Depth-Assigned Content Visibility in VR Images
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing techniques for enhancing and interacting with images do not effectively utilize depth characteristics, limiting their functionality when applied to depth-enhanced pictures like those created with light-field photography.
Innovation Solution
A system and method for depth-assigned content that associates content with specific XYZ coordinates, allowing it to be displayed or hidden based on the focus depth of rendered images, enabling dynamic interaction and manipulation within depth-enhanced pictures.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If conventional image enhancement techniques are applied to depth-enhanced pictures, then existing image processing can be utilized, but depth characteristics are not effectively utilized and functionality is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic content visibility based on focus depth. Content items are configured to be visible or invisible depending on whether they are in focus at the current focus depth. This dynamic adaptation allows the system to utilize depth characteristics effectively, resolving the contradiction by enabling functionality that responds to depth information while preventing loss of depth information through selective content rendering.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies different visibility properties to different content items based on their depth assignment. Content at specific depth planes has different visibility characteristics compared to content at other depth planes. This local differentiation enables effective utilization of depth characteristics while maintaining all depth information in the system.
2Ease of operation
If content is always visible in depth-enhanced pictures, then user engagement is maximized, but depth-related interaction capabilities are lost
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts content visibility based on focus depth rather than maintaining static visibility. This dynamic behavior enables depth-related interaction capabilities while keeping content accessible to users through the focusing mechanism, thus resolving the contradiction between ease of operation and adaptability.
Solution Approach 2:
The system provides feedback to users through the focusing mechanism itself. When users interact with content at specific depth planes, the focus depth automatically adjusts to reveal that content. This feedback loop maintains user engagement while preserving depth interaction capabilities.
3Loss of information
If depth-assigned content is made visible at all focus depths, then content accessibility is improved, but depth-specific functionality is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent assigns different visibility qualities to content at different depth locations. Each content item has specific visibility characteristics tied to its depth plane, enabling depth-specific functionality while maintaining content accessibility through the focus depth mechanism.
Solution Approach 2:
Content visibility dynamically adapts to the current focus depth. This dynamic behavior allows the system to maintain content accessibility through focusing operations while preserving depth-specific functionality that would be lost if all content were visible at all depths.
Data Source
AI summary
According to various embodiments of the invention, a system and method are provided for enabling interaction with, manipulation of, and control of depth-assigned content in depth-enhanced pictures, such as virtual reality images. Depth-assigned content can be assigned to a specified depth value. When a depth-enhanced picture is refocused at a focus depth substantially different from the specified assigned depth value, the depth-assigned content may be omitted, grayed out, blurred, or otherwise visually distinguished. In this manner, content associated with an in-focus image element can be visually distinguished from content associated with an out-of-focus image element. For example, in at least one embodiment, depth-assigned content is visible only when an image element associated with the content is in focus (or nearly in focus). According to various embodiments of the invention, many different types of interactions are facilitated among depth-assigned content, depth-enhanced virtual reality images, and other content.