Patent ID: 12229235

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In the following detailed description of the embodiments of the invention, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding. However, it will be obvious to one skilled in the art that the embodiments may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances well known methods, procedures, components, and circuits have not been described in detail so as not to unnecessarily obscure aspects of the embodiments.

Retinal sensitivity to photons is defined by genetic factors among others, by eye motions (eye movement), by eyeball muscles, and the integration of the whole system by specific brain wirings. Miniature involuntary eye movements of the eyeball100are a normal physiological function of the human body. Any neurologically mediated process will produce features that are unique (“proprietary”) to the individual and therefore potentially useful in identifying one individual from another. Accordingly, the involuntary eye movements of the eyeball100are unique to an individual and can be used in user identification and user authentication. The embodiments described herein disclose methods and apparatus to uniquely identify a user in response to eye motions.

Referring now toFIG.3, the small or miniature involuntary eye movements of the eyeball100can be captured by a fixation process of an eye on a target image301. The target image301becomes a retinal image302on the retina110of the eyeball100. The target image301can be generated by a target304on a display device310. The user stares at or fixates on the target304on the display device310for a period of time (e.g., ten to fifteen seconds) during the fixation process. Involuntary movements are too small and subtle to be seen by direct observation with the naked eye. A video camera312captures a sequence of images of the movement of the eyeball100during the fixation process.

To avoid capturing voluntary eye movement during a fixation process, one may couple the camera312to the eyeball100. However, this is impractical for authentication purposes. Voluntary eye movement can be substantially filtered out from the captured eye movement data to generate involuntary eye movement data.

Furthermore, while miniature involuntary eye movement (also referred to herein as involuntary eye micro-motions) has typically been captured during a fixation process, it can also be captured with large scale voluntary eye movement when the eyes are moving across a visual field, regardless of the focal point of interest. A video camera can be used to capture a sequence of images of large scale eye movement that includes the small scale or miniature involuntary eye movement. The miniature involuntary eye movement can be extracted from the captured sequence of images—that include both involuntary and voluntary eye movement.

InFIG.4A, zones of cones400are shown a magnified portion of the fovea centralis in the retina110.FIG.4Afurther illustrates a graph of involuntary eye movement over the zones of the cones in response to a user fixating on a target for about ten seconds.FIG.4Arepresents a plurality of cones within a diameter of about five microns of the retina110.

Involuntary eye motions exist whether the subject or user fixates on a stationary object/target or not. The small involuntary eye motions include different types of eye movements, one of more of which can be used to identify a user.

FIG.4Aillustrates the different types of small involuntary eye motions of interest, including saccades (also referred to as microsaccades)401A-401F, curve shaped drifts402A-402E, and zig-zag shaped tremors (also referred to as micronystagmus)403A-403E.FIG.4Billustrates a magnified view of the saccades401F, curve shaped drift402E, and the zig-zag shaped tremor403E. The zig-zag shaped tremors403E are imposed on the curved shaped drifts402E.

The drift eye movements402A-402E are like a random walk without any precise aim when the eyes are not focusing on anything in particular. They are characterized by a small amplitude motions with changing directions and by frequencies around 20-40 Hz. The tremor eye movements are characterized by a very small amplitude (e.g., 0.2 to 2-3 degrees of arc) and a higher frequency (e.g., 40-150 Hz, with 90 Hz being a typical value). The saccadic eye movements are characterized by an amplitude between 15-20 degrees of arc, a high speed (between 200-500 degrees per sec) and a relatively low frequency (e.g., from 0.1 Hz to between 1-5 Hz).

The miniature-involuntary eye movements are a normal physiological function of the body to prevent fatigue of the rods and cones at the focal point on the retinal surface within the eyeball. The image of a target or object on the retina of the eye is constantly moving due to the involuntary eye motions. The drift eye motion402A-402E causes the image to drift slowly outward away from the center of the fovea. The drift eye motion terminates at the start of the saccadic eye movement. The saccadic eye movement401A-401F brings the image back towards the center of the fovea. The tremor eye motion403A-403E, superimposed on the drift eye motion402A-402E, has an amplitude that crosses a plurality of cones to prevent exhaustion of a single cone when staring or fixating on the target.

