IR Pattern Projector for Accurate Controller Tracking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current gaming systems face challenges in providing a rich interactive experience due to limitations in accurately tracking the position, orientation, and movement of controllers relative to the display, especially in scenarios where visual cues are obstructed or distorted.
Innovation Solution
The system employs a combination of IR and RGB cameras to project and capture patterns, analyzing perspective distortions and radiation patterns to determine the controller's position, orientation, and movement, using IR projectors to supplement RGB image-based tracking when necessary.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If visual cues are used for tracking controller position and orientation, then the tracking system is simple to implement, but the tracking accuracy deteriorates when visual cues are obstructed or distorted
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary radiation pattern (infrared pattern) that is projected onto the display surface to serve as a reliable tracking reference. This radiation pattern acts as a mediator between the controller and the tracking system, enabling accurate position and orientation detection even when visual cues from the display content are obstructed or distorted. The pattern projector and pattern recognizer work together to create this intermediary reference system.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces reliance on visual optical systems with an infrared radiation-based tracking system. Instead of using cameras to track visual elements on the display, the system projects infrared radiation patterns and detects them with infrared sensors, substituting the mechanical/optical visual tracking approach with a different physical modality that is less susceptible to visual obstructions and distortions.
2Reliability
If multiple camera systems (IR and RGB) are used to ensure accurate tracking, then tracking reliability improves, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges infrared and RGB camera systems into a unified tracking apparatus. The controller includes both an infrared pattern projector and an infrared pattern recognizer, along with RGB imaging capabilities. These multiple sensing systems are combined and coordinated to work together, with the infrared system providing reliable tracking references and the RGB system providing visual context, creating a redundant and reliable multi-modal tracking system.
Solution Approach 2:
The tracking system is designed with multi-functionality to handle various tracking scenarios. The infrared radiation pattern system can serve multiple purposes: providing position references, orientation references, and fallback tracking when visual cues are unavailable. The system can automatically switch between using visual cues from the display and using the projected radiation patterns depending on conditions, making the tracking apparatus universally applicable across different gaming scenarios.
3Measurement precision
If radiation patterns are projected onto the display to enable tracking in obscured conditions, then tracking precision improves under obstruction, but the display quality may be affected
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by projecting radiation patterns only in specific regions of the display where tracking references are needed, rather than uniformly across the entire display. The system can selectively project patterns in corners or edges of the display where they are least likely to interfere with the main visual content. The radiation patterns are localized to specific areas, providing tracking functionality where needed while minimizing impact on overall display quality.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses infrared radiation patterns that are invisible to the human eye, effectively using a different spectral band (infrared) rather than visible light. This allows the radiation patterns to be projected onto the display without degrading the visual quality of the display content, as the infrared patterns do not interfere with the visible image. The display maintains its visual quality while the infrared patterns provide the necessary tracking references.
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 enables precise and robust tracking of controller movements, enhancing the interactive experience by accurately interpreting user inputs even when visual cues are limited, thereby improving the overall gaming interaction.
Implementation Method 1
IR projectors to supplement RGB image-based tracking
Implementation Method 2
analyzing perspective distortions and radiation patterns to determine the controller's position, orientation, and movement
Data Source
AI summary
A device for interfacing with an interactive program is provided, including: a housing, including, an IR projector for projecting an IR pattern into an interactive environment; a camera for capturing images of the projected IR pattern; an image processor configured to process the captured images for identification of the projected IR pattern; a transceiver configured to communicate with a computing device, the transceiver configured to transmit data generated by the image processor to the computing device, such that a position of the device in the interactive environment is determined based on the captured images of the IR pattern, the determined position of the device being utilized as input for the interactive program.