Gaze tracking variations using visible lights or dots

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9480397-B2
Application number	US-201414493766-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 23, 2014
Priority date	Sep 24, 2013
Publication date	Nov 1, 2016
Grant date	Nov 1, 2016

Abstract

Implementations of the present disclosure may include calibration techniques for systems which include eye tracking devices and display devices. The calibration techniques may involve a calibration process which utilizes a plurality of visible calibration targets that each defines a gaze point for a user. The calibration targets may include both targets output to the display device, as well as gaze points located on the eye tracking device itself. The calibration techniques may also include additional sensors on the eye tracking device to gather additional calibration information, such as a back-facing camera which captures images of the display device from the eye tracking device. Increased information regarding system setup that is useful in calibrating the eye tracking system may be obtained from the calibration process.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
gathering eye tracking data during a calibration process with a sensor of an eye tracking device; and
determining one or more calibration parameters from the eye tracking data,
wherein the calibration process involves a plurality of visible calibration targets,
wherein each said target defines a gaze point of the calibration process,
wherein the plurality of targets includes one or more display targets and one or more sensor targets,
wherein each of the one or more display targets defines a gaze point within an image output to a display device at a location known with respect to the image,
wherein each of the one or more sensor targets defines a gaze point attached to the eye tracking device at a location known with respect to the eye tracking device, and
wherein said determining the one or more calibration parameters includes determining one or more geometric parameters which fits the location of each of the gaze points defined by the one or more display targets, the location of each of the gaze points defined by the one or more sensor targets, and the eye tracking data gathered during the calibration process.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more sensor targets includes a visible light source attached to the eye tracking device.

3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising illuminating the visible light source during the calibration process.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising outputting each of the display targets to the display device.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising instructing a user to gaze at each of the calibration targets.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising, after said determining the one or more calibration parameters:
gathering additional eye tracking data with the eye tracking device; and
analyzing the additional eye tracking data to determine one or more eye gaze parameters of the user, wherein said analyzing the additional eye tracking data includes calibrating the additional eye tracking data with the one or more calibration parameters.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more calibration parameters determined from the eye tracking data includes a screen size of the display device.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more calibration parameters determined from the eye tracking data includes a location of the display device relative to the eye tracking device.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the sensor is an infrared camera, and wherein said gathering the eye tracking data includes emitting infrared light from an infrared light source of the eye tracking device and capturing one or more images with the infrared camera of an area illuminated by said emitting the infrared light.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more display targets includes a plurality of display targets, each said display target defining a different gaze point within an image.

11. A system comprising:
an eye tracking device having a sensor and one or more sensor targets; and
a computing device coupled to the eye tracking device, wherein the system is configured to perform a method, the method comprising:
gathering eye tracking data during a calibration process with the sensor of the eye tracking device; and
determining, with the computing device, one or more calibration parameters from the eye tracking data,
wherein the calibration process involves the one or more sensor targets and one or more display targets,
wherein each said target defines a gaze point of the calibration process,
wherein each of the one or more display targets defines a gaze point within an image output to a display device at a location known with respect to the image,
wherein each of the one or more sensor targets defines a gaze point attached to the eye tracking device at a location known with respect to the eye tracking device, and
wherein said determining the one or more calibration parameters includes determining one or more geometric parameters of the system which fits the location of each of the gaze points defined by the one or more display targets, the location of each of the gaze points defined by the one or more sensor targets, and the eye tracking data gathered during the calibration process.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the eye tracking device further includes a visible light source, wherein the one or more sensor targets includes the visible light source.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the method further comprises illuminating the visible light source during the calibration process.

14. The system of claim 11 , wherein the method further comprises outputting each of the display targets to the display device.

15. The system of claim 11 , wherein the method further comprises instructing a user to gaze at each of the calibration targets.

16. The system of claim 11 , wherein the method further comprises, after said determining the one or more calibration parameters:
gathering additional eye tracking data with the eye tracking device; and
analyzing the additional eye tracking data with the computing device to determine one or more eye gaze parameters of the user, wherein said analyzing the additional eye tracking data includes calibrating the additional eye tracking data with the one or more calibration parameters.

17. The system of claim 11 , wherein the one or more calibration parameters determined from the eye tracking data includes a screen size of the display device.

18. The system of claim 11 , wherein the one or more calibration parameters determined from the eye tracking data includes a location of the display device relative to the eye tracking device.

19. The system of claim 11 , wherein the eye tracking device further comprises one or more infrared light sources, wherein the sensor of the eye tracking device is an infrared camera, and wherein said gathering the eye tracking data includes emitting infrared light from the infrared light source and capturing one or more images with the infrared camera of an area illuminated by said emitting the infrared light.

20. The system of claim 11 , wherein the one or more display targets includes a plurality of display targets, each said display target defining a different gaze point within an image.

21. The system of claim 11 , wherein the one or more sensor targets includes a marking on the eye tracking device, wherein the method further comprises instructing a user to gaze at the marking during the calibration process.

22. A non-transitory computer readable medium having processor-executable instructions embodied therein, wherein execution of the instructions by a processor causes a processor to perform a method, the method comprising:
gathering eye tracking data during a calibration process with a sensor of an eye tracking device; and
determining one or more calibration parameters from the eye tracking data,
wherein the calibration process involves a plurality of visible calibration targets,
wherein each said target defines a gaze point of the calibration process,
wherein the plurality of targets includes one or more display targets and one or more sensor targets,
wherein each of the one or more display targets defines a gaze point within an image output to a display device at a location known with respect to the image,
wherein each of the one or more sensor targets defines a gaze point attached to the eye tracking device at a location known with respect to the eye tracking device, and
where

Assignees

• Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc

Inventors

• Larsen Eric J

Classifications

• G06K9/00604

  Physics · mapped topic

• A61B3/0008

  provided with illuminating means (A61B3/117, A61B3/14 take precedence) · CPC title

• A61B3/113 Primary

  for determining or recording eye movement · CPC title

• A61B3/14

  Arrangements specially adapted for eye photography · CPC title

• G06V40/19

  Sensors therefor · CPC title