Power management in an eye-tracking system

摘要

A personal computer system includes a visual display, an imaging device adapted to provide eye-tracking data by imaging the face of a viewer of the visual display, and an input device for accepting eye-tracking control data and other input data. The imaging device is switchable between at least an active mode, a ready mode and an idle mode, and the switching time from the idle mode to the active mode is longer than the switching time from the ready mode to the active mode. The eye-tracking data provided in the ready mode may include eye position but not eye orientation. The system may include a dedicated input device for forcing the imaging device into active mode by directly triggering an interrupt; alternatively, the dedicated input device forces it permanently into idle mode.

主权项

1. A personal computer system comprising:
a visual display; an imaging device, comprising one or more cameras and being adapted to provide eye-tracking data by imaging at least one eye of a viewer of the visual display; and an input device configured to accept eye-tracking control data and other input data, wherein: the imaging device is switchable between at least an active mode, a ready mode and an idle mode; the switching time from the idle mode to the active mode is longer than the switching time from the ready mode to the active mode; the imaging device is configured to use active eye illumination in the active mode, which enables tracking of a corneal reflection; and the imaging device is configured, in the ready mode, to reduce an illumination intensity from the value it has in active mode, and to provide eye-tracking data which include eye position but not eye orientation.