Smart UE HMD Control via Gesture and Rear Camera
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Solution Overview
Problem
Head-mounted displays (HMDs) used for virtual reality (VR) or augmented reality (AR) pose safety concerns due to users being unable to directly see their surroundings, and existing devices lack efficient control mechanisms without separate control means, making it inconvenient to manage tasks like pausing video playback.
Innovation Solution
A smart user equipment (UE) connected to an HMD, equipped with sensors, a rear camera, and an operation control module, allows users to control the device by tapping or recognizing hand motions, enabling control operations without removing the HMD, including detecting and responding to dangerous situations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If HMD is worn on the head covering the eyes to provide VR/AR experience, then immersion and presence are improved, but user safety deteriorates due to inability to see surroundings
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a camera as an intermediary device that captures the real-world environment and transmits it to the HMD display. This allows users to see their surroundings through the display while maintaining immersion, effectively mediating between the need for VR/AR experience and safety awareness without removing the HMD from the head.
2Device complexity
If HMD is used without separate control means to simplify device structure, then device complexity is reduced, but ease of operation deteriorates due to inconvenient manipulation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements self-service control by enabling users to operate the HMD through direct interaction with the device itself - tapping the HMD case or making hand motions in front of it. This eliminates the need for separate remote controls or buttons, allowing users to control playback and other functions conveniently while wearing the device.
3Ease of operation
If separate control means are added to HMD to improve ease of operation, then manipulation convenience is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes the HMD case itself a multi-functional component that serves both as the structural housing and as a control interface. By incorporating touch-sensitive capabilities and gesture recognition into the existing case design, the device achieves control functionality without adding separate control components, thus maintaining structural simplicity while improving ease of operation.
Data Source
AI summary
A smart user equipment (UE) connected to a head mounted display (HMD) worn on a user's head, for playing a video is disclosed. The smart UE includes an operation control module configured to recognize a predetermined user action by a sensor or a camera included in the smart UE and perform a control operation mapped to the user action. The smart UE enables the user to control an operation of the smart UE regardless of whether the HMD includes a separate control means by controlling the smart UE without removing the HMD through the operation control module. While the user is viewing video content including virtual reality, wearing the HMD, the smart UE autonomously detects a dangerous situation through situation awareness and notifies the user of the dangerous situation by an operation of recognizing an obstacle appearing in front of the user by using a rear camera which is installed at the rear of the smart UE and monitors the front of the user, and upon recognition of the obstacle, displaying a front view screen on a display unit included in the smart UE in real time, to enable the user to identify and cope with the dangerous situation without removing the HMD. When the distance between the user and the obstacle is equal to or less than a threshold, the smart UE discontinues the video play and displays only the front view screen.