Eye-gaze detecting adapter

• US 5,532,784 A
• Filed: 12/06/1994
• Issued: 07/02/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 09/14/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Inventors: Nishimura, Hitoshi, Owashi, Masao
• Primary Examiner(s): Adams, Russell E.
• Application Number:
  US08/354,155
• Time in Patent Office: 574 Days
• Field of Search: 354/62, 354/288, 354/219, 354/410, 351/206, 351/209, 351/210
• US Class Current: 396/51
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 13/02 Viewfinders
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 2213/025 Sightline detection

Abstract

An eye-gaze detecting apparatus is constructed as an independent adapter component, which is detachably mounted onto a camera body and which has information reflecting individual differences among observers for proper eye-gaze detection. An eye-gaze detecting adapter has an illuminating device for illuminating an eyeball of observer, an illumination drive device for driving the illumination device, an observing device for observing the eyeball of observer illuminated by the illuminating device, an observation drive device for driving the observing device, a ROM having information necessary for eye-gaze detection, a CPU for calculating an eye-gaze direction of observer with reference to the information from ROM, and a communication device for transmitting the information of eye-gaze direction obtained by the CPU to a camera body.

Claims

1. An eye-gaze detecting adapter comprising:

an illuminating portion for illuminating an eyeball of an observer;

an illumination drive portion for driving said illuminating portion;

an observing portion for observing an eyeball of an observer illuminated by said illuminating portion and outputting eye-gaze direction information;

an observation drive portion for driving said observing portion;

a first storage portion for storing information output from said observing portion;

a second storage portion having information necessary for eye-gaze detection;

a calculating portion for calculating an eye-gaze direction of an observer, based on information stored in said first storage portion and the information from said second storage portion;

a control portion for controlling said illumination drive portion and said observation drive portion;

a mounting portion for mounting the adapter onto an imaging apparatus body; and

a communication portion for transmitting information of eye-gaze direction obtained by said calculating portion to said imaging apparatus body.

2. An eye-gaze detecting adapter according to claim 1, further comprising a diopter correcting portion for correcting eyesight of an observer, which is disposed between the eyeball of an observer and said observing portion.

3. An eye-gaze detecting adapter according to claim 1, further comprising:

a detecting portion for detecting whether an observer is wearing eyeglasses; and

a correcting portion for correcting the information of eye-gaze direction obtained by said calculating portion if said detecting portion detects that an observer is wearing eyeglasses.

4. An imaging device comprising:

a mount portion onto which an eye-gaze detecting adapter for detecting an eye-gaze direction of an observer is to be mounted;

a communication portion for receiving information of eye-gaze direction from said eye-gaze detecting adapter;

a control portion for controlling various functions of an imaging apparatus body, based on the information of eye-gaze direction received by said communication portion; and

an imaging apparatus drive portion for driving the various functions of said imaging apparatus body by said control portion.

5. An imaging apparatus system comprising:

an eye-gaze detecting adapter having;

an illuminating portion for illuminating an eyeball of an observer;

an illumination drive portion for driving said illuminating portion;

an observing portion for observing an eyeball of an observer illuminated by said illuminating portion and outputting eye-gaze direction information;

an observation drive portion for driving said observing portion;

a first storage portion for storing information output from said observing portion;

a second storage portion having information necessary for eye-gaze detection;

a calculating portion for calculating an eye-gaze direction of an observer, based on the information stored in said first storage portion and the information from said second storage portion;

a first control portion for controlling said illumination drive portion and said observation drive portion;

a mounting portion for mounting the adapter onto an imaging apparatus body; and

a first communication portion for transmitting information of eye-gaze direction obtained by said calculating portion to said imaging apparatus body; and

an imaging apparatus body having;

a mount portion onto which said eye-gaze detecting adapter is detachably mountable through said mounting portion;

a second communication portion which is to be connected with said first communication portion to receive said information of eye-gaze direction;

a second control portion for controlling various functions of said imaging apparatus body, based on the information of eye-gaze direction received by said second communication portion; and

an imaging apparatus drive portion for driving the various functions of said imaging apparatus body by said second control portion.

