Non-contact eye gaze tracking
First Claim
1. A method for determining eye gaze information, comprising:
- determining, by a first non-contact capacitance sensor, a first capacitance associated with a first eye at a first time;
determining, by a second non-contact capacitance sensor, a second capacitance associated with a second eye at the first time;
determining a first spatial differential capacitance between the first capacitance and the second capacitance;
determining, by the first non-contact capacitance sensor, a third capacitance associated with the first eye at a second time;
determining a first temporal differential capacitance between the first capacitance and the third capacitance;
determining, by the second non-contact capacitance sensor, a fourth capacitance associated with the second eye at the second time; and
determining a second temporal differential capacitance between the second capacitance and the fourth capacitance, anddetermining eye gaze information based at least in part on the first spatial differential capacitance, the first temporal differential capacitance, and the second temporal differential capacitance.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method and apparatus for determining an eye gaze direction of a user through one or more non-contact capacitive sensors. For at least some embodiments, a differential capacitance associated with a users'"'"' eye may be determined through at least one of the non-contact capacitive sensors. The differential capacitance may be based on capacitance measurements associated with the users'"'"' eye performed at different times. The eye gaze direction may be based, at least in part, on the determined differential capacitance. For some embodiments, two or more non-contact capacitive sensors may be positioned along an axis. Differential capacitance measurements from the two or more non-contact capacitive sensors may determine the eye gaze direction with respect to the axis.
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Citations
17 Claims
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1. A method for determining eye gaze information, comprising:
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determining, by a first non-contact capacitance sensor, a first capacitance associated with a first eye at a first time; determining, by a second non-contact capacitance sensor, a second capacitance associated with a second eye at the first time; determining a first spatial differential capacitance between the first capacitance and the second capacitance; determining, by the first non-contact capacitance sensor, a third capacitance associated with the first eye at a second time; determining a first temporal differential capacitance between the first capacitance and the third capacitance; determining, by the second non-contact capacitance sensor, a fourth capacitance associated with the second eye at the second time; and determining a second temporal differential capacitance between the second capacitance and the fourth capacitance, and determining eye gaze information based at least in part on the first spatial differential capacitance, the first temporal differential capacitance, and the second temporal differential capacitance. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. An input device comprising:
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a first non-contact capacitance sensor; a second non-contact capacitance sensor; a sensor interface circuit coupled to the first non-contact capacitance sensor and the second non-contact capacitance sensor and configured to determine capacitance values based at least in part on signals from the first non-contact capacitance sensor and the second non-contact capacitance sensor; and a controller coupled to the sensor interface circuit and configured to; determine a first capacitance associated with a first eye and the first non-contact capacitance sensor at a first time; determine a second capacitance associated with a second eye and the second non-contact capacitance sensor at the first time; determine a first spatial differential capacitance between the first capacitance and the second capacitance; determine a third capacitance associated with the first eye and the first non-contact capacitance sensor at a second time; determine a first temporal differential capacitance between the first capacitance and the third capacitance; determine a fourth capacitance associated with the second eye and the second non-contact capacitance sensor at the second time; determine a second temporal differential capacitance between the second capacitance and the fourth capacitance; and determine eye gaze information based at least in part on the first spatial differential capacitance, the first temporal differential capacitance, and the second temporal differential capacitance. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. An electronic system, comprising
a display device; - and
an input device comprising; a first non-contact capacitance sensor; a second non-contact capacitance sensor; a sensor interface circuit coupled to the first non-contact capacitance sensor and the second non-contact capacitance sensor and configured to determine capacitance values based on signals from the first non-contact capacitance sensor and the second non-contact capacitance sensor; and a controller coupled to the sensor interface circuit and configured to; determine a first capacitance associated with a first eye and the first non-contact capacitance sensor at a first time; determine a second capacitance associated with a second eye and the first non-contact capacitance sensor at the first time; determine a first spatial differential capacitance between the first capacitance and the second capacitance; determine a third capacitance associated with the first eye and the first non-contact capacitance sensor at a second time; determine a first temporal differential capacitance between the first capacitance and the third capacitance; determine a fourth capacitance associated with the second eye and the second non-contact capacitance sensor at the second time; determine a second temporal differential capacitance between the second capacitance and the fourth capacitance; and determine eye gaze information based at least in part on the first spatial differential capacitance, the first temporal differential capacitance, and the second temporal differential capacitance. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17)
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Specification