Eye-tracking enabled wearable devices
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A system for determining a gaze direction of a user, wherein the system comprises:
- a first illuminator configured to illuminate an eye of a user;
a first profile sensor configured to detect light reflected by the eye of the user;
an area image sensor configured to detect light reflected by the eye of the user, wherein the area image sensor has a sensitive area having a total number of pixels characterized by a total number of rows and a total number of columns;
at least one processor configured to determine a gaze direction of the user based at least in part on light detected by the first profile sensor and based at least in part on light detected by the area image sensor;
wherein determining the gaze direction of the user based at least in part on light detected by the first profile sensor comprises;
determining a location of a glint on the eye caused by light reflected by the eye of the user, based at least in part on a higher magnitude light level detected at one or more pixels of the first profile sensor;
identifying a subset of a total number of pixels of the first profile sensor which include and surround the one or more pixels of the first profile sensor which detected the higher magnitude light level; and
analyzing only the subset of the total number of pixels of the first profile sensor during a subsequent determination of gaze direction; and
wherein determining the gaze direction of the user based at least in part on light detected by the area image sensor comprises;
determining magnitudes of light exposure at a subset of the total number of rows of the sensitive area during one or more illumination periods;
determining magnitudes of light exposure at a subset of the total number of columns of the sensitive area during one or more illumination periods;
identifying a subset of the total number of pixels of the sensitive area based on the magnitudes of light exposure at the subset of the total number of rows and the magnitudes of light exposure at the subset of the total number of columns; and
analyzing only the subset of the total number of pixels of the sensitive area during a subsequent illumination period.
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Abstract
A system for determining a gaze direction of a user is disclosed. The system may include a first illuminator, a first profile sensor, and at least one processor. The first illuminator may be configured to illuminate an eye of a user. The first profile sensor may be configured to detect light reflected by the eye of the user. The processor(s) may be configured to determine a gaze direction of the user based at least in part on light detected by the first profile sensor.
64 Citations
19 Claims
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1. A system for determining a gaze direction of a user, wherein the system comprises:
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a first illuminator configured to illuminate an eye of a user; a first profile sensor configured to detect light reflected by the eye of the user; an area image sensor configured to detect light reflected by the eye of the user, wherein the area image sensor has a sensitive area having a total number of pixels characterized by a total number of rows and a total number of columns; at least one processor configured to determine a gaze direction of the user based at least in part on light detected by the first profile sensor and based at least in part on light detected by the area image sensor; wherein determining the gaze direction of the user based at least in part on light detected by the first profile sensor comprises; determining a location of a glint on the eye caused by light reflected by the eye of the user, based at least in part on a higher magnitude light level detected at one or more pixels of the first profile sensor; identifying a subset of a total number of pixels of the first profile sensor which include and surround the one or more pixels of the first profile sensor which detected the higher magnitude light level; and analyzing only the subset of the total number of pixels of the first profile sensor during a subsequent determination of gaze direction; and wherein determining the gaze direction of the user based at least in part on light detected by the area image sensor comprises; determining magnitudes of light exposure at a subset of the total number of rows of the sensitive area during one or more illumination periods; determining magnitudes of light exposure at a subset of the total number of columns of the sensitive area during one or more illumination periods; identifying a subset of the total number of pixels of the sensitive area based on the magnitudes of light exposure at the subset of the total number of rows and the magnitudes of light exposure at the subset of the total number of columns; and analyzing only the subset of the total number of pixels of the sensitive area during a subsequent illumination period. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A method for determining a gaze direction of a user, wherein the method comprises:
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illuminating an eye of a user; detecting, with an area image sensor, light reflected by the eye of the user, wherein the area image sensor has a sensitive area having a total number of pixels characterized by a total number of rows and a total number of columns; determining, with at least one processor, a gaze direction of the user based at least in part on light detected by the area image sensor; wherein determining the gaze direction of the user based at least in part on light detected by the area image sensor comprises; determining a location of a glint on the eye caused by light reflected by the eye of the user, based at least in part on a higher magnitude light level detected at one or more pixels of the area image sensor; determining magnitudes of light exposure at a subset of the total number of rows during one or more illumination periods; determining magnitudes of light exposure at a subset of the total number of columns during one or more illumination periods; based on the magnitudes of light exposure at the subset of the total number of rows and the magnitudes of light exposure at the subset of the total number of columns, identifying a subset of a total number of pixels of the area image sensor which include and surround the one or more pixels of the area image sensor which detected the higher magnitude light level; and analyzing only the subset of the total number of pixels of the area image sensor during a subsequent determination of gaze direction during a subsequent illumination period.
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12. A non-transitory machine readable medium having instructions stored thereon for determining a gaze direction of a user, wherein the instructions are executable by one or more processors to at least:
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cause an illuminator to illuminate an eye of a user; detect, with an area image sensor, light reflected by the eye of the user, wherein the area image sensor has a sensitive area having a total number of pixels characterized by a total number of rows and a total number of columns; determine a gaze direction of the user based at least in part on light detected by the an area image sensor; wherein determining the gaze direction of the user based at least in part on light detected by the an area image sensor comprises; determining a location of a glint on the eye caused by light reflected by the eye of the user, based at least in part on a higher magnitude light level detected at one or more pixels of the an area image sensor; determining magnitudes of light exposure at a subset of the total number of rows during one or more illumination periods; determining magnitudes of light exposure at a subset of the total number of columns during one or more illumination periods; based on the magnitudes of light exposure at the subset of the total number of rows and the magnitudes of light exposure at the subset of the total number of columns, identifying a subset of a total number of pixels of the an area image sensor which include and surround the one or more pixels of the profile sensor which detected the higher magnitude light level; and analyzing only the subset of the total number of pixels of the an area image sensor during a subsequent determination of gaze direction during a subsequent illumination period.
