System and Method for Monitoring a Subject's Eye

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016106355-A1
Application number	US-201514859263-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Sep 19, 2015
Priority date	Sep 19, 2014
Publication date	Apr 21, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A system and a method for monitoring subject's eyes are disclosed. In one embodiment, spectral profiles of a frame substantially around a subject's eye are received from an image capturing device. Further, a state of the subject's eye in the frame is detected using the spectral profiles received from the image capturing device.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A camera system comprising:
an image capturing device configured to capture spectral profiles from a frame substantially around a subject's eye; and an eye monitoring system communicatively connected to the image capturing device, wherein the eye monitoring system is configured to receive the spectral profiles of the frame from the image capturing device and to detect a state of the subject's eye in the frame using the received spectral profiles.

2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the eye monitoring system is configured to:
determine spectral profiles of an eye and skin including an eyelid in the received spectral profiles; determine a number of the spectral profiles of the eye and a number of the spectral profiles of the skin including the eyelid; determine a ratio of the number of the spectral profiles of the eye and the number of the spectral profiles of the skin including the eyelid; and detect the state of the subject's eye in the frame based on the determined ratio.

3 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the eye monitoring system is configured to determine spectral profiles of at least one of a pupil, iris, or sclera in the received spectral profiles.

4 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the eye monitoring system is configured to:
obtain spectral profiles of a reference frame substantially around the subject's eye; compare the received spectral profiles of the frame with the spectral profiles of the reference frame; and determine the spectral profiles of the eye and the skin including the eyelid in the received spectral profiles based on the comparison.

5 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the eye monitoring system is configured to:
determine whether the ratio is greater than a predetermined threshold; if so, detect the state of the subject's eye in the frame as an open state; and if not, detect the state of the subject's eye in the frame as a closed state or a partially open state.

6 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the eye monitoring system is configured to receive the spectral profiles of the frame from the image capturing device and to detect a state of the subject's eye in the frame using the received spectral profiles, for a number of subsequent frames substantially around the subject's eye to detect a state of the subject's eye in the number of subsequent frames.

7 . The system of claim 6 , wherein the eye monitoring system is configured to generate an alert based on the state of the subject's eye in the frame and the number of subsequent frames.

8 . The system of claim 6 , wherein the eye monitoring system is configured to:
determine whether the ratio of the number of the spectral profiles of the eye and the number of the spectral profiles of the skin including the eyelid is changing over the frame and the number of subsequent frames; and detect a drowsiness state of the subject when the ratio is changing over the frame and the number of subsequent frames.

9 . The system of claim 8 , wherein the eye monitoring system is configured to generate an alert upon detecting the drowsiness state of the subject.

10 . The system of claim 8 , wherein the eye monitoring system is configured to detect the drowsiness state of the subject when the ratio is decreasing over the frame and the number of subsequent frames.

11 . The system of claim 8 , wherein the eye monitoring system is configured to:
detect gradual drowsiness of the subject when the ratio changes gradually over the frame and the number of subsequent frames; and detect persistent drowsiness of the subject when the ratio changes significantly over the frame and the number of subsequent frames.

12 . A method for monitoring a subject's eye, comprising:
receiving spectral profiles of a frame substantially around a subject's eye from an image capturing device; and detecting a state of the subject's eye in the frame using the received spectral profiles.

13 . The method of claim 12 , wherein detecting the state of the subject's eye in the frame using the received spectral profiles, comprises:
determining spectral profiles of an eye and skin including an eyelid in the received spectral profiles; determining a number of the spectral profiles of the eye and a number of the spectral profiles of the skin including the eyelid; determining a ratio of the number of the spectral profiles of the eye and the number of the spectral profiles of the skin including the eyelid; and detecting the state of the subject's eye in the frame based on the determined ratio.

14 . A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions for monitoring a subject's eye, the instructions executable by a computing device to:
receive spectral profiles of a frame substantially around a subject's eye from an image capturing device; and detect a state of the subject's eye in the frame using the received spectral profiles.

15 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 14 , wherein the instructions to detect the state of the subject's eye in the frame using the received spectral profiles comprise instructions to:
determine spectral profiles of an eye and skin including an eyelid in the received spectral profiles; determine a number of the spectral profiles of the eye and a number of the spectral profiles of the skin including the eyelid; determine a ratio of the number of the spectral profiles of the eye and the number of the spectral profiles of the skin including the eyelid; and detect the state of the subject's eye in the frame based on the determined ratio.

Assignees

• Imec India Private Ltd
• Imec Vzw

Inventors

• Perugupalli Prasanth
• Kumar Nath Sumit

Classifications

• G06V10/60

  relating to illumination properties, e.g. using a reflectance or lighting model · CPC title

• B60W2050/143

  Alarm means · CPC title

• A61B5/1103

  Detecting muscular movement of the eye, e.g. eyelid movement · CPC title

• A61B5/0075

  by spectroscopy, i.e. measuring spectra, e.g. Raman spectroscopy, infrared absorption spectroscopy (A61B5/0071 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B60W2040/0827

  due to sleepiness · CPC title