Free-Floating Zoom Lens for Collaborative View Management

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing collaborative computing systems are inefficient in allowing users to interact with rendered environments during communication sessions, requiring numerous menu-driven tasks and leading to resource consumption and loss of fidelity, especially in zooming and viewing details.

Innovation Solution

An interactive viewing system that includes a free-floating zoom lens or window allowing users to magnify selected portions of the screen experience, with voice and gesture commands for control, and the ability to save and edit content, providing improved fidelity and viewing angles.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If traditional menu-driven zooming is used, then users can view details, but interaction efficiency deteriorates and computing resources are consumed

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedetail viewing capabilityVSAvoidinteraction efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces traditional menu-driven zooming operations with direct gesture-based control on the rendered image. Users can pinch-to-zoom, pan, and adjust zoom level by dragging edges of the zoom window directly on the image, eliminating the need for menu navigation and significantly improving interaction efficiency while maintaining detail viewing capability

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The zoom window automatically adjusts its position and magnification based on user gestures applied directly to the rendered image. The system responds immediately to pinch gestures, pan movements, and edge-dragging actions without requiring separate control steps, making the zooming operation self-adaptive and efficient

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

2Ease of operation

If traditional center-based zooming is used, then zooming operation is simple, but viewing accuracy deteriorates when desired area is not centered

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvezoom operation simplicityVSAvoiddesired area visibility
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The zoom window is designed to be dynamically repositionable within the rendered image. Users can freely drag and move the zoom window to any location after zooming, or during zooming, allowing the desired area to be precisely positioned within the magnified view while maintaining the simplicity of the zoom operation

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The zoom function is separated into independent components: zoom magnification and window positioning. Users can control zoom level independently and then reposition the zoom window independently, allowing precise control over which area is magnified and where it appears on screen, rather than being constrained to center-based zooming

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

3Ease of operation

If traditional zooming is used, then operation is straightforward, but image fidelity deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvezoom operation simplicityVSAvoidimage fidelity
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary actions by allowing users to select and define the exact zoom area before applying magnification. The zoom window can be positioned and sized to capture the desired region, ensuring that only relevant areas are magnified from the original high-resolution source, thereby preserving image fidelity while maintaining operational simplicity

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentEP3881170B1Interactive viewing system
Publication Date: 2024.04.10 MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING LLC
  • EP3881170B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3881170B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3881170B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A tool for interacting with a rendered environment is configured to render a representation of a real-world environment and receive input indicative of a position for a zoom window to be placed within the representation. The zoom window is rendered having a size that is determined based on one or more criteria. A magnified view of a portion of the representation is rendered that is proximate to the position of the zoom window. Input data is received that is indicative of a gesture indicative of a new position for the zoom window. The zoom window is repositioned on the UI and the size of the zoom window is maintained during the repositioning. Within the zoom window, a magnified view of a portion of the representation is rendered that is proximate to the new position of the zoom window. The zoom window is movable to any rendered portion of the representation.