EYE TRACKING ILLUMINATION

• US 20100066975A1
• Filed: 11/29/2007
• Published: 03/18/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/29/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tobii Technology AB
• Original Assignee: Tobii Technology AB
• Inventors: Rehnstrom, Bengt
• Granted Patent: US 8,025,405 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 351/210
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 3/0008 provided with illuminating means A61B3/117 takes precedence; goniolenses used for laser treatment A61F9/009; illuminating means for optical instruments G02B27/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 3/113 for determining or recording eye movement
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/013 Eye tracking input arrangements G06F3/015 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10016 Video; Image sequence
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10152 Varying illumination
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30041 Eye; Retina; Ophthalmic
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30201 Face
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/246 using feature-based methods, e.g. the tracking of corners or segments
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/18 Eye characteristics, e.g. of the iris

Abstract

The invention relates to automatic eye tracking, wherein at least one imaging device (150) registers sequential image data (D_EYE) representing at least one eye (181; 182) of a subject (180). A processing unit (170) receives the image data (D_EYE), and based thereon, produces a position estimate of the at least one eye (181; 182). The processing unit (170) also produces a control signal (D_ILL)>which is received by at least one light source (140). The at least one light source (140), in turn, emits at least one light beam (L) being variable, such that a spatial location of an illumination area (A_ILL) towards which at least one light beam (L) is directed depends on the characteristics of the control signal (C_ILL). Specifically, the processing unit (170) produces the control signal (C_ILL) so that the illumination area (A_ILL) includes a position estimate of the at least one eye (181; 182).

Claims

1. A system for automatically registering and tracking a respective position of at least one eye (181;

182) of a subject (180), comprising;

at least one imaging device (150) adapted to register sequential image data (D_EYE) representing the at least one eye (181;

182),

at least one light source (140) arranged to illuminate the subject (180), each of the at least one light source (140) having a well-defined position relative to the imaging device (150),

the at least one light source (140) is adapted to;

vary a spatial location of an illumination area (A_ILL) towards which at least one light beam (L) from the at least one light source (140) is directed,

receive a control signal (C_ILL), and

direct the at least one light beam (L) towards an illumination area (A_ILL) specified by the control signal (C_ILL), and

a processing unit (170) adapted to receive the image data (D_EYE), and based thereon produce a position estimate of the at least one eye (181;

182), wherein the processing unit (170) is adapted to produce the control signal (C_ILL) based on the position estimate of the at least one eye (181;

182) such that the illumination area (A_ILL) includes the position estimate.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the at least one light source (140) comprises a plurality of light emitting elements (241, 241a, 242) being individually controllable in response to the control signal (C_ILL).

3. The system according to claim 2, wherein the light emitting elements (241, 241a, 242) are arranged in an array (240) comprising a first number (#_R) of rows of elements (241) and a second number (#_c) of columns of elements (241).

4. The system according to claim 2, wherein the at least one light source (140) comprises at least one collimating lens element (310) adapted to influence the light (L) emitted from the light emitting elements such that the light emitted from a first element (241) is directed towards a first portion (A1) of the illumination area (A_ILL) and the light emitted from a second element (242) is directed towards a second portion (A2) of the illumination area (A_ILL).

5. The system according to claim 2, wherein the light emitting elements (241) are arranged with different orientations relative to one another, such that a first element (241a) has a first principal light emitting axis (A) having a first angle (α

) in a first dimension towards a normal plane (N) of the array (240), and a second element (241) has a second principal light emitting axis whose angle towards the normal plane (N) is different from the first angle (α

) at least in the first dimension.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein the at least one light source (340) is tiltable around at least one axis in response to the control signal (C_ILL) such that the illumination area (A_ILL) is adjustable in at least one dimension.

7. The system according to claim 1, wherein the at least one light source (340) is configured to emit light (L) towards at least one mirror (345) being tiltable around at least one axis in response to the control signal (C_ILL) such that the illumination area (A_ILL) is adjustable in at least one dimension.

8. The system according to claim 1, wherein the control signal (C_ILL) is adapted to specify at least one on-period (t_ON1, t_ON2) during which light (L) shall be emitted and at least one off-period (t_OFF1, t_OFF2) during which no light shall be emitted from a respective at least one light emitting element (241, 241a, 242) of the at least one light source (140, 340).

9. The system according to claim 8, wherein the processing unit (170) is adapted to receive an input parameter (P_ON-OFF), and in response thereto set the on-and-off-periods (t_ON1, t_ON2;

t_OFF1, t_OFF2) of the control signal (C_ILL).

