Eye tracking apparatus, method and system

• US 9,459,451 B2
• Filed: 12/26/2013
• Issued: 10/04/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/26/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Saarikko, Pasi, Lou, Xinye, McEldowney, Scott, Robbins, Steven, Levola, Tapani
• Primary Examiner(s): TAVLYKAEV, ROBERT FUATOVICH
• Application Number:
  US14/140,987
• Publication Number:
  US 20150185475A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,013 Days
• Field of Search: 385/37, 359/34, 438/E13.045, 438/E13.047, 345/8
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 3/113 for determining or recording eye movement
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0107 with optical power
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0138 comprising image capture systems, e.g. camera
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0178 Eyeglass type eyeglass details G02C
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0093 with means for monitoring data relating to the user, e.g. head-tracking, eye-tracking
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/0172 characterised by optical features
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/02085 characterised by the grating profile, e.g. chirped, apodised, tilted, helical
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/34 utilising prism or grating G02B6/293 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/013 Eye tracking input arrangements G06F3/015 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/383 for tracking with gaze detection, i.e. detecting the lines of sight of the viewer's eyes

Abstract

A transparent waveguide for use in eye tracking includes an input-coupler and an output-coupler. The input-coupler comprises a plurality of curved grating lines having a radially varying pitch. When positioned in front of an eye illuminated with infrared light, infrared light beams reflected from the eye and incident on the input-coupler enter the waveguide at the input-coupler, propagate through the waveguide by way of total internal reflections, and exit the waveguide proximate the output-coupler. The radially varying pitch of the curved grating lines of the input-coupler provides angular encoding of infrared light incident on the input-coupler, and more specifically, causes different beams of infrared light incident on respective different horizontal and vertical positions of the input-coupler to propagate through the waveguide at respective different angles of reflection and exit the waveguide at respective different angles of incidence relative to a surface of the waveguide through which infrared light beams exit.

Claims

1. An apparatus for use in tracking an eye that is illuminated by infrared light, the apparatus comprising:

a waveguide that is transparent and includes an input-coupler and an output-coupler;

a light source adapted to illuminate an eye with infrared light so that at least a portion of the infrared light is reflected from the eye and is incident on the input-coupler;

wherein the input-coupler and the output-coupler are spatially separated from one another;

wherein the input-coupler comprises a plurality of curved grating lines that are configured to diffract infrared light beams incident on the input-coupler into the waveguide and towards a common region at which is located the output-coupler by way of total internal reflections;

wherein the plurality of curved grating lines of the input-coupler have a radially varying pitch that decreases with increases in distances between the curved grating lines and the output-coupler;

wherein the plurality of curved grating lines of the input-coupler each have a respective center of curvature and a respective point of convergence that are located within the region of the waveguide at which is located the output-coupler; and

wherein the input-coupler is configured to work as a focus element so that when the input-coupler is at a nominal eye relief distance, which is a focal distance of the input-coupler, ray bundles of infrared light reflected from a same field point on the eye that enter the waveguide through the input-coupler become collimated inside of the waveguide and exit the waveguide with a same angle of incidence relative to a surface of the waveguide through which the infrared light exits, and ray bundles of the infrared light reflected from different field points on the eye propagate through the waveguide at respective different angles of reflection and exit the waveguide with respective different angles of incidence relative to the surface of the waveguide through which the infrared light exits, which thereby provides for angular encoding of infrared light that is reflected off different field points on the eye.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein when the input-coupler is positioned in front of an eye that is illuminated with infrared light, infrared light beams reflected from the eye and incident on the input-coupler enter the waveguide at the input-coupler, propagate through the waveguide from the input-coupler to the output-coupler by way of total internal reflections, and exit the waveguide proximate the output-coupler.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the radially varying pitch of the curved grating lines of the input-coupler causes different infrared light beams that are incident on different horizontal and vertical positions of the input-coupler to propagate through the waveguide at respective different angles of reflection and exit the waveguide at respective different angles of incidence relative to a surface of the waveguide through which the infrared light beams exit.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the radially varying pitch of the curved grating lines of the input-coupler varies within a range that is between about 500 nm and 1000 nm, with the radially varying pitch being greatest closest to the output coupler and decreasing with increases in distances between the curved grating lines and the output-coupler.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the input-coupler and the output-coupler are positioned relative to one another to substantially achieve telecentricity.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the plurality of curved grating lines of the input-coupler are substantially concentric, each have substantially the same center of curvature that is located within the region of the waveguide at which is located the output-coupler, and each have substantially the same point of convergence that is located within the region of the waveguide at which is located the output-coupler.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the center of curvature and the point of convergence for each of the plurality of curved grating lines of the input-coupler are the same point, which is located at or near a center of the output-coupler.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the input-coupler is formed in or on a single surface of the waveguide, and wherein an optical transfer function of the input-coupler formed in or on the single surface of the waveguide is substantially equivalent to an optical transfer function of an on-axis holographic lens combined with an optical transfer function of a linear diffraction grating.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the output-coupler comprises a linear grating, a holographic grating or a prism.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein for each point on each of the plurality of curved grating lines of the input-coupler the respective center of curvature is within the region of the waveguide at which is located the output-coupler.

