Headset Slippage Detection via Eye Center Tracking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Head-mounted devices such as VR and AR headsets experience performance degradation due to slippage, which can go undetected, leading to a reduced user experience as the device's position relative to the user's head changes, affecting 3D experiences and gaze tracking accuracy.
Innovation Solution
Employing cameras and processing circuitry to detect changes in the eye's center position, using images to estimate optical axes and determine if the head-mounted device has relocated by comparing intersection points over time, allowing for recalibration or user notification to reposition the device.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If the head-mounted device is equipped with dedicated sensors to detect slippage, then the detection accuracy is improved, but the device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies multi-functionality by enabling existing gaze-tracking cameras to serve dual purposes: their original function of tracking user eye movements and an additional function of detecting head-mounted device slippage. The processing circuitry analyzes camera images to determine both gaze direction and relative device displacement, eliminating the need for dedicated slippage sensors while maintaining detection capability
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses its own existing imaging resources (cameras and processing circuitry) to detect slippage without requiring external or additional specialized components. The gaze-tracking infrastructure serves itself by providing slippage detection as a byproduct of its primary function, reducing overall system complexity
2Reliability
If the user manually repositions the head-mounted device frequently, then the performance is restored, but the ease of operation deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements feedback by continuously monitoring the relative position between the head-mounted device and the user's head through camera-based eye tracking, detecting slippage events, and providing notifications to the user. This automatic detection and notification mechanism informs users when repositioning is needed without requiring them to manually check or adjust the device frequently
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary detection of slippage conditions before they significantly degrade the user experience. By continuously monitoring eye position relative to the device and detecting displacement early, the system can alert users proactively, allowing them to make minor adjustments before performance becomes noticeably poor
Data Source
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Figure 5
AI summary
Images of an eye (100) are captured at respective time instances by a camera (312) of a head-mounted device (310). For each time instance, a position (511) of a center (104) of corneal curvature is estimated using an image captured at that time instance, a position (512) of a pupil center (103) is estimated using an image captured at that time instance, and a line (510) is determined through the estimated corneal curvature center position and the estimated pupil center position. A first estimated position (550) of a center (106) of the eye is computed based on the lines (510, 520) determined for time instances in a first time period. A second estimated position (560) of the center of the eye is computed based on the lines (530, 540) determined for time instances in a second time period. Relocation of the head-mounted device relative to a user's head (1301) is detected based on the first and second estimated positions of the eye center.