Movable Virtual Camera for Stable 3D Meeting Views
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing videoconferencing solutions and 3D virtual spaces often provide unsatisfactory user experiences due to unnatural or distracting visual phenomena, constrained views, and size disparities in user graphical representations, leading to a low level of realism and user satisfaction.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a 3D virtual environment with a movable virtual camera that follows a predetermined path maintaining a constant distance and viewing orientation angle from user graphical representations arranged in a geometry, such as a circular or oval configuration, to provide a more natural and intuitive viewing experience.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a first-person perspective is used in 3D virtual spaces to mimic being in a physical meeting space, then users can feel immersed in the virtual environment, but users have constrained views of their neighbors and the range of motion required to look at other user graphical representations becomes undesirable
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a virtual camera as an intermediary between the user and the 3D virtual environment. Instead of requiring the user to physically rotate or move their graphical representation to view other participants, the virtual camera automatically pans and zooms to frame the appropriate view, eliminating the need for extensive user range of motion while maintaining immersive 3D perspectives
Solution Approach 2:
The virtual camera is configured with dynamic movement along predetermined paths that adapt to the spatial arrangement of user graphical representations. The camera automatically adjusts its position and orientation to optimize viewing angles, providing flexible access to all participants without requiring users to manually change their own positions or orientations in the 3D space
2Area of stationary object
If a wide-angle view is used in 3D virtual spaces, then users can see more of the virtual environment and other participants, but the view becomes ugly and distorted
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of using a single extreme wide-angle view that causes distortion, the patent employs a series of partial views captured by a virtual camera moving along predetermined paths. The camera captures multiple framed shots of different areas (similar to a slideshow or cinematic sequence), providing comprehensive coverage of the virtual environment and all participants while maintaining acceptable visual quality in each individual frame
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the overall viewing experience into multiple discrete camera frames or shots, each capturing a specific portion of the 3D virtual environment. Rather than presenting a single distorted wide-angle view, the system divides the scene into multiple manageable views that are sequentially displayed, allowing each frame to maintain proper aspect ratio and visual quality while collectively providing comprehensive coverage
3Device complexity
If 2D graphical representations of users are used in 3D virtual spaces, then implementation is simpler, but the unnatural flatness is exacerbated and size disparity between nearest and farthest users becomes dramatic
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes key parameters of the 3D virtual environment, including camera position, focal length, and lighting, to optimize the rendering of 2D graphical representations. By adjusting these parameters, the system reduces the dramatic size disparity between nearest and farthest users and minimizes the unnatural flatness effect, making 2D representations appear more realistic within the 3D space without requiring complex 3D user models
4Quantity of substance
If a fixed field of view is used in traditional videoconferencing gallery view, then all participants can be seen simultaneously, but users cannot focus attention on different participants without changing their own viewing angle
Solution Approach 1:
The virtual camera acts as an intermediary that dynamically adjusts the framing to highlight different participants. When a user wants to focus on a particular participant, the virtual camera automatically pans and zooms to center on that participant's graphical representation, allowing selective focus without requiring the user to manually change their own viewing angle or position in the fixed gallery layout
Data Source
AI summary
A computer system implements a 3D virtual environment (312) configured to be accessed by a plurality of client devices each having corresponding a user graphical representation (322) within the 3D virtual environment, which includes positions for the user graphical representations (322) arranged in a geometry (330) and a virtual camera (314) positioned within the 3D virtual environment. The virtual camera (314) moves on a predetermined path (332) that maintains a distance between the virtual camera (314) and the positions (322) arranged in the geometry for the user graphical representations. The computer system captures a video stream from the perspective of the virtual camera on the predetermined path. The video stream includes video of the user graphical representations in the positions arranged in the geometry. The predetermined path maintains a constant viewing orientation angle between the virtual camera and the positions arranged in the geometry, which may include predefined seating positions at a virtual conference table.