Dynamic Energy Field for Nuanced Virtual Object Control

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Solution Overview

Problem

Natural user-input technologies often lack granularity and nuance in controlling virtual environments, as they do not account for variations in motion when performing discrete gestures, and motions that do not conform to specific gestures may not produce the expected results.

Innovation Solution

The use of optical flow analysis to generate a dynamic energy field that influences properties of virtual environments, allowing for more responsive, granular, and nuanced control by mapping motion values from human subjects into energy elements that interact with virtual objects.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If discrete gesture recognition is used to control virtual environments, then gesture-based interaction is achieved, but control granularity and responsiveness to motion variations are lost

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvegesture-based interactionVSAvoidmotion variation detection
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the continuous motion data into discrete gesture events by identifying start and end points of gestures, then analyzes the motion characteristics within each segment. This allows the system to maintain gesture-based interaction while capturing motion variations through temporal and spatial analysis of segmented motion data.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements dynamic threshold adjustment based on motion velocity and acceleration patterns. The system adapts gesture recognition parameters in real-time based on the speed and characteristics of motion, enabling both robust gesture detection and sensitive motion variation detection within the same framework.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

2Measurement precision

If motion thresholds are set to be highly sensitive to detect all motions, then motion detection precision improves, but false detection of non-gesture motions increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemotion detection precisionVSAvoidfalse detection rate
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent employs feedback mechanisms where the system continuously monitors motion patterns and adjusts detection thresholds based on learned characteristics of valid gestures versus spurious motions. The system uses historical motion data to refine threshold settings, reducing false detections while maintaining sensitivity to genuine gestures.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The patent dynamically changes multiple parameters including velocity thresholds, acceleration thresholds, and temporal window sizes based on the current motion context. By adjusting these parameters in response to detected motion patterns, the system maintains high detection precision while filtering out false positives through contextual parameter adaptation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentEP3072033B1Motion control of a virtual environment
Publication Date: 2018.06.20 MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING LLC
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AI summary

An optical flow of depth video of a depth camera imaging a human subject is recognized. An energy field created by motion of the human subject is generated as a function of the optical flow and specified rules of a physical simulation of the virtual environment. The energy field is mapped to a virtual position in the virtual environment. A property of a virtual object in the virtual environment is adjusted based on a plurality of energy elements of the energy field in response to the virtual object interacting with the virtual position of the energy field.