Eye scanner for user identification and security in an eyewear device

Abstract

A system comprises an eyewear device that includes a frame, a temple connected to a lateral side of the frame, an infrared emitter, and an infrared camera. The infrared emitter and the infrared camera are connected to the frame or the temple to emit a pattern of infrared light. The system includes a processor coupled to the eyewear device, a memory accessible to the processor, and programming in the memory. Execution of the programming by the processor configures the system to perform functions, including functions to emit, via the infrared emitter, a pattern of infrared light on an eye of a user of the eyewear device; capture, via the camera, reflection variations in the pattern of infrared light on the eye of the user; and identify a user of the eyewear device based on the reflection variations of the emitted pattern of infrared light on the eye of the user.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system comprising:
 an eyewear device including:
 a frame; 
 a first temple connected to a first lateral side of the frame; 
 a second temple connected to a second lateral side of the frame; 
 a first infrared emitter connected to the frame or the first temple to emit a first pattern of infrared light; 
 a second infrared emitter connected to the frame, the first temple, or the second temple to emit a second pattern of infrared light; 
 a first infrared camera connected to the frame or the first temple to capture reflection variations in the first emitted pattern of infrared light; and 
 a second infrared camera connected to the frame, the first temple, or the second temple to capture reflection variations in the second emitted pattern of infrared light; 
   a processor coupled to the eyewear device;   a memory accessible to the processor; and   programming in the memory, wherein execution of the programming by the processor configures the system to perform functions, including functions to:
 emit, via the first infrared emitter, the first pattern of infrared light on a first eye of a user of the eyewear device; 
 capture, via the first infrared camera, the reflection variations in the first emitted pattern of infrared light on the first eye of the user; 
 emit, via the second infrared emitter, the second pattern of infrared light on a second eye of the user of the eyewear device; 
 capture, via the second infrared camera, the reflection variations in the second emitted pattern of infrared light on the second eye of the user; and 
 determine a direction of a line of sight of the first and second eyes of the user for eye tracking based on at least the reflection variations in the second emitted pattern of infrared light on the second eye of the user. 
   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein execution of the programming by the processor configures the system to perform additional functions, including functions to:
 receive location coordinates of the user of the eyewear device; and   provide content to the eyewear device based on the location coordinates and the direction of the line of sight of the first and second eyes of the user.   
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the first infrared emitter and first infrared camera and are co-located on the frame. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 3 , wherein the second infrared emitter and the second infrared camera are co-located on the frame, the first temple, the second temple, or a chunk that is integrated into or connected to the frame on the first or second lateral side. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 4 , wherein when the first infrared camera cannot capture an image of the retina or iris of the eye of the user due to the orientation of the eye of the user, the second infrared camera is positioned to capture the image of the retina of the iris of the eye of the user. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the first infrared emitter and the first infrared camera are co-located on a first chunk that is integrated into or connected to the frame on the first lateral side.   
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 6 , wherein:
 the second infrared emitter and the second infrared camera are co-located on a second chunk that is integrated into or connected to the frame on the second lateral side.   
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 6 , wherein the first chunk includes a circuit board that includes the first infrared emitter and the first infrared camera. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the frame includes:
 a frame front; and   a frame back; and   
       the circuit board includes is flexible printed circuit board disposed between the frame front and the frame back. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein:
 the first infrared camera is disposed on the circuit board and is covered by an infrared camera cover lens; and   the frame back includes a first opening for the infrared camera cover lens.   
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the frame includes first and second eye rims that have respective apertures to hold a respective optical element;   the first and second eye rims are connected by a bridge;   the first infrared emitter and the first infrared camera are co-located on the first eye rim; and   the second infrared emitter and the second infrared camera are co-located on the second eye rim.   
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a plurality of infrared emitters connected to the frame, the first temple, the second temple, a first chunk that is integrated into or connected to the frame on the first lateral side, or a second chunk that is integrated or connected to the frame on the second lateral side, the plurality of infrared emitters including the first and second infrared emitters; and   a plurality of infrared cameras connected to the frame, the first temple, the second temple, the first chunk, or the second chunk, the plurality of infrared cameras including the first and second infrared cameras,   wherein the plurality of infrared emitters and plurality of infrared cameras track eye direction of the user to detect whether the user is looking left, right, up, down, east, west, north, or south.   
     
