AR Template Environment Map for Cross-Environment Display

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Solution Overview

Problem

Augmented reality (AR) content generated for a specific environment cannot be displayed in different environments, limiting its applicability and user experience.

Innovation Solution

An information processing device that generates a template environment map and template content, which can be adapted to display AR content in various real environments by processing the template content based on both the template and real environment maps, allowing for the superimposition of objects with predetermined positional relationships.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Manufacturing precision

If AR content is generated for a specific scene using three-dimensional shape measurement, then the display accuracy in that specific scene is improved, but the adaptability to different environments deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedisplay accuracyVSAvoidenvironment adaptability
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the environment map into multiple regions with different degrees of freedom. The template environment map is divided into a first region with six degrees of freedom and a second region with three degrees of freedom. This segmentation allows the system to maintain high display accuracy in the primary viewing area while enabling adaptability to different environments through the simplified secondary region, resolving the contradiction between precision and versatility.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent creates a template environment map that can be universally applied to multiple different real environments. By extracting common structural features and creating a reusable template with defined regions of freedom, the same template can be adapted to various scenes without requiring separate three-dimensional measurements for each environment, thus achieving both accuracy and adaptability.

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

2Manufacturing precision

If individual AR content is generated for each specific environment, then the display accuracy in that environment is improved, but the productivity and efficiency deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveenvironment-specific accuracyVSAvoidcontent generation efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent performs preliminary action by pre-generating a template environment map that captures essential spatial relationships and structures. This template serves as a reusable foundation that can be quickly adapted to different environments through region-based transformations, eliminating the need to perform complete three-dimensional shape measurements for each new environment and significantly improving content generation efficiency.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent uses copying by creating a template environment map that can be replicated and adapted across multiple environments. Instead of generating unique content for each scene, the system copies the template structure and modifies it through region-based transformations, maintaining accuracy while dramatically improving productivity through reusable templates.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #26Copying

3Measurement precision

If a complete three-dimensional shape measurement is performed for each scene, then the measurement precision is improved, but the time and resources required increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvescene measurement accuracyVSAvoidmeasurement time
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts only the essential spatial relationships and structural features needed for AR display from the environment, rather than performing complete three-dimensional shape measurements. By taking out and storing these critical elements in a template format with defined regions of freedom, the system achieves sufficient measurement precision for AR applications while dramatically reducing the time and computational resources required.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Data Source

PatentUS11605207B2Information processing device, information processing method, and program
Publication Date: 2023.03.14 SONY GROUP CORP
  • US11605207B2 patent drawing
  • US11605207B2 patent drawing
  • US11605207B2 patent drawing

AI summary

There is provided an information processing device, an information processing method, and a program for enabling display of AR content that has been generated for a predetermined environment and is applied to the real environment. The information processing device according to one aspect of the present technology generates a template environment map showing the environment of a three-dimensional space that is to be a template and in which a predetermined object exists, and generates template content that is a template to be used in generating display content for displaying an object superimposed on the environment of a real space, the template content including information about the object disposed at a position in the three-dimensional space, the position having a predetermined positional relationship with the predetermined object. The present technology can be applied to a transmissive HMD, for example.