These small involuntary eye movements are thought to prevent retinal fatigue. Retinal fatigue is the exhaustion of some key biochemical that is essential to the capture of photons by the retinal cells. The small involuntary eye movements are imperceptible to the naked eye. However, the involuntary eye movements can be captured and sensed/viewed/appreciated by retinal scanners and video cameras with sufficient speed to record eye movement, such as shown inFIG.3andFIG.8B.

The involuntary eye motions/movements can be sensed by various means/methods such as by using an infrared light emitting diode (LED), pupil scanning methods, even refractometry, provided that these methods are modified to have the appropriate time/frequency and displacements resolution to capture the involuntary eye motions/movements.

The involuntary eye movements can alternatively be sensed using electrooculography with sufficient sensitivity to generate an electrooculogram (EOG) representative of the involuntary eye movement. The raw EOG signal originates in the dipole between the eye cornea and its retina.

Electrical signals also originate in the oculo-motor muscles when they cause the eye to generate eye movements. These electrical signals originating in the oculo-motor muscles themselves can be sensed to represent eye movement, similar to how to an electromyogram (EMG) from the eye.

Referring momentarily toFIG.7, e electrooculography involves sensing electrical signals by measuring the potential difference (voltage) between the retina (grounded) and the cornea of the eye. Electrodes are typically placed around the eye to measure up, down, left, and right voltages with respect to one or more ground electrodes. Differences between left and right voltage measurements may be made to generate a signal indicating horizontal eye movement. Differences between up and down voltage measurements may be made to generate a signal indicating vertical eye movement. The signals can be amplified and filtered before signal processing occurs. The analog signals can be converted into digital signals so that digital signal processing can analyze the EOG signals for patterns in the involuntary eye movement of a user.

A pattern of the involuntary eye movement is employed as a method of performing a physiologic biometric identification of an individual because it is linked to the specific neuro-musculo-retinal anatomy of said individual. Capturing the micro-motions of the involuntary eye movements of the eyeball allows patterns to be extracted that are unique to the individual and can be used to authenticate the identity of an individual. These extracted patterns are analyzed and features extracted that provide a unique identifier of each individual. In accordance with one embodiment, a pupil is identified and tracked using a high speed, high resolution camera. The images are processed with a processor executing image processing software to extract the features from the involuntary eye movement that uniquely identify a user.

Involuntary eye movement can be used as a standalone method of authentication or in conjunction with retinal scanners that capture an image of the retinal anatomy of the eyeball. Involuntary eye movement can be also used as a method of authentication in conjunction with iris scanners that capture an image of iris anatomy of an eyeball. Involuntary eye movement can be also used as a method of authentication in conjunction with both retinal and/or iris scanners that capture images of eye anatomy.

Using both involuntary eye movement and retinal and/or iris anatomy provides for dual or triple authentication. Retinal and iris scanning technology does not include any neurologic component to the determination. Retinal scanning technology merely maps the anatomy of the retina to perform an authentication based on a two dimensional (2D) scan image. Involuntary eye movement adds a physiologic biometric parameter to the current eye scanning technology.

Prior art that analyzes eye movement can be distinguished from the embodiments disclosed herein.

United States (US) Patent Application Publication No. 2014/0331315, filed by Birk et al. on Dec. 23, 2011 (hereinafter Birk) discloses a method for deriving a biometric parameter from eye movements for use in authentication protocols; combining conventional authentication, such as “password or other information known to the user” as described in the Abstract, with eye movements based on a behavior repertoire consisting of actively moving the focus of the eye to “visually locate pieces of information embedded in a display” as described in the Abstract. The behavior repertoire in Birk may be either the path of the eye movements, or the characterization of the user's eye movements as they sequentially locate a sequence of numbers/letters to match a password or code known to the user.

Birk recognizes that there are several different types of eye movements both voluntary and involuntary. However, Birk describes using the only active, voluntary eye movements as an input for the recognition techniques disclosed therein. Birk essentially uses a defined grid, across which the user eyes must wander in a specific sequence to be recognized. Birk also makes use of a repertoire of motions (habits) specific to a given user.

