Infrared sensing of eye and eyelid movements to detect drowsiness
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A head-mounted device, comprising:
- a sensing apparatus, comprising;
a first infrared emitter and a second infrared emitter positioned below the first infrared emitter, wherein the first and second infrared emitters are configured to alternate emission of infrared pulses at an eye of a user; and
a first infrared detector configured to;
produce, at a first time, a first measurement of a reflection of the infrared pulses transmitted from the first infrared emitter to the eye of the user; and
produce, at a second time subsequent to the first time, a second measurement of the reflection of the infrared pulses transmitted from the second infrared emitter to the eye of the user; and
a processing apparatus configured to analyze the first and second measurements from the first infrared detector to characterize an eyelid movement of the user.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
The disclosed embodiments provide a head-mounted device. The head-mounted device includes a sensing apparatus, which contains a first infrared emitter and a second infrared emitter positioned below the first infrared emitter, wherein the first and second infrared emitters alternate emission of infrared pulses at an eye of a user. The sensing apparatus also includes a first infrared detector that produces a first measurement of a reflection of the infrared pulses from the eye of the user. The head-mounted device also includes a processing apparatus that analyzes the first measurement from the first infrared detector to characterize an eyelid movement of the user.
16 Citations
20 Claims
-
1. A head-mounted device, comprising:
-
a sensing apparatus, comprising; a first infrared emitter and a second infrared emitter positioned below the first infrared emitter, wherein the first and second infrared emitters are configured to alternate emission of infrared pulses at an eye of a user; and a first infrared detector configured to; produce, at a first time, a first measurement of a reflection of the infrared pulses transmitted from the first infrared emitter to the eye of the user; and produce, at a second time subsequent to the first time, a second measurement of the reflection of the infrared pulses transmitted from the second infrared emitter to the eye of the user; and a processing apparatus configured to analyze the first and second measurements from the first infrared detector to characterize an eyelid movement of the user. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 18)
-
-
10. A head-mounted device, comprising:
-
a sensing apparatus, comprising; a first infrared emitter configured to emit infrared pulses at an eye of a user; a second infrared emitter positioned along a first axis with the first infrared emitter, wherein the first and second infrared emitters are configured to alternate emission of infrared pulses at the eye of the user; a first infrared detector configured to; produce, at a first time, a first measurement of a reflection of the infrared pulses transmitted from the first infrared emitter to the eye of the user; and produce, at a second time subsequent to the first time, a second measurement of the reflection of the infrared pulses transmitted from the second infrared emitter to the eye of the user; and a second infrared detector positioned, with the first infrared detector, along a second axis that is orthogonal to the first axis, wherein the second infrared detector is configured to; produce a third measurement of the reflection of the infrared pulses transmitted from the first infrared emitter to the eye of the user; and produce a fourth measurement of the reflection of the infrared pulses transmitted from the second infrared emitter to the eye of the user; and a processing apparatus configured to analyze the first second, third, and fourth measurements from the first and second infrared detectors to characterize an eyelid movement and an eye movement of the user. - View Dependent Claims (11)
-
-
12. A method, comprising:
-
operating, in a head-mounted device, three or more infrared components comprising a first infrared emitter, a second infrared emitter positioned along a first axis with the first infrared emitter, and one or more infrared detectors, wherein operating the three or more infrared components comprises; emitting, from the first and second infrared emitters, infrared pulses in an alternating fashion at an eye of a user; and producing, by the one or more infrared detectors; a first measurement of a reflection of the infrared pulses transmitted from the first infrared emitter to the eye of the user; and a second measurement of the reflection of the infrared pulses transmitted from the second infrared emitter to the eye of the user; and analyzing, by a processor in the head-mounted device, the first and second measurements to characterize an eyelid movement of the user. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 19, 20)
-
Specification