Gaze-Aware Tone Mapping for VR Color Uniformity
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Solution Overview
Problem
Achieving uniform color and brightness across the field of view in virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and mixed reality (MR) displays is challenging due to optical design and hardware limitations, which cause color changes and distortions when viewed from different angles.
Innovation Solution
A system that uses gaze direction information to perform tone mapping and chromatic adaptation by determining a user's focus location within a physical environment, modifying brightness and color mapping based on visual properties to generate an output image.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If a wider field of view is implemented in head-mounted display devices, then the immersive experience and coverage area are improved, but color uniformity and brightness consistency across the field of view deteriorate due to optical design and hardware limitations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by dividing the field of view into multiple regions (e.g., center, periphery, upper, lower) and applying different tone mapping and chromatic adaptation parameters to each region. This allows the system to address optical distortions locally rather than uniformly, maintaining color consistency across the entire wider field of view while preserving the immersive experience benefits.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts tone mapping and chromatic adaptation parameters based on real-time gaze direction detection. By continuously monitoring where the user is looking and updating the correction parameters accordingly, the system maintains color uniformity across the expanded field of view without requiring static optical corrections that would limit FOV.
2Manufacturing precision
If gaze tracking and dynamic tone mapping are implemented to correct color uniformity, then color consistency is improved, but device complexity and computational requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the correction process into distinct modules: gaze direction detection, tone mapping adjustment, and chromatic adaptation. Each module operates independently and can be optimized separately, reducing overall system complexity while maintaining color consistency. The segmentation allows for more efficient processing compared to a monolithic correction approach.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes physical or mathematical parameters (tone mapping curves, chromatic adaptation matrices) based on gaze direction rather than fundamentally altering the display hardware or optical path. This parameter-based approach achieves color consistency with minimal hardware modifications, reducing device complexity while maintaining precision.
3Reliability
If optical layers and lenses are added to improve display performance, then image quality is improved, but optical distortions and color changes when viewed from different angles worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces mechanical/optical correction solutions (additional optical elements, complex lens designs) with computational methods. By using gaze-aware tone mapping and chromatic adaptation algorithms, the system corrects optical distortions and color changes through software processing rather than physical optical modifications, avoiding the harmful effects of additional optical layers while maintaining image quality.
Data Source
AI summary
According to examples, a system may use gaze direction information to perform tone mapping or chromatic adaptation for virtual reality (VR) environments. The system may include a processor and a memory storing instructions. When the processor executes the instructions, the system may determine a user focus location within a physical environment. An image corresponding to the physical environment may be received. The system may determine a visual property of the physical environment corresponding to the user focus location. The system may modify a color mapping of a region of the image based on the determined visual property to generate an output image.