Dynamic Widget Placement in Artificial Reality Displays

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

In artificial reality devices, poor placement of virtual content can obstruct interactions with the real world, highlighting the need for systems and methods to determine optimal positions for virtual elements based on trigger elements within the device's field of view.

Innovation Solution

A computer-implemented method that identifies trigger elements, determines their positions, and selects positions for virtual widgets to ensure they are placed in a way that does not interfere with real-world objects or activities, such as surrounding readable surfaces or appearing to rest on stationary objects, while maintaining visibility and usability.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of information

If virtual content is displayed in artificial reality devices, then information delivery is enhanced, but real-world interactions may be obstructed

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveinformation deliveryVSAvoidreal-world interactions

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of informationVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The system applies different placement strategies for different regions of the field of view. Virtual content is placed in peripheral regions when the user is moving or when central obstruction would hinder real-world interactions, while allowing more central placement when the user is stationary. This creates locally optimized quality of placement based on spatial context.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The placement of virtual content transitions from static to dynamic based on user state. The system continuously monitors whether the user is moving or stationary and adjusts widget placement accordingly - moving widgets to peripheral locations during motion and allowing central placement during stationary periods, making the display adaptable to real-time conditions.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

2Loss of information

If virtual widgets are placed centrally in the field of view, then visibility is maximized, but obstruction of real-world objects increases

Engineering Contradiction:

ImprovevisibilityVSAvoidobstruction

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of informationVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The system resolves the two-dimensional conflict between central visibility and obstruction by utilizing the temporal dimension. Widget placement is not fixed but varies over time based on user motion state, allowing central placement at certain times (when stationary) and peripheral placement at other times (when moving), effectively adding a time dimension to the placement strategy.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

Solution Approach 2:

The system changes the spatial parameter of widget placement (position within field of view) based on the parameter of user motion state. When the user transitions from stationary to moving, the widget position parameter is adjusted from central to peripheral locations, dynamically optimizing the balance between visibility and obstruction.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentUS20230046155A1Dynamic widget placement within an artificial reality display

Publication Date: 2023.02.16 META PLATFORMS TECHNOLOGIES LLC

AI summary

The disclosed computer-implemented method may include (1) identifying a trigger element within a field of view presented by a display element of an artificial reality device, (2) determining a position of the trigger element within the field of view, (3) selecting a position within the field of view for a virtual widget based on the position of the trigger element, and (4) presenting the virtual widget at the selected position via the display element. Various other methods, systems, and computer-readable media are also disclosed.