Method for Determining a Viewing Direction of a Person

• US 20170287163A1
• Filed: 06/16/2017
• Published: 10/05/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke AG
• Original Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke AG
• Inventors: KAUFMANN, Matthias Roland, SCHWARZ, Felix
• Granted Patent: US 10,504,237 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/149 Instrument input by detecting viewing direction not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2360/21 using cameras
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 31/00 Vehicle fittings, acting on a single sub-unit only, for automatically controlling vehicle speed, i.e. preventing speed from exceeding an arbitrarily established velocity or maintaining speed at a particular velocity, as selected by the vehicle operator fittings acting on two or more sub-units B60W30/14; speedometers G01P; systems or devices for controlling speed in general G05D13/00 ; in traffic anti-collision system for road vehicles G08G1/16
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 35/10 Input arrangements, i.e. from user to vehicle, associated with vehicle functions or specially adapted therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 9/00 Arrangement or adaptation of signal devices not provided for in one of main groups B60Q1/00 - B60Q7/00 , e.g. haptic signalling
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30201 Face
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30268 Vehicle interior
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/50 Depth or shape recovery
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/73 using feature-based methods

Abstract

A method for determining a viewing direction of a person, such as a driver in a motor vehicle, is provided. The method includes detecting a surface contour of a surface of an eye of the person, ascertaining a normal vector on the surface of the eye depending on the detected surface contour, and determining the viewing direction of the person depending on the normal vector.

Claims

1. A method for determining a viewing direction of a person, the method comprising the acts of:

acquiring a surface contour of a surface of an eye of the person;

detecting a normal vector on the surface of the eye as a function of the acquired surface contour; and

determining the viewing direction of the person as a function of the normal vector.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the act of acquiring the surface contour of the surface of the eye of the person is performed by a depth sensor.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the normal vector is detected as a function of a pupil region detected from the surface contour and a curvature of the pupil region.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the pupil region is determined as an elevation on the surface of the eye and the pupil region projects over a spherical surface of an apple of the eye.

5. The method according to claim 3, wherein the normal vector at the center of the pupil region is detected as a function of the curvature at the center of the pupil region.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of acquiring the surface contour of the surface of the eye includes acquiring the position of the eye via another camera and acquiring the surface contour by the position of the eye.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the viewing direction is determined by applying one or two correction angles to the normal vector, the one or more correction angles being determined by a calibration method.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the person is a driver in a motor vehicle.

9. The method according to claim 2, wherein the depth sensor is a TOF camera or a LIDAR sensor.

10. A viewing direction detection system for determining a viewing direction of a person comprising:

a depth sensor that acquires a surface contour of a surface of an eye of the person; and

a control unit for executing stored instructions to;

detect a normal vector on the surface of the eye as a function of the acquired surface contour, and

determine the viewing direction of the person as a function of the normal vector.

11. The viewing direction detection system according to claim 10, further comprising an additional device for determining the viewing direction of the person, wherein the control unit uses an additional viewing direction acquired by the additional device to provide the viewing direction of the person.

12. The viewing direction detection system according to claim 10, wherein the viewing direction detection system is included in a motor vehicle in order to detect the viewing direction of a driver in a motor vehicle.