AR Imaging for Watercraft Using Motion Estimation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing image generating devices for water-surface movable bodies face issues with unnatural motion display of target objects due to infrequent updates in positional information, leading to unsatisfactory smoothness in virtual reality images.

Innovation Solution

The device incorporates a captured image inputting module, position acquiring module, posture acquiring module, additional display information acquiring module, synthesized image generating module, target object position estimating module, and image updating module to continuously update the rendering of virtual reality objects based on acquired data, including AIS information and radar data, ensuring smooth motion even with less frequent updates.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Device complexity

If the position acquiring part acquires position information at longer time intervals, then the device complexity is reduced and energy consumption is lowered, but the smoothness of target object motion display deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveupdate frequencyVSAvoidsmoothness of motion display
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary action by pre-calculating and storing movement vectors from historical position data before actual display updates occur. When position information is acquired at long intervals, the system uses these pre-computed movement patterns to generate intermediate position estimates, ensuring smooth visual motion without requiring frequent actual position measurements.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent creates a virtual copy of the target object's motion by generating a movement vector that replicates the target's trajectory between actual position updates. This virtual motion copy is then applied to the displayed position indicator, maintaining visual smoothness without needing continuous real position data from the acquiring part.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #26Copying

2Loss of energy

If the position acquiring part acquires position information less frequently, then energy consumption is reduced, but the accuracy of target object position indication deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveenergy consumptionVSAvoidposition accuracy
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of energyVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements feedback by continuously monitoring the movement vector derived from acquired position information and using it to adjust the displayed position in real-time. This feedback loop allows the system to maintain accurate position indication between acquisition cycles by extrapolating from the latest measured position and the calculated movement pattern, reducing the need for frequent energy-consuming acquisitions.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The system performs preliminary calculation of movement vectors from acquired position data before the next acquisition cycle begins. This pre-computation enables the system to accurately predict and display intermediate positions without requiring frequent actual measurements, thereby reducing energy consumption while maintaining position accuracy.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

3Power

If the frequency of target object display item updates is decreased, then the processing load is reduced, but the naturalness of motion display deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveprocessing loadVSAvoidnaturalness of motion
Core Design Contradiction:
PowerVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent creates a virtual motion copy by generating a movement vector that reproduces the target object's motion pattern. This copied motion is then applied to the display item between actual update cycles, maintaining natural-looking motion without requiring continuous processing and frequent updates, thus reducing processing load while preserving motion naturalness.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #26Copying

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies dynamics by making the display item's motion adaptive rather than static. The movement vector dynamically adjusts the displayed position based on the target's actual motion pattern, allowing the system to maintain natural motion appearance even with reduced update frequency, as the display smoothly interpolates between updates rather than jumping discretely.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Data Source

PatentEP3633627B1Augmented reality imaging indicative of a situation around a water-surface movable body
Publication Date: 2025.01.15 FURUNO ELECTRIC CO LTD
  • EP3633627B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3633627B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3633627B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The present disclosure provides an image generating device which can realize a virtual reality image with a smooth motion. A synthesized image generating module generate a synthesized image where a graphic rendering a three-dimensional virtual reality object indicative of an additional display information is synthesized with a captured image based on a position and a posture of a water-surface movable body, and the additional display information which includes information indicative of positions of one or more locations. A target object position estimating module estimate, for the target object, a position of the target object at a timing later than a timing at which the additional display information is acquired the latest, based on a speed of the target object included in the additional display information, or a speed of the target object estimated from the additional display information. An image updating module cause the synthesized image generating module to update the rendering of the virtual reality object of the target object in the synthesized image based on a result of the estimation by the target object position estimating module.