In contrast to Birk, the embodiments disclosed herein utilize only the involuntary movements of the eye that occur as part of the normal eye physiology that are controlled by the brain stem and the cerebral cortex. The involuntary eye movements captured by the embodiments are not based on what the user does, but based on what the user is.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,785,406 issued to Mikio Kamada on Aug. 31, 2004 (hereinafter Kamada), describes an iris authentication apparatus for which they use some eye motions and iris contractions to ensure that the data are collected from a live user and not from just an image or some other body part. The eye motions used in Kamada are cycloversions, motions linked to the vestibular control of the eyes that ensure eye-head coordination when one looks at an object while the head is moving. Kamada also uses optokinetic nystagmus eye motion, which is a large saccade that brings back the fovea of the retina to center when an object drifts out of the visual field.

The eye motions described in Kamada are not micro-motions linked to the retinal fatigue and user-specific. The eye motions described in Kamada are reflexive motions. Kamada does not use eye motions to identify a user but to ascertain whether or not the data captured is from a live character. The eye motions described in Kamada are not user-specific so they cannot be used to identify a user because they are reflexive are like the knee jerk reflex, and present in every person, like a knee jerk reflex. Even though different strength levels may be recognized in Kamada, they are not fine enough to discriminate between individuals to provide identification.

U.S. Pat. No. 8,899,748 issued to Brandon Lousi Migdal on Dec. 2, 2014 (hereinafter Migdal), describes a method to detect reflex nystagmus eye motions linked to vestibular control (equilibrium) of an individual. However, vestibular nystagmus eye motions may be vertical or horizontal eye motions and originate as positional reflexes that are common. Moreover, vestibular nystagmus eye motions lack fine granularity of involuntary eye micro-motions that are useful in discriminating between individuals by the embodiments disclosed herein.

U.S. Pat. No. 9,195,890, issued to James R. Bergen on Nov. 24, 2015 (hereinafter Bergen), discloses a biometric identification method based on iris image comparisons. Bergen's comparison is based on extracted and unique anatomical features of the irises of eyes. The features of the irises are resolved at various depths of detail by Bergen. In order to align and match an iris to a stored iris pattern, Bergen must correct for motions and for tilts/positions, as well as correct for other image distortions. The eye motions referred to in Bergen are large scale and are undesirable because they represent a hindrance to acquiring quality data in Bergen's iris recognition system. This is contrary to the embodiments disclosed herein.

U.S. Pat. No. 7,336,806 issued to Schonberg et al. (hereinafter Schonberg); discloses iris-based recognition of a user for which the annulus circumference is key. Schonberg considers other features, including eye motion, to be noise that is to be eliminated.

U.S. Pat. No. 7,665,845 issued to Kiderman et al. on Feb. 23, 2010 (hereinafter Kiderman) describes a video-oculographic (VOG) system that is (VOG) based on light weight goggles. Kiderman's goggles were designed to make clinical measurements unbiased by the weight of the measuring instrument. However, Kiderman does not disclose using involuntary eye micro-motions that are of interest in the embodiments disclosed herein. Moreover, there is no obvious need for spatial resolution with regards to the embodiments disclosed herein.

Eye Movement Detection

Electrooculography can directly generate signals of involuntary eye movements. When using captured video images to track eye movements, a viewable feature of the eyeball in the video images is used. Pattern recognition may be used to detect the viewable feature in each image of the video images.

Referring now toFIGS.6A, the viewable feature in the images of the eyeball may be the iris114, the pupil112, or the fovea116. Edge detection may be used to track involuntary eye movements from video images of the eyeball100captured while a user fixates on a target. Edge detection can be taken from the circumference614of the iris114, the circumference612of the pupil112, or the location of the fovea116.

As shown inFIG.6B, the circumference614of the iris114is useful to track involuntary eye movements because it is well defined and consistent. The circumference612of the pupil112may alternatively be used to track involuntary eye movements. However, the size and location of the pupil changes in response to light intensity.

As shown inFIG.6C, the fovea116may alternatively be used to track involuntary eye movements. However, tracking the fovea116typically requires a light source shined through the lens118to illuminate the retina110of the eyeball100.

Referring now toFIGS.5A-5C, various combinations of the involuntary eye movements can be used for user identification and authentication.

InFIG.5A, all three types of involuntary eye movement, including saccade trajectories, drift, and tremors, are used to determine a unique identifier of each user. In accordance with one embodiment, features are extracted from all three involuntary eye movements to uniquely identify each user. The system is consistent in extracting the same features over and over again for each user.

