Method of interaction by gaze and associated device

Abstract

Disclosed is an electronic device including a receiver of a piece of information sent by a gaze tracking device, which includes a marker forming a visual identification pattern, carried by a user moving in a real environment. In certain aspects, the received piece of information provides information about the direction of the user's gaze in a plane of reference of the gaze tracking device. At least one camera for acquiring an image of the marker, a memory for storing a digital representation of the environment in a plane of reference specific to the environment, and a processor configured so as, based on the piece of information of the image and the digital representation stored in the memory, to determine, in real-time, the direction of the user's gaze relative to the environment and/or the zone of the environment gazed at by the user may be provided herein.

1 . A portable gaze tracking device including:
 a. glasses for fastening on a user's head,   b. two infrared cameras attached to the glasses each facing a corresponding eye of the user and each configured to observe this eye,   c. an infrared LED associated with each camera to illuminate a corresponding eye,   d. an onboard computer configured to process data from the cameras and determine the direction of the user's gaze relative to the glasses,   e. at least one marker present on the glasses and including at least four light sources and forming a visual identification pattern.   
     
     
         2 . The portable gaze tracking device according to  claim 1 , each marker including at least one light source emitting in the visible domain, the infrared domain and/or the near infrared domain, chosen from among an LED and a side lighting optical fiber. 
     
     
         3 . The portable gaze tracking device of  claim 1 , each marker including at least four collinear light sources or five coplanar light sources. 
     
     
         4 . The portable gaze tracking device of  claim 3 , the light sources being periodic. 
     
     
         5 . The portable gaze tracking device according to  claim 1 , each marker including several light sources and being coded by an amplitude or frequency modulation of the light sources. 
     
     
         6 . An electronic device, including:
 a receiver of a piece of information sent by a portable gaze tracking device according to  claim 1 , the gaze tracking device being carried by a user moving in a real environment and including a transmitter for transmitting the piece of information to the receiver, the marker forming a visual identification pattern, the received piece of information providing information on the direction of the user's gaze in a plane of reference of the gaze tracking device,   at least one camera for acquiring an image of the marker, the camera being separate from the gaze tracking device,   a memory storing a digital representation of the environment in a plane of reference specific to the environment,   a processor configured so as, based on the piece of information received by the receiver, the image of the marker acquired by the at least one camera and the digital representation stored in the memory, to determine, in real-time, the direction of the user's gaze relative to the environment or the zone of the environment gazed at by the user,   the environment being an enclosed space.   
     
     
         7 . The electronic device according to  claim 6 , including a case incorporating the receiver, the camera, the memory and the processor. 
     
     
         8 . The electronic device according to  claim 6 , the camera including a bimodal system, manual or automatic, for filtering the incident light. 
     
     
         9 . The electronic device according to  claim 6 , the camera being provided with a polarizing filter. 
     
     
         10 . The electronic device according to  claim 6 , including a wireless communication system and/or an interface. 
     
     
         11 . The electronic device according to  claim 6 , the electronic device being connected, by a wired or wireless link, to a third-party computer. 
     
     
         12 . The electronic device according to  claim 6 , the memory including data associated with at least one zone of interest of the environment. 
     
     
         13 . The electronic device according to  claim 7 , the processor computing a result depending on whether the zone of interest is gazed at by the user, the result being embodied by a change in state of a logic output, the transmission of a datum, a visual, audio, mechanical or electric effect. 
     
     
         14 . A gaze interaction system between one or more users and a real environment in which they are moving, the system including:
 a. a portable gaze tracking device according to  claim 1 , carried by each user, the portable gaze tracking device including a transmitter, the marker forming a visual identification pattern;   b. at least one electronic device, the at least one electronic device includes:
 a receiver of a piece of information sent by the transmitter, the received piece of information providing information on the direction of the user's gaze in a plane of reference of the gaze tracking device, 
 at least one camera for acquiring an image of the marker, the camera being separate from the gaze tracking device, 
 a memory storing a digital representation of the environment in a plane of reference specific to the environment, 
 a processor configured so as, based on the piece of information received by the receiver, the image of the marker acquired by the at least one camera, and the digital representation stored in the memory, to determine, in real-time, the direction of the user's gaze relative to the environment and/or the zone of the environment gazed at by the user, the environment being an enclosed space. 
   
     
     
         15 . The interaction system according to  claim 14 , the electronic device being movable in the environment. 
     
     
         16 . The interaction system according to  claim 14 , including several electronic devices configured to exchange data with one another wirelessly. 
     
     
         17 . The interaction system according to  claim 14 , the environment forming a closed space such as a room, hangar, cockpit or vehicle passenger compartment. 
     
     
         18 . The interaction system according to  claim 14 , including:
 a. an audio device intended to emit an audio message to the user,   b. one button per user intended to be actuated by the latter to trigger or stop the emission of the sound message.