Gaze point detection device and gaze point detection method

1. A gaze point detection device comprising:

an image processor; and a memory which stores a plurality of instructions, which when executed by the image processor, cause the image processor to execute,

an outside-of-vehicle image capturing unit to capture an image of at least part of a scene around a vehicle;

detecting a direction of a line of sight of a person in the vehicle based on an inside-of-vehicle image taken by an inside-of-vehicle image capturing unit;

setting a line-of-sight projection plane in at least part of a region around the vehicle such that the plane is along the running direction of the vehicle and apart from the vehicle by the distance where there is a possibility that there is an object gazed at by the person in the vehicle;

determining an intersection between the plane and a line of sight of the person in the vehicle;

projecting the intersection onto the outside-of-vehicle image and presenting a resultant projected point on the outside-of-vehicle image as a gaze point gazed at by the person in the vehicle; and

detecting the object to be gazed at on the outside-of-vehicle image by the person.

2. The device according to claim 1 ,

wherein the setting includes detecting, on the image, a center line or an edge of a road on which the vehicle runs, and setting the plane at a location corresponding to the center line or the edge of the road.

3. A gaze point detection method comprising:

capturing an image of at least part of a scene around a vehicle and an inside-of-vehicle image;

detecting a direction of a line of sight of a person in the vehicle based on the inside-of-vehicle image;

setting a line-of-sight projection plane in at least part of a region around the vehicle such that the plane is along the running direction of the vehicle and apart from the vehicle by the distance where there is a possibility that there is an object gazed at by the person in the vehicle;

determining an intersection between the plane and a line of sight of the person in the vehicle;

projecting the intersection onto the outside-of-vehicle image and presenting a resultant projected point on the outside-of-vehicle image as a gaze point gazed at by the person in the vehicle; and

detecting the object to be gazed at on the outside-of-vehicle image by the person.

4. The method according to claim 3 ,

wherein the setting includes detecting, on the image, a center line or an edge of a road on which the vehicle runs, and setting the virtual plane at a location corresponding to the center line or the edge of the road.

5. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a gaze point detection program that causes a computer to execute a process comprising:

capturing an image of at least part of a scene around a vehicle and an inside-of-vehicle image;

detecting a direction of a line of sight of a person in the vehicle based on the inside-of-vehicle image;

setting a line-of-sight projection plane in at least part of a region around the vehicle such that the plane is along the running direction of the vehicle and apart from the vehicle by the distance where there is a possibility that there is an object gazed at by the person in the vehicle;

determining an intersection between the plane and a line of sight of the person in the vehicle;

projecting the intersection onto the outside-of-vehicle image and presenting a resultant projected point on the outside-of-vehicle image as a gaze point gazed at by the person in the vehicle; and

detecting the object to be gazed at on the outside-of-vehicle image by the person.

6. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 5 ,

wherein the setting includes detecting, on the image, a center line or an edge of a road on which the vehicle runs, and setting the virtual plane at a location corresponding to the center line or the edge of the road.