InFIG.5B, two involuntary eye movements, such as saccade trajectories and drift, are used to determine a unique identifier of each user. In accordance with another embodiment, features are extracted from saccade trajectories and drift to determine a uniquely identify each user. The system is consistent in extracting the same features over and over again for each user.

InFIG.5C, a single involuntary eye movement, such as the tremor component, is used to determine a unique identifier of each user. In accordance with yet another embodiment, features are extracted from the tremor component of the involuntary eye movements to uniquely identify each user. The system is consistent in extracting the same features over and over again for each user.

Referring now toFIG.7an exemplary electrooculography system700is shown to directly generate signals of the involuntary eye movements of a user799. A plurality of electrodes701A-701E are applied near the eyes around a users head/face to capture voltages around each eye during eye movement. The electrodes may be part of a hood or a face receiving device to couple the electrodes to the surface of the user's head/face. Electrodes701A-701B capture the up and down or vertical motion of the eyeball100. Electrodes701C-701D capture the left and right or horizontal motion of the eyeball100. One or more electrodes701E provide a ground or zero voltage reference for each electrode701-701D. The electrodes701A-701D measure up, down, left, and right voltages with respect to the one or more ground electrodes701E as involuntary eye movement occurs during the fixation process.

The up and down voltages of electrodes701A-701B with or without filtering are coupled into the negative and positive inputs of a difference amplifier704A to amplify and compute the difference between the up and down voltages. This forms a vertical eye movement signal. The vertical eye movement signal may be coupled into analog filters706A to remove noise and other unwanted signals to additionally emphasize the vertical eye movement signal. The filtered vertical eye movement signal, an analog signal, is coupled into a analog to digital converter708A to convert the analog form into a digital form of signal. The digital filtered vertical eye movement signal is coupled into a first parallel digital input of a digital signal processor710. In an alternate embodiment, the signal processor can be manufactured to support mixed analog and digital signals. Accordingly, the signal processor710can include be used

Similarly, left and right voltages of electrodes701C-701D with or without filtering are coupled into the negative and positive inputs of a difference amplifier704B to amplify and compute the difference between the left and right voltages. This forms a horizontal eye movement signal. The horizontal eye movement signal may be coupled into analog filters706B to remove noise and other unwanted signals to additionally emphasize the horizontal eye movement signal. The filtered horizontal eye movement signal, an analog signal, is coupled into a analog to digital converter708B to convert the analog form into a digital form of signal. The digital filtered horizontal eye movement signal is coupled into a second parallel digital input of the digital signal processor710.

The digital signal processor710performs digital signal processing using both the digital filtered horizontal eye movement signal and the digital filtered vertical eye movement signal to analyze, extract features, and generate the unique identifying pattern from the involuntary eye movement of the user. In this case, the unique identifying pattern of involuntary eye movement is directly captured from the user's head/face without using a video camera or scanner and analyzing images.

Referring now toFIG.8A-8B, an electronic device800with a video camera is used to capture images of eye movement of the user899during the fixation process.

InFIG.8B, the electronic device800includes a display device807and a video camera812coupled to a processor, microcomputer, or microprocessor (up)801. The electronic device800further includes a memory802to store program instructions and user associated data. The electronic device800may further one or more (radio frequency transmitters/receivers) radios809and one or more wired connectors822,824(e.g., USB port822, and/or network interface port824) to provide communication between the electronic device800and other electronic devices by wireless or wired means. The electronic device800further includes a touch screen display device807to provide a displayable user interface UI to the user using the electronic device800. Software controls can be displayed on the touch screen display device807so the user can control the electronic device. The electronic device800can optionally include one or more hardware buttons804to further allow the user to control the electronic device.

In support of capturing eye movement, the processor801generates a fixation target850that is displayed by the display device807. A user is asked to fixate on the fixation target850while the video camera812, under control of the processor801, captures a temporal sequence of images, a video, of the users eyes. The video, from frame to frame, captures the involuntary eye movement of one or both eyeballs of the user. 3D accelerometer data is captured with the video to remove physical movements of the camera812and the electronic device800from determining eye movement.

