US 12,277,725 B2
Enhanced eye tracking systems utilizing joint biological and hardware estimations
Paulo Ricardo Dos Santos Mendonca, Seattle, WA (US); Rayna Demaster-Smith, Redmond, WA (US); Christopher Charles Aholt, Newcastle, WA (US); and Christopher Maurice Mei, Seattle, WA (US)
Assigned to Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC, Redmond, WA (US)
Filed by MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING, LLC, Redmond, WA (US)
Filed on Oct. 20, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/506,632.
Prior Publication US 2023/0119633 A1, Apr. 20, 2023
Int. Cl. G06T 7/73 (2017.01); G02B 27/00 (2006.01); G02B 27/01 (2006.01); G06T 7/80 (2017.01); G06V 40/19 (2022.01)
CPC G06T 7/73 (2017.01) [G02B 27/017 (2013.01); G06T 7/80 (2017.01); G06V 40/19 (2022.01); G02B 27/0093 (2013.01); G02B 2027/0178 (2013.01); G02B 2027/0187 (2013.01); G06T 2207/30201 (2013.01); G06T 2207/30244 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method of tracking an eye of a person using a device comprising a camera directed to the eye, comprising:
projecting infrared light toward the eye from a plurality of light sources;
identifying a plurality of glints based on detected reflections of the infrared light from the eye;
determining a pupil position of a pupil of the eye, wherein a position of the plurality of glints and the pupil position is determined by an analysis of image data generated by the camera;
generating biological estimation data defining biological parameters indicating an orientation and a position of the eye, wherein the orientation and the position of the eye are estimated based on the position of the plurality of glints and the pupil position of the pupil;
determining that sensor data from at least one of a plurality of external sensors exceeds one or more thresholds;
in response to determining that the sensor data from the at least one of the plurality of external sensors exceeds the one or more thresholds, selecting one or more hardware parameters of the camera for use in a joint estimation with the estimation of biological parameters indicating the orientation and the position of the eye; and
generating hardware estimation data defining the one or more hardware parameters of the camera, wherein the one or more hardware parameters of the camera is estimated based on the position of the plurality of glints and the pupil position of the pupil, wherein the joint estimation of the one or more hardware parameters of the camera with the estimation of biological parameters indicating the orientation and the position of the eye causes an adjustment to the orientation and the position of the eye to accommodate deformations or other physical changes of the device.