Audio Marker Rendering for HMD Surroundings Awareness
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Solution Overview
Problem
Full-immersion head-mountable displays (HMDs) often lead to reduced user awareness of their surroundings, causing safety concerns and undesirable experiences due to the lack of real-world interaction, with existing solutions like cameras and microphones being inadequate for robust tracking and immersion.
Innovation Solution
The use of audio markers emitting specific audio signals that are detected by microphones to provide information about the user's environment, enabling improved tracking and control of devices to enhance user safety and awareness.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If full-immersion HMD is used to provide virtual content, then user immersion and content quality are improved, but user awareness of surroundings deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
Audio markers serve as intermediaries between the virtual environment and real world. They emit audible signals that convey information about the user's surroundings to the HMD system, allowing the system to mediate between providing immersive virtual content and maintaining awareness of the real environment. The audio markers act as a bridge that enables both immersion and situational awareness simultaneously.
2Loss of information
If cameras and microphones are used to provide real-world information, then user awareness is improved, but immersion is reduced and tracking robustness is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces traditional camera-based visual tracking systems with an acoustic field-based system using audio markers. Instead of relying on mechanical/optical cameras to capture and process visual information, the system uses sound waves emitted by audio markers to convey spatial and environmental information. This substitution provides more robust tracking capabilities while maintaining user immersion, as audio markers can be detected without breaking the virtual reality experience.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enhances user safety and enjoyment by providing real-time awareness of the surroundings and controlling devices based on audio marker detections, reducing the risk of collisions and improving the overall experience.
Implementation Method 1
audio markers emitting specific audio signals that are detected by microphones
Data Source
AI summary
A system for generating outputs to a user in dependence upon audio emitted by one or more audio markers, the system comprising an audio detection unit operable to detect audio emitted by one or more of the audio markers, the audio markers being configured to emit audio in accordance with one or more predetermined conditions, an audio marker locating unit operable to determine one or more properties, including at least a proximity to a user, of audio markers in dependence upon the detected audio corresponding to that audio marker, and a rendering unit operable to output one or more images for display to a user in dependence upon one or more of the determined properties of the one or more audio markers.