Patent ID: 8358337

Claim:
A pupil detection device comprising: a camera; a light source; and a calculation system, for detecting a pupil by calculating an examinee's face image formed in the camera, the light source including: a first illumination light source having a first wavelength light component which makes a bright pupil image by reflection in the examinee's pupil; and a second illumination light source having a second wavelength light component which makes a dark pupil image by reflection in the examinee's pupil, and otherwise exhibiting the same illumination effect as that of the first illumination light source, the camera including: a first image data acquisition system for obtaining first face image data using the first illumination light source; and a second image data acquisition system for obtaining second face image data using the second illumination light source: wherein the calculation system is operative for calculating the first image data and the second image data, so as to detect the pupil; and wherein the pupil detection device further includes an optical path forming system for irradiating light from an aperture of the camera by disposing the light source spaced off an optical axis of the camera, the optical path forming system including at least one reflector disposed for reflecting the light from the light source in a manner to have an optical axis thereof coincident with the optical axis of the camera, and for reflecting or transmitting the examinee's face image including the pupil generated by the light from the light source toward the camera.