The processor801includes or may be adapted to provide signal processor functionality. In any case, the processor executes instructions of pattern recognition software and signal processing software to analyze the video capturing the involuntary eye movement of one or both eyeballs of the user. The pattern recognition software may be used to identify the eyeballs in the video and then the irises and pupils in the video.

The captured video is analyzed to detect if a user blinks during the temporal sequence of images and whether or not a sufficient sequence is captured detect involuntary eye movements. If not, the user is asked by the user interface to repeat the fixation process.

If a sufficient sequence of images is captured, further analysis is performed to determine the movement of the eyeball from image to image. A reference point on the eyeball, such as the iris or pupil, is used to determine the involuntary movement in the captured video of the fixation or staring process. The 3D accelerometer data is used to exclude the physical movement of camera812captured in the video from the raw eyeball movement data to form true eyeball movement data.

The true eyeball movement data is further analyzed to extract the desired type of involuntary eye movement data that is to be used in authenticating and/or uniquely identifying the user.

A user is initialized to the electronic device800to store an initial data set of initial captured involuntary eye movement data. From the initial data set, features linked to the time-series of the involuntary eye motions are extracted and classified to be associated with the user.

Subsequently features extracted from captured data sets of newly captured involuntary eye movement data are compared against the associated stored features extracted from the initial captured involuntary movement data to identify a user. A match percentage can be calculated to determine if the user is authorized to use the electronic device.

The newly captured involuntary eye movement data is compared against the initial captured involuntary movement data to determine match results. If the match results are within a match percentage, the user is identified and authorized to use the device. If the match results are outside the match percentage, the user is unidentified and not authorized to use the device.

Involuntary eye motions (e.g., tremors) can occur at about a maximum frequency of 150 Hertz (Hz) or cycles per second. Cones of an eye range in diameter from 0.5 to 4 micro-meters (microns). To capture the desired involuntary eye motions, appropriate recording devices in systems, such as the video camera812coupled to the processor801in the electronic device800, operate at a minimum frame rate (frames per second) of at least a range of 300 Hz-450 Hz and optimally at a frame rate of 1000 Hz or more. Cameras and processors in pre-existing electronic devices may be re-programmed by a software application or driver to run faster than the typical setting. Normal (large scale saccade) covers 300 degrees per second and can re-align the eyes within a third of a second. Whereas involuntary micro-saccades cover a few degrees per second down to 0.2 degrees in amplitude. Accordingly, the spatial resolution of recording devices that can resolve down to within the range of 0.1-0.2 degrees can be optimal for capturing the desired involuntary eye motions.

While one type of electronic device800is shown inFIGS.8A-8Bfor capturing the desired involuntary eye motions, other types of electronic devices can be used to capture the desired involuntary eye motions.FIGS.9A-11Cillustrate other means and electronic devices to capture the desired involuntary eye motions.

Referring now toFIGS.9A-9B, electronic glasses900are shown that may be used to capture images of eye movement of a user. From the captured images of eye movement, the small scale involuntary eye motions can be extracted. The electronic glasses900may be temporarily worn by a user in order to identify, authenticate, and authorize a user to a system or apparatus.

The electronic glasses900include an eye glass frame902to which a left lens904L and a right lens904R are mounted in a pair of eye wires. In accordance with one embodiment, the eye glass frame902includes a bridge907, a left temple908L, a right temple908R, nose pads, nose pad arms, and the pair of eye wires. They electronic glasses900may alternatively be clip on glasses worn over prescription glasses. The lenses904L-904R may be prescription lenses or not.

A small target906may be formed in an upper right corner of the left lens904L to direct a user's eyes towards a video camera. Alternatively, the target906could be formed in an upper left corner of the right lens904R to direct the user's eyes towards the video camera. The target906can be formed on either lens by printing a target image onto the surface of the lens, by inscribing the target image into the lens, by shining a target light onto the surface of the lens; or by other known means of applying an image onto a clear surface.

Referring momentarily toFIG.9C, the target906is a short depth-of-field target with a center opening or hole907. With the target906on the lens904L or904R, it is too close for the user to focus on. However, the user can focus through the center opening907of the target906. The target906with its center opening907acts like an optical tether so that the pupil is located in line with the video camera to better capture eye movement.

