Mixed Reality Navigation via Physical Book Markers
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Solution Overview
Problem
Users face difficulties in navigating large amounts of content on electronic devices without conventional input devices like keyboards or touch-sensitive interfaces, particularly in accessing and organizing digital content effectively.
Innovation Solution
A see-through, near-eye, mixed reality display device system that allows users to navigate content using a physical object, such as a book with markers, where the system identifies these markers using a camera and presents associated digital content in a virtual format, enabling efficient navigation and organization.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If conventional input devices (keyboards, mice, touch interfaces) are used for navigating digital content, then navigation precision and control are improved, but device portability and accessibility are worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a physical book as an intermediary object between the user and the digital content system. The book with machine-readable markers serves as a mediator that the camera system can detect, translating physical book interaction into digital content navigation without requiring traditional input devices. This resolves the contradiction by providing precise navigation control through marker detection while maintaining device portability and accessibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces mechanical input devices (keyboards, mice, touch screens) with an optical recognition system using a camera to detect machine-readable markers in a physical book. This substitution eliminates the need for complex mechanical or electronic input interfaces while maintaining precise navigation control through automated marker identification and content retrieval.
2Ease of operation
If voice interfaces are used for device control, then hands-free operation is improved, but recognition accuracy and reliability are worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a physical book with machine-readable markers as an intermediary that bridges hands-free operation and high reliability. The camera system detects these markers objectively, providing accurate content navigation without relying on voice recognition. This intermediary approach maintains the hands-free convenience while eliminating voice recognition accuracy issues.
3Ease of operation
If touch-sensitive interfaces are used on mobile devices, then ease of navigation is improved, but device size and portability are worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a physical book as an intermediary navigation interface that externalizes the navigation controls from the device itself. The book with markers provides the tactile and visual navigation interface, while the device only needs a camera for detection. This separates the navigation functionality from the device body, maintaining ease of navigation without increasing device size.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent moves the navigation interface from the two-dimensional device screen to the three-dimensional physical book. Users can physically flip through book pages and interact with markers in spatial dimensions, while the device remains compact. This dimensional transition provides rich navigation capabilities without constraining device portability.
4Loss of information
If large amounts of digital content are made accessible, then information availability is improved, but navigation complexity and time consumption are worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the large digital content into discrete portions, each associated with specific machine-readable markers in the physical book. This segmentation allows users to navigate to specific content sections by turning to corresponding pages in the book, rather than searching through entire content sets. The camera system quickly identifies markers and retrieves associated content, reducing navigation time while maintaining comprehensive information availability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs preliminary action by pre-associating digital content portions with specific marker positions in the physical book before use. This pre-linking enables immediate content retrieval when a marker is detected, eliminating the need for real-time searching or indexing during navigation. Users can directly access desired content by turning to the appropriate book page, significantly reducing navigation time.
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
Enables users to rapidly scan, search, and access large datasets by flipping through virtual pages, providing a user-friendly interface for navigating digital content, including contacts, media files, and other data sets, enhancing usability and accessibility.
Implementation Method 1
Markers are identified in a physical object using a camera as the user manipulates the physical object
Data Source
AI summary
Technology is disclosed herein to help a user navigate through large amounts of content while wearing a see-through, near-eye, mixed reality display device such as a head mounted display (HMD). The user can use a physical object such as a book to navigate through content being presented in the HMD. In one embodiment, a book has markers on the pages that allow the system to organize the content. The book could have real content, but it could be blank other than the markers. As the user flips through the book, the system recognizes the markers and presents content associated with the respective marker in the HMD.