3D Object Annotation with Transmissive Displays for Collaboration

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing virtual reality (VR) systems face challenges such as motion sickness, disorientation, high computational burden, and inability to leverage real-world sensory data, while augmented and mixed reality (AR/MR) systems can enhance user interaction and collaboration by combining virtual and real environments, but improvements are needed for consistent placement of virtual objects across multiple systems.

Innovation Solution

A mixed reality system that maintains presentation of the real environment while overlaying virtual content, using transmissive displays and speakers to create a mixed reality environment (MRE) with persistent coordinate systems for consistent placement of virtual objects, allowing users to interact naturally with both environments.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If VR systems present a full 3D virtual environment to replace the real environment, then user immersion is improved, but computational burden and storage requirements increase significantly

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveuser immersionVSAvoidcomputational burden
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges the virtual environment with the real environment by using transmissive displays that allow users to see both virtual objects and real-world surroundings simultaneously. This combination approach achieves immersion benefits of VR while maintaining the natural context and reducing computational requirements for rendering complete virtual environments.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

Instead of replacing the real environment with a virtual one (traditional VR approach), the patent inverts the approach by overlaying virtual elements onto the real environment. This allows users to maintain awareness of their physical surroundings while experiencing virtual content, reducing motion sickness and disorientation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

2Reliability

If VR systems replace the real environment with a virtual environment, then user immersion is improved, but motion sickness and disorientation increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveuser immersionVSAvoidmotion sickness
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines virtual and real environmental elements through transmissive displays, allowing users to simultaneously perceive virtual objects and real-world references. This maintains spatial orientation cues from the real environment while providing virtual content, thereby reducing motion sickness and disorientation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The transmissive display acts as an intermediary between the virtual and real environments, allowing both to coexist in the user's field of view. This intermediary approach provides visual references from the real environment that help maintain balance and orientation while delivering virtual content.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Device complexity

If conventional displays are used to present virtual environments, then device complexity is reduced, but user immersion and realism deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedisplay simplicityVSAvoiduser immersion
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the optical parameter of the display by using transmissive technology that allows light to pass through, enabling users to see both virtual and real environments simultaneously. This parameter change maintains relative display simplicity while dramatically improving immersion and realism compared to opaque conventional displays.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentEP4104002B13D object annotation
Publication Date: 2025.08.27 MAGIC LEAP INC
  • EP4104002B1 patent drawingFigure 1A
  • EP4104002B1 patent drawingFigure 1B
  • EP4104002B1 patent drawingFigure 1C

AI summary

Disclosed herein are systems and methods for presenting and annotating virtual content. According to an example method, a virtual object is presented to a first user at a first position via a transmissive display of a wearable device. A first input is received from the first user. In response to receiving the first input, a virtual annotation is presented at a first displacement from the first position via the transmissive display. A first data is transmitted to a second user, the first data associated with the virtual annotation and the first displacement. A second input is received from the second user. In response to receiving the second input, the virtual annotation is presented to the first user at a second displacement from the first position via the transmissive display. Second data is transmitted to a remote server, the second data associated with the virtual object, the virtual annotation, the second displacement, and the first position.