3D Meeting Perspective Control for Relevant Avatar Focus
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Solution Overview
Problem
Participants in 3D virtual environments for online meetings face challenges in identifying relevant user activity due to inefficient navigation tools, leading to user disengagement and inefficient use of computing resources.
Innovation Solution
A system that controls viewing and audio perspectives to focus on specific avatars and audio signals relevant to a user, obscuring or blurring other avatars and adjusting audio volumes based on user inputs, such as gestures or shared content, to direct attention to relevant discussions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If many users are allowed to participate in 3D virtual environments for online meetings, then the system supports more participants and provides richer collaboration capabilities, but it becomes difficult for users to identify relevant activity and navigate through large groups of people
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by making different regions of the 3D environment have different visual properties. Specifically, it creates a focal region where selected users are highlighted with enhanced visual attributes (such as larger size, different color, or special effects) while other regions maintain normal appearance. This allows users to easily identify relevant activity among many participants by looking for these locally enhanced visual cues.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes color changes as a visual indicator to draw attention to relevant users or activities. When a user is selected or when important activity occurs, the system changes the color or visual appearance of the corresponding avatar or region in the 3D environment, making it stand out from the background and other participants. This helps users quickly locate and identify relevant activity without having to search through all participants.
2Device complexity
If traditional search methods and navigation tools are used in 3D environments, then the system maintains simplicity, but it is difficult to navigate through large groups of people to find relevant activity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-positioning visual markers, labels, or indicators in the 3D environment that automatically highlight relevant users or activities before the user needs to search for them. The system proactively draws attention to important elements through visual enhancements, audio cues, or automatic camera panning to the relevant region, eliminating the need for users to manually search through the environment.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces intermediary visual elements such as indicators, markers, or guide objects that mediate between the user and the target user or activity in the 3D environment. These intermediary elements act as visual beacons or road signs that guide users to relevant locations without requiring direct interaction with or detailed examination of all participants. The intermediary provides a simplified path to finding relevant activity.
3Quantity of substance
If all user audio signals are transmitted equally, then the system provides complete audio coverage, but users cannot focus on relevant discussions among many participants
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies segmentation by dividing the audio signal stream into separate channels or groups corresponding to different users or user groups in the 3D environment. Instead of transmitting all audio signals as a single mixed stream, the system segments the audio by spatial region or user group, allowing selective enhancement or suppression of specific audio segments. This enables users to focus on relevant discussions while still having access to other audio channels when needed.
Data Source
AI summary
The techniques disclosed herein enable systems to guide a user's attention to relevant activity of a communication session displayed in a 3D environment. The system can control a viewing perspective of a 3D environment to focus on specific avatars that are relevant to a user viewing the activity. The system can also control audio signals from remote users of a communication session to enable the viewer to focus on relevant discussions and other audio content. For example, when a particular group of remote users control their avatars to look at the user's avatar or name the user in a conversation, the system can obscure a view of other avatars to bring focus on that particular group of remote users. By directing visual and audio perspectives, a system can help the user navigate through activity of large groups of participants using 3D representatives of a 3D environment to communicate.