HMD Sensor Selection by Gravity Direction for Ground Plane Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing wearable device-based systems for detecting obstacles, surfaces, and environmental characteristics are lacking in simplicity, safety, and accuracy due to inefficient sensor utilization.
Innovation Solution
Utilizing head-mounted device (HMD) and/or sensor orientation information relative to the direction of gravity to selectively enable or disable sensors for ground plane detection, such as downward-facing cameras when upright and outward-facing cameras when tilted, thereby optimizing sensor usage based on orientation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If all sensors are used for ground plane detection regardless of orientation, then comprehensive environmental data is captured, but computational resources and power consumption increase unnecessarily
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically selects and activates sensors based on the detected orientation of the wearable device. When the device is detected to be in an upright position, downward-facing sensors are activated for ground plane detection. When tilted or in other orientations, different sensor subsets are selected. This dynamic adaptation ensures that only necessary sensors are active, reducing power consumption while maintaining detection accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes operational parameters (sensor activation states) based on device orientation parameters. By detecting orientation changes and相应ly adjusting which sensors are active, the system optimizes the balance between detection precision and energy consumption. This parameter-based control allows the system to adapt to different usage scenarios efficiently.
2Reliability
If all sensors are processed to determine ground plane characteristics, then complete environmental information is obtained, but computational complexity and processing time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system extracts and processes only the relevant sensor data needed for ground plane detection based on device orientation. By identifying which sensors are actually capable of contributing to ground plane detection in the current orientation, the system extracts only the necessary data subset, eliminating redundant processing while maintaining detection reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The sensor processing is segmented into orientation-specific subsets. Instead of processing all sensor data uniformly, the system divides sensor processing into separate pathways based on device orientation, with each pathway handling only the sensors relevant to that orientation. This segmentation reduces overall computational complexity while preserving detection reliability.
3Productivity
If sensors are selected based on HMD orientation relative to gravity, then sensor usage is optimized and resources are saved, but the system complexity increases due to orientation processing
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses its own orientation data (from accelerometers, gyroscopes, or other orientation-sensing capabilities) to automatically determine which sensors to activate. This self-service approach allows the system to autonomously optimize sensor selection without requiring external control or complex centralized decision-making, improving detection efficiency while managing system complexity through decentralized intelligence.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach enhances the accuracy and efficiency of ground plane detection while reducing computational and power consumption by restricting the search space and saving resources.
Implementation Method 1
sensor data obtained from, inter alia, a gyroscope, an accelerometer, etc.
Implementation Method 2
sensor data obtained from, inter alia, a gyroscope, an accelerometer, etc.
Implementation Method 3
downward-facing cameras may be selected when an HMD or sensor is in an upright position relative to a direction of gravity
Data Source
AI summary
Various implementations disclosed herein include devices, systems, and methods that use a gravity direction to select a subset of sensors to determine plane characteristics. For example, a process may include obtaining first sensor data from sensors of an HMD and based on the first sensor data a gravity direction is determined. The process may further select a subset of the sensors based on the gravity direction. The process may further obtain second sensor data from the subset and determine characteristics of the physical environment based on the second sensor data.