Referring now toFIG.9B, the electronic glasses900further includes the video camera910, a processor912, a memory device914, a radio transmitter/receiver (transceiver)916, and a power supply (e.g., battery)920mounted to the eye glass frame902. The electronic glasses900may further include an optional light emitting diode (LED)918mounted to the frame902or a nose pad arm922.

The video camera910is angled slightly towards the lens with the target, such as the left lens904L with the target906, so that it is more in line with the eye when focusing on the target. The video camera910and processor912operate together at a frame rate in the range of a 300 to 1000 frames per second to capture involuntary eye motions at a maximum frequency of 150 Hz.

The radio916may be used by the processor to communicate with a computer or server to authenticate the user to the computer or server. The memory914may be used to store initialization data, including the initial involuntary eye motion features that are extracted from the captured eye motions.

The electronic eyeglasses900may be temporarily worn by the user to authenticate the user to a system. In the alternative, electronic goggles may be used.

Referring now toFIGS.10A-10B, electronic virtual reality headset or goggles1000including a video camera that may be used to capture eye motion of an eye of a user. The electronic virtual reality headset includes a frame1002and a head strap1003to retain the headset affixed to the users head. The frame1002includes top, bottom, left, and right flexible curtains or blinders1004configured to receive the face around the eyes of the user to provide a hooded area1099to keep outside light from entering. The bottom curtain or blinder1004B includes a nose opening1005to receive the nose of a user.

InFIG.10B, the headset1000further includes the video camera1010, a left display device1012L, and a right display device1012R coupled to the frame1002. The headset1000further includes a processor1011and a memory1014coupled together. The video camera1010and the left and right display devices1012L,1012R are coupled to the processor1011. The left display device1012L and the right display device1012R can provide a stereo three dimensional image to the user at varying perceived depths. The video camera1010may be coupled to the frame1002inside the hooded area1099at different locations to capture eye motion. The video camera1010may be located on the right as shown to capture eye motion to avoid interfering with the video images displayed by the left and right display devices1012L,1012R. In an alternate embodiment, a pair of video cameras1010may be located on opposite sides to capture eye motions of both left and right eyes so that the involuntary eye micro-motions from one or both eyes are used to authenticate a user.

A stereo three dimensional target comprising a left target1006L and a right target1006R may be generated by the processor1011and displayed on the left display device1012L and the right display device1012R, respectively. The left target1006L and the right target1006R can cause the target to appear far away to focus the eyes at a distant and somewhat fixate the eyes to better capture involuntary eye movement with the video camera1010.

The processor1011may be wired by a cable1050and plug1052to another system. Alternatively, a radio transmitter/receiver (transceiver)1016may be coupled to the processor1011so that the processor and headset/goggles can wirelessly be coupled to another system to use the authentication capability of the headset/goggles1000.

Referring now toFIG.11A, eye motion can be captured in another manner by using a contact lens1100mounted to one or both eyes100of a user over the lens118. The contract lens1100includes one or more emitters1102coupled to (e.g., embedded in or printed on) the lens material1104. The emitter1102may be an active device, such as a light emitting diode or a radio beacon with associated driving circuits (e.g., radio transmitter/receiver, diode driver); or a passive device, such as a reflector, retro-reflector, or mirror.

In the case of an active emitter device, one or more sensors are used to receive the emitted light or radio signal to determine position of the eye from one time point to the next to directly capture eye motion over a period of time. Power may be wirelessly coupled from a base antenna around the eye into an antenna coupled to the active emitter device in the contact lens. Radio signals may also be coupled between the base antenna and the antenna coupled to the active integrated circuit device. A three dimensional motion sensor may be included as part of the integrated circuit to capture eye motion including the involuntary eye micro-motions of interest.

In the case of the passive emitter device, light of a light source is directed to the passive emitter device to activate it into reflecting light back to one or more photo diode sensors around the eye. A combination of active emitter devices and passive emitter devices may be used in the same contact lens to capture eye motion by either or both means.

FIGS.11B-11Dillustrate one emitter1102A, two emitters1102B-1102C, and four emitters1102D-1102G embedded in contact lenses1100A-1100C, respectively.

