Occluded Object Selection in Virtual Maintenance Trainers
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Solution Overview
Problem
In virtual maintenance trainers, selecting mutually occluding objects is non-intuitive and difficult due to their mechanical complexity, requiring repeated cursor adjustments to reveal and associate with specific objects.
Innovation Solution
A system that detects viewer input device coordinates, determines shared coordinates and depth direction, and prioritizes objects based on metadata, screen areas, transparency, and opaqueness to facilitate selection of occluded or partially occluded objects, associating the prioritized object with the input device for interaction.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If cursor-based selection is used for mutually occluding objects, then the interface remains simple, but the selection process becomes non-intuitive and difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces depth information (Z-axis) to the traditional 2D cursor selection by detecting the depth direction from shared coordinates. This allows the system to determine which occluded object is at a specific depth position, enabling selection of objects that are hidden behind others in the 3D space without complicating the 2D interface.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces shared coordinates (XS, YS) and depth direction (ZS) as intermediary elements between the cursor and the occluded objects. These intermediaries allow the system to map 2D cursor positions to 3D object space, facilitating the selection of occluded objects through the occluding objects without requiring direct visual access.
2Measurement precision
If repeated cursor adjustments are required to reveal occluded objects, then selection accuracy improves, but the number of clicks and time required increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary determination of shared coordinates and depth direction before the actual object selection. By pre-calculating which objects are occluded and their depth relationships, the system can present selection options in advance, allowing users to select occluded objects directly without needing to repeatedly adjust the cursor to reveal them.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements feedback by detecting which objects share coordinates with the cursor and providing depth information about occluded objects. This feedback mechanism allows the system to inform users about the presence and position of occluded objects, enabling more accurate and faster selection without repeated cursor adjustments.
3Ease of operation
If all objects at shared coordinates are treated equally, then the selection process is simple, but the ability to select specific occluded objects is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by differentiating objects based on their depth position (ZS) and occlusion relationships. Instead of treating all objects at shared coordinates uniformly, the system assigns different properties to objects based on their spatial relationships, allowing specific occluded objects to be identified and selected while maintaining operational simplicity.
Data Source
AI summary
A computer-implemented method comprising determining, by the processor, a set of objects of the plurality of objects having the shared coordinates (XS, YS) and at a location along the depth direction (ZS); and prioritizing, by the processor, an object from the set of objects based on at least two of metadata of the set of objects, screen areas of the set of objects, transparency of the set of objects, and opaqueness of at least one object of the set of objects currently displayed to improve the selection of at least one of mutually occluded objects and mutually partially occluded objects in the virtual environment. The method includes associating the prioritized object with the viewer input device for detecting interactions with the prioritized object displayed on the display device by the viewer input device. The prioritized object is updated on the screen of the display device based on the interactions.