Simulating 3D Features on 2D Displays via Dynamic Perspective

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional two-dimensional displays fail to provide a realistic three-dimensional experience as they do not update content realistically with changes in position, orientation, or lighting, leading to a degraded virtual experience.

Innovation Solution

An electronic device determines the user's relative position and orientation using image capture elements and orientation sensors, adjusting the rendering perspective to simulate a three-dimensional view on both two- and three-dimensional displays, allowing for occlusion and shading updates based on the user's viewpoint, enabling the user to 'look around' occlusions and view hidden content.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If conventional two-dimensional displays are used to present virtual reality content, then device complexity is reduced and ease of manufacture is improved, but the realism and immersion of the three-dimensional experience is degraded

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveease of manufactureVSAvoidrealism of three-dimensional experience
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies dimensionality change by taking two-dimensional display content and dynamically adjusting its perspective, occlusion, and shading to simulate three-dimensional spatial relationships. The system renders 2D images from multiple virtual camera positions and combines them to create depth perception, effectively adding a third dimension to the display experience without requiring 3D hardware

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

Solution Approach 2:

The system dynamically changes multiple rendering parameters including viewpoint position, orientation, occlusion depth, and lighting/shading angles based on the user's actual head position and device orientation. These parameter adjustments are continuously updated in response to sensor data, creating a realistic three-dimensional effect through parameter variation rather than static 3D graphics

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Reliability

If dynamic viewpoint adjustment is implemented to simulate three-dimensional experience, then the realism of the virtual environment is improved, but device complexity and processing requirements increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improverealism of three-dimensional experienceVSAvoiddevice complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system uses the device's existing sensors (accelerometers, gyroscopes, magnetometers) and camera to automatically determine user position and orientation without requiring external tracking equipment. The rendering system self-adjusts viewpoint and occlusion based on this sensor data, making the complexity management self-contained within the mobile device itself

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The patent makes existing device components serve multiple functions: the camera is used for both capturing images to be displayed and for determining user position through image analysis, while orientation sensors serve both standard navigation purposes and three-dimensional rendering adjustments. This multi-functionality reduces the need for additional dedicated hardware

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

3Reliability

If occlusion and shading updates are implemented based on user viewpoint, then the immersive quality of the virtual environment is improved, but the processing time and computational load increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveimmersive qualityVSAvoidprocessing time
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system pre-calculates occlusion relationships and shading parameters based on the rendered image content before displaying it. By analyzing the 2D image to determine depth relationships and pre-computing how objects should occlude one another from different viewpoints, the system avoids real-time complex calculations during user interaction, reducing processing delays

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentEP2732436B1Simulating three-dimensional features
Publication Date: 2019.09.18 AMAZON TECH INC
  • EP2732436B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2732436B1 patent drawingFigure 2(a)~2(b)
  • EP2732436B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

Image information displayed on an electronic device can be modified based at least in part upon a relative position of a user with respect to a device. Mapping, topological or other types of positional data can be used to render image content from a perspective that is consistent with a viewing angle for the current relative position of the user. As that viewing angle changes, as a result of movement of the user and/or the device, the content can be re-rendered or otherwise updated to display the image content from a perspective that reflects the change in viewing angle. Simulations of effects such as parallax and occlusions can be used with the change in perspective to provide a consistent user experience that provides a sense of three-dimensional content even when that content is rendered on a two-dimensional display. Lighting, shading and/or other effects can be used to enhance the experience.