Tiled image based scanning for head position for eye and gaze tracking

US9779300B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• SENSOMOTORIC INSTRUMENTS GESELLSCHAFT FUR INNOVATI · DE

Inventors

• Stefan Ronnecke · Berlin, DE
• Thomas Jablonski · Berlin, DE
• Christian Villwock · Großbeeren, DE
• Walter Nistico · Redwood City, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Aug 30, 2016
• Grant date: Oct 3, 2017
• Expiry date: Aug 30, 2036

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G06T2207/30201
• WIPO field: Computer technology
• WIPO sector: Electrical engineering

Abstract

An eye tracking method comprising: capturing image data by an image sensor; determining a region of interest as a subarea or disconnected subareas of said sensor which is to be read out from said sensor to perform an eye tracking based on the read out image data; wherein said determining said region of interest comprises: a) initially reading out only a part of the area of said sensor; b) searching the image data of said initially read out part for one or more features representing the eye position and/or the head position of a subject to be tracked; c) if said search for one or more features has been successful, determining the region of interest based on the location of the successfully searched one or more features, and d) if said search for one or more features has not been successful, reading out a further part of said sensor to perform a search for one or more features representing the eye position and/or the head position based on said further part.