Method and system for controlling illuminators

Abstract

A method for controlling illuminators in an eye tracking system and a corresponding system are disclosed. The system includes a plurality of illuminators arranged such that each illuminator of the illuminators is located at a respective fixed position in relation to an eye of a user when using the system. The method comprises illuminating the eye of the user by means of the plurality of illuminators, and receiving an image of the eye of the user from an image sensor, the image resulting from the image sensor detecting light from the plurality of illuminators reflected from the eye of the user and reflected from an optic arrangement located between the plurality of illuminators and the eye of the user. The method further comprises determining a pupil position of a representation in the image of a pupil of the eye, and identifying one or more blobs in the image, wherein a blob is a representation in the image of a reflection from the optic arrangement of light from an illuminator of the plurality of illuminators. On a condition that there is at least one blob of the one or more blobs for which one or more predefined criteria are met, the method comprises identifying an illuminator of the plurality of illuminators associated with the at least one blob of the one or more blobs, and switching off the identified illuminator of the plurality illuminators.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of controlling illuminators in an eye tracking system, the method comprising:
 illuminating an eye of a user via a plurality of illuminators, wherein the plurality of illuminators are arranged such that each illuminator of the illuminators is located at a respective fixed position in relation to the eye of the user when using the eye tracking system;   receiving an image of the eye of the user from an image sensor, the image resulting from the image sensor detecting light from the plurality of illuminators reflected from the eye of the user and reflected from an optic arrangement located between the plurality of illuminators and the eye of the user;   determining a pupil position of a representation in the image of a pupil of the eye;   identifying one or more blobs in the image, wherein a blob is a representation in the image of a reflection from the optic arrangement of light from an illuminator of the plurality of illuminators; and   on a condition that there is at least one blob of the one or more blobs for which one or more predefined criteria are met:   identifying an illuminator of the plurality of illuminators associated with the at least one blob of the one or more blobs; and   switching off the identified illuminator of the plurality illuminators.