Method and device for determining a direction of gaze of an eye and data glasses

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12333071-B2
Application number	US-202318693840-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 2, 2023
Priority date	Apr 27, 2022
Publication date	Jun 17, 2025
Grant date	Jun 17, 2025

Abstract

A method for determining a direction of gaze of an eye for data glasses. The method includes: reading distance values and speed values, which represent a distance between laser sensors for emitting laser beams and surface intersection points of the laser beams on the eye and also surface speeds at the surface intersection points; classifying the distance values and the speed values in order to obtain classification values which indicate the parts of the eye associated with the surface intersection points; estimating position values which represent positions of the laser sensors using the distance values, the speed values, and the classification values; and ascertaining a gaze direction value which represents the gaze direction using the position values, the distance values, and the speed values.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for determining a direction of gaze of an eye for data glasses, the method comprising the following steps:
reading a first distance value and a first speed value, wherein the first distance value represents a distance between a first laser sensor configured to emit a first laser beam and a first surface intersection point of the first laser beam on the eye, and wherein the first speed value represents a surface speed at the first surface intersection point;
reading a second distance value and a second speed value, wherein the second distance value represents a distance between a second laser sensor configured to emit second laser beam and a second surface intersection point of the second laser beam on the eye, and wherein the second speed value represents a surface speed at the second surface intersection point;
reading at least a third distance value and a third speed value, wherein the third distance value represents a distance between a third laser sensor configured to emit a third laser beam and a third surface intersection point of the laser beam on the eye, and wherein the third speed value represents a surface speed at the third surface intersection point;
classifying the first, second, and third distance values and the first, second, and third speed values to obtain a first classification value that indicates a part of the eye associated with the first surface intersection point, to obtain a second classification value that indicates a part of the eye associated with the second surface intersection point, and to obtain a third classification value that indicates a part of the eye associated with the third surface intersection point;
determining a first absolute value which represents a pose of the first laser sensor in head-centered coordinates of a head-centered coordinate system, a second absolute value which represents a pose of the second laser sensor in the head-centered coordinates, and a third absolute value which represents a pose of the third laser sensor in the head-centered coordinates, using the first, second, and third distance values and the first, second, and third classification values;
determining angular speeds which represent an eye surface speed of the eye using the surface intersection points and a linkage between the head-centered coordinate system and the glasses coordinate system;
determining an offset-encumbered gaze direction using the angular speeds; and
ascertaining a gaze direction value which represents the gaze direction using the offset-encumbered gaze direction and an offset for correcting the offset-encumbered gaze direction.

2. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
determining parameters of the linkage between the head-centered coordinate system and the glasses coordinate system using position values, the first, second, and third distance values, and also known geometric assumptions of the eye.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the offset-encumbered gaze direction is determined by integrating the angular speeds.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the offset is determined using an eye surface model that is determined from the first, second, and third distance values, the first, second, and third speed values, and the first, second, and third surface intersection points.

5. The method according to claim 4 , further comprising:
continuously learning the eye surface model over time from captured data points.

6. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving a first reflection beam which represents a reflection or scattering of the first laser beam at the first surface intersection point;
receiving a second reflection beam which represents a reflection or scattering of the second laser beam at the second surface intersection point;
receiving a third reflection beam which represents a reflection or scattering of the third laser beam at the third surface intersection point;
determining: (i) the first distance value and the first speed value using a fluctuation in a radiation intensity of the first reflection beam, (ii) the second distance value and the second speed value using a fluctuation in a radiation intensity of the second reflection beam, and (iii) the third speed value using a fluctuation in a radiation intensity of the third reflection beam.

7. The method according to claim 6 , further comprising:
emitting the first laser beam at a constant wavelength
emitting the second laser beam at a constant wavelength; and
emitting the third laser beam at a constant wavelength;
wherein the first speed value is determined using the fluctuation in the radiation intensity of the first reflection beam while the first laser beam is being emitted at the constant wavelength, the second speed value is determined using the fluctuation in the radiation intensity of the second reflection beam while the second laser beam is being emitted at the constant wavelength, and the third speed value is determined using the fluctuation in the radiation intensity of the third reflection beam while the third laser beam is being emitted at the constant wavelength.

8. The method according to claim 6 , in which, in the emitting of the first, second, and third laser beams, the first laser beam is emitted at changing wavelength during a first further time interval, the second laser beam is emitted at changing wavelength during a second further time interval, and the third laser beam is emitted at changing wavelength during a third further time interval, wherein in the determining using the fluctuations, the first distance value is determined using the fluctuation in the radiation intensity of the first reflection beam while the first laser beam is being emitted at the changing wavelength, the second distance value is determined using the fluctuation in the radiation intensity of the second reflection beam while the second laser beam is being emitted at the changing wavelength, the third distance value is determined using the fluctuation in the radiation intensity of the third reflection beam while the third laser beam is being emitted at the changing wavelength.

9. The method according to claim 8 , further comprising:
determining: (i) a first beat frequency using the fluctuations in the radiation intensity of the first reflection beam while the first laser beam is being emitted at the constant and at the changing wavelength, (ii) a second beat frequency using the fluctuations in the radiation intensity of the second reflection beam while the second laser beam is being emitted at the constant and at the changing wavelength, and (iii) determining a third beat frequency using the fluctuations in the radiation intensity of the third reflection beam while the third laser beam is being emitted at the constant and at the changing wavelength; and
determining a movement direction value which represents a movement direction value of the eye, and determining a movement speed value which represents a movement speed of the eye, using a mean value of the first, second, and third beat frequencies, wherein in the ascertainment step the gaze direction value is ascertained using the movement direction value and the movement speed value of the eye.

10. A device for determining a direction of gaze of an eye for data glasses, wherein the device is configured to:
read a first distance value and a first speed value, wherein the first distance value represents a distance between a first laser sensor configured to emit a first laser beam and a first surface intersection point of the first laser beam on the eye, and wherein the first speed value represents a surface speed at the first surface intersection point;
read a second distanc

Assignees

• Bosch Gmbh Robert

Inventors

• Gering Stefan
• Meyer Johannes
• Schlebusch Thomas Alexander

Classifications

• G02B2027/0178

  Eyeglass type (eyeglass details G02C) · CPC title

• G02B27/0093

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

• G01B11/26

  for measuring angles or tapers; for testing the alignment of axes · CPC title

• G01B11/026

  by measuring distance between sensor and object (G01B11/0608 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G02B27/017

  Head mounted · CPC title