Portable eye tracking device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11344196-B2
Application number	US-202016943092-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 30, 2020
Priority date	Sep 3, 2013
Publication date	May 31, 2022
Grant date	May 31, 2022

Abstract

A portable eye tracker device is disclosed which includes a frame, at least one optics holding member, and a control unit. The frame may be adapted for wearing by a user. The at least one optics holding member may include at least one illuminator configured to selectively illuminate at least a portion of at least one eye of the user, and at least one image sensor configured to capture image data representing images of at least a portion of at least one eye of the user. The control unit may be configured to control the at least one illuminator for the selective illumination of at least a portion of at least one eye of the user, receive the image data from the at least one image sensor, and calibrate at least one illuminator, at least one image sensor, or an algorithm of the control unit.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A wearable device comprising:
a first illuminator to selectively illuminate at least a portion of a first eye of the user;
a second illuminator to selectively illuminate at least a portion of a second eye of the user;
a first image sensor to capture image data representing images of at least a portion of the first eye of the user;
a second image sensor to capture image data representing images of at least a portion of the second eye of the user;
a third image sensor to capture image data representing images of at least a portion of the first eye of the user;
where the first illuminator, and second illuminator are located in a holding member having a cover, where part of the cover is shaped to transmit light emitted by the first and second illuminator, and
a control device to:
control the first illuminator and the second illuminator to transmit light through the cover to illuminate at least a portion of the first eye of the user and a portion of the second eye of the user;
receive the image data from the first image sensor comprising reflection of illumination from the first illuminator off a cornea of the first eye of the user;
receive the image data from the second image sensor comprising reflection of illumination from the second illuminator off a cornea of the second eye of the user;
determine a gaze target area for the user based at least in, part on the position of the reflection of the illumination off the cornea of the first eye and the position of the reflection of the illumination off the cornea of the second eye.

2. The wearable device of claim 1 , further comprising a frame for wearing by a user.

3. The wearable device of claim 1 , wherein the wearable device is a wearable eye tracking device.

4. The wearable device of claim 1 , further comprising at least one optics holding member.

5. The wearable device of claim 1 , wherein the control device is further configured to:
interlace image data from the first image sensor and the third image sensor.

6. The wearable device of claim 1 , wherein the control device is further configured to:
compensate for insufficient data from the first image sensor by using data from the third image sensor.

7. The wearable device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a scene camera facing away from the user to capture image data representing images of at least a portion of a view of the user.

8. The wearable device of claim 7 , wherein the control device is further configured to:
merge image data from the first image sensor with the third image sensor.

9. The wearable device of claim 8 , wherein determining the gaze target area for the user based at least in part on the position of the reflection of the illumination off the cornea of the first eye and the position of the reflection of the illumination off the cornea of the second eye comprises:
determining the gaze target area for the user based at least in part on the merged image data.

10. The wearable device of claim 9 , wherein the control device is further to:
control the scene camera to adjust focus and/or sensitivity based on the gaze target area.

11. The wearable device of claim 8 , wherein the control device is further to:
merge the merged image data with image data from the scene camera into a single data stream.

12. The wearable device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a third illuminator to selectively illuminate at least a portion of the first eye of the user.

13. The wearable device of claim 12 , wherein controlling the first illuminator and the third illuminator comprises a selection from the group consisting of:
activating the first illuminator and the third illuminator simultaneously; and
activating the first illuminator and the third illuminator individually, at different times.

14. The wearable device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a third image sensor to capture image data representing images of at least a portion of the first eye of the user; and
a fourth image sensor to capture image data representing images of at least a portion of the second eye of the user.

15. The wearable device of claim 14 , wherein the control device is further to:
interlace image data from the first image sensor with image data from the second image sensor, and image data from the third image sensor with image data from the fourth image sensor;
interlace image data from the first image sensor with image data from the second image sensor, the third image sensor, and the fourth image sensor.

16. The wearable device of claim 15 , wherein the interlaced image data comprises:
alternating images from the first image sensor, the second image sensor, the third image sensor, and the fourth image sensor.

17. The wearable device of claim 1 , wherein controlling the first illuminator and the second illuminator comprises a selection from the group consisting of:
activating the first illuminator and the second illuminator simultaneously; and
activating the first illuminator and the second illuminator individually, at different times.

18. A method of determining a gaze direction for a user, comprising:
activating, by a control device, a first illuminator on a frame worn by the user to selectively illuminate at least a portion of a first eye of the user;
activating, by the control device, a second illuminator on the frame worn by the user to selectively illuminate at least a portion of a second eye of the user, wherein the first illuminator, and second illuminator are located in a holding member having a cover, where part of the cover is shaped to transmit light emitted by the first and second illuminator;
receiving, by the control device, image data comprising reflection of illumination light through the cover from the first illuminator off a cornea of the first eye of the user from a first image sensor on the frame;
receiving, by the control device, image data comprising reflection of illumination light through the cover from the second illuminator off a cornea of the second eye of the user from a second image sensor on the frame;
receiving, by the control device, image data of the first eye of the user from a third image sensor on the frame; and
determining, by the control device, a gaze target area for the user based at least in part on the position of the reflection of the illumination off the cornea of the first eye and the position of the reflection of the illumination off the cornea of the second eye.

19. A non-transitory machine readable medium having instructions thereon for determining a gaze direction for a user, the instructions executable by a processor for at least:
activating a first illuminator on a frame worn by the user to selectively illuminate at least a portion of a first eye of the user;
activating a second illuminator on the frame worn by the user to selectively illuminate at least a portion of a second eye of the user, wherein the first illuminator, and second illuminator are located in a holding member having a cover, where part of the cover is shaped to transmit light emitted by the first and second illuminator;
receiving image data comprising reflection of illumination from the first illuminator light through the cover off a cornea of the first eye of the user from a first image sensor on the frame;
receiving image data comprising reflection of illumination from the second illuminator light through the cover off a cornea of the second eye of the user from a second image sensor on the frame;
receiving, by the control device, image data of the first eye of the us

Assignees

• Tobii Ab

Inventors

• Gustafsson Simon
• Kingbäck Anders
• Cederlund Markus

Classifications

• H04N23/56

  provided with illuminating means · CPC title

• G02B2027/0178

  Eyeglass type (eyeglass details G02C) · CPC title

• G02B27/017

  Head mounted · CPC title

• H04R1/32

  for obtaining desired directional characteristic only {(specially adapted for hearing aids H04R25/40)} · CPC title

• G02B2027/0187

  slaved to motion of at least a part of the body of the user, e.g. head, eye · CPC title