Handheld Intermediary Processing for Lightweight AR/VR Headsets

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Users face challenges with multiple electronic devices requiring separate interactions, power supplies, and computational resources, leading to inefficiencies and user fatigue, especially with wearable devices like virtual and augmented reality headsets.

Innovation Solution

A handheld intermediary processing device (HIPD) communicatively coupled with wearable devices to perform computational tasks, reducing resource utilization and enabling seamless interactions across devices.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Power

If wearable devices like VR/AR headsets perform computationally intensive tasks locally, then processing capability is improved, but power consumption increases and battery life decreases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveprocessing capabilityVSAvoidpower consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

PowerVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts computationally intensive processing tasks from the wearable device and relocates them to an external computing device. The wearable device maintains only essential functions (sensing, display, basic control) while offloading heavy computational work to the external device, thereby reducing power consumption and extending battery life while preserving processing capability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces an external computing device as an intermediary between the wearable device and the processing tasks. This intermediary handles the computationally intensive operations, acting as a mediator that reduces the computational burden on the wearable device's battery while maintaining the system's overall processing power.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Adaptability or versatility

If multiple electronic devices are used simultaneously, then functionality and task diversity are improved, but device complexity and user management burden increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetask diversityVSAvoiddevice management complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges the functional capabilities of multiple devices into a unified system where the wearable device and external computing device work as an integrated team. The external device serves as a central hub that coordinates tasks across different applications, reducing the need for users to manually manage multiple independent devices while maintaining task diversity and versatility.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The external computing device is designed to perform multiple functions universally, handling not only computationally intensive tasks but also serving as a control center for various applications, a media player, a communication hub, and more. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate specialized devices, simplifying device management while maintaining versatility.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

3Productivity

If wearable devices have sufficient computational resources for all tasks, then task completion capability is improved, but device weight and size increase causing user fatigue

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetask completion capabilityVSAvoiddevice weight

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSWeight of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts the heavy computational resources (processor, memory, storage) from the wearable device and places them in the external computing device. The wearable device retains only the minimum necessary components for basic operation (sensors, display, battery, communication module), significantly reducing its weight and size while maintaining full task completion capability through the external device's computational power.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The external computing device acts as an intermediary that provides the heavy computational resources needed for task completion. Instead of embedding all computational power in the wearable device, the system uses the external device as a mediator that supplies processing power on demand, allowing the wearable device to remain lightweight and comfortable for extended wear.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentUS12468556B2Intermediary device for offloading processing operations for an artificial-reality system and for enabling interactions and input paradigms, and systems and methods of use thereof

Publication Date: 2025.11.11 META PLATFORMS TECHNOLOGIES LLC

AI summary

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium including instructions for distributing tasks between a handheld intermediary processing device (HIPD) and communicatively coupled devices is disclosed. The instructions cause one or more processors to, while a HIPD and a head-wearable device are communicatively coupled and share operational data for performing one or more computational tasks, identify one or more back-end tasks and one or more front-end tasks associated with performing the one or more computational tasks. The instructions further cause performance of the one or more back-end tasks at the HIPD including updating the operational data to create updated operational data. The instructions further cause performance of the one or more front-end tasks at the head-wearable device using the updated operational data such that a representation based on the one or more computational tasks is presented to the user by the head-wearable device.