Remote Person Image Alignment for Natural Mixed Reality Communication
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing mixed reality technologies cause a sense of incongruity in communication between users wearing head-mounted displays when they are located at different remote locations, as the user at one location cannot feel as if they are facing the other user.
Innovation Solution
An information processing apparatus and method that acquires and displays a person's image at the position of an imaging device in the real space where the user is present, aligning the image positions to create a composite view that simulates both users being in the same space, using cameras and processors to adjust and combine images in real-time.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the person image is displayed at a position other than the imaging device position, then the display flexibility is improved, but the communication naturalness deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses the imaging device position as a reference copy to determine where the person image should be displayed. By copying the spatial relationship from the real world (where the imaging device captures the user) to the virtual display space, the system maintains natural communication positioning without sacrificing display flexibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The imaging device position acts as an intermediary reference point between the user and the person image. Rather than directly linking user position to image position, the imaging device position serves as a mediator that ensures both parties perceive each other from the correct perspective, resolving the contradiction between flexible display and natural communication.
2Device complexity
If the person image is displayed without aligning to imaging device position, then the system complexity is reduced, but the communication quality deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary positioning of the person image at the imaging device position before the communication interaction occurs. This advance alignment ensures that when communication begins, both users are already positioned correctly in the shared space, maintaining high communication quality without requiring complex real-time adjustments.
3Speed
If the imaging device position is not considered in image display, then the processing speed is improved, but the sense of presence deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the display position parameter of the person image to match the imaging device position. This single parameter adjustment maintains processing speed while dramatically improving the sense of presence, as the person image now appears from the correct spatial location relative to the user.
Data Source
AI summary
An information processing apparatus including a processor and a memory storing a program that, when executed by the processor, causes the information processing apparatus to execute acquisition processing of acquiring a remote location person image that is an image acquired by capturing an image of a person at the remote location, to execute acquisition processing of acquiring a field-of-view image that represents a range in a real space where a user is present, the range corresponding to a field of view of the user, to execute composition processing of obtaining a composite image by combining the remote location person image with the field-of-view image, the remote location person image being combined at a position of an imaging device capturing an image of the user in a size based on a positional relationship between the user and the imaging device, and to execute control processing to display the composite image.