Eye gaze detection with multiple light sources and sensors

Abstract

The subject disclosure is directed towards eye gaze detection based upon multiple cameras and/or light sources. The cameras and/or light sources are configured to provide eye gaze detection for a device display at different orientations, at different tilt angles, at different user positions, at different user distances, and so on. Also described is a controller that selectively controls light source power and camera on/off state to provide images of the eye having sufficient quality for eye gaze detection and/or to conserve power.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system comprising:
 a plurality of light sources, the plurality of light sources configured to output light that generates corneal reflections when reflected by an eye;   a plurality of cameras positioned proximate to a display, one or more of the plurality of cameras configured to capture the corneal reflections as a plurality of images of the eye; and   a controller configured to selectively vary power supply to at least one light source of the plurality of light sources based on a sharpness detection of one or more images of the plurality of images of the eye.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the display is incorporated into a device that is configured to change content rendering orientation of at least some displayed output in conjunction with a current orientation of the device. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein one or more of the plurality of light sources are infrared light sources. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein at least two light sources of the plurality of light sources have different wavelengths relative to one another. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein at least two of the plurality of cameras have different focal lengths relative to one another. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein a first light source of the plurality of light sources is embedded into a first edge of the display and a second light source of the plurality of light sources is embedded into a second edge of the display. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the selectively varying the power supply to the at least one light source includes turning off the power supply to the at least one light source. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the display is incorporated into one of the following: a tablet computing device, a laptop computer, a smartphone, or a handheld computing device. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein one or more of the plurality of cameras are selectively switched off based on the sharpness detection of one or more images of the plurality of images of the eye. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the selectively varying the power supply to the at least one light source includes selectively reducing an intensity of the light output from at least one light source of the plurality of light sources. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one light source of the plurality of light sources and a first camera of the plurality of cameras comprise a unitary assembly, the at least one light source comprising a plurality of infrared light sources that surround the first camera. 
     
     
         12 . A system comprising:
 a display;   a plurality of cameras positioned proximate to the display, the plurality of cameras including at least a first camera and a second camera;   a plurality of light sources configured to output light generating corneal reflections when reflected by an eye;   an image processing component coupled to the plurality of cameras, the image processing component configured to:
 receive from the first camera a first image of the eye captured by the first camera; and 
 receive from the second camera a second image of the eye captured by the second camera, the first and second images comprising the corneal reflections for use by the image processing component in eye gaze detection; and 
   a controller configured to selectively vary an intensity of one or more of the plurality of light sources based on a quality of the first and the second image of the eye received by the image processing component.   
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 12  wherein the plurality of light sources are infrared light emitting diodes (LEDs) and the plurality of cameras are infrared-sensitive cameras. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein at least two of the plurality of cameras are angled differently relative to one another. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein at least two of the plurality of cameras have different focal lengths relative to one another. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the selectively varying the intensity of the one or more of the plurality of light sources includes switching off one or more of the plurality of light sources. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the selectively varying the intensity of the one or more of the plurality of light sources includes varying the intensity of one or more of the plurality of light sources based on intensity of ambient light. 
     
     
         18 . A method performed at least in part on a processor, the method comprising:
 providing light from a plurality of light sources, the provided light generating corneal reflections reflected by a human eye;   receiving image data corresponding to the corneal reflections of the human eye by one or more of a plurality of cameras to produce a plurality of images of the human eye;   combining the image data into eye feature data for use in gaze detection;   determining a sharpness of one or more images of the plurality of images; and   based on the sharpness determination, selectively varying an intensity of the light provided by one or more of the plurality of light sources.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18  further comprising:
 selectively turning off one or more of the plurality of cameras based upon a quality of the eye feature data captured in the one or more images of the plurality of images. 
 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the selectively varying the intensity of the light provided by one or more of the plurality of light sources includes switching off one or more of the plurality of light sources.