InFIG.11B, an active emitter1102A is depicted coupled to two or more antenna lines1105A-1105B around a segment of the circumference edge of the contract lens1100A. The active emitter1102A includes an integrated circuit1106with a processor/controller and other circuitry externally coupled to it or internally integrated on the integrated circuit. Alternatively, the emitter1102A may be a passive emitter.

InFIG.11C, a pair of passive emitters1102B-1102C are depicted around a segment of the circumference edge of the contract lens1100B. Alternatively, the emitters1102B-1102C may be active emitters with two or more antenna feed1105A-1105B in a segment near the circumference edge of the contract lens1100B.

InFIG.11D, a pair of active emitters1102D-1102E and a pair of passive emitters1102F-1102G are shown near the circumference edge of the contract lens1100C. Alternatively, all emitters1102D-1102G may be active emitters or passive emitters; just one may be passive with all others active; or just one may be active with all others passive.

Referring now toFIG.11E, further details of an instance of an active emitter1102are shown. The active emitter1102A includes an integrated circuit1106with a processor/controller1110and other circuitry externally coupled to it or internally integrated on the integrated circuit coupled to the processor/controller1110.

The integrated circuit (IC)1106can receive power over the antenna1105A-1105B into a power conversion circuit1112coupled to the processor1110. Radio frequency energy from an oscillating radio frequency (RF) signal is inductively coupled into the two or more antenna feeds1105A-1105B by a nearby base antenna. The power conversion circuit1112can rectify and regulate the AC RF signals into a DC power source for other circuits within the IC1106as well as those coupled to it.

With a light emitting diode (LED)1108coupled to the integrated circuit1106, a diode driver1118therein is coupled to and between the processor1110and the light emitting diode (LED)1108. With power being generated by the power conversion circuit, the processor1110can generate a signal to activate the diode driver1118. With power, the processor can activate the diode driver11118to drive and provide power to the light emitting diode1108to emit light out away from the eye of the user.

Alternatively or in addition to, the integrated circuit1106may have a 3D motion sensor1117coupled to the processor that directly senses eye motion. With power, the processor coupled to a radio transmitter/receiver (transceiver)1109can transmit and receive radio signals through the radio transceiver1119over the antenna lines1105A-1105B. The base unit with its own corresponding radio transceiver can collect and further process the eye motion data.

Referring now toFIG.11F, for an active emitter, a base unit1199is shown including a frame1121, a lens1122, and poles of a base antenna1124A-1124B wrapped around the lens1122. Wires1114from the base antenna1124A-1124B are coupled to a base radio receiver/transmitter (transceiver) (not shown), and then to a base processor (not shown) to process the captured eye motion signals.

With the base antenna1124A-1124B of the base near the antenna lines1105A-1105B of the contact lens, they can be inductively coupled together to transfer radio frequency power/energy as well as radio frequency signals between the base unit1199and the contact lens1100C. When powered up, the eye motion captured by the motion sensor1117can be the communicated from the contact lens1100C to the base unit1199by the radio transceivers in each.

For a passive emitter, the base unit1199(additionally or alternatively) includes one or more photo diode sensors1134A-1134B coupled to the lens1112near its edges. The base unit1199may further include a light source1132, such as a display device, to shine light towards one or more passive emitters1102F,1102G. The light reflecting off the one or more passive emitters1102F,1102G is captured by the one or more photo diode sensors1134A-1134B to determine position and movement of an eye over time. Wires1114from the photo diode sensors1134A-1134B are coupled to a base processor (not shown) to process the captured eye motion signals.

The base unit1199may be in the form of glasses (spectacles), VR goggles, a stand alone eye scanner, or a wall mounted eye scanner.

While an electronic device may be worn by a user adjacent a user's eye or eyes, such as in the case of glasses, goggles, and contact lenses; the electronic device to capture eye motions may be supported by a structure or a system with the user placing his/her eye or eyes near a video camera, sensors, or antenna to capture eye motions that include the involuntary eye micro-motions of interest.

FIG.12Aillustrate an eye motion capture device1201affixed to a building structure1200to control access to one or more doors1202in response to the involuntary eye micro-motions of a user. The eye motion capture device1201is coupled to an access system1203to control access to the one or more doors1202of the structure1200. The access system1203can control unlocking one or more doors1202in response to proper involuntary eye micro-motions of the eye of an authorized user.

