Ship AR Display Dynamic Label Positioning to Prevent Overlap

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing image generation devices for ships struggle to effectively display various kinds of information about targets around the ship in a way that prevents overlap and ensures readability.

Innovation Solution

An image generation device and method that utilize augmented reality (AR) to overlay detailed information onto an image captured by a camera on a ship, using a combination of sensors and ship devices to provide real-time data and adjust the display dynamically to prevent overlap.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of information

If text labels are repositioned to prevent overlap, then readability is improved, but the complexity of the display system increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvereadability of informationVSAvoidcomplexity of display system
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of informationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The text labels are dynamically repositioned based on the relative positions of targets and the ship's orientation. The display controller continuously adjusts label positions according to target distance, direction, and ship attitude angles, making the system adaptive rather than static to prevent overlap while maintaining readability

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The system changes multiple parameters simultaneously including label position coordinates, font size, and placement orientation based on target distance and direction. By adjusting these parameters dynamically, the system prevents label overlap and ensures readability without requiring complex additional hardware

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Adaptability or versatility

If multiple kinds of information are displayed about targets, then the usefulness for navigation is improved, but the likelihood of information overlap increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveusefulness for navigationVSAvoidinformation overlap
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

Multiple types of information (target distance, direction, ship attitude, AIS data) are segmented and displayed as separate text labels rather than combining them into a single crowded display element. Each piece of information is individually positioned and managed to prevent overlap while maintaining comprehensive navigation data

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The system utilizes multiple spatial dimensions for label placement including horizontal position, vertical position, and orientation angles. By distributing information across these dimensions and adjusting label orientation according to ship attitude, the system accommodates multiple information types without overlap

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

3Loss of information

If text labels are displayed close to targets, then the correlation between target and information is improved, but the risk of overlap with other labels increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecorrelation between target and informationVSAvoidlabel overlap
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of informationVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

Each text label is given local quality characteristics including individual position, orientation, and size adjustments based on its specific target's properties. Labels closer to targets have optimized positioning to ensure clear association, while the system dynamically adjusts each label's parameters to prevent overlap with neighboring labels

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentEP3846457B1Image generation device and image generation method
Publication Date: 2025.04.23 MITSUI O S K LINES LTD
  • EP3846457B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3846457B1 patent drawingFigure 2~3
  • EP3846457B1 patent drawingFigure 4

AI summary

An image generation device (1) includes a camera (3) installed on a ship (4), a ship device which acquires target information about a target, an AR image generation unit (20) which generates an AR image in which the target information acquired by the ship device is displayed in a captured image captured by the camera (3), marker display means for displaying a marker for selecting the target by a user such that the marker moves according to a display place of the target in the AR image, and marker moving means for moving the display place of at least one of the markers so that determination regions which determining that each marker has been selected do not overlap each other.