AR Icon Management via Peripheral Gaze Offset
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Solution Overview
Problem
Augmented reality devices face challenges in presenting and detecting user interactions with virtual objects in a user-friendly manner, particularly in tracking eye movements and simulating interactions with icons without being distracting or impairing the user's vision.
Innovation Solution
The augmented reality device manages the display of an interactive icon by projecting it at a fixed offset from the center of gaze in the user's near peripheral vision, allowing the icon to simulate a stable object in the world view, and detects selection through gaze direction, repositioning it when necessary to maintain visibility without distraction.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the icon is displayed at the center of gaze, then the user can easily notice and interact with the icon, but the icon obstructs the user's focal point and causes distraction
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions the icon from the central visual field (2D plane) to the peripheral visual field by utilizing the third dimension of gaze direction. The icon is projected at a fixed offset from the center of gaze in the near peripheral vision, allowing users to notice and interact with it without it blocking the central focal point. This spatial repositioning resolves the contradiction by maintaining visibility and interactability while eliminating obstruction of the user's primary view.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If the icon is displayed in peripheral vision, then the user's focal point is not obstructed, but the user may not notice the icon's presence
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism where the system continuously monitors gaze direction and adjusts icon display accordingly. When the user's gaze direction indicates attention to the peripheral region, the icon is activated and displayed at a fixed offset from the center of gaze. This feedback loop ensures the icon is noticeable when the user is most likely to notice it, while maintaining peripheral display position to avoid obstruction. The system adapts display state based on real-time gaze feedback, resolving the contradiction between noticeability and non-obstruction.
3Ease of operation
If the icon moves with eye movement to simulate stable object, then the interaction feels more natural, but the icon position becomes unpredictable and harder to control
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of making the icon move with eye movements to maintain stability (following the eye), the patent inverts the approach by fixing the icon's position relative to the gaze center in peripheral vision. The icon remains at a fixed offset from the center of gaze regardless of eye movement, creating a stable reference point that feels natural for interaction. This inversion simplifies position control while maintaining interaction naturalness, as the icon provides a consistent anchor point rather than dynamically following eye movements.
Data Source
AI summary
An augmented reality device manages display of an interactive icon in a manner that enables selection by a simple and intuitive gesture. The interactive icon may initially be displayed at a predefined target position outside the fovea where it is visible in the near peripheral vision without being distracting to the user. The augmented reality device may control the icon to behave like a stationary object with respect to changes in orientation until selection or repositioning criteria are met. Upon detection repositioning criteria, the augmented reality device may reposition the icon to the target position. Selection of the icon may control functions such as alerting the user to an available notification, opening or closing a menu, or performing other actions associated with operation of the augmented reality device.