Eye/gaze tracker and method of tracking the position of an eye and/or a gaze point of a subject

摘要

An eye/gaze tracker with first and second light sources each configured to illuminate an eye of a subject and controlled to selectively emit light towards the eye in such a manner that within an operation sequence the eye is illuminated by the first light source during at least one first interval and by the second light source during at least one second interval. An image sensor has a plurality of photodiodes each of which is associated with first and second charge storages configured to store electric charges based on an amount of light reaching the photodiode. At least one switch of the image sensor is controlled such that the electric charges are stored in the first charge storage as a result of the illumination during the at least one first interval and in the second charge storage as a result of the illumination during the at least one second interval.

主权项

1. An eye/gaze tracker, comprising:
first and second light sources, each configured to illuminate an eye of a subject; an image registering means configured to record image data representing the eye; and a control unit configured to control the light sources and the image registering means, said image registering means comprises an image sensor with a plurality of photodiodes each of which is associated with first and second charge storages configured to store electric charges based on an amount of light reaching the photodiode, and at least one switch controllable to cause the electric charges to be stored in the first charge storage or the second charge storage, the control unit is configured to:
control the light sources to selectively emit light towards the eye in such a manner that within an operation sequence the eye is illuminated by the first light source during at least one first interval and by the second light source during at least one second interval; andcontrol the at least one switch such that the electric charges are stored in the first charge storage as a result of the illumination during the at least one first interval and in the second charge storage as a result of the illumination during the at least one second interval; andsaid control unit comprising a data processor configured to:process image data recorded by the image registering means, which image data have been registered when the eye is illuminated by light from one of the light sources; and based thereongenerate an output signal describing at least one of a position of the eye and a gaze point for the eye.