Selective Pass-Through Display Regions for Immersive AR Safety
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Solution Overview
Problem
Users of artificial reality systems, such as virtual reality and augmented reality, often lose awareness of their real-world environment while immersed, leading to difficulties in interacting with real-world objects and potential safety hazards due to obstructed views.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of a pass-through subsystem that allows optical or digital views of real-world environments to be selectively augmented within the user's field of view, using a combination of transparent displays and light-blocking devices, such as electrochromic materials or cameras, to enable the user to see real-world objects or people without breaking immersion.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a head-mounted display is used to provide immersive artificial reality experiences, then user immersion in virtual environments is improved, but user awareness of real-world environment deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The display is divided into multiple independently controllable display regions, allowing selective blocking or transmission of light in different areas. This enables the system to segment the field of view into virtual content areas and real-world pass-through areas, resolving the contradiction by allowing immersion in virtual regions while maintaining awareness in pass-through regions.
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the display have different optical properties - some regions block light for immersive virtual experiences while other regions transmit light for real-world awareness. The system dynamically adjusts the optical characteristics of local display regions based on detected objects and user needs, applying local quality to resolve the global contradiction.
2Reliability
If the display blocks real-world views to enhance virtual immersion, then user immersion is improved, but user interaction with real-world objects deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system proactively detects objects in the real world and automatically creates pass-through regions before the user needs to interact with them. By anticipating interaction needs through object detection and classification, the system prepares the display configuration in advance, allowing seamless interaction without breaking immersion.
Solution Approach 2:
The system continuously monitors the environment using cameras and sensors, detects objects and gestures, and dynamically adjusts display regions based on this feedback. When a user gestures toward a detected object, the system responds by creating or expanding pass-through regions, enabling natural interaction while maintaining overall immersion.
3Reliability
If the display obstructs the user's view of real-world hazards, then virtual experience quality is improved, but user safety deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system preemptively creates pass-through regions in response to detected hazards before the user can be harmed. By detecting objects classified as hazards (e.g., through object recognition or user gestures indicating concern), the system proactively opens visual pathways to warn the user, counteracting the harmful effect of obstruction before it can cause damage.
Solution Approach 2:
The system acts as an intermediary between the virtual environment and real-world hazards by selectively transmitting hazard information through the display. Rather than completely blocking or completely opening the view, the system mediates by creating targeted pass-through regions that provide hazard awareness while minimizing disruption to the virtual experience.
4Loss of information
If cameras and sensors are added to enable pass-through functionality, then real-world awareness is improved, but device complexity deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The head-mounted display integrates multiple functions into a single device - it provides virtual reality rendering, augmented reality overlay, environmental sensing, object detection, gesture recognition, and dynamic display control. By making the system universal and multi-functional, the patent reduces the need for separate dedicated devices, managing complexity through integration rather than adding separate systems.
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
This solution enhances user interaction with real-world objects and environments, improves safety by providing awareness of real-world hazards, and allows for seamless transitions between virtual and real-world interactions without removing the head-mounted display.
Implementation Method 1
light-blocking devices, such as electrochromic materials or cameras
Data Source
AI summary
The disclosed computer-implemented method may include (1) displaying one or more images to a user via a display comprising multiple display regions, (2) switching each of the display regions to a blocking state in which a view of the user's real-world environment in a corresponding region of the user's field of view is blocked from the user, (3) detecting a pass-through triggering event involving one or more objects in the user's real-world environment, (4) identifying one or more display regions corresponding to a region of the user's field of view occupied by the object, and (5) switching each of the one or more display regions to a pass-through state in which the view of the user's real-world environment in the corresponding region of the user's field of view is passed through to the user. Various other methods, systems, and computer-readable media are also disclosed.