Optical device, method of detecting degree of inclination of three-dimensional object, and line-of-sight detection method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11914151-B2
Application number	US-202117643641-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 10, 2021
Priority date	Jan 13, 2021
Publication date	Feb 27, 2024
Grant date	Feb 27, 2024

Abstract

An optical device, a method of detecting inclination of a three-dimensional object, and a method of detecting a line-of-sight. The optical device includes a light source configured to irradiate an object with light, a detector configured to detect a position of the light reflected by the object, and circuitry configured to output data of a degree of inclination of the object obtained based on the position of the light and a prescribed parameter, and change the prescribed parameter based on the position of the light. The above methods include irradiating an object with light, detecting a position of the light reflected by the object, outputting data of a degree of inclination of the object obtained based on the position of the light and a prescribed parameter, and changing the prescribed parameter based on the position of the light.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An optical device comprising:
a light source configured to irradiate an object with light;
a detector having a photo-sensing surface, the detector configured to receive the light reflected by the object and detect a position of the reflected light on the photo-sensing surface thereof; and
circuitry configured to
output data of a degree of inclination of the object obtained based on the position of the light on the photo-sensing surface of the detector and a prescribed parameter, and
change the prescribed parameter based on the position of the light on the photo-sensing surface of the detector,
wherein the light source includes multiple light emitters,
one of the multiple light emitters is selected to irradiate the object,
the selected one of the multiple light emitters is changed to another one of the multiple light emitters when the light is not incident on the photo-sensing surface of the detector, and
the changing is repeated until the light is incident on the photo-sensing surface of the detector.

2. The optical device according to claim 1 , further comprising
a storage unit configured to store a plurality of detection values of the position of the light on the photo-sensing surface of the detector,
wherein the circuitry is configured to change the prescribed parameter based on a position of a center of gravity of the plurality of detection values making up a cluster and a width of change in the plurality of detection values making up the cluster.

3. The optical device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the circuitry is configured to output the data of the degree of inclination of the object at a first timing, and
wherein the circuitry is configured to change the prescribed parameter at a second timing different from the first timing.

4. The optical device according to claim 3 ,
wherein the circuitry is configured to change the prescribed parameter repeatedly.

5. The optical device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the circuitry is configured to change the prescribed parameter based on an estimation value obtained by Bayesian estimation based on a detection value of the position of the light.

6. A line-of-sight detection device comprising
the optical device according to claim 1 .

7. The line-of-sight detection device according to claim 6 ,
wherein the prescribed parameter is at least one of a shape of an eye on which line-of-sight detection is performed or a position of a center of rotation of the eye.

8. A retinal projection display device comprising
the line-of-sight detection device according to claim 6 .

9. A head-mounted display comprising
the line-of-sight detection device according to claim 6 .

10. An optometric device comprising
the line-of-sight detection device according to claim 6 .

11. A method of detecting inclination of a three-dimensional object, the method comprising:
irradiating an object with light from a light source including multiple light emitters;
detecting a position of the light reflected by the object using a detector having a photo-sensing surface, the position of the light being a position of the reflected light on the photo-sensing surface of the detector;
outputting data of a degree of inclination of the object obtained based on the position of the light on the photo-sensing surface of the detector and a prescribed parameter; and
changing the prescribed parameter based on the position of the light on the photo-sensing surface of the detector;
selecting one of the multiple light emitters to irradiate the object;
changing the selected one of the multiple light emitters to another one of the multiple light emitters when the light is not incident on the photo-sensing surface of the detector; and
repeating the changing of the selected one of the multiple light emitters until the light is incident on the photo-sensing surface of the detector.

12. H method of detecting inclination of a three-dimensional object according to claim 11 , wherein a line-of-sight is detected.

13. A optical device comprising:
a light source configured to irradiate an object with light;
a detector having a photo-sensing surface, the detector configured to receive the light reflected by the object and detect a position of the reflected light on the photo-sensing surface thereof;
circuitry configured to
output data of a degree of inclination of the object obtained based on the position of the light on the photo-sensing surface of the detector and a prescribed parameter, and
change the prescribed parameter based on the position of the light on the photo-sensing surface of the detector; and
a storage unit configured to store a plurality of detection values of the position of the light on the photo-sensing surface of the detector,
wherein the circuitry is configured to change the prescribed parameter based on a distribution of the plurality of detection values on the photo-sensing surface of the detector.

14. The optical device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the prescribed parameter is information used to obtain the degree of inclination of the object.

Assignees

• Yoshida Saori
• Sangu Suguru
• Ricoh Co Ltd

Inventors

• Yoshida Saori
• Sangu Suguru

Classifications

• G02B27/0172 Primary

  characterised by optical features · CPC title

• G01C3/02

  Details · CPC title

• G02B27/0093 Primary

  with means for monitoring data relating to the user, e.g. head-tracking, eye-tracking · CPC title

• G02B2027/014

  comprising information/image processing systems · CPC title

• G02B2027/0178

  Eyeglass type (eyeglass details G02C) · CPC title