Eye gaze detection supporting device and eye gaze detection supporting method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9993154-B2
Application number	US-201615160058-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 20, 2016
Priority date	Nov 28, 2013
Publication date	Jun 12, 2018
Grant date	Jun 12, 2018

Abstract

An eye gaze detection supporting device includes an illuminator including a light source that performs irradiation with light, a plurality of imaging units, position detectors that detect a first position indicating a center of a pupil and a second position indicating a center of corneal reflection, from an image of an eye ball of a subject irradiated with light by the illuminator, and captured by the imaging units, and a calculator that calculates a fourth position indicating a curvature center of a cornea, based on a position of the light source, a third position on a display, the first position, and the second position.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An eye gaze detection supporting device comprising:
an illuminator including a single light source that performs irradiation with light;
a plurality of imaging units;
a position detector configured to
detect a first position indicating a center of a pupil from an image of an eye ball of a subject irradiated with the light by the illuminator, and captured by the imaging units, and
detect, from the image, a region having predetermined brightness including the brightest part as corneal reflection and detect a second position indicating a center of the corneal reflection; and

a calculator configured to calculate a fourth position indicating a curvature center of a cornea, based on a position of the light source, the fourth position indicating the distance from the corneal reflection center becoming a predetermined value, on a straight line, a third position indicating the target image on a display, the first position, and the second position; and
an eye gaze detector processor or circuit configured to detect an eye gaze, based on the first position and the fourth position.

2. The eye gaze detection supporting device according to claim 1 , wherein
the calculator
calculates a first straight line connecting a position of the light source and the second position, and
a second straight line connecting the first position and the third position, and
calculates the fourth position existing on the first straight line, and at which a distance from the first position becomes a first distance, where
the first distance is a distance between an intersection point of the first straight line and the second straight line, and the first position.

3. An eye gaze detection supporting device comprising:
an illuminator including a light source that performs irradiation with light:
a plurality of imaging units;
a position detector configured to detect a first position indicating a center of a pupil and a second position indicating a center of corneal reflection, from an image of an eye ball of a subject irradiated with the light by the illuminator, and captured by the imaging units; and
a calculator configured to calculate a fourth position indicating a curvature center of a cornea, based on a position of the light source, a third position on a display, the first position, and the second position, wherein

the calculator
calculates a first straight line connecting a position of the light source and the second position, and a second straight line connecting the first position and the third position,
calculates the fourth position existing on the first straight line, and at which a distance from the first position becomes a first distance, where the first distance is a distance between an intersection point of the first straight line and the second straight line, and the first position,
calculates a first line segment connecting the position of the light source and the third position, and
a second line segment parallel to the first line segment, and going from the first position to the first straight line, and
calculates the first distance where a ratio of a length of the second line segment to a length of the first line segment, and a ratio of the first distance to a distance between the third position and the fourth position become equal to detect an eye gaze, by an eye gaze detector processor or circuit.

4. An eye gaze detection supporting method comprising the steps of:
detecting a first position indicating a center of a pupil and a second position indicating a center of corneal reflection, from an image of an eye ball of a subject irradiated with light by an illuminator including a light source, and captured by a plurality of imaging units; and
calculating, by a calculator, a fourth position indicating a curvature center of a cornea, based on a position of the light source, a third position on a display, the first position, and the second position, wherein
the calculating includes the steps of
calculating, by a calculator, a first straight line connecting a position of the light source and the second position, and a second straight line connecting the first position and the third position,
calculating, by a calculator, the fourth position existing on the first straight line, and at which a distance from the first position becomes a first distance, where the first distance is a distance between an intersection point of the first straight line and the second straight line, and the first position,
calculating, by a calculator, a first line segment connecting the position of the light source and the third position, and a second line segment parallel to the first line segment, and going from the first position to the first straight line, and
detecting an eye gaze, by an eye gaze detector processor or circuit, based on calculating, by a calculator, the first distance where a ratio of a length of the second line segment to a length of the first line segment, and a ratio of the first distance to a distance between the third position and the fourth position become equal.

Assignees

• Jvc Kenwood Corp

Inventors

• Ninomiya Masaru
• Shudo Katsuyuki
• Hakoshima Shuji

Classifications

• A61B3/0008

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

• A61B3/0041

  characterised by display arrangements · CPC title

• A61B3/113 Primary

  for determining or recording eye movement · CPC title

• A61B3/107

  for determining the shape or measuring the curvature of the cornea · CPC title

• A61B3/14

  Arrangements specially adapted for eye photography · CPC title