Abstract: The present invention relates to entry of control commands into a computer in response to eye-tracker detected movement sequences of a point of regard over a graphical display, which is associated with the computer. A processing module in the computer causes the display to present graphical feedback information in the form of a data-manipulating window, which visually confirms any entered control commands. The data-manipulating window is presented at a position relative to an active control object on the display, such that a center point of the window is located within a relatively small offset distance from a center point of the active control object. The window includes graphical information, which symbolizes and activity portion of the display presently being the object of an eye-tracker-controlled entry of control commands. Moreover the information in the window is repeatedly updated in response to the eye-tracker-controlled entry of control commands.

Abstract: The present invention relates to automatic registration and tracking of the eyes of at least one subject. An optical system, including a lens structure, a mask and an image sensor, receives incoming light from a scene containing the subject and directs at least a portion of this light towards the image sensor, which registers spatially distributed light and thus produces primary data. The mask is to alter a basic optical transfer function of the lens structure and the image sensor into an enhanced optical transfer function, which is substantially less sensitive to variations of an unknown distance between the optical system and the subject than the basic optical transfer function. The processing unit is to receive the primary data and process this data to produce resulting eye-tracking data representing a position estimate of the at least one eye and/or a gaze direction for the at least one eye.

Abstract: The present invention relates to systems and methods for assisting a user when interacting with a graphical user interface by combining eye based input with input for e.g. selection and activation of objects and object parts and execution of contextual actions related to the objects and object parts. The present invention also relates to such systems and methods in which the user can configure and customize specific combinations of eye data input and input that should result in a specific contextual action.

Abstract: Provided is a method of determining a gaze point of an eye watching a visual display controllable by a display signal. The method comprises generating a display signal using a graphics card in order for the visual display to produce a screen pattern; receiving a signal encoding an image of the eye including a corneo-scleral reflection of the screen pattern; and determining, based on in part the geometry of said reflection, a gaze point of the eye, wherein said determining a gaze point includes utilising the graphics card as a parallel processor. The image of the eye may be received directly at the graphics card. The graphics card may extract image features in the eye images. Reference illuminators may be used, and the screen pattern may be interlaced with a distinctive reference pattern. Further provided are a gaze-tracking system and a personal computer system adapted to determine a gaze point of a viewer.

Abstract: A visual display characterized by hidden reference illuminators is adapted to emit invisible light for generating corneo-scleral reflections on an eye watching a screen surface of the display. The tracking of such reflections and the pupil center provides input for gaze tracking. A method for equipping and an LCD with a reference illuminator are also provided. A system and method for determining a gaze point of an eye watching a visual display comprising reference illuminators are further provided. The determination of the gaze point may be based on an ellipsoidal cornea model.

Abstract: The invention generally relates to systems and methods for eye detection for use in, for example, installations and systems for tracking eyes and gaze angle/directions. The system includes a plurality of eye detection units connected to an image sensor. The eye detection units are adapted to receive regions of picture elements of a digital image frame substantially in parallel and wherein the eye detection units are adapted to operate substantially in parallel, each eye detection unit being adapted to receive a specified region of the picture elements of at least one digital image frame and including an eye feature extraction module adapted to perform a eye feature extraction process on the received picture elements to identify predetermined eye features.

Abstract: An eye tracker includes at least one illuminator for illuminating an eye, at least two cameras for imaging the eye, and a controller. The configuration of the reference illuminator(s) and cameras is such that, at least one camera is coaxial with a reference illuminator and at least one camera is non-coaxial with a reference illuminator. The controller is adapted to select one of the cameras to be active to maximize an image quality metric and avoid obscuring objects. The eye tracker is operable in a dual-camera mode to improve accuracy. A method and computer-program product for selecting a combination of an active reference illuminator from a number of reference illuminators, and an active camera from a plurality of cameras are provided.

Abstract: A monitoring system monitors and/or predicts drowsiness of a driver of a vehicle or a machine operator. A set of infrared or near infrared light sources is arranged such that an amount of the light emitted from the light source strikes an eye of the driver or operator. The light that impinges on the eye of the driver or operator forms a virtual image of the signal sources on the eye, including the sclera and/or cornea. An image sensor obtains consecutive images capturing the reflected light. Each image contains glints from at least a subset or from all of the light sources. A drowsiness index can be determined based on the extracted information of the glints of the sequence of images. The drowsiness index indicates a degree of drowsiness of the driver or operator.

Abstract: The present invention relates to control of a computer system, which includes a data processing unit, a display and an eye tracker adapted to register a user's gaze point with respect to the display. The data processing unit is adapted to present graphical information on the display, which includes feedback data reflecting the user's commands entered into the unit. The data processing unit is adapted to present the feedback data such that during an initial phase, the feedback data is generated based on an absolute position of the gaze point. An imaging device of the system is also adapted to register image data representing movements of a body part of the user, and to forward a representation of the image data to the data processing unit. Hence, during a phase subsequent to the initial phase, the data is instead generated based on the image data.

Abstract: When detecting the position and gaze direction of eyes, a photo sensor (1) and light sources (2, 3) placed around a display (1) and a calculation and control unit (6) are used. One of the light sources is placed around the sensor and includes inner and outer elements (3?; 3?). When only the inner elements are illuminated, a strong bright eye effect in a captured image is obtained, this resulting in a simple detection of the pupils and thereby a safe determination of gaze direction. When only the outer elements and the outer light sources (2) are illuminated, a determination of the distance of the eye from the photo sensor is made. After it has been possible to determine the pupils in an image, in the following captured images only those areas around the pupils are evaluated where the images of the eyes are located. Which one of the eyes that is the left eye and the right eye can be determined by following the images of the eyes and evaluating the positions thereof in successively captured images.

Abstract: The present invention relates to entry of control commands into a computer in response to eye-tracker detected movement sequences of a point of regard over a graphical display, which is associated with the computer. A processing module in the computer causes the display to present graphical feedback information in the form of a data-manipulating window, which visually confirms any entered control commands. The data-manipulating window is presented at a position relative to an active control object on the display, such that a center point of the window is located within a relatively small offset distance from a center point of the active control object. The window includes graphical information, which symbolizes and activity portion of the display presently being the object of an eye-tracker-controlled entry of control commands. Moreover the information in the window is repeatedly updated in response to the eye-tracker-controlled entry of control commands.

Abstract: The present invention relates to automatic registration and tracking of the eyes of at least one subject. An optical system, including a lens structure, a mask and an image sensor, receives incoming light from a scene containing the subject and directs at least a portion of this light towards the image sensor, which registers spatially distributed light and thus produces primary data. The mask is adapted to alter a basic optical transfer function of the lens structure and the image sensor into an enhanced optical transfer function, which is substantially less sensitive to variations of an unknown distance between the optical system and the subject than the basic optical transfer function. The processing unit is adapted to receive the primary data and process this data to produce resulting eye-tracking data representing a position estimate of the at least one eye and/or a gaze direction for the at least one eye.