Depth-Aware AR Relighting for Obstacles and Perspective Changes
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Solution Overview
Problem
Relighting in augmented reality (AR) scenes is challenging due to the dynamic nature of the environment, making it difficult to achieve a realistic and engaging user experience.
Innovation Solution
A system and method for capturing image and depth data, placing a virtual light source in the AR scene, and relighting based on depth data to simulate realistic lighting effects in real time, accounting for obstacles and changes in perspective.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If virtual light sources are added to enhance AR scene realism, then illumination quality improves, but scene complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces virtual light sources as intermediary elements that mediate between the AR content and the physical environment. These virtual light sources act as mediators to achieve realistic illumination effects by simulating how real light would interact with detected surfaces, thereby improving lighting quality without requiring complex physical lighting modifications.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates virtual copies of light sources that replicate the behavior of physical light. By copying the illumination properties and propagation characteristics of real light sources into the virtual AR scene, the system achieves realistic lighting effects while maintaining the simplicity of digital rendering rather than requiring complex physical lighting systems.
2Adaptability or versatility
If real-time relighting is implemented to adapt to dynamic environments, then user experience improves, but processing requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary actions by detecting and mapping the physical environment structure before relighting operations. By预先 capturing depth data and creating a spatial understanding of the environment, the system prepares the necessary geometric information in advance, which significantly reduces the processing power needed during real-time relighting operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent maintains continuous useful action by implementing real-time relighting that continuously adapts to environmental changes. The system continuously processes depth data and updates lighting calculations without interruption, ensuring that the AR scene remains adaptively lit as the user moves or as environmental conditions change, thereby providing seamless environmental adaptability.
3Manufacturing precision
If depth data processing is used to calculate lighting for each pixel, then lighting accuracy improves, but computational complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies segmentation by processing the AR scene at the pixel level individually. Each pixel's lighting is calculated separately based on its specific depth and spatial relationship to virtual light sources. This segmentation approach enables precise per-pixel lighting control while allowing parallel processing optimizations that manage computational complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from 2D image processing to 3D depth-aware processing by incorporating depth data as an additional dimension. By using depth information to calculate lighting in three-dimensional space and then mapping results back to 2D pixel coordinates, the system achieves accurate depth-based lighting while leveraging the structured nature of depth maps to optimize computational efficiency.
Data Source
AI summary
A system and method for relighting of an augmented reality scene are provided. Image data and depth data corresponding to a physical environment may be captured by an image sensor of a computing device, for display in an AR scene generated by the computing device. The system may use the image data and depth data to generate a live depth map of the physical environment. A virtual light source may be placed in the AR scene of the physical environment in response to a user input. The system may relight the AR scene in response to the placement of the virtual light source based on the image data and the depth map.