Gaze tracking apparatus and method using difference image entropy

• US 8,274,578 B2
• Filed: 02/09/2009
• Issued: 09/25/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sungkyunkwan University Foundation For Corporate Collaboration (SungKyunKwan University)
• Original Assignee: Sungkyunkwan University Foundation For Corporate Collaboration (SungKyunKwan University)
• Inventors: Hong, Kwang Seok, Yoon, Jun Ho, Jeon, Jong Bae, Lee, Kue Bum
• Primary Examiner(s): Chan, Jason
• Assistant Examiner(s): Segura, Cynthia
• Application Number:
  US12/368,269
• Publication Number:
  US 20090284608A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,324 Days
• Field of Search: 348/222.1, 382/181, 382/103
• US Class Current: 348/222.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/013 Eye tracking input arrangements G06F3/015 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/248 involving reference images or patches
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/20 Movements or behaviour, e.g. gesture recognition recognition of facial expressions G06V40/16

Abstract

In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a gaze tracking apparatus using difference image entropy, comprising: image detection module for detecting user'"'"'s eye region image from image of the user taken by picture-taking apparatus which is connected to the gaze tracking apparatus; image selection module for computing entropy value of difference image between the eye region image and a plurality of reference images respectively indicating each gazing direction and selecting reference image with least difference image entropy value among the plurality of reference images; and gaze tracking module for recognizing user'"'"'s gazing direction by regarding gazing direction that the selected reference image indicates as user'"'"'s gazing direction.

Claims

1. A gaze tracking method using difference image entropy, comprising:

detecting user'"'"'s eye region image from inputted user'"'"'s image;

computing entropy value of difference image between the eye region image and a plurality of reference images respectively indicating each gazing direction and selecting reference image with least difference image entropy value among the plurality of reference images; and

recognizing user'"'"'s gazing direction by regarding gazing direction that the selected reference image indicates as user'"'"'s gazing direction,

wherein the difference image between the eye region image and the plurality of reference images is computed using Equation below;

D(x,y)=Iinput(x,y)−

I(x,y)

where D (x, y) denotes pixel value of difference image between the eye region image and the reference images, Iinput (x, y) denotes pixel value of the eye region image and I (x, y) denotes pixel value of the reference image, and

wherein entropy value of difference image between the eye region image and the reference images is computed by Equation below;