Gaze Tracking Avatar Rendering for VR Efficiency

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current gaze tracking systems for head-mountable display units (HMDs) face challenges in efficiently processing gaze data to optimize image rendering and user interaction, particularly in resource-constrained environments, and there is a need for improved methods to leverage gaze direction for more efficient content generation and interaction.

Innovation Solution

The use of gaze tracking data to implement foveal rendering techniques, where high-quality image content is focused on the area of interest based on the user's gaze direction, while reducing resource intensity for other areas, combined with advanced camera configurations and processing methods to enhance accuracy and precision in gaze tracking.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If foveal rendering is implemented to improve processing efficiency, then resource consumption is reduced, but image quality in peripheral areas may be degraded

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveprocessing efficiencyVSAvoidimage quality
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by rendering high-detail images only in the foveal region where the user's gaze is directed, while using lower-detail representations in peripheral areas. This resolves the contradiction by making image quality adaptive to human visual perception, maintaining high quality where needed while reducing overall processing resources.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The system dynamically adjusts image rendering quality based on real-time gaze tracking data. As the user's gaze moves across the display, the high-detail rendering region dynamically follows the foveal position, while peripheral regions maintain lower detail. This dynamic adaptation resolves the contradiction between processing efficiency and image quality.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

2Measurement precision

If gaze tracking accuracy is improved through advanced processing, then user interaction precision is enhanced, but processing resource consumption increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvegaze tracking accuracyVSAvoidprocessing resource consumption
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies partial action by processing gaze data at different levels of detail for different purposes. Full-precision processing is applied only when needed for interaction selection, while coarser processing suffices for general rendering adjustments. This resolves the contradiction between accuracy and resource consumption.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #16Partial or excessive action

Solution Approach 2:

The processing pipeline is segmented into multiple stages with varying computational requirements. Gaze data is processed through filtering and validation stages, with full precision applied only to critical determination points. This segmentation reduces overall processing resources while maintaining necessary accuracy.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

3Manufacturing precision

If high-quality image content is provided across the entire display, then image quality is maintained, but processing resources are excessively consumed

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveimage qualityVSAvoidprocessing efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The system provides high-quality image content locally only in the foveal region determined by gaze tracking, while using compressed or lower-resolution content in peripheral regions. This resolves the contradiction by matching image quality distribution to human visual attention patterns.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The patent extracts only the necessary portion of high-quality image content for the current foveal region, rather than processing and transmitting complete high-quality images for the entire display. This extraction approach maintains image quality where needed while dramatically reducing processing requirements.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Data Source

PatentEP3933553B1Data processing apparatus and method
Publication Date: 2024.12.04 SONY INTERACTIVE ENTERTAINMENT LLC
  • EP3933553B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP3933553B1 patent drawingFigure 3
  • EP3933553B1 patent drawingFigure 4~5

AI summary

A data processing apparatus comprises avatar monitoring circuitry to receive gaze data for a first user associated with a first avatar in a virtual reality environment, the gaze data for the first user indicative of a gaze point for the first user with respect to the virtual reality environment, in which the avatar monitoring circuitry is configured to select one or more objects in the virtual reality environment in dependence upon the gaze data for the first user and to store first avatar information for the first avatar indicative of one or more of the selected objects, input circuitry to receive gaze data for a second user indicative of a gaze point for the second user with respect to the virtual reality environment, and processing circuitry to generate one or more images for the virtual reality environment for display to the second user, in which the processing circuitry is configured to: select the first avatar in dependence upon the gaze point for the second user with respect to the first avatar; and generate the one or more images to include at least one graphical element indicative of the first avatar information in response to the selection of the first avatar.