AR Overlay on External Panel for Eye Contact
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional video conferencing tools fail to effectively simulate real-life face-to-face interactions due to issues like non-eye-to-eye video feeds and screen crowding, especially when multiple participants are involved, leading to a lack of natural communication and increased complexity in displaying multiple callers.
Innovation Solution
An augmented reality device system that overlays an augmented image of a participant on an external panel, using adjacently-located cameras and infrared LEDs to capture and transmit video, allowing for accurate alignment of eye contact and clearer, larger images, while also managing multiple video streams and screen space effectively.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If conventional video conferencing tools are used, then participants can communicate remotely, but the realism of face-to-face interaction is lost due to non-eye-to-eye video feeds and screen crowding
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from traditional 2D screen displays to 3D spatial display by projecting augmented images onto physical panels in the environment. This dimensional change allows participants to see each other's avatars in three-dimensional space, creating eye-to-eye contact and eliminating screen crowding while maintaining remote communication capability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces augmented reality technology as an intermediary between remote participants and the display system. AR glasses or head-mounted displays serve as the mediator to render three-dimensional avatars and spatial audio, transforming conventional video feeds into immersive augmented images that restore natural interaction realism
2Area of stationary object
If multiple participants are displayed on a single screen, then screen space is utilized efficiently, but communication naturalness deteriorates due to screen crowding
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of displaying multiple participants on a single 2D screen, the system distributes them across multiple physical panels in three-dimensional space. Each panel can display one or more participants without crowding, as the spatial separation in 3D environment provides natural visual distinction and eliminates the cluttered appearance of traditional multi-person video grids
3Adaptability or versatility
If traditional video conferencing is used, then remote meeting participation is enabled, but eye contact alignment is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs augmented reality as an intermediary that processes video feeds and renders three-dimensional avatars with precise eye alignment. The AR system tracks eye gaze and adjusts the avatar's eye direction to match the participant's actual gaze, creating accurate eye contact alignment while maintaining remote meeting versatility
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces traditional mechanical video display systems with optical and computational methods. Instead of simply showing video feeds on screens, the system uses computer vision, 3D rendering, and optical projection to create immersive avatars with precise eye alignment, substituting mechanical display limitations with computational precision
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This solution enhances the realism of remote video conferencing by ensuring eye contact and providing a clearer, more immersive experience for participants, reducing the complexity of displaying multiple callers and improving the overall communication environment.
Implementation Method 1
one or more infrared light emitting diodes (LEDS) positioned around a border of the electronic panel
Data Source
AI summary
One embodiment provides a method, including: receiving, at an augmented reality device, an indication to display a video stream; identifying, using a processor, a position on a display lens of the augmented reality device on which to display an augmented image of an individual in the video stream, wherein the position on the display lens overlays a portion of an external panel; and displaying, at the position on the display lens, the augmented image of the individual. Other aspects are described and claimed.