US 12,146,985 B2
Methods and systems for low-power eye tracking
Niladri Sarkar, Waterloo (CA); and Nino Zahirovic, Waterloo (CA)
Assigned to AdHawk Microsystems Inc., Waterloo (CA)
Filed by AdHawk Microsystems Inc., Waterloo (CA)
Filed on May 25, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/201,950.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/345,729, filed on May 25, 2022.
Prior Publication US 2023/0384427 A1, Nov. 30, 2023
Int. Cl. G06F 3/01 (2006.01); G01S 7/481 (2006.01); G01S 17/88 (2006.01)
CPC G01S 7/4816 (2013.01) [G01S 7/4817 (2013.01); G01S 17/88 (2013.01); G06F 3/013 (2013.01)] 22 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An apparatus comprising:
a light source to generate a light signal;
a scanner to steer the light signal in a two-dimensional scan pattern that defines a scan region of an eye of a user;
a non-imaging photodetector to generate one or more output signals based on one or more reflected signals from the scan region; and
a processing system to:
select one or more features of the eye based on a specified type of eye event to detect;
determine a subregion of the scan region that contains at least a portion of each of the one or more selected features;
transmit one or more signals to (1) disable at least one of the non-imaging photodetector or the light source while scanning portions of the scan region outside of the subregion, and (2) enable the non-imaging photodetector and the light source while the scanner scans the subregion;
detect, during scanning of the subregion, at least one of: a change in a characteristic of at least one of the one or more selected features, a change in position of at least one of the one or more selected features, or a change in detectability of at least one of the one or more selected features;
determine, in response to the detection, an expanded subregion that is larger than the subregion; and
monitor the expanded subregion for a subsequent event.