Gaze tracking apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10437329-B2
Application number	US-201815891724-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 8, 2018
Priority date	Aug 3, 2015
Publication date	Oct 8, 2019
Grant date	Oct 8, 2019

Abstract

Provided are gaze tracking apparatuses, which in some embodiments can include an optoelectronic device, wherein the optoelectronic device includes an image sensor with non-local readout circuit having a substrate and a plurality of pixels and operatively connected to a control unit, wherein a first area of the substrate is at least partially transparent to visible light and at least the plurality of pixels of the image sensor are arranged on the first area of the substrate to aim to an eye of a user when placed in front of an inner face of the substrate, and wherein the control unit is also adapted to control the image sensor to acquire image information from the user's eye for performing a gaze tracking of the user's eye.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A gaze tracking apparatus, comprising an optoelectronic device, wherein the optoelectronic device comprises:
a substrate having a first area that is at least partially transparent to visible light,
a plurality of photodetectors arranged on said first area of the substrate to aim to an eye of a user when placed in front of an inner face of said substrate, and
a control unit operatively connected to the plurality of photodetectors to at least receive output signals supplied from each of the photodetectors when light impinges thereon, wherein the control unit is also adapted to perform a gaze tracking of said eye based on the output signals from the photodetectors, and further wherein the control unit comprises:
a first biasing circuit for providing a first biasing voltage;
a second biasing circuit for providing a second biasing voltage, the second biasing voltage being substantially symmetrical to the first biasing voltage with respect to a voltage reference; and
a non-local readout circuit for reading out a photo-signal generated by light impinging on a plurality of pixels;
wherein the first biasing circuit and the second biasing circuit comprise, respectively, first selection means and second selection means to selectively bias one or more pixels of said plurality of pixels that are to be read out at a given time, the first selection means and the second selection means being arranged outside the first area of the substrate; and
wherein each pixel of the plurality of pixels comprises:
a photo-active element comprising a photosensitizing layer associated to a transport layer, the transport layer including at least one layer of a two-dimensional material;
a non-photo-active reference element disposed proximate to the photo-active element, the non-photo-active reference element having a dark conductance that substantially matches a dark conductance of the photo-active element;
a first contact circuitally connected to the first biasing circuit;
a second contact circuitally connected to the second biasing circuit; and
an output contact circuitally connected to the non-local readout circuit;
wherein the photo-active element is circuitally connected between the first contact and the output contact, and the non-photoactive reference element is circuitally connected between the output contact and the second contact;

wherein the optoelectronic device comprises an image sensor with the non-local readout circuit, wherein said image sensor comprises said substrate and the plurality of pixels arranged on the first area of the substrate, said plurality of pixels comprising said plurality of photodetectors, the plurality of photodetectors comprising the photo-active elements and having a built-in photoconductive gain; and
wherein the control unit is adapted to selectively bias said plurality of pixels and read them out by means of the non-local readout circuit comprised by the control unit, said non-local readout circuit being arranged outside the first area of the substrate, and wherein the control unit is also adapted to control the image sensor to acquire image information from said eye for performing said gaze tracking of said eye.

2. The gaze tracking apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said control unit comprises a processing unit and associated electric and electronic circuitry, including readout electronics, and that is operatively connected to or includes said non-local readout circuit, for receiving and processing said acquired image information to perform said gaze-tracking of said eye.

3. The gaze tracking apparatus of claim 2 , wherein at least part of said control unit, including said readout electronics, is arranged on an area of the substrate that is outside the first area of the substrate and/or on an area of another substrate.

4. The gaze tracking apparatus of claim 3 , wherein said area of the substrate or of said another substrate where said at least part of the control unit is arranged, is an area that is non-transparent to visible light.

5. The gaze tracking apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the optoelectronic device is a wearable device, wherein said substrate is, or comprises, or is attached to, or embedded in, an eyeglass, lens, or visor of said wearable device that stands in front of the user's eye when the user wears the wearable device, and wherein said at least part of the control unit is arranged out of said eyeglass, lens, or visor.

6. The gaze tracking apparatus of claim 5 , wherein said wearable device is one of an eyeglasses and a goggles, comprising at least said eyeglass or lens.

7. The gaze tracking apparatus of claim 6 , wherein said at least part of the control unit arranged out of the eyeglass or lens is arranged in a frame of the eyeglasses.

8. The gaze tracking apparatus of claim 5 , wherein said wearable device is a helmet comprising said visor.

9. The gaze tracking apparatus of claim 3 , wherein said substrate is, or comprises, or is attached to, or embedded in, a panel that is at least partially transparent to visible light.

10. The gaze tracking apparatus of claim 9 , wherein said panel is at least one of a window and a screen.

11. The gaze tracking apparatus of claim 10 , further comprising a computing device that includes said screen.

12. The gaze tracking apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the optoelectronic device is made and arranged to position, in use, the first area of the substrate in front of said eye of the user when placed in front of said inner face of the substrate, so that the user can see through the first area of the substrate.

13. The gaze tracking apparatus of claim 1 , made and arranged to operate under passive illumination, wherein the image sensor is made and arranged to acquire said image information from a portion of ambient light that is reflected off of the user's eye.

14. The gaze tracking apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising an active illumination unit comprising at least one light source that is operatively connected to said control unit, and made and arranged to emit light, in use, towards said user's eye under the control of said control unit, and wherein the image sensor is made and arranged to acquire said image information from light that is emitted from the at least one light source and is reflected off of the user's eye.

15. The gaze tracking apparatus of claim 14 , wherein said at least one light source and said image sensor operate in an eye-safe short-wave infrared range.

16. The gaze tracking apparatus of claim 15 , comprising a light filter for blocking ambient light, wherein said light filter is arranged on or attached to an outer face of the substrate, opposite to said inner face, or embedded in a surface between the plurality of photodetectors and said outer face of the substrate.

17. The gaze tracking apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising lenses covering the photo-active elements of the image sensor, wherein said lenses are at least partially transparent to visible light.

18. The gaze tracking apparatus of claim 17 , further comprising electrically conductive traces for electrically connecting at least the control unit and the image sensor, wherein said electrically conductive traces are arranged at least in part on the first area of the substrate, or of another substrate at least partially transparent to visible light and that is attached to or embedding said substrate.

19. The gaze tracking apparatus of claim 18 , wherein said electrically conductive traces are at least partially transparent to visible light.

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Assignees

• Fundacio Inst De Ciencies Fotòniques

Inventors

• Konstantatos Gerasimos
• Koppens Frank
• Goossens Stijn

Classifications

• H04N25/76

  Addressed sensors, e.g. MOS or CMOS sensors · CPC title

• G06V10/12

  Details of acquisition arrangements; Constructional details thereof · CPC title

• G06F1/1637

  Details related to the display arrangement, including those related to the mounting of the display in the housing · CPC title

• G01J3/2803

  using photoelectric array detector · CPC title

• G06F3/0304

  Detection arrangements using opto-electronic means (constructional details of pointing devices not related to the detection arrangement using opto-electronic means G06F3/033; optical digitisers G06F3/042) · CPC title