Crowdsourced AR Room Design via Remote Intermediaries

Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional augmented reality (AR) applications in e-commerce burden consumers with the task of selecting and positioning products in their physical spaces, as they lack expertise in room design and often require expensive professional assistance.

Innovation Solution

A system that leverages social networking services to crowdsource room design using an AR-based platform, allowing users to capture and share AR metadata of their physical space, enabling remote room designers to select and position products within the AR view, while also allowing users to request help from friends or members of social networking services.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If consumers use conventional AR applications to visualize products in their physical spaces, then they can see product placements in real-time, but they burden themselves with the complex task of selecting and positioning products without expertise in room design

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveease of product selection and positioningVSAvoidcomplexity of room design task

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces remote room designers as intermediaries who perform the complex task of selecting and positioning products. The consumer captures images of their physical space, which are then sent to remote designers who use AR technology to virtually place products and provide design recommendations, thereby transferring the complex design task from the consumer to the intermediary.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The system creates a virtual copy of the consumer's physical space using captured images and AR metadata. This virtual representation allows remote designers to work with an accurate replica of the actual room, enabling them to select and position products without needing to visit the physical location, thus simplifying the process for consumers.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

2Reliability

If consumers hire professional room designers to visit and inspect their physical spaces for design assistance, then they receive expert advice, but it becomes expensive and time consuming

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvequality of design expertiseVSAvoidtime for designer visit and inspection

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system creates a virtual copy of the consumer's physical space using captured images and AR metadata. This virtual representation allows remote designers to work with an accurate replica of the actual room, enabling them to select and position products without needing to visit the physical location, thus simplifying the process for consumers.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces the mechanical system of physical designer visits with a digital system. Instead of a designer physically traveling to the consumer's location to inspect the space, the consumer captures images and metadata that are transmitted digitally to the designer, who then performs the design work remotely using AR technology, eliminating travel time and costs.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

3Adaptability or versatility

If consumers attempt to select and position products themselves using AR applications, then they have full control over the design process, but they lack expertise in room design leading to suboptimal results

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecontrol over design processVSAvoidquality of design outcome

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces remote room designers as intermediaries who perform the complex task of selecting and positioning products. The consumer captures images of their physical space, which are then sent to remote designers who use AR technology to virtually place products and provide design recommendations, thereby transferring the complex design task from the consumer to the intermediary.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The system enables bidirectional communication between consumers and remote designers. Consumers can provide feedback on design preferences and requirements, and designers can adjust product selections and placements based on this feedback, ensuring the final design meets the consumer's expectations while leveraging expert knowledge.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Data Source

PatentUS11127213B2Techniques for crowdsourcing a room design, using augmented reality

Publication Date: 2021.09.21 HOUZZ INC

AI summary

Embodiments of the present invention, as presented herein, relate to an augmented reality application-based service, which facilitates the sharing of a design request, by a first end-user, via a messaging application or social networking service. The design request may be included as part of a content posting published to a feed and shared with members of a social networking service, and enables the members to select and position products (e.g., images of household items) using a room design application, such that the selected and positioned products can be rendered in a live AR viewing session by the first end-user.