Virtual Light Source Overlay for Augmented Reality Lighting Profiles
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional methods for displaying content in electronic environments lack the ability to dynamically alter lighting conditions around objects in real-time, providing a passive experience rather than an immersive and interactive one, especially in augmented reality applications.
Innovation Solution
The system captures image data from a camera, analyzes light information to determine a first lighting profile, and overlays a second lighting profile from a virtual light source to change the lighting conditions around objects in the captured view, allowing for real-time adjustments and immersive experiences.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If conventional display methods are used, then the system is simple to operate, but the user experience remains passive and non-immersive
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a virtual copy of the physical environment using camera capture and overlays virtual light sources onto the captured image data. This allows users to interact with a digital representation of their physical space, enabling immersive lighting previews without physically installing actual light fixtures. The virtual copy maintains spatial relationships and lighting interactions while eliminating the need for physical trial and error.
Solution Approach 2:
The system introduces a camera and image processing layer as an intermediary between the user and the physical environment. This intermediary captures real-world lighting conditions and allows virtual light sources to be superimposed, creating a bridge that enables interactive preview of lighting effects without direct physical manipulation. The intermediary layer processes and combines real and virtual lighting information to produce the augmented reality display.
2Adaptability or versatility
If virtual lighting overlays are implemented, then lighting conditions can be dynamically altered, but computational processing requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies partial action by selectively overlaying only the necessary virtual lighting effects on specific regions of the captured image, rather than processing and rendering the entire scene with full physical accuracy. This approach provides sufficient lighting preview functionality without requiring exhaustive computational resources to simulate every physical lighting interaction perfectly.
Solution Approach 2:
The camera captures the physical environment and lighting conditions in advance, creating a base layer that already contains real-world lighting information. This preliminary capture eliminates the need for real-time computational analysis of physical lighting during the preview, as the actual lighting state is already recorded and can be directly combined with virtual light source overlays through simpler image processing operations.
3Measurement precision
If real-time lighting analysis is performed, then accurate lighting profiles can be determined, but processing time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The camera capture process preliminarily records the physical lighting conditions and environment in advance, providing a pre-processed foundation that contains actual lighting information. This eliminates the need for time-consuming real-time analysis during the preview phase, as the lighting data is already captured and can be directly used for overlay integration.
Solution Approach 2:
The system creates a digital copy of the physical lighting environment through camera capture, preserving the essential lighting characteristics without requiring continuous physical measurement. This copy can be stored and processed efficiently, maintaining lighting profile accuracy while reducing the computational time needed compared to real-time physical sensing and analysis.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods herein enable adding changing light in a live camera view, an image or a video using a light source that is virtual and that includes an associated lighting profile. The system includes receiving image data of the live camera view. The system determines a first lighting profile associated with the representation of the object. Position information associated with the object is also determined with respect to the camera. The system receives a second lighting profile associated with the light source. The second lighting profile provides at least intensity values and direction information for light projected from the light source. The system determines and applies changes to the first lighting profile to affect a light surrounding the representation of the object using the second lighting profile. The system displays the image data with the changes to the first lighting profile.