SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR TRACKING GAZE AT DISTANCE

• US 20130285901A1
• Filed: 04/25/2013
• Published: 10/31/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/27/2012
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute
• Original Assignee: Dongguk University Industry-Academic Cooperation Foundation, Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute
• Inventors: LEE, Hee Kyung, CHA, Ji Hun, PARK, Kang Ryoung, CHO, Chul Woo, GWON, Su Yeong, LEE, Won Oh, LEE, In Jae, LEE, Hyeon Chang
• Application Number:
  US13/870,321
• Publication Number:
  US 20130285901A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/156
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/013 Eye tracking input arrangements G06F3/015 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0304 Detection arrangements using opto-electronic means constructional details of pointing devices not related to the detection arrangement using opto-electronic means G06F3/033; optical digitisers G06F3/042

Abstract

A system and method for tracking a gaze at a distance are provided. A remote gaze tracking system may include an infrared lighting unit including a plurality of infrared lightings to emit an infrared light toward a user, a gaze tracking module to track a position of a face of the user, and to collect, from the tracked position of the face, an eye image including at least one reflected light among a plurality of corneal reflected lights and a lens-reflected light, the corneal reflected lights being reflected from a cornea by the emitted infrared light, and the lens-reflected light being reflected from a lens of glasses, and a processor to compare a magnitude of the lens-reflected light with a threshold in the collected eye image, and when the magnitude of the lens-reflected light is equal to or less than the threshold, to detect coordinates of a center of each of the plurality of corneal reflected lights, and to calculate a gaze position.

Claims

1. A remote gaze tracking system, comprising:

an infrared lighting unit comprising a plurality of infrared lightings to emit an infrared light toward a user;

a gaze tracking module to track a position of a face of the user, and to collect, from the tracked position of the face, an eye image comprising at least one reflected light among a plurality of corneal reflected lights and a lens-reflected light, the corneal reflected lights being reflected from a cornea by the emitted infrared light, and the lens-reflected light being reflected from a lens of glasses; and

a processor to compare a magnitude of the lens-reflected light with a threshold in the collected eye image, and when the magnitude of the lens-reflected light is equal to or less than the threshold, to detect coordinates of a center of each of the plurality of corneal reflected lights, and to calculate a gaze position.

2. The remote gaze tracking system of claim 1, wherein, when the magnitude of the lens-reflected light is equal to or less than the threshold, the processor controls the plurality of infrared lightings so that a number of infrared lights emitted toward the user is adjusted.

3. The remote gaze tracking system of claim 2, wherein the processor controls an on state and/or off state of the plurality of infrared lightings, and adjusts the number of the emitted infrared lights,

wherein the processor calculates the gaze position, using an on state and/or off state of the plurality of infrared lightings corresponding to a lens-reflected light with a smallest magnitude among at least one lens-reflected light generated by the adjusted infrared light.

4. The remote gaze tracking system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of infrared lightings in the infrared lighting unit comprise an infrared lighting located in an upper left end of a display, an infrared lighting located in a lower left end of the display, an infrared lighting located in an upper right end of the display, and an infrared lighting located in a lower right end of the display.

5. A remote gaze tracking system, comprising:

an infrared lighting unit comprising a plurality of infrared lightings to emit an infrared light toward a user;

a gaze tracking module to track a position of a face of the user, and to collect, from the tracked position of the face, an eye image generated by the emitted infrared light; and

a processor to detect a lens-reflected light from the collected eye image, and to determine whether the user wears glasses.

6. The remote gaze tracking system of claim 5, wherein the processor measures a number of pixels in a central portion of the eye image that each have a gray level equal to or greater than a predetermined value, detects the lens-reflected light when the measured number of the pixels is equal to or greater than a threshold, and determines that the user wears the glasses when the lens-reflected light is detected.

7. A remote gaze tracking method, comprising:

emitting an infrared light toward a user, using a plurality of infrared lightings;

tracking a position of a face of the user, and collecting, from the tracked position of the face, an eye image comprising at least one reflected light among a plurality of corneal reflected lights and a lens-reflected light, the corneal reflected lights being reflected from a cornea by the emitted infrared light, and the lens-reflected light being reflected from a lens of glasses; and

comparing a magnitude of the lens-reflected light with a threshold in the collected eye image, and when the magnitude of the lens-reflected light is equal to or less than the threshold, detecting coordinates of a center of each of the plurality of corneal reflected lights, and calculating a gaze position.

8. The remote gaze tracking method of claim 7, wherein the comparing comprises, when the magnitude of the lens-reflected light is equal to or less than the threshold, controlling the plurality of infrared lightings so that a number of infrared lights emitted toward the user is adjusted.