AR Occlusion Perception via Geometry Model Visibility
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Solution Overview
Problem
Augmented reality systems face challenges in properly displaying points of interest (POIs) related to occluded objects, leading to improper occlusion perception, where POIs related to hidden objects are not distinguished from visible ones, causing confusion for users.
Innovation Solution
A method that uses a geometry model of the real environment to determine the visibility of POIs by calculating the number of boundary intersections with a ray from the viewing point, allowing POIs related to visible objects to be displayed opaquely and those related to occluded objects to be shown semi-transparently or in dash lines, improving occlusion perception.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If POIs are displayed uniformly without distinguishing visibility, then the display is simple and consistent, but user understanding of occlusion is poor and confusion occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by differentiating the display appearance of POIs based on their spatial relationship with occluding objects. Visible POIs are displayed with one style (e.g., solid icons), while POIs behind occluding objects are displayed with another style (e.g., transparent or dashed icons). This local differentiation preserves occlusion information without requiring complete system redesign.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes color and transparency changes to encode occlusion information. POIs that are occluded by objects are displayed with reduced opacity or different color intensity compared to visible POIs. This visual encoding allows users to perceive depth and occlusion relationships through color and transparency variations.
2Ease of operation
If POIs related to occluded objects are displayed the same as visible ones, then the display process is simple, but occlusion perception is improper and user confusion increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs color and transparency modifications to distinguish occluded POIs from visible ones. Occluded POIs are rendered with reduced opacity or altered color properties, providing immediate visual feedback about their hidden status and improving occlusion perception.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments POIs into distinct categories based on their visibility status - visible POIs and occluded POIs. This segmentation allows the system to apply different display treatments to each category, making occlusion relationships clear and improving user understanding of the spatial environment.
3Loss of information
If different display styles are used for visible and occluded POIs, then occlusion perception is improved, but the system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary determination of POI visibility status using geometry models before the actual display process. By pre-calculating which POIs are occluded and which are visible, the system can apply appropriate display styles efficiently during rendering, rather than computing occlusion in real-time during display.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces geometry models as an intermediary component that mediates between the raw spatial data and the display output. The geometry model processes spatial relationships and occlusion information, translating complex geometric computations into simplified visibility flags that guide the display styling of POIs.
Data Source
AI summary
A method for representing virtual information in a view of a real environment is provided that includes: providing a system setup including at least one display device, wherein the system setup is adapted for blending in virtual information on the display device in at least part of the view, determining a position and orientation of a viewing point relative to at least one component of the real environment, providing a geometry model of the real environment, providing at least one item of virtual information and a position of the at least one item of virtual information, determining whether the position of the item of virtual information is inside a 2D or 3D geometrical shape, determining a criterion which is indicative of whether the built-in real object is at least partially visible or non-visible in the view of the real environment, and blending in the at least one item of virtual information on the display device in at least part of the view of the real environment.