Vehicle systems and methods for determining a gaze target based on a virtual eye position

A vehicle, comprising:

• a user detection system configured to output a gesture signal in response to a hand of a user performing at least one gesture to indicate a target position;
• a user gaze monitoring system configured to output an eye location signal and a direction signal indicative of a gaze direction of the user;
• one or more processors;
• and
• one or more non-transitory memory modules communicatively coupled to the one or more processors and storing machine-readable instructions that, when executed, cause the one or more processors to perform at least the following:
• determine a point located on the hand of the user based at least in part on the gesture signal from the user detection system;
• determine the gaze direction of the user is directed towards a location other than the point located on the hand of the user;
• in response to determining the gaze direction is directed towards the location other than the point located on the hand of the user, determine an actual eye position of the user based on the eye location signal from the user gaze monitoring system;
• determine a first midpoint between a pair of eyes of the user;
• determine a virtual eye position by rotating a head of the user about a vertical axis until the first midpoint between the pair of eyes of the user is aligned with the point located on the hand of the user;
• calculate the target position based on the virtual eye position;
• and
• control at least one vehicle system based at least in part on the target position.

A method for determining a target position that a user of a vehicle is gesturing towards, the method comprising:

• determining, by a computer, a point located on a hand of the user based at least in part on a gesture signal from a user detection system;
• determining, by the computer, an actual eye position of the user based on an eye location signal from a user gaze monitoring system;
• determining a midpoint between a pair of eyes of the user,
• calculating a virtual eye position based at least in part on the point located on the hand of the user and the actual eye position;
• calculating the target position based on the virtual eye position;
• and
• controlling at least one vehicle system based at least in part on the target position.