Pedestal AR Viewer Reducing Alignment Complexity via Server Extraction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current augmented reality systems, particularly head-mounted displays, are complex and costly, making them unsuitable for viewing landscapes or educational displays, as they require alignment of real and virtual imagery in six-degrees-of-freedom, which is not feasible for public, low-cost devices.
Innovation Solution
A pedestal-mounted augmented reality viewing system that simplifies the alignment of real and virtual imagery by limiting it to two degrees of freedom, using rotary encoders for pitch and yaw, allowing for a fixed position and reduced complexity, with optical components including an objective lens, beam splitter, eyepiece lens, and image display device to composite and capture augmented images.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If head-mounted displays are used for augmented reality, then alignment of real and virtual imagery can be achieved, but the system becomes complex and costly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the alignment function from the viewer device itself and relocates it to a remote server. The server receives images from the camera, aligns them with reference images using GPS coordinates and compass bearing, and returns the aligned composite images. This extraction eliminates the need for complex alignment mechanisms in the viewer, reducing device complexity while maintaining alignment precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a server as an intermediary between the camera and the display. Instead of directly aligning images within the viewer device, the system uses a server-mediated process where the server performs the alignment computation based on location data and image metadata, then returns the pre-aligned images to the viewer for simple display.
2Measurement precision
If head-mounted displays are used for augmented reality, then real and virtual images can be aligned, but the cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the expensive alignment computation from the viewer device and places it on a server. This allows the viewer to use inexpensive components (standard camera, basic display, simple mounting) while the server handles the complex and costly alignment processing, significantly reducing manufacturing costs.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses reference images copied from existing sources (aerial photographs, satellite images, historical photos) and aligns them with current camera images through server-based processing. This approach avoids the need for expensive custom alignment hardware in each viewer, allowing mass production at low cost.
3Measurement precision
If six-degrees-of-freedom alignment is implemented, then precise image alignment is achieved, but the device becomes unsuitable for public use
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the six-degrees-of-freedom alignment requirement from the viewer device, making it a simple, public-friendly tool. The complex alignment computation is extracted and performed remotely on a server using GPS coordinates and compass bearing data, allowing the viewer to remain simple and accessible to the general public.
4Device complexity
If a pedestal-mounted viewer is used, then alignment complexity is reduced to two degrees of freedom, but the field of view is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from spatial field-of-view expansion to digital field-of-view expansion. Instead of making the physical viewer rotate or pan to cover larger areas, the system captures images at fixed positions and uses server-based image processing to composite multiple reference images, effectively expanding the digital field of view through post-processing rather than mechanical movement.
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
The system provides a cost-effective and user-friendly way to overlay virtual information onto real-world landscapes, enhancing educational experiences by reducing alignment complexity and enabling the display of composited images with reduced hardware and operational costs.
Implementation Method 1
a beam splitter to receive the real image and direct the real image along a second optical path to an eyepiece lens and along a third optical path to an image capture device
Implementation Method 2
an objective lens through which a real image of a scene may be viewed
Implementation Method 3
direct the real image along a second optical path to an eyepiece lens
Data Source
AI summary
A pedestal mounted augmented reality viewing system is provided. The invention comprises an augmented reality viewer and control electronics and software, mounted on a pedestal. The pedestal is capable of providing rotational movement about two independent axes and is equipped with angular position sensors or encoders which provide position information to the control electronics. The control electronics and software use positional information provided by the pedestal mounted sensors for the creation of an augmented image, via the optical system of the invention, by compositing real and virtual component images.