Device for and method of corneal imaging

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016166140-A1
Application number	US-201414434051-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 10, 2014
Priority date	Dec 10, 2014
Publication date	Jun 16, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A device for corneal imaging is disclosed. The device comprises a first camera and processing means. The first camera is configured for imaging a cornea of a user of the device and/or an eyewear worn by the user. The processing means is operative to acquire a first image from the first camera, identify a first reflection by the cornea and/or a second reflection by a reflective surface of the eyewear, and determine a first optical transformation representing the first reflection and/or a second optical transformation representing the second reflection. Embodiments of the invention provide an improved corneal imaging solution for user operated computing devices by taking specular reflections originating from one or more reflective surfaces of an eyewear worn by the user into consideration. Also disclosed are a corresponding method, computer program, and computer program product.

First claim

1 . A device for corneal imaging, the device comprising:
a first camera configured for imaging a cornea of a user of the device and/or an eyewear worn by the user, and a processor operative to:
acquire a first image from the first camera,
identify, by analyzing the first image, a first reflection by the cornea and/or a second reflection by a reflective surface of the eyewear, and
determine a first optical transformation representing the first reflection and/or a second optical transformation representing the second reflection.

2 . The device according to claim 1 , the processor being further operative to determine information describing the first optical transformation and/or the second optical transformation.

3 . The device according to claim 2 , wherein the information describing the first optical transformation and/or the second optical transformation comprises a first curvature of the cornea and/or a second curvature of a reflective surface of the eyewear.

4 . The device according to claim 1 , wherein the first optical transformation is a universal optical transformation representing reflection by the human cornea.

5 . The device according to claim 1 , the processor being further operative to retrieve information describing the second optical transformation from a database based on an identification of the eyewear.

6 . The device according to claim 1 , the processor being operative to determine the first optical transformation and/or the second optical transformation by:
identifying a reflection of the device in the first reflection and/or the second reflection, and determining the first optical transformation and/or the second optical transformation based on a shape of the device.

7 . The device according to claim 6 , further comprising a screen operable as an output device for the device, wherein the reflection of the device is a reflection of the screen.

8 . The device according to claim 1 , the processor being operative to determine the first optical transformation and/or the second optical transformation by:
determining one of the first optical transformation and the second optical transformation, identifying at least one object which is visible in both the first reflection and the second reflection, determining a third optical transformation between the at least one object in the first reflection and the at least one object in the second reflection, and determining the other optical transformation of the first optical transformation and the second optical transformation based on the determined optical transformation and the third optical transformation.

9 . The device according to claim 1 , further comprising a second camera having a field-of-view which is substantially opposite to a field-of-view of the first camera, the processor being operative to determine the first optical transformation and/or the second optical transformation by:
acquiring a second image from the second camera, identifying at least one object which is present in both the first image and the second image, determining a fourth optical transformation between the at least one object in the first image and the at least one object in the second image, and determining the first optical transformation and/or the second optical transformation based on the fourth optical transformation.

10 . The device according to claim 2 , the processor being further operative to provide the information describing the first optical transformation and/or the second optical transformation to an application being executed on the device.

11 . The device according to claim 1 , the processor being further operative to provide an image of the first reflection and/or an image of the second reflection.

12 . The device according to claim 11 , the processor being further operative to correct the image of the first reflection and/or the image of the second reflection based on the first optical transformation and/or the second optical transformation, respectively.

13 . The device according to claim 12 , the processor being further operative to provide a combined image of the first reflection and of the second reflection.

14 . The device according to claim 11 , the processor being further operative to determine, for each of the image of the first reflection and the image of the second reflection, one or more Metrics associated with requirements on an image of a reflection, wherein the provided image is selected based on the determined one or more metrics.

15 . The device according to claim 11 , the processor being further operative to provide the image or images to an application being executed on the device.

16 . The device according to claim 1 , further comprising a screen operable as an output device for the device, the processor being further operative to display graphical content on the screen so as to make the user move the device in relation to a head of the user.

17 . The device according to claim 1 , wherein the eyewear is any one of glasses, spectacles, sunglasses, goggles, or a contact lens.

18 . A method of corneal imaging performed by a device, the method comprising:
acquiring a first image from a first camera configured for imaging a cornea of a user of the device and/or an eyewear worn by the user, identifying, by analyzing the first image, a first reflection by the cornea and/or a second reflection by a reflective surface of the eyewear, and determining a first optical transformation representing the first reflection and/or a second optical transformation representing the second reflection.

19 . The method according to claim 18 , further comprising determining information describing the first optical transformation and/or the second optical transformation.

20 . The method according to claim 19 , wherein the information describing the first optical transformation and/or the second optical transformation comprises a first curvature of the cornea and/or a second curvature of a reflective surface of the eyewear.

21 . The method according to claim 18 , wherein the first optical transformation is a universal optical transformation representing reflection by the human cornea.

22 . The method according to claim 18 , further comprising retrieving information describing the second optical transformation from a database based on an identification of the eyewear.

23 . The method according to claim 18 , wherein the determining the first optical transformation and/or the second optical transformation comprises:
identifying a reflection of the device in the first reflection and/or the second reflection, and determining the first optical transformation and/or the second optical transformation based on a shape of the device.

24 . The method according to claim 23 , wherein the reflection of the device is a reflection of a screen of the device.

25 . The method according to claim 18 , wherein the determining the first optical transformation and/or the second optical transformation comprises:
determining one of the first optical transformation and the second optical transformation, identifying at least one object which is visible in both the first reflection and the second reflection, determining a third optical transformation between the at least one object in the first reflection and the at least one object in the second reflection, and determining the other optical transformation of the first optical transformat

Assignees

• Ericsson Telefon Ab L M

Inventors

• Lawrenson Matthew John
• Nolan Julian Charles

Classifications

• A61B3/152

  for aligning · CPC title

• G06F3/0412

  Digitisers structurally integrated in a display · CPC title

• G03B15/14

  for taking photographs during medical operations · CPC title

• G06F3/013

  Eye tracking input arrangements (G06F3/015 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G06F2203/04108

  Touchless 2D- digitiser, i.e. digitiser detecting the X/Y position of the input means, finger or stylus, also when it does not touch, but is proximate to the digitiser's interaction surface without distance measurement in the Z direction · CPC title