Patent · US Expired

Calibration-free eye gaze tracking

US6578962B1 · kind B1 · utility

129Cited by
14References
30Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateApr 27, 2001
Grant dateJun 17, 2003
Priority date
Expiry dateJun 9, 2021

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG06V40/193
  • WIPO fieldMedical technology
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

A system and method for calibration-free tracking of a user's eye gaze vector and point of regard even if substantial head movement or rotation occurs. The preferred embodiment includes two synchronized interlaced cameras, each viewing the user's eye and having on-axis lighting that is alternately modulated. An image difference between lighted and unlighted images of the eye is used to identify a user's pupil. A plane containing the gaze vector is defined by rotating a base plane through the angle in a camera image plane between a pupil center, a first glint, and a second glint. The intersection of two such planes (one from each camera), defines the gaze vector. The gaze position is the intersection of the gaze vector with the object being viewed by the user. Alternate embodiments are also described.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.