Apparatus for detecting blinking state of eye

A method for detecting a blinking state, the method comprising the steps of:

• performing state-of-eye distinguishing processing for calculating a feature value that represents a state of an eye, for an eye-area which has been detected by searching a frame image, based on pixel data of pixels that constitute the eye-area;
• performing threshold value setting processing for calculating a first threshold value representing the feature value at a first transition point from an open state to a closed state and a second threshold value representing the feature value at a second transition point from the closed state to the open state, based on the feature value calculated for a targeted eye when the targeted eye is open, and storing the calculated first threshold value and the calculated second threshold value in a memory;
• performing blinking state detection processing for detecting the blinking state of the eye corresponding to the eye-area, by sequentially comparing the feature values, which have been calculated for a series of the frame images in the state-of-eye distinguishing processing, with one of the first threshold value and the second threshold value, which have been stored in the memory in the threshold value setting processing;
• starting a timer when a closed eye is detected;
• determining the time of the timer when an open eye is detected;
• and
• comparing the determined time from the when the closed eye is detected to when the open eye is detected with a predetermined time set by the timer to determine whether the eye is blinking.

A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium having stored thereon a program for detecting a blinking state, the program causing a computer to execute the procedures for:

• performing state-of-eye distinguishing processing for calculating a feature value that represents a state of an eye, for an eye-area which has been detected by searching a frame image, based on pixel data of pixels that constitute the eye-area;
• performing threshold value setting processing for calculating a first threshold value representing the feature value at a first transition point from an open state to a closed state and a second threshold value representing the feature value at a second transition point from the closed state to the open state, based on the feature value calculated for a targeted eye when the targeted eye is open, and storing the calculated first threshold value and the calculated second threshold value in a memory;
• performing blinking state detection processing for detecting the blinking state of the eye corresponding to the eye-area, by sequentially comparing the feature values, which have been calculated for a series of the frame images in the state-of-eye distinguishing processing with one of the first threshold value and the second threshold value, which have been stored in the memory in the threshold value setting processing;
• starting a timer when a closed eye is detected;
• determining the time of the timer when an open eye is detected;
• and
• comparing the determined time from the when the closed eye is detected to when the open eye is detected with a predetermined time set by the timer to determine whether the eye is blinking.