Eye Contact Alignment in 3D Portal Visual Representations

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing systems fail to maintain eye contact between users in different physical environments when visually communicating through computer-generated portals, leading to misalignment of viewpoints and a decreased user experience.

Innovation Solution

A method and system that positions and orients a representation of a user within a portal based on spatial and skeletal data from the user's electronic device, ensuring the representation faces towards the viewer's viewpoint, thereby maintaining eye contact.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If users are in different physical environments and communicate through computer-generated portals, then communication across locations is enabled, but eye contact and viewpoint alignment are lost

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecommunication capabilityVSAvoideye contact alignment

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The system dynamically adjusts the orientation and position of the second user's representation within the portal based on real-time spatial and skeletal data from the first user. The representation rotates and repositions itself to maintain eye contact alignment with the first user's viewpoint, transforming a static portal display into a dynamic adaptive system that responds to user movements and orientations.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

2Reliability

If the representation is positioned to maintain eye contact, then communication realism is improved, but system complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecommunication realismVSAvoidsystem complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The representation of the second user autonomously adjusts its own orientation and position within the portal without requiring manual control from either user. The system automatically processes spatial data, skeletal information, and viewpoint calculations to self-position the representation optimally for eye contact, eliminating the need for user intervention in the alignment process.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces manual mechanical positioning with automated computational algorithms that process spatial coordinates, orientation data, and skeletal models to calculate and apply the correct rotation and position transformations. This substitutes physical adjustment mechanisms with digital computation and rendering.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

3Ease of operation

If manual positioning is used, then control is simplified, but eye contact alignment is difficult to achieve

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecontrol simplicityVSAvoidalignment precision

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The system continuously receives feedback from sensors tracking the first user's spatial position, orientation, and skeletal data. This feedback is processed in real-time to adjust the second user's representation within the portal, creating a closed-loop control system that automatically maintains eye contact alignment as users move and change their viewpoints during communication.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Data Source

PatentUS20250111633A1Maintaining eye contact between representations of users in three-dimensional environments

Publication Date: 2025.04.03 APPLE INC

AI summary

In some examples, a first electronic device presents a computer-generated environment, the first electronic device being at a first location relative to a first origin in a first physical environment of a user of the first electronic device, and having a first orientation relative to the first origin. In some examples, the first electronic device detects a request to display a portal through which to visually communicate with a user of the second electronic device, the second electronic device being at a second location relative to a second origin in a second physical environment of the user of the second electronic device and having a second orientation relative to the second origin. In some examples, in response to the request, the first electronic device displays a portal including a representation of the user of the second electronic device that is oriented based on the second location and the second orientation.