Detection apparatus and method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016147301-A1
Application number	US-201414902953-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jul 8, 2014
Priority date	Jul 19, 2013
Publication date	May 26, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A contact lens type line-of-sight detection apparatus has a shape such that it is wearable on an eyeball of a user. Furthermore, in the line-of-sight detection apparatus, a plurality of light-emitting sections that output light and a plurality of light-receiving elements that receive light reflected by an eyeball surface. The light-receiving elements receive light that has been output from the light-emitting sections and reflected by the eyeball surface and output light-receiving signals according to amounts of light received. The signal processing unit detects a line of sight of the user based on the light-receiving signals of the light-receiving elements. The present technology can be applied to a contact lens type line-of-sight detection apparatus or a display apparatus.

First claim

1 . A detection apparatus that is wearable on an eyeball, comprising a light-receiving element that receives light entering from the eyeball.

2 . The detection apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising
a light-emitting element that outputs light, wherein the light-receiving element is provided near the light-emitting element.

3 . The detection apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein
the light-emitting element is formed of a plurality of light-emitting sections, and the light-receiving element is provided near the light-emitting section.

4 . The detection apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein
the light-receiving element receives light that is output from the light-emitting section and reflected by the eyeball, further comprising a signal processing unit that detects light-receiving amounts of a plurality of light-receiving elements arranged in regions of the detection apparatus.

5 . The detection apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein
the light emitting section is a display pixel that displays information.

6 . The detection apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein
the detection apparatus is configured to cover an entire cornea portion when the detection apparatus is worn on the eyeball.

7 . The defection apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein
in a state in which the detection apparatus is worn on the eyeball, at least one of the light-emitting section and the light-receiving element is provided in a region of the detection apparatus that is opposed to a region in a range in which a pupil of the eyeball is movable.

8 . The detection apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein
a lateral width is set to be larger than a vertical width by which the detection apparatus covers the eyeball.

9 . The detection apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein
an element different from the light-emitting element and the light-receiving element is provided near a lateral end of the detection apparatus.

10 . The detection apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein,
the defection apparatus has a structure for fixing the detection apparatus with respect to a head having the eyeball.

11 . The detection apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein
the signal processing unit determines a direction of the eyeball based on the light-receiving amounts of the plurality of light-receiving elements.

12 . The detection apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein
the signal processing unit calculates a convergence amount of left and right eyes based on the direction of the eyeball and a direction of an eyeball that pairs with the eyeball and calculates a distance to a gazed target object based on the convergence amount.

13 . The detection apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein
the signal processing unit determines a diameter of a pupil of the eyeball based on the light-receiving amounts of the plurality of light-receiving elements.

14 . The detection apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein
the signal processing unit detects a living-body state based on the light-receiving amounts of the plurality of light-receiving elements.

15 . The detection apparatus according to claim 14 , wherein
the light-emitting section emits light having a predetermined wavelength to the eyeball or emits light having different wavelengths to the eyeball in order, and the signal processing unit detects the living-body state based on light-receiving amounts of the light having the predetermined wavelength or the light having the different wavelengths that is emitted to the eyeball, in the light-receiving elements.

16 . The detection apparatus according to claim 15 , wherein
the light-emitting section is a display pixel that displays information and emits, after a period in which the information is displayed, the light having the predetermined wavelength or the light having the different wavelengths to the eyeball.

17 . A detection method for a detection apparatus including
a light-receiving element that receives light entering from an eyeball, and a signal processing unit that detects a light-receiving amount of the light-receiving element and being wearable on the eyeball, the method comprising;
a light-receiving step of receiving, by the light-receiving element, light reflected by the eyeball; and
a detection step of detecting, by the signal processing unit, light-receiving amounts of a plurality of light-receiving elements arranged in regions of the detection apparatus.

18 . The detection method according to claim 17 , further comprising
a light-emitting step of outputting light by a light-emitting element provided in the detection apparatus, wherein the light-receiving element receives, in the light-receiving step, light output from the light-emitting element and reflected by the eyeball.

19 . The detection method according to claim 18 , further comprising
a calculation step of determining, by the signal processing unit, a direction of the eyeball based on the light-receiving amounts of the plurality of light-receiving elements.

20 . The detection method according to claim 19 , wherein
the signal processing unit calculates, in the calculation step, a convergence amount of left and right eyes based on the direction of the eyeball and a direction of an eyeball that pairs with the eyeball and calculates a distance to a gazed target object based on the convergence amount.

Assignees

• Sony Corp

Inventors

• Iwasaki Masanori
• Sako Yoichiro

Classifications

• A61B5/6821

  Eye · CPC title

• G02B2027/0187

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

• A61B3/113 Primary

  for determining or recording eye movement · CPC title

• G06F1/163

  Wearable computers, e.g. on a belt · CPC title

• A61B5/02416

  using photoplethysmograph signals, e.g. generated by infrared radiation (A61B5/14552 takes precedence) · CPC title