AR Wearable Surface Guidance for Hands-Free Task Assistance
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Solution Overview
Problem
AR wearable devices have limited physical interface items and battery power, making it difficult for users to perform tasks that require both hands, such as hanging a painting, and suffer from high latency and energy consumption in providing graphical assistance.
Innovation Solution
The AR wearable device identifies surfaces within a user's view by sending images to a backend for processing, reduces latency by updating AR graphics based on user movement, and performs some processing locally to conserve energy, allowing hands-free task performance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If image processing is performed on the wearable device, then measurement precision is improved, but use of energy increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a backend server as an intermediary to perform the computationally intensive image processing tasks. The wearable device captures images and transmits them to the backend, which then processes the images to identify surfaces and returns the results. This mediator approach allows the wearable device to achieve high measurement precision without consuming excessive battery power, as the heavy processing is offloaded to the backend infrastructure.
2Speed
If image processing is performed in real-time, then speed is improved, but use of energy increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic processing strategies where the system adjusts when and how images are processed based on user movement and task context. Rather than continuously processing all images in real-time, the system processes images selectively based on detected user actions and movement patterns. This dynamic approach reduces energy consumption while maintaining acceptable speed by processing only when necessary and using cached results when possible.
3Adaptability or versatility
If more interface controls are added to the wearable device, then adaptability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a universal task selection mechanism where a single interface element (the task selection item) can trigger multiple different tasks based on the current context and detected surfaces. Rather than adding separate controls for each function (e.g., separate buttons for hanging pictures, measuring distances, or placing objects), the system uses one versatile control that adapts its function based on the situation. This maintains high adaptability while minimizing device complexity.
4Speed
If processing is performed locally on the wearable device, then speed is improved, but ease of operation decreases due to limited interface
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces mechanical interface interactions (buttons, switches, touch controls) with gesture-based and voice-based controls. Users can select tasks and interact with the system through hand gestures captured by the device's camera or voice commands, eliminating the need for physical interface controls. This substitution maintains ease of hands-free operation while enabling fast local processing, as the interface complexity is reduced rather than increased.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems, methods, and computer readable media for graphical assistance with tasks using an augmented reality (AR) wearable devices are disclosed. Embodiments capture an image of a first user view of a real-world scene and access indications of surfaces and locations of the surfaces detected in the image. The AR wearable device displays indications of the surfaces on a display of the AR wearable device where the locations of the indications are based on the locations of the surfaces and a second user view of the real-world scene. The locations of the surfaces are indicated with 3D world coordinates. The user views are determined based on a location of the user. The AR wearable device enables a user to add graphics to the surfaces and select tasks to perform. Tools such as a bubble level or a measuring tool are available for the user to utilize to perform the task.