PORTABLE EYE TRACKING DEVICE

• US 20150061995A1
• Filed: 05/19/2014
• Published: 03/05/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/03/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tobii Technology AB
• Original Assignee: Tobii Technology AB
• Inventors: Gustafsson, Simon, Andersson, Jonas, Engwall, Erik, Hainzl, Richard, Leksn, Lars-Ola, Cederlund, Markus
• Granted Patent: US 10,277,787 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/156
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 3/113 for determining or recording eye movement
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0138 comprising image capture systems, e.g. camera
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/014 comprising information/image processing systems
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0178 Eyeglass type eyeglass details G02C
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2027/0187 slaved to motion of at least a part of the body of the user, e.g. head, eye
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/017 Head mounted
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/013 Eye tracking input arrangements G06F3/015 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10152 Varying illumination
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30201 Face
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/74 involving reference images or patches
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/56 provided with illuminating means
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/32 for obtaining desired directional characteristic only specially adapted for hearing aids H04R25/40
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2201/40 Details of arrangements for obtaining desired directional characteristic by combining a number of identical transducers covered by H04R1/40 but not provided for in any of its subgroups

Abstract

A portable eye tracker device is disclosed which includes a frame, at least one optics holding member, a movement sensor, and a control unit. The frame may be a frame adapted for wearing by a user. The at least one optics holding member may include at least one illuminator configured to selectively illuminate at least a portion of at least one eye of the user, and at least one image sensor configured to capture image data representing images of at least a portion of at least one eye of the user. The movement sensor may be configured to detect movement of the frame. The control unit may be configured to control the at least one illuminator for the selective illumination of at least a portion of at least one eye of the user, receive the image data from the image sensors, and receive information from the movement sensor.

Claims

1. A portable eye tracker device comprising:

a frame adapted for wearing by a user;

at least one optics holding member, wherein the optics holding member comprises;

at least one illuminator configured to selectively illuminate at least a portion of at least one eye of the user; and

at least one image sensor configured to capture image data representing images of at least a portion of at least one eye of the user;

a movement sensor configured to detect movement of the frame; and

a control unit configured to;

control the at least one illuminator for the selective illumination of at least a portion of at least one eye of the user;

receive the image data from the image sensors; and

receive information from the movement sensor.

2. The portable eye tracker device of claim 1, wherein the control unit is further configured to:

determine a gaze target area for the user based at least in part on the image data.

3. The portable eye tracker device of claim 1, wherein the movement sensor comprises:

a gyroscope.

4. The portable eye tracker device of claim 1, wherein the control unit is further configured to:

determine a gaze target area for the user based at least in part on the image data and information received from the movement sensor.

5. The portable eye tracker device of claim 1, further comprising:

a scene camera facing away from the user and configured to capture image data representing images of at least a portion of a view of the user.

6. The portable eye tracker device of claim 5, wherein the control unit is further configured to:

determine a gaze target area within the image data representing images of at least a portion user'"'"'s field of view wherein the gaze target area comprises less than ten percent of the image data in an image from the scene camera; and

control the scene camera to adjust at least one of focus or light sensitivity based on the gaze target area.

7. The portable eye tracker device of claim 6, wherein:

all illuminators emit the same wavelength of light.

8. The portable eye tracker device of claim 1, wherein the control unit is further configured to:

control a first subset of the at least one illuminator to selectively illuminate at least a portion of at least one eye of the user;

receive a first set of image data from at least one image sensor of the first subset, wherein the first set of image data represents images of at least a portion of at least one eye of the user captured when at least one eye of the user is exposed to light from the first subset of the at least one illuminator;

determine that a gaze target area cannot be determined based on the first set of image data;

control a second subset of the at least one illuminator to selectively illuminate at least a portion of at least one eye of the user;

receive a second set of image data from at least one image sensor of the second subset, wherein the second set of image data represents images of at least a portion of at least one eye of the user captured when at least one eye of the user is exposed to light from the second subset of the at least one illuminator; and

determine the gaze target area for the user based at least in part on the second set of image data.

9. The portable eye tracker device of claim 1, wherein:

the portable eye tracker device further comprises a positioning device configured to determine a position of the portable eye tracker device; and

the control unit is further configured to determine a gaze target area for the user based at least in part on the image data and information received from the positioning device.

10. The portable eye tracker device of claim 1, wherein the control unit is further configured to:

receive image data from at least one image sensor;

determine a level of ambient light from the image data;

adjust a brightness or exposure time of at least one illuminator based at least in part on the level of ambient light.

11. The portable eye tracker device of claim 1, further comprising:

a display viewable by the user.

12. The portable eye tracker device of claim 1, wherein the control unit is further configured to:

receive image data from at least one image sensor representing images including areas besides the user'"'"'s eyes.

13. A method of determining a gaze direction for a user, comprising:

activating at least one illuminator on a frame worn by a user to selectively illuminate at least a portion of at least one of the user'"'"'s eyes;

receiving image data representing images at least a portion of at least one of the user'"'"'s eyes from at least one image sensor on the frame;

receiving information from a movement sensor configured to detect movement of the frame; and

determining a gaze target area for the user based at least in part on the image data and information from the movement sensor.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the movement sensor comprises:

a gyroscope.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

receiving images captured by a scene camera representing images of at least a portion of a view of the user.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

determining a gaze target area within the image data representing images of at least a portion user'"'"'s field of view wherein the gaze target area comprises less than ten percent of the image data in an image from the scene camera; and

controlling the scene camera to adjust at least one of focus or light sensitivity based on the gaze target area.

17. A non-transitory machine readable medium having instructions thereon for determining a gaze direction for a user, the instructions executable by a processor for at least:

activating at least one illuminator on a frame worn by a user to selectively illuminate at least a portion of at least one of the user'"'"'s eyes;

receiving image data representing images at least a portion of at least one of the user'"'"'s eyes from at least one image sensor on the frame;

receiving information from a movement sensor configured to detect movement of the frame; and

determining a gaze target area for the user based at least in part on the image data and information from the movement sensor.

18. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the movement sensor comprises:

a gyroscope.

19. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the instructions are further executable for at least:

receiving images captured by a scene camera representing images of at least a portion of a view of the user.

20. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 19, wherein the instructions are further executable for at least:

determining a gaze target area within the image data representing images of at least a portion user'"'"'s field of view wherein the gaze target area comprises less than ten percent of the image data in an image from the scene camera; and

controlling the scene camera to adjust at least one of focus or light sensitivity based on the gaze target area.