Shared AR Coordinate Alignment Using Spatial Image Offsets
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Solution Overview
Problem
Inconsistent positioning of computer-generated imagery relative to real-world imagery in shared augmented reality experiences among multiple participants, leading to a degraded AR experience.
Innovation Solution
A system and method for creating a shared coordinate space between user gaming devices with disjoint relative coordinate spaces by synchronizing clocks, initiating AR tracking, displaying a spatial alignment image, and calculating an offset based on timestamps to align the coordinate spaces with millimeter accuracy.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If users manually input location information for AR experiences, then location accuracy can be achieved, but user effort and time consumption increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The system automatically determines the user's location using device sensors (GPS, accelerometer, gyroscope, magnetometer) and image processing algorithms. The device performs self-calibration by detecting environmental features and computing location without human intervention, eliminating manual input requirements while maintaining accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary location determination and environmental feature detection before the AR experience begins. By pre-processing location data and caching environmental features during setup, the system reduces real-time computational burden and enables faster experience startup without requiring manual location verification.
2Ease of operation
If the system automatically determines user location using device sensors, then user effort is reduced, but location precision and reliability deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The system merges data from multiple sensors (GPS, accelerometer, gyroscope, magnetometer) and combines them with visual data from the camera. This multi-source fusion approach compensates for individual sensor limitations and achieves higher precision than any single sensor could provide alone.
Solution Approach 2:
The system introduces environmental features (natural or artificial landmarks) as intermediaries to verify and refine location determination. These features serve as reference points that mediate between raw sensor data and final location calculation, improving reliability through independent verification.
3Device complexity
If multiple users share AR experiences without location alignment, then system complexity is reduced, but experience quality and user satisfaction deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The system establishes a universal coordinate system that all users share, allowing different devices to participate in the same AR experience with consistent spatial references. This universal framework enables multiple users to interact seamlessly without requiring complex pairwise synchronization between each device.
Solution Approach 2:
The system continuously monitors and adjusts user locations by comparing expected positions (based on shared coordinate system) with actual sensor-derived positions. This feedback mechanism detects and corrects drift or misalignment in real-time, maintaining experience quality across multiple users without increasing fundamental system complexity.
4Measurement precision
If the system requires manual location verification for each user, then location accuracy is ensured, but onboarding time and system overhead increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs partial verification by checking key location parameters automatically rather than requiring complete manual verification. This selective automated verification approach achieves sufficient accuracy for most cases while enabling faster onboarding, accepting that some edge cases may require additional manual intervention.
Data Source
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AI summary
Described herein is a system and method for creating a shared coordinate space in an augmented reality session between two devices with disjoint relative coordinate spaces. With AR tracking initiated, each device has its own relative coordinate space. A spatial alignment image can be recognized by a device joining an AR session which records its location (e.g., six degrees of position). The joining device can utilize an obtained location of an inviting device at or about the time the spatial alignment image was recognized, and, a spatial origin of the inviting device, to calculate an offset between the joining device and the inviting device, establishing a shared coordinate space between the joining device and the inviting device.