AR Virtual Object Positioning via Contact Point Motion Detection

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing augmented reality systems struggle to maintain the illusion of computer-generated objects in real environments, particularly when real objects, such as a user's hand, intersect with the virtual objects, leading to a disruption in the immersive experience.

Innovation Solution

The system detects motion in contact point regions corresponding to the virtual plane and initiates movement of the virtual object to a new position, ensuring it avoids real objects and maintains the illusion of being within the real environment by analyzing image motion and adjusting the object's position accordingly.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If virtual objects are placed on a virtual plane in augmented reality, then the immersion experience is improved, but the illusion is disrupted when real objects intersect with virtual objects

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveillusion of realityVSAvoidintersection with real objects
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The virtual object's position is made dynamic rather than static. The system continuously monitors contact point regions and automatically adjusts the virtual object's position in response to detected motion, allowing the object to adapt its location to maintain the illusion of reality when real objects intersect with its projected position.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The system implements a feedback mechanism by detecting motion in contact point regions and using this information to adjust the virtual object's position. The detection of inter-image motion provides feedback about real object movement, which triggers automatic repositioning of the virtual object to preserve the augmented reality illusion.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

2Device complexity

If the virtual object remains stationary on the virtual plane, then the system complexity is reduced, but the immersion is broken when real objects move into the virtual object's position

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveobject position controlVSAvoidimmersive experience
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system segments the virtual object's position control into two modes: a default stationary state for simplicity, and a dynamic adjustment state activated only when motion is detected in contact point regions. This segmentation allows the system to maintain low complexity during normal operation while providing immersive experience when needed.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The system pre-positions the virtual object on the virtual plane and establishes contact point regions in advance. When motion detection occurs, the system has already prepared the infrastructure (contact point monitoring, position calculation algorithms) to quickly respond and reposition the object, minimizing computational overhead during the actual interaction.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentEP2427869B1Entertainment device, system, and method
Publication Date: 2018.05.30 SONY COMP ENTERTAINMENT EURO LTD
  • EP2427869B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2427869B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2427869B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

An entertainment device for receiving images from a video camera. The device comprises a combiner operable to combine images captured by the camera with a computer-generated image of an object resting on a virtual surface so as to generate a composite image, and a detector operable to detect image movement in the captured images in one or more contact point regions corresponding to image positions at which the object contacts the virtual surface. The device further comprises an initiator operable to initiate movement of the object to a new position with respect to the virtual surface in response to detected motion in the contact point regions of the captured images. The detector is operable to detect whether a first image area corresponding to a captured image feature is greater than a predetermined proportion of a second image area corresponding to a full field of view of the camera. In response to a detection that the first image area is greater than the predetermined proportion of the second image area, the initiator is operable to initiate movement of the object to an avoidance position within the composite image.