3D Spatial Annotation System for Multi-Image Photo Organization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing photo organization systems focus on individual images rather than the underlying space they represent, making it cumbersome to edit or annotate spaces depicted in multiple photos, such as rooms in a house, where notes or edits are often tied to specific images rather than the space as a whole.
Innovation Solution
A system that aggregates photos to create a three-dimensional model, allowing users to associate notes, links, and graphics with specific points in this space, enabling edits and annotations to be applied to the underlying space rather than individual images.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If photos are organized using traditional photo album software that focuses on individual images, then photos can be collected and organized by subject or chronology, but annotations and edits are tied to specific images rather than the underlying space, making it cumbersome to work with spaces represented by multiple photos
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from two-dimensional photo organization to three-dimensional spatial representation. By building a 3D model from multiple photos and allowing annotations to be placed in three-dimensional space rather than on individual 2D images, the system enables users to annotate spaces consistently across multiple photos. This dimensional transformation resolves the contradiction by providing intuitive spatial annotation (improving ease of operation) while the automated 3D model construction handles the complexity (managing device complexity).
2Loss of information
If multiple photos of the same space are taken from different angles, then comprehensive coverage of the space is achieved, but annotations made on one photo are not visible when viewing other photos of the same space
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a virtual copy of the space in three-dimensional model form. Annotations are placed on this virtual 3D representation rather than on physical photo images. When users view different photos of the same space, the annotations persist in the 3D model and are appropriately displayed based on the current viewpoint, preventing information loss while avoiding the complexity of manually syncing annotations across multiple 2D images.
3Reliability
If notes and edits are associated with specific pictures, then each photo can be individually annotated, but the notes do not apply to the underlying space or other pictures of the same space
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a three-dimensional model as an intermediary between the photos and the annotations. Instead of directly associating annotations with individual photos, the 3D model serves as a mediator that spatially contextualizes all photos. Annotations placed in the 3D space are automatically correlated with the appropriate photo views based on spatial relationships, ensuring accurate placement while maintaining ease of operation through intuitive 3D interaction.
Data Source
AI summary
In one example, images may be used to create a model of a three-dimensional space, and the three-dimensional space may be annotated and/or edited. When a three-dimensional model of a space has been created, a user may associate various items with points in the three-dimensional space. For example, the user may create a note or a hyperlink, and may associate the note or hyperlink with a specific point in the space. Additionally, a user may experiment with the space by adding images to, or deleting images from, the space. Annotating and editing the space, rather than the underlying images, allows annotations and edits to be associated with the underlying objects depicted in the images, rather than with the images themselves.