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13. A system for determining a gaze direction of a user, wherein the system comprises:
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a first illuminator configured to illuminate an eye of a user; an area image sensor configured to detect light reflected by the eye of the user, wherein the area image sensor has a sensitive area having a total number of pixels characterized by a total number of rows and a total number of columns; and at least one processor configured to determine a gaze direction of the user based at least in part on light detected by the area image sensor; wherein determining the gaze direction of the user based at least in part on light detected by the area image sensor comprises; determining a location of a glint on the eye caused by light reflected by the eye of the user, based at least in part on a higher magnitude light level detected at one or more pixels of the area image sensor; determining magnitudes of light exposure at a subset of the total number of rows during one or more illumination periods; determining magnitudes of light exposure at a subset of the total number of columns during one or more illumination periods; based on the magnitudes of light exposure at the subset of the total number of rows and the magnitudes of light exposure at the subset of the total number of columns, identifying a subset of a total number of pixels of the area image sensor which include and surround the one or more pixels of the area image sensor which detected the higher magnitude light level; and analyzing only the subset of the total number of pixels of the area image sensor during a subsequent determination of gaze direction during a subsequent illumination period. - View Dependent Claims (14)
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15. A system for determining a gaze direction of a user, wherein the system comprises:
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a first illuminator configured to illuminate an eye of a user; a first profile sensor configured to detect light reflected by the eye of the user; an area image sensor configured to detect light reflected by the eye of the user, wherein the area image sensor has a sensitive area having a total number of pixels characterized by a total number of rows and a total number of columns; at least one processor configured to determine a gaze direction of the user based at least in part on light detected by the first profile sensor and based at least in part on light detected by the area image sensor; wherein determining the gaze direction of the user based at least in part on light detected by the first profile sensor comprises; determining a location of a glint on the eye caused by light reflected by the eye of the user, based at least in part on a higher magnitude light level detected at one or more pixels of the first profile sensor; identifying a subset of a total number of pixels of the first profile sensor which include and surround the one or more pixels of the first profile sensor which detected the higher magnitude light level; and analyzing only the subset of the total number of pixels of the first profile sensor during a subsequent determination of gaze direction; and wherein determining the gaze direction of the user based at least in part on light detected by the area image sensor comprises; determining magnitudes of light exposure at a subset of pixels in each of the total number of rows of the sensitive area during one or more illumination periods; determining magnitudes of light exposure at a subset of pixels in each of the total number of columns of the sensitive area during one or more illumination periods; identifying a subset of the total number of pixels of the sensitive area based on the magnitudes of light exposure at the subset of pixels in each of the total number of rows and the magnitudes of light exposure at the subset of pixels in each of the total number of columns; and analyzing only the subset of the total number of pixels of the of the sensitive area during a subsequent illumination period.
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16. A system for determining a gaze direction of a user, wherein the system comprises:
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a first illuminator configured to illuminate an eye of a user, the first illuminator comprising a near-infrared illuminator; a first profile sensor configured to detect light reflected by the eye of the user; at least one processor configured to determine a gaze direction of the user based at least in part on light detected by the first profile sensor; wherein at least the first illuminator and the first profile sensor are disposed within a wearable device comprising a display device and a cold mirror on a back side of the display device, wherein the cold mirror is configured to reflect visible light toward a front side of the display device, and allow near-infrared to pass through the cold mirror, and wherein the first profile sensor is disposed on the opposite side of the cold mirror from the display device; and wherein determining the gaze direction of the user based at least in part on light detected by the first profile sensor comprises; determining a location of a glint on the eye caused by light reflected by the eye of the user, based at least in part on a higher magnitude light level detected at one or more pixels of the first profile sensor; identifying a subset of a total number of pixels of the first profile sensor which include and surround the one or more pixels of the first profile sensor which detected the higher magnitude light level; and analyzing only the subset of the total number of pixels of the first profile sensor during a subsequent determination of gaze direction. - View Dependent Claims (17)
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18. A system for determining a gaze direction of a user, wherein the system comprises:
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a first illuminator configured to illuminate an eye of a user; an area image sensor configured to detect light reflected by the eye of the user, wherein the area image sensor has a sensitive area having a total number of pixels characterized by a total number of rows and a total number of columns; and at least one processor configured to determine a gaze direction of the user based at least in part on light detected by the area image sensor; wherein determining the gaze direction of the user based at least in part on light detected by the area image sensor comprises; determining a location of a glint on the eye caused by light reflected by the eye of the user, based at least in part on a higher magnitude light level detected at one or more pixels of the area image sensor; determining magnitudes of light exposure at a subset of pixels in each of the total number of rows during one or more illumination periods; determining magnitudes of light exposure at a subset of pixels in each of the total number of columns during one or more illumination periods; based on the magnitudes of light exposure at the subset of pixels in each of the total number of rows and the magnitudes of light exposure at the subset of pixels in each of the total number of columns, identifying a subset of a total number of pixels of the area image sensor which include and surround the one or more pixels of the area image sensor which detected the higher magnitude light level; and analyzing only the subset of the total number of pixels of the area image sensor during a subsequent determination of gaze direction during a subsequent illumination period. - View Dependent Claims (19)
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Specification