Patents by Inventor Peter Shannon

Peter Shannon has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 6152563
    Abstract: A system for eye-gaze direction detection is disclosed that uses an infrared light emitting diode mounted coaxially with the optical axis and in front of the imaging lens of an infrared sensitive video camera for remotely recording images of the eye of the computer operator. The infrared light enters the eye and is absorbed and then re-emitted by the retina, thereby causing a "bright eye effect" that makes the pupil brighter than the rest of the eye. It also gives rise to an even brighter small glint that is formed on the surface of the cornea. The computer includes software and hardware that acquires a video image, digitizes it into a matrix of pixels, and then analyzes the matrix to identify the location of the pupil's center relative to the glint's center. Using this information, the software calibrates the system to provide a high degree of accuracy in determining the user's point of regard.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 1998
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2000
    Inventors: Thomas E. Hutchinson, Christopher Lankford, Peter Shannon