Eye Movement Measurement Using Phase Mask and Rolling Shutter
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional eye tracking technologies face limitations in measuring micro-saccadic eye movements due to low temporal and spatial resolution, requiring expensive high-frame-rate cameras and complex optical systems, which increases costs and reduces usability for medical applications.
Innovation Solution
An apparatus and method using a phase mask and rolling shutter method to accurately measure eye movement at high speed and resolution with a low-cost camera, replacing traditional lenses and enabling early diagnosis of neurological diseases.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If conventional video tracking methods are used, then the structure is simple, but the measurement speed and resolution are insufficient for medical purposes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the fundamental parameters of the optical system by replacing the lens with a phase mask, enabling a low-frame-rate camera to achieve high-speed eye movement measurement capability through computational imaging techniques
Solution Approach 2:
The patent substitutes the traditional mechanical/optical lens-based imaging system with a computational imaging approach using a phase mask and rolling shutter camera, replacing physical optical components with a combination of simple optical element and digital processing
2Measurement precision
If high-frame-rate cameras and complex optical systems are used, then measurement precision is improved, but costs increase and usability decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a low-cost, standard rolling shutter camera instead of expensive high-frame-rate specialized cameras, achieving high-speed measurement capability through computational methods rather than expensive hardware
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts and removes the lens component from the traditional optical system, replacing it with a phase mask and computational imaging approach, thereby simplifying the optical system while maintaining or improving measurement capability
3Measurement precision
If high-frame-rate cameras are used, then measurement precision is improved, but device cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses inexpensive standard rolling shutter cameras that are widely available, replacing costly high-frame-rate specialized cameras, thereby achieving high-speed eye movement measurement at low cost through computational imaging
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables accurate high-speed and high-resolution eye movement tracking with a low-cost camera setup, improving the capability for early diagnosis of neurological diseases like dementia and Parkinson's.
Implementation Method 1
a phase mask that phase-converts light reflected and incident from the eye according to a pre-formed phase shift pattern
Implementation Method 2
an image sensor unit including a plurality of optical sensors that generate a plurality of detection signals by detecting light that is phase-converted by the phase mask
Implementation Method 3
a rolling image extraction unit that sequentially moves a window of a pre-designated size for the plurality of optical sensors according to a rolling shutter method and generates a partial image
Implementation Method 4
a cross-correlation unit that cross-correlates the partial image and the point spread function to obtain a correlation value according to the position between the partial image and the point spread function
Data Source
AI summary
The disclosed embodiment provides an apparatus and method for measuring eye movement, that can accurately measure eye movement by determining the eye position at high speed and high resolution even with a low-cost camera by using a phase mask and rolling shutter method instead of a lens, and can perform early diagnosis of neurological diseases, etc. based on the measured eye movement.