6. An imaging apparatus system according to claim 5, wherein a power supplying portion is provided for supplying power from said imaging apparatus body to said eye-gaze detecting adapter.

7. An eye-gaze detecting adapter comprising:

an illuminating portion for illuminating an eyeball of an observer;

an observing portion for observing said eyeball of said observer illuminated by said illuminating portion and outputting eye-gaze direction information;

a storage portion having information necessary for eye-gaze detection;

a mounting portion for mounting the adapter onto an imaging apparatus body; and

a communication portion for transmitting information from said observing portion and the information from said storage portion to said imaging apparatus body.

8. An eye-gaze detecting adapter according to claim 7, further comprising:

a diopter correcting portion for correcting eyesight of an observer which is disposed between an eyeball of an observer and said observing portion.

9. An imaging apparatus comprising:

a mount portion onto which an eye-gaze detecting adapter outputting information for detecting an eye-gaze direction of an observer is to be mounted;

an illumination drive portion for driving an illuminating portion illuminating an eyeball of an observer and provided in said eye-gaze detecting adapter;

an observation drive portion for driving an observing portion observing said eyeball of an observer, said observing portion being provided in said eye-gaze detecting adapter and outputting eye-gaze direction information;

a communication portion for receiving from said eye-gaze detecting adapter information from said observing portion and information necessary for eye-gaze detection;

a calculating portion for calculating an eye-gaze direction of an observer, based on the information from said observing portion and the information necessary for eye-gaze detection transmitted from said communication portion;

a control portion for controlling various functions of an imaging apparatus body, said illumination drive portion and said observation drive portion, using the eye-gaze direction calculated by said calculating portion; and

an imaging apparatus drive portion for driving the various functions of said imaging apparatus body by said control portion.

10. An imaging apparatus system comprising:

an eye-gaze detecting adapter having;

an illuminating portion for illuminating an eyeball of an observer;

an observing portion for observing an eyeball of an observer illuminated by said illuminating portion and outputting eye-gaze direction information;

a storage portion having information necessary for eye-gaze detection;

a mounting portion for mounting the adapter onto an imaging apparatus body; and

a first communication portion for transmitting information from said observing portion and the information from said storage portion to said imaging apparatus body; and

an imaging apparatus body having;

a mount portion onto which said eye-gaze detecting adapter is to be mounted through said mounting portion;

a second communication portion which is to be connected with said first communication portion to receive the information from said observing portion the information from said storage portion;

an illumination drive portion for driving said illuminating portion;

an observation drive portion for driving said observing portion;

a calculating portion for calculating an eye-gaze direction of an observer, based on the information from said observing portion and the information from said storage portion transmitted from said second communication portion;

a control portion for controlling various functions of said imaging apparatus body, said illumination drive portion and said observation drive portion, using the eye-gaze direction calculated by said calculating portion; and

a drive portion for driving the various functions of said imaging apparatus body by said control portion.

11. An imaging apparatus system according to claim 10, wherein a power supplying portion is provided for supplying power from said imaging apparatus body to said eye-gaze detecting adapter.

12. An imaging apparatus system according to claim 10, wherein said imaging apparatus body has a detecting portion for detecting whether said eye-gaze detecting apparatus is mounted thereon and wherein said eye-gaze detecting adapter has a responding portion for responding to detection of said detecting portion.

13. An imaging apparatus system according to claim 10, wherein said imaging apparatus body has a buffer portion for temporarily storing the information from said observing portion.

14. An eye-gaze detecting adapter comprising:

an illuminating portion for illuminating an eyeball of an observer;

an illumination drive portion for driving said illuminating portion;

an observing portion for observing an eyeball of an observer illuminated by said illuminating portion and outputting eye-gaze direction information;

an observation drive portion for driving said observing portion;

a storage portion having information necessary for eye-gaze detection;

a mounting portion for mounting the adapter onto an imaging apparatus body; and

a communication portion for transmitting information from said observing portion and information from said storage portion to said imaging apparatus body.

