AR Tone Mapping for Light-Transmissive Displays on Bright Backgrounds
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Solution Overview
Problem
The perception of augmented reality image content is affected by the optical characteristics of the background image content, leading to reduced contrast and quality when displayed on brighter backgrounds, as existing technologies fail to adaptively adjust the presentation of AR content based on expected visual characteristics.
Innovation Solution
An electronic system with display panels on light-transmissive surfaces uses optical sensors to determine ambient and background light metrics, and image processing circuitry to apply adaptive tone mapping, adjusting the display of AR content by re-projecting and filtering background data to account for perceived brightness levels, thereby enhancing contrast and quality.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If augmented reality image content is displayed on brighter background image content, then the light-transmissive viewing surface enables better visibility of the background, but the perceived contrast in the augmented reality image content is reduced, resulting in washed out appearance
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies tone mapping techniques that dynamically adjust the luminance parameters of augmented reality image content based on the measured brightness characteristics of the background scene. By changing the luminance parameters adaptively, the system maintains optimal perceived contrast across varying background illumination conditions while preserving the light-transmissive property of the viewing surface.
Solution Approach 2:
The system employs optical sensors to continuously measure the brightness characteristics of the background scene and feeds this information back to the image processing circuitry. This feedback loop enables real-time adaptation of tone mapping parameters, ensuring that augmented reality content maintains appropriate contrast regardless of background illumination levels.
2Loss of information
If adaptive tone mapping is applied to adjust augmented reality image content based on background brightness, then perceived quality is improved, but device complexity increases due to additional image processing circuitry and optical sensors
Solution Approach 1:
The patent integrates multiple functions into unified components: the optical sensors serve both for background brightness measurement and for enabling light-transmissive viewing; the image processing circuitry performs both tone mapping and rendering operations; and the display panel simultaneously displays augmented reality content and allows background visibility. This multi-functionality reduces overall system complexity despite the added adaptive capabilities.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods are provided for displaying augmented reality image content perceived as being overlaid on background image content viewed through a light-transmissive viewing surface. Image processing circuitry may receive input augmented reality image data corresponding with a pixel position on the display panel, determine a perceived background brightness metric indicative of background brightness level at the pixel position based at least in part on captured background image data and an ambient lighting metric, determine a target tone mapping based at least in part on the perceived background brightness metric, and determine display augmented reality image data to be used by a display panel to display the augmented reality image content least in part by applying the target tone mapping to the input augmented reality image data.