Context-Sensitive Hand Interaction in Immersive Environments

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Current virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) systems face challenges in providing context-sensitive hand interactions, limiting the immersive experience due to inefficient rendering and interaction modes that do not adapt to user context effectively.

Innovation Solution

The implementation of a context-sensitive hand interaction system that uses a head-mounted display (HMD) and hand tracker to determine contextual factors, such as hand properties and user input, to dynamically select interaction modes like positional, ray-based collision, or point-based collision, allowing for seamless and intuitive user interaction within immersive environments.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If traditional rendering modes are used in VR/AR systems, then comprehensive rendering coverage is achieved, but processor cycles increase and framerate decreases

Engineering Contradiction:
ImproveframerateVSAvoidprocessor cycles
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies foveated rendering technology that renders different regions of the visual field with different qualities. The foveal region (where the user is looking) is rendered at full resolution, while peripheral regions are rendered at lower resolution. This local differentiation reduces overall processor cycles required while maintaining perceived visual quality, directly resolving the contradiction between framerate improvement and processor cycle reduction.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

2Adaptability or versatility

If multiple interaction modes are implemented, then user interaction versatility improves, but system complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveinteraction modesVSAvoidsystem complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements dynamic interaction mode selection that automatically adapts between different interaction modes (hand tracking, controller, gaze-based) based on real-time detection of user context, hand position, and environmental factors. This dynamic adaptation provides versatile interaction capabilities without requiring the user to manually manage complex mode switches, effectively resolving the contradiction between interaction versatility and system complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The system employs context detection algorithms that automatically determine the appropriate interaction mode without user intervention. The system monitors hand tracking data, device orientation, and environmental context to self-select the optimal interaction mode, reducing the complexity burden on the user while maintaining high adaptability across different usage scenarios.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

3Measurement precision

If context detection is continuously performed, then interaction accuracy improves, but computational overhead increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecontext detection accuracyVSAvoidcomputational overhead
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSUse of energy by stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements periodic context detection that updates interaction mode selections at optimized intervals rather than continuously. The system performs context detection at key moments (e.g., when hand position changes significantly, when gaze direction shifts, or at fixed time intervals) and maintains the selected mode between updates. This periodic approach maintains sufficient context detection accuracy while significantly reducing computational overhead compared to continuous detection.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #19Periodic action

Data Source

PatentEP3542252B1Context-sensitive hand interaction
Publication Date: 2023.08.02 GOOGLE LLC
  • EP3542252B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3542252B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3542252B1 patent drawingFigure 3A~3C

AI summary

Systems and methods for context-sensitive hand interaction with an immersive environment are provided. An example method includes determining a contextual factor for a user and selecting an interaction mode based on the contextual factor. The example method may also include monitoring a hand of the user to determine a hand property and determining an interaction with an immersive environment based on the interaction mode and the hand property.