10. The system according to claim 1, wherein each of at least one light emitting element (241, 241a, 242) of the at least one light source (140, 340) is controllable in response to the control signal (C_ILL) such that an intensity (I_L) of the light (L) emitted from a given element is variable depending on the characteristics of the control signal (C_ILL).

11. The system according to claim 10, wherein the control signal (C_ILL) specifies a light intensity parameter (I_L) designating a power of the light (L) to be emitted during the on-period (t_ON).

12. The system according to claim 11, wherein the light intensity parameter (I_L) represents a constant value (i_L) throughout the on-period (t_ON).

13. A method of automatically registering and tracking a respective position of at least one eye (181;

182) of a subject (180), comprising;

registering sequential image data (D_EYE) by means of at least one imaging device (150), the sequential image data (D_EYE) representing the at least one eye (181;

182),

illuminating the subject (180) by means of at least one light source (140) having a well-defined position relative to the imaging device (150), the at least one light source (140) being adapted to vary a spatial location of an illumination area (A_ILL) towards which at least one light beam (L) from the at least one light source (140) is directed,

producing, by means of a processing unit (170), a position estimate of the at least one eye (181;

182) based on the image data (D_EYE),

receiving a control signal (C_ILL),

directing the at least one light beam (L) from the at least one light source (140) towards an illumination area (A_ILL) in response to the control signal (C_ILL),

producing, by means of a processing unit (170), a position estimate of the at least one eye (181;

182) based on the image data (D_EYE), and

producing the control signal (C_ILL) in the processing unit (170) based on the position estimate of the at least one eye (181;

182) such that the illumination area (A_ILL) includes the position estimate.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the control signal (C_ILL) specifying at least one on-period (t_ON1, t_ON2) during which light (L) shall be emitted and at least one off-period (t_OFF1, t_OFF2) during which no light shall be emitted from a respective at least one light emitting element (241, 241a, 242) of the at least one light source (140, 340).

15. The method according to claim 13, wherein receiving an input parameter (P_ON-OFF), and in response thereto setting the on- and off-periods (t_ON1, t_ON2;

t_OFF1, t_OFF2) of the control signal (C_ILL).

16. The method according to claim 13, further comprising controlling each of at least one light emitting element (241, 241a, 242) of the at least one light source (140, 340) in response to the control signal (C_ILL) such that an intensity (I_L) of the light (L) emitted from a given element is varies depending on the characteristics of the control signal (C_ILL).

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein the control signal (C_ILL) specifies a light intensity parameter (I_L) designating a power of the light (L) to be emitted during the on-period (t_ON).

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein the light intensity parameter (I_L) represents a constant value (i_L) throughout the on-period (t_ON).

19. A computer program loadable into the internal memory of a computer, comprising software comprising:

an executable portion configured for registering sequential image data (D_EYE) by means of at least one imaging device (150), the sequential image data (D_EYE) representing the at least one eye (181;

182),

an executable portion configured for illuminating the subject (180) by means of at least one light source (140) having a well-defined position relative to the imaging device (150), the at least one light source (140) being adapted to vary a spatial location of an illumination area (A_ILL) towards which at least one light beam (L) from the at least one light source (140) is directed,

an executable portion configured for receiving a control signal (C_ILL),

an executable portion configured for directing the at least one light beam (L) from the at least one light source (140) towards an illumination area (C_ILL) in response to the control signal (C_ILL),

an executable portion configured for producing, by means of a processing unit (170), a position estimate of the at least one eye (181;

182) based on the image data (D_EYE), and

an executable portion configured for producing the control signal (C_ILL) in the processing unit (170) based on the position estimate of the at least one eye (181;

182) such that the illumination area (A_ILL) includes the position estimate.

20. A computer readable medium (175), having a program recorded thereon, where the program comprises

an executable portion configured for registering sequential image data (D_EYE) by means of at least one imaging device (150), the sequential image data (D_EYE) representing the at least one eye (181;

182),

an executable portion configured for illuminating the subject (180) by means of at least one light source (140) having a well-defined position relative to the imaging device (150), the at least one light source (140) being adapted to vary a spatial location of an illumination area (A_ILL) towards which at least one light beam (L) from the at least one light source (140) is directed,

an executable portion configured for receiving a control signal (C_ILL),

an executable portion configured for directing the at least one light beam (L) from the at least one light source (140) towards an illumination area (A_ILL) in response to the control signal (C_ILL),

an executable portion configured for producing, by means of a processing unit (170), a position estimate of the at least one eye (181;

182) based on the image data (D_EYE), and

an executable portion configured for producing the control signal (C_ILL) in the processing unit (170) based on the position estimate of the at least one eye (181;

182) such that the illumination area (A_ILL) includes the position estimate.