AR Display Adjusting Virtual Object Appearance for Environmental Visibility

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current virtual reality and augmented reality systems fail to accurately depict virtual elements in real-world environments, especially under varying environmental conditions like fog, mist, or weather, leading to unrealistic simulations that diminish training fidelity.

Innovation Solution

A method and system that determine the characteristics of virtual objects and detect environmental features affecting visibility, adjusting the appearance of virtual objects to match the perceived conditions, including obstructing and non-obstructing features, using image processing, sensors, and machine learning to ensure realistic display on see-through displays.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If virtual elements are displayed in virtual reality simulations, then training coverage and scenario diversity are improved, but realism and fidelity deteriorate because virtual elements do not reflect physical environmental conditions

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetraining coverageVSAvoidsimulation fidelity

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent uses sensors (cameras, LIDAR, microphones) as intermediaries to capture real environmental conditions and feeds them into the virtual simulation system. This intermediary layer bridges the virtual and physical worlds, allowing virtual elements to reflect actual environmental features like weather, lighting, and acoustic conditions, thereby maintaining simulation fidelity while expanding training scenarios

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The system continuously captures real-time environmental data through sensors and feeds this information back to dynamically adjust virtual element properties. This feedback loop ensures that virtual elements adapt to current physical conditions, maintaining realism across diverse training scenarios without sacrificing fidelity

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

2Reliability

If environmental features affecting visibility are detected and applied to virtual objects, then realism of virtual object appearance is improved, but computational complexity and processing time increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvevisual realismVSAvoidprocessing complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments environmental features into distinct categories (obstructing features like smoke and fog, non-obstructing features like lighting conditions) and processes each type separately using specialized algorithms. This segmentation allows the system to apply appropriate levels of computational complexity to different feature types, maintaining visual realism while managing overall processing requirements

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The system applies different processing techniques to different regions and object types based on their specific visibility requirements. Virtual objects closer to the observer or more critical to the training scenario receive more detailed environmental effect processing, while distant or less critical objects use simplified processing, optimizing the balance between realism and computational load

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

3Loss of information

If virtual objects are superimposed onto real-world views in augmented reality, then information delivery is improved, but visual consistency and realism deteriorate when environmental conditions are not reflected

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveinformation deliveryVSAvoidvisual consistency

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of informationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent employs sensors and image processing algorithms as intermediaries to analyze real-world environmental conditions and apply corresponding effects to virtual objects before superimposition. This ensures that virtual elements reflect actual lighting, weather, and visibility conditions, maintaining visual consistency while delivering comprehensive information

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The system dynamically adjusts visual parameters of virtual objects (brightness, contrast, opacity, color) based on detected environmental conditions. These parameter changes ensure that virtual elements maintain visual consistency with the real-world view across varying lighting and weather conditions, preventing the uncanny valley effect where virtual objects appear artificially distinct

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentUS10783715B2Augmented reality display reflective of visibility affecting features in real-world environment

Publication Date: 2020.09.22 ELBIT SYSTEMS LTD

AI summary

Method and system for displaying augmented reality reflective of environmental features affecting visibility. Characteristics of a virtual object to be displayed on view of scene is determined. Environmental features affecting visibility along a line-of-sight from scene origin to virtual object are detected. When detected feature is at least one non-obstructing feature, its effect on visibility is determined, and virtual object is displayed superimposed onto view of scene such that appearance of virtual object is consistent with determined effect on visibility. When detected feature includes an amorphous obstructing feature, its range and contour is determined, and obstructed portions of virtual object is determined based on difference between range of virtual object and range of amorphous obstructing feature, and virtual object is displayed superimposed onto view of scene such that determined obstructed portions of virtual object appear obstructed in displayed view.