11. A method for use in tracking an eye, the method comprising:

illuminating an eye with infrared light while an input-coupler of a waveguide is generally axially aligned with the eye, which will result in infrared light beams reflected from the eye being incident on the input-coupler of the waveguide, the eye at a nominal eye relief distance, which is a focal distance of the input-coupler;

using curved grating lines of the input-coupler, diffracting the infrared light beams that are incident on the input-coupler of the waveguide towards a common region of the waveguide at which is located an output-coupler;

using the output-coupler of the waveguide, causing the light beams to exit the waveguide;

angularly encoding infrared light that is reflected from the eye by causing ray bundles of infrared light reflected from a same field point on the eye that enter the waveguide through the input-coupler to become collimated inside of the waveguide and exit the waveguide with a same angle of incidence relative to a surface of the waveguide through which the infrared light exits, and causing ray bundles of the infrared light reflected from different field points on the eye to propagate through the waveguide at respective different angles of reflection and exit the waveguide with respective different angles of incidence relative to the surface of the waveguide through which the infrared light exits; and

wherein the input-coupler and the output-coupler are spatially separated from one another; and

wherein the plurality of curved grating lines of the input-coupler each have a respective center of curvature and a respective point of convergence that are located within the region of the waveguide at which is located the output-coupler.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

converting the infrared light beams that exit the waveguide from angularly encoded infrared light beams to two-dimensional spatially encoded infrared light beams.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

generating, in dependence on the two-dimensional spatially encoded infrared light beams, eye tracking data that can be used to track the eye.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

controlling or modifying an aspect of an application based on the eye tracking data.

15. A system for use in tracking an eye, comprising:

an infrared illumination source that produces infrared light that can be used to illuminate an eye;

a waveguide that is transparent and includes an input-coupler and an output-coupler;

wherein the input-coupler and the output-coupler are spatially separated from one another;

wherein the input-coupler of the waveguide comprises a plurality of curved grating lines that diffract infrared light beams incident on the input-coupler into the waveguide and towards a common region at which is located the output-coupler of the waveguide;

wherein the plurality of curved grating lines of the input-coupler have a radially varying pitch and are configured to cause the input-coupler to work as a focus element so that ray bundles of infrared light reflected from a same field point on the eye that enter the waveguide through the input-coupler become collimated inside of the waveguide and exit the waveguide with a same angle of incidence relative to a surface of the waveguide through which the infrared light exits, and ray bundles of the infrared light reflected from different field points on the eye propagate through the waveguide at respective different angles of reflection and exit the waveguide at respective different angles of incidence relative to the surface of the waveguide through which the infrared light beams exit;

wherein the plurality of curved grating lines of the input-coupler each have a respective center of curvature and a respective point of convergence that are located within the region of the waveguide at which is located the output-coupler; and

wherein when the input-coupler of the waveguide is positioned in front of an eye that is illuminated with infrared light produced by the infrared illumination source, infrared light beams reflected from the eye and incident on the input-coupler enter the waveguide at the input-coupler, propagate through the waveguide from the input-coupler to the output-coupler by way of total internal reflections, and exit the waveguide proximate the output-coupler.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein:

the radially varying pitch of the curved grating lines of the input-coupler decreases with increases in distances between the curved grating lines and the output-coupler; and

for each point on each of the plurality of curved grating lines of the input-coupler the respective center of curvature is within the region of the waveguide at which is located the output-coupler.

17. The system of claim 15, further comprising:

a lens module that converts the infrared light beams that exit the waveguide from angularly encoded infrared light beams to two-dimensional spatially encoded infrared light beams.

18. The system of claim 15, further comprising:

a sensor that produces eye tracking data in dependence on the two-dimensional spatially encoded infrared light beams produced using the lens module.

19. The system of claim 18, further comprising:

a processor that controls or modifies an aspect of an application based on the eye tracking data.