HMD Sensory Stimulus Management via Gaze Priority Rendering
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Solution Overview
Problem
Head Mounted Displays (HMDs) often cause motion sickness or vertigo due to inadequate computing capabilities, especially when transitioning from virtual to real-world environments, as they struggle to refresh images quickly, leading to discomfort for users.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of a method that identifies game states and intensity levels based on user ratings, allowing for dynamic adjustment of sensory stimuli, including gaze tracking and motion sensing to prioritize rendering, ensuring a smoother transition by managing the intensity of multimedia content presented to the user.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the HMD provides immersive virtual reality experiences with high sensory stimulus, then user engagement and virtual world immersion are improved, but user discomfort and motion sickness increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts the intensity of sensory stimuli based on real-time detection of user physiological states (heart rate, galvanic skin response, pupil dilation). The virtual environment's visual complexity, motion intensity, and audio levels are continuously modulated to match the user's current tolerance threshold, preventing overload while maintaining engagement.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements closed-loop feedback by continuously monitoring user physiological indicators and using this information to adjust the virtual environment parameters. Sensors detect stress indicators in real-time, and the system responds by reducing sensory intensity or pausing content, creating a self-regulating experience that adapts to user needs.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If the HMD refreshes images at high speed to prevent motion sickness, then user comfort is improved, but computing capability requirements and device complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of uniformly rendering all visual elements at maximum frame rates, the system applies selective rendering priorities based on user gaze direction and physiological state. Only the foveal region (where the user is looking) receives high-resolution, high-frame-rate rendering, while peripheral regions use lower resources. This partial action approach maintains comfort benefits where needed while reducing overall computational burden.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically changes rendering parameters such as frame rate, resolution, and field of view based on detected user stress levels and motion characteristics. When motion sickness risk is detected, the system adjusts these parameters to reduce visual-vestibular conflict, achieving comfort improvement without requiring sustained maximum computing performance.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the HMD blocks out the real world to provide immersive virtual experiences, then virtual world engagement is improved, but user disorientation and difficulty transitioning back to real world increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system prepares for transition by gradually introducing real-world visual elements before complete immersion. During entry into virtual reality, the system initially maintains partial visibility of the real environment or uses fade transitions, allowing the user's visual system to adapt progressively. This preliminary action prevents sudden sensory shock when transitioning back to the real world.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements periodic transitions between virtual and real world views, allowing the user's sensory systems to regularly recalibrate. This can manifest as scheduled breaks where the real world is briefly displayed, or as dynamic transitions triggered by physiological markers, ensuring the user remains adaptable to both environments and reduces disorientation upon exit.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods, systems, and computer programs are presented for managing the sensory stimulus generated by a head mounted display (HMD). One method includes identifying a game state of a game being executed for a current session by a computer for display on a head mounted display (HMD) for a user. Then, determining a game intensity value for said game state based on user intensity feedback received from one or more prior gaming sessions by users. The user intensity feedback describes levels of sensory stimulus obtained from the users during user play of the game via an HMD of the respective users, and the determined game intensity value is calculated by analysis of the levels of sensory stimulus received from the users. Processing the game intensity value to cause a higher rendering priority to a viewpoint of the user's gaze than regions outside of the viewpoint. The viewpoint is a portion of the display of the HMD. The regions outside of the viewport are caused to include a reduction in interactive content presented during execution of the current session of the game.