Shared Renderer for AR Applications

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Solution Overview

Problem

Augmented reality applications raise privacy concerns as they capture sensitive information from the environment, such as human faces and personal data, which can be inadvertently shared with unauthorized parties, and existing solutions are ad hoc and lack a unified mechanism for managing permissions and reducing interference between multiple applications.

Innovation Solution

A shared renderer manages shared state information among augmented reality applications, associating permission information with object properties, and includes a physics engine, annotation engine, and occlusion engine to simulate movements, manage annotations, and handle overlapping objects, respectively, providing a unified platform for secure and efficient information sharing.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If multiple augmented reality applications run on the same computing device, then functionality and versatility are improved, but privacy risks and interference between applications increase

Engineering Contradiction:
ImprovefunctionalityVSAvoidprivacy risks
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The shared renderer acts as an intermediary layer between multiple augmented reality applications and the display output. It manages shared state information centrally, controlling which applications can access which data through permission mechanisms. This mediator structure allows multiple applications to run simultaneously while preventing unauthorized access to sensitive information, thus resolving the contradiction between functionality and privacy risks.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The system segments shared state information into distinct data structures with associated permission metadata. Each application can only access segments it is explicitly permitted to read. This segmentation approach enables multiple applications to operate with different data access rights, maintaining versatility while mitigating privacy risks through fine-grained control.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

2Ease of operation

If each application manages its own state independently, then application independence and simplicity are improved, but interference and redundancy between applications increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveapplication independenceVSAvoidinterference
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The shared renderer merges the state management functions of multiple applications into a single centralized structure. Instead of each application maintaining its own independent state, the shared renderer consolidates shared state information and distributes it to applications based on permissions. This reduces redundancy and interference while preserving application independence through the permission-based access model.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

3Reliability

If a unified permission management mechanism is implemented, then privacy protection and security are improved, but system complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveprivacy protectionVSAvoidsystem complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The shared renderer provides a universal permission management mechanism that handles multiple functions: controlling data access between applications, managing shared state information, and preventing interference. By consolidating these functions into a single multi-functional system, the patent reduces overall complexity compared to having separate permission management systems for each function, while still providing comprehensive privacy protection.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentEP3042278B1Managing shared state information produced by applications
Publication Date: 2018.03.07 MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING LLC
  • EP3042278B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3042278B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3042278B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A shared renderer maintains shared state information to which two or more augmented reality application contribute. The shared renderer then provides a single output presentation based on the shared state information. Among other aspects, the shared renderer includes a permission mechanism by which applications can share information regarding object properties. The shared renderer may also include: a physics engine for simulating movement of at least one object that is represented by the shared state information; an annotation engine for managing a presentation of annotations produced by plural applications; and/or an occlusion engine for managing the behavior of the output presentation when two or more objects, produced by two or more applications, overlap within the output presentation.