15. An eye-gaze detecting adapter according to claim 14, further comprising:

a diopter correcting portion for correcting eyesight of an observer which is disposed between an eyeball of an observer and said observing portion.

16. An imaging apparatus comprising:

a mount portion onto which an eye-gaze detecting adapter outputting information for detecting an eye-gaze direction of an observer is to be mounted;

a communication portion for receiving from said eye-gaze detecting adapter information from an observing portion for observing an eyeball of an observer and outputting eye-gaze direction information, and for receiving information necessary for eye-gaze detection;

a calculating portion for calculating an eye-gaze direction of an observer, based on the eye-gaze direction information and the information necessary for eye-gaze detection received by said communication portion;

a control portion for controlling various functions of an imaging apparatus body, an illumination drive portion for driving an illuminating portion illuminating the eyeball of an observer, and an observation drive portion for driving said observing portion, using the eye-gaze direction calculated by said calculating portion; and

an imaging apparatus drive portion for driving the various functions of said imaging apparatus body by said control portion.

17. An imaging apparatus system comprising:

an eye-gaze detecting adapter having;

an illuminating portion for illuminating an eyeball of an observer;

an illumination drive portion for driving said illuminating portion;

an observing portion for observing an eyeball of an observer illuminated by said illuminating portion and outputting eye-gaze direction information;

an observation drive portion for driving said observing portion;

a storage portion having information necessary for eye-gaze detection;

a mounting portion for mounting the adapter onto an imaging apparatus body; and

a first communication portion for transmitting information from said observing portion and information from said storage portion to said imaging apparatus body; and

an imaging apparatus body having;

a mount portion onto which said eye-gaze detecting adapter is to be mounted through said mounting portion;

a second communication portion which is to be connected with said first communication portion to receive the information from said observing portion and the information from said storage portion;

a calculating portion for calculating an eye-gaze direction of an observer, based on the information from said observing portion and the information from said storage portion received by said second communication portion;

a control portion for controlling various functions of said imaging apparatus body, said illumination drive portion and said observation drive portion, using the eye-gaze direction calculated by said calculating portion; and

an imaging apparatus drive portion for driving the various functions of said imaging apparatus body by said control portion.

18. An imaging apparatus system according to claim 17, wherein a power supplying portion is provided for supplying power from said imaging apparatus body to said eye-gaze detecting adapter.

19. An imaging apparatus system according to claim 17, wherein said imaging apparatus body has a detecting portion for detecting whether said eye-gaze detecting adapter is mounted thereon and wherein said eye-gaze detecting adapter has a responding portion for responding to detection of said detecting portion.

20. An imaging apparatus system according to claim 17, wherein said imaging apparatus body has a buffer portion for temporarily storing the information from said observing portion.

21. An eye-gaze detecting adapter comprising:

an illuminating portion for illuminating an eyeball of an observer;

an observing portion for observing an eyeball of an observer illuminated by said illuminating portion and outputting eye-gaze direction information; and

a mounting portion for mounting the adapter onto an imaging apparatus body.

22. An eye gaze detecting adapter comprising:

an illuminating portion which illuminates an eyeball of an observer;

an observing portion which observes an eyeball of an observer illuminated by said illuminating portion; and

a mounting portion for mounting the adapter onto an optical apparatus body.

23. An optical apparatus comprising:

an illuminating portion which illuminates an eyeball of an observer;

an observing portion which observes an eyeball of an observer illuminated by the illuminating portion;

an attaching portion for attaching an eye-gaze detecting adapter onto an optical apparatus body by cooperation of the attaching portion with a mounting portion of the eye-gaze detecting adapter; and

a control portion which controls various functions by eye-gaze information calculated based on a signal from said observing portion.