Mixed Reality Origin Tracking for Accurate Marker-Based Overlays

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional mixed reality devices face challenges in maintaining the accuracy and convenience of virtual object display when the real-world environment or objects being worked on are moved, leading to potential confusion and errors in task execution.

Innovation Solution

A mixed reality device that sets an origin for a virtual space using a marker in the real space, displays virtual objects at preset positions in a three-dimensional coordinate system, and adjusts the origin based on the movement amount of the marker relative to a reference position, ensuring accurate and intuitive virtual object placement even when the environment or objects are moved.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If the origin of virtual space is fixed using a marker in real space, then the virtual object can be displayed at a preset position accurately, but when the marker moves, the virtual object display position becomes inaccurate relative to the real-world object

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvevirtual object display position accuracyVSAvoidadaptability to marker movement
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The origin of the virtual space is made dynamic by continuously tracking the marker's position and updating the origin accordingly. When the marker moves beyond a threshold distance from the reference position, the origin is adjusted to maintain alignment with the marker, ensuring the virtual object remains accurately positioned relative to the real-world object throughout the work process.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

2Measurement precision

If the origin is moved frequently to track marker movement, then the virtual object display remains accurate, but the system complexity and processing load increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvevirtual object display position accuracyVSAvoidorigin adjustment mechanism complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of continuously adjusting the origin at every marker position change, the system applies partial action by only updating the origin when the marker movement exceeds a predetermined threshold distance. This reduces unnecessary processing operations while maintaining sufficient display accuracy for the work task.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #16Partial or excessive action

3Measurement precision

If the virtual object is continuously repositioned to follow marker movement, then the display accuracy is maintained, but the processing time and computational resources increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvevirtual object position accuracyVSAvoidprocessing time for origin adjustment
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs origin adjustment only when necessary, specifically when marker movement exceeds a threshold, rather than continuously repositioning the virtual object at every frame or time step. This reduces computational overhead and processing time while maintaining adequate position accuracy.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #16Partial or excessive action

Solution Approach 2:

The origin adjustment operates periodically based on threshold-triggered events rather than continuously. The system checks marker position at regular intervals and adjusts the origin only when the predetermined movement threshold is exceeded, creating an event-driven periodic update mechanism that reduces processing frequency.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #19Periodic action

Data Source

PatentEP4538833A1Mixed reality device, processing method, and storage medium
Publication Date: 2025.04.16 KK TOSHIBA
  • EP4538833A1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4538833A1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4538833A1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

According to one embodiment, a mixed reality device (100) is configured to set an origin of a virtual space by using a marker (210) located in a real space. The mixed reality device is configured to display a virtual object (301~308) at a preset position in a three-dimensional coordinate system, the three-dimensional coordinate system being based on the origin. The mixed reality device is configured to acquire a movement amount of the marker with respect to a reference position of the marker, the reference position of the marker being acquired when the origin is set. The mixed reality device is configured to move the origin according to the movement amount when the movement amount is greater than a first threshold, the first threshold being preset.