” button found on this tab. By clicking on
the button the user can navigate the directories to find their saved NouseBoard
file. A NouseBoard file is identified by a “.board” file extension.
Note – Users can only load NouseBoard files that have been saved using
NouseBoard save button described above.

1.3.3.6 Text Size Scale

Nouse application allows the user to change the size of the
text displayed in NousePad. The default value is set to 3.5. Users can either
increase or decrease this number to increase or decrease the size of the text
displayed. Users with poor vision should set this value higher.

1.3.3.7 Board Text Scale

Nouse application allows the user to change the size of the
text displayed in NouseBoard. The default value is set to 1. Users can either
increase or decrease this number to increase or decrease the size of the text
displayed. Users with poor vision should set this value higher.

1.3.3.8 Jitter Threshold

Nouse application allows the user to control the sensitivity
in which NouseCursor moves from cell to cell on NouseBoard. Since NouseBoard
uses Direct Navigation mode it may be difficult for some users to maintain the
selection of a cell while awaiting the system count down to zero (0) (i.e., the
cursor for the selected cell keeps moving).

This option allows the user to control how easily the user
moves from a selected cell to the next selected cell. This option ranges from 1
to 5. By default this value is set to 1 or very sensitive. Users having
difficulty maintaining the selection on a cell while awaiting the countdown can
increase this value.

1.3.3.9 NouseCursor in Board

Nouse application allows the user to determine where
NouseCursor will appear while using NouseBoard. By default NouseCursor is
displayed while the user is using NouseBoard in the active or currently
selected cell.

If this option is disabled then NouseCursor is displayed in
NousePad window. Users may want to disable this option if NouseCursor is making
it difficult to see some of the letters in NouseBoard.