FIG.12Billustrates a magnified view of the eye motion capture device1201that receives the area of the face of a user around the left or right eye. As discussed previously with reference toFIG.10B, the eye motion capture device1201may include some similar structure and function of a processor1011, as well as a video camera1010, a display device1012R and a memory1014coupled to the processor. The processor1011may be wired by a cable and a plug to the access system1203. Alternatively, the processor1011may be wirelessly coupled to the access system1203by a radio1016coupled to the processor1101.

FIG.13Aillustrates a stand alone eye scanner1301coupled to a system1302by wire with a cable or wirelessly with radios transmitter/receivers in each. The system1302may be coupled to a server1306. The server may be remote and accessed over a wide area network1304, such as the internet. The stand alone eye scanner1301can be used to non-invasively authenticate the user to the system1302, and the server1306, in response to the involuntary eye micro-motions of one or more eyes.

FIG.13Billustrates a magnified view of the stand alone eye scanner1301that receives the eye area of the face of a user. As discussed previously with reference toFIG.10B, the eye motion capture device1301similarly includes the structure and function of a processor1011, as well as one or more video cameras1010, a left display device1012L, a right display device1012R, and a memory1014coupled to the processor. The processor1011may be wired by a cable1050and a plug1052to the system1302. Alternatively, a radio transmitter/receiver (transceiver)1016may be coupled to the processor1011so that the processor and headset/goggles can wirelessly be coupled to the system1302. Left and/or right targets1006L,1006R can be similarly generated on the left and/or right display devices1012L,1012R so that the stand alone eye scanner1301can scan one or both eyes to non-invasively authenticate the user in response to the involuntary eye micro-motions of one or both eyes of the user.

In each of the electronic devices, the processor cooperates with another device to capture a representation of user eye movement from which the desired involuntary eye micro-motions can be extracted. The processor may further perform signal processing on the extracted involuntary eye micro-motions to determine identifying eye micro-motion features from the extracted involuntary eye micro-motions that are extracted and selected repeatedly by the same system, such as described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/013,875; filed by Martin Zizi et al. on Feb. 2, 2016, incorporated herein by reference.

Identifying eye micro-motion features can be used with various systems that utilize user authentication. For example, the identifying eye micro-motion features can be classified in by a match percentage and used to authenticate a user with an authentication controller such as shown and described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/013,875; filed by Martin Zizi et al. on Feb. 2, 2016, incorporated herein by reference. The identifying eye micro-motion features can be used to provide keyless access to homes, buildings, and vehicles such as shown and described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/013,810; filed by Martin Zizi et al. on Feb. 2, 2016, incorporated herein by reference. The identifying eye micro-motion features can be used to encrypt/decrypt data such as shown and described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/013,792; filed by Martin Zizi et al. on Feb. 2, 2016, incorporated herein by reference. The identifying eye micro-motion features can be used to secure access to privacy data, such as medical records shown and described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/013,764; filed by Martin Zizi et al. on Feb. 2, 2016, incorporated herein by reference.

CONCLUSION

The embodiments of the invention are thus described. When implemented in software, the elements of the embodiments of the invention are essentially the code segments or instructions to perform the necessary tasks. The program or code segments/instructions can be stored in a processor readable medium for execution by a processor, such as processor801. The processor readable medium may include any medium that can store information, such as memory802. Examples of the processor readable medium include an electronic circuit, a semiconductor memory device, a read only memory (ROM), a flash memory, an erasable programmable read only memory (EPROM), a floppy diskette, a CD-ROM, an optical disk, or a hard disk. The program and code segments/instructions may be downloaded via computer networks such as the Internet, Intranet, etc.

While this specification includes many specifics, these should not be construed as limitations on the scope of the disclosure or of what may be claimed, but rather as descriptions of features specific to particular implementations of the disclosure. Certain features that are described in this specification in the context of separate implementations may also be implemented in combination in a single implementation. Conversely, various features that are described in the context of a single implementation may also be implemented in multiple implementations, separately or in sub-combination. Moreover, although features may be described above as acting in certain combinations and even initially claimed as such, one or more features from a claimed combination may in some cases be excised from the combination, and the claimed combination may be directed to a sub-combination or variations of a sub-combination. Accordingly, the claimed invention is limited only by patented claims that follow below.