Eye monitoring system and method
A system for use with a head-mountable display device, HMD, operable to present content to a user, the system comprising a temperature sensor unit configured to detect a temperature associated with at least one of the user's eyes and/or an ambient temperature associated with the HMD, a blink sensor unit configured to detect blinking of one or both of the user's eyes, a threshold determination unit configured to determine a threshold value for a blink rate of the user in dependence upon the one or more detected temperatures, and a processing unit configured to determine a blink rate of the user in dependence upon the detected blinks, and to modify the content presented by the HMD in response to the blink rate of the user falling below the threshold value.
1 . A computer-implemented method comprising:
detecting (i) a temperature associated with one or both eyes of a user, or (ii) an ambient temperature associated with a head-mounted display (HMD);
determining a temperature-dependent threshold value for a blink rate of the user based at least on (i) the temperature associated with the one or both eyes of the user or (ii) the ambient temperature associated with the HMD;
detecting blinks of the one or both eyes of the user;
determining the blink rate associated with the blinks of the one or both eyes of the user;
determining that the blink rate satisfies the temperature-dependent threshold value; and
modifying content presented on the HMD in response to determining that the blink rate satisfies the temperature-dependent threshold value.
2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein detecting the temperature associated with the one or both eyes of the user comprises detecting the temperature using a thermal camera configured to capture images of the one or both eyes of the user.
3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein detecting the ambient temperature associated with the HMD comprises detecting an air temperature within the HMD or an air temperature proximate to the one or both eyes of the user.
4 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising updating the temperature-dependent threshold value in response to a change in the detected temperature, a change in the determined blink rate, and/or an elapsed time.
5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the temperature-dependent threshold value comprises selecting the temperature-dependent threshold value from a plurality of predefined temperature-dependent threshold values, or to calculate a new temperature-dependent threshold value.
6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein determining that the blink rate satisfies the temperature-dependent threshold value further comprises:
determining a rate of change of the blink rate; and
predicting a time when the blink rate will fall below the temperature-dependent threshold value;
determining that the blink rate satisfies the temperature-dependent threshold value based on the prediction.
7 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising providing, to the user, a warning indicating that the content has elements causing discomfort to the one or both eyes, based on determining that the blink rate satisfies the temperature-dependent threshold value.
8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein modifying the content presented on the HMD comprises modifying the content based on a magnitude of a difference between the blink rate of the user and the temperature-dependent threshold value.
9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein modifying the content presented on the HMD comprises modifying one or more rendering and/or display parameters associated with the content based on a difference between the blink rate and the temperature-dependent threshold value.
10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the temperature-dependent threshold value comprises:
determining a rate of a change of the detected temperature; and
estimating the temperature-dependent threshold value based on the determined rate of the change of the detected temperature.
11 . The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the temperature-dependent threshold value comprises:
determining one or more visual properties of the content; and
determining the temperature-dependent threshold value based on the determined one or more visual properties of the content.
12 . The method of claim 1 , wherein modifying the content presented on the HMD comprises pausing the content.
13 . The method of claim 1 , wherein modifying the content presented on the HMD comprises generating a visual notification and/or audio-based notification to the user to encourage the blinks.
14 . The method of claim 1 , wherein modifying the content presented on the HMD comprises generating air towards the one or both eyes of the user.
15 . The method of claim 14 , further comprising cooling and/or moistening the air.
16 . A system comprising one or more computers and one or more storage devices storing instructions that are operable, when executed by the one or more computers to cause the one or more computers to perform operations comprising:
detecting (i) a temperature associated with one or both eyes of a user, or (ii) an ambient temperature associated with a head-mounted display (HMD);
determining a temperature-dependent threshold value for a blink rate of the user based at least on (i) the temperature associated with the one or both eyes of the user or (ii) the ambient temperature associated with the HMD;
detecting blinks of the one or both eyes of the user;
determining the blink rate associated with the blinks of the one or both eyes of the user;
determining that the blink rate satisfies the temperature-dependent threshold value; and modifying content presented on the HMD in response to determining that the blink rate satisfies the temperature-dependent threshold value.
17 . The system of claim 16 , the operations further comprising updating the temperature-dependent threshold value in response to a change in the detected temperature, a change in the determined blink rate, and/or an elapsed time.
18 . The system of claim 16 , wherein modifying the content presented on the HMD comprises generating a visual notification and/or audio-based notification to the user to encourage the blinks.
19 . The system of claim 16 , wherein modifying the content presented on the HMD comprises generating air towards the one or both eyes of the user.
20 . One or more non-transitory computer storage media encoded with computer program instructions that when executed by one or more computers cause the one or more computers to perform operations comprising:
detecting (i) a temperature associated with one or both eyes of a user, or (ii) an ambient temperature associated with a head-mounted display (HMD);
determining a temperature-dependent threshold value for a blink rate of the user based at least on (i) the temperature associated with the one or both eyes of the user or (ii) the ambient temperature associated with the HMD;
detecting blinks of the one or both eyes of the user;
determining the blink rate associated with the blinks of the one or both eyes of the user;
determining that the blink rate satisfies the temperature-dependent threshold value; and
modifying content presented on the HMD in response to determining that the blink rate satisfies the temperature-dependent threshold value.