     
         13 . A method for tracking the eyes of a user of an eyewear device, the eyewear device including a first infrared emitter, a second infrared emitter, a first infrared camera, and a second infrared camera, the method comprising:
 emitting, via the first infrared emitter, a first pattern of infrared light on a first eye of a user of the eyewear device;   capturing, via the first infrared camera, reflection variations in the first emitted pattern of infrared light on the first eye of the user;   emitting, via the second infrared emitter, a second pattern of infrared light on a second eye of the user of the eyewear device;   capturing, via the second infrared camera, reflection variations in the second emitted pattern of infrared light on the second eye of the user; and   determining a direction of a line of sight of the first and second eyes of the user for eye tracking based on at least the reflection variations in the second emitted pattern of infrared light on the second eye of the user.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising:
 receiving location coordinates of the user of the eyewear device; and   providing content to the eyewear device based on the location coordinates and the direction of the line of sight of the first and second eyes of the user.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the first infrared emitter and first infrared camera and are co-located on a frame of the eyewear device and the second infrared emitter and the second infrared camera are co-located on the frame, a temple, or a chunk that is integrated into or connected to the frame on a lateral side of the eyewear device, further comprising:
 capturing an image of the retina or iris of the eye of the user using the second infrared emitter and second infrared camera when the first infrared camera and first infrared emitter cannot capture the image of the retina or iris of the eye of the user due to the orientation of the eye of the user.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein a plurality of infrared emitters are connected to the frame, the first temple, the second temple, a first chunk that is integrated into or connected to the frame on the first lateral side, or a second chunk that is integrated or connected to the frame on the second lateral side, the plurality of infrared emitters including the first and second infrared emitters, and wherein a plurality of infrared cameras are connected to the frame, the first temple, the second temple, the first chunk, or the second chunk, the plurality of infrared cameras including the first and second infrared cameras, further comprising:
 tracking, using the plurality of infrared emitters and plurality of infrared cameras, eye direction of the user to detect whether the user is looking left, right, up, down, east, west, north, or south.   
     
     
         17 . A non-transitory computer readable medium including instructions for implementing functions when executed by a processor of an eyewear device including a first infrared emitter, a second infrared emitter, a first infrared camera, and a second infrared camera, the functions comprising:
 emitting, via the first infrared emitter, a first pattern of infrared light on a first eye of a user of the eyewear device;   capturing, via the first infrared camera, reflection variations in the first emitted pattern of infrared light on the first eye of the user;   emitting, via the second infrared emitter, a second pattern of infrared light on a second eye of the user of the eyewear device;   capturing, via the second infrared camera, reflection variations in the second emitted pattern of infrared light on the second eye of the user; and   determining a direction of a line of sight of the first and second eyes of the user for eye tracking based on at least the reflection variations in the second emitted pattern of infrared light on the second eye of the user.   
     
     
         18 . The computer readable medium of  claim 17 , further comprising instructions for implementing functions when executed by the processor of the eyewear device, the functions including:
 receiving location coordinates of the user of the eyewear device; and   providing content to the eyewear device based on the location coordinates and the direction of the line of sight of the first and second eyes of the user.   
     
     
         19 . The computer readable medium of  claim 17 , wherein the first infrared emitter and first infrared camera and are co-located on a frame of the eyewear device and the second infrared emitter and the second infrared camera are co-located on the frame, a temple, or a chunk that is integrated into or connected to the frame on a lateral side of the eyewear device, further comprising instructions for implementing functions when executed by the processor of the eyewear device, the functions including:
 capturing an image of the retina or iris of the eye of the user using the second infrared emitter and second infrared camera when the first infrared camera and first infrared emitter cannot capture the image of the retina or iris of the eye of the user due to the orientation of the eye of the user.   
     
     
         20 . The computer readable medium of  claim 17 , wherein a plurality of infrared emitters are connected to the frame, the first temple, the second temple, a first chunk that is integrated into or connected to the frame on the first lateral side, or a second chunk that is integrated or connected to the frame on the second lateral side, the plurality of infrared emitters including the first and second infrared emitters, further comprising instructions for implementing functions when executed by the processor of the eyewear device, the functions including:
 tracking, using the plurality of infrared emitters and plurality of infrared cameras, eye direction of the user to detect whether the user is looking left, right, up, down, east, west, north, or south.