Virtual Reality Rendering with Spherical Projection Planes
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current VR hardware limitations hinder the real-time rendering of complex virtual reality scenes, leading to performance bottlenecks that restrict the capabilities of VR platforms.
Innovation Solution
A system and method involving spherical projection planes for pre-rendering background elements and real-time rendering of foreground objects, utilizing shader processing to determine occlusion and shadows, thereby improving rendering efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If all objects are rendered in real-time simultaneously, then user interaction responsiveness is maintained, but rendering performance deteriorates due to hardware limitations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the virtual environment into multiple spherical projection planes at different distances from the user. Background objects on distant planes are pre-rendered, while foreground objects on closer planes are rendered in real-time. This segmentation allows the system to maintain real-time responsiveness for interactive objects while pre-rendering non-interactive background elements, thereby resolving the contradiction between interaction responsiveness and rendering performance.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-rendering background objects on distant spherical projection planes before the user reaches them. As the user moves through the virtual environment and approaches previously distant planes, those pre-rendered objects become part of the real-time rendering composition. This preliminary preparation of background content reduces the real-time rendering load while maintaining visual fidelity and interaction responsiveness.
2Adaptability or versatility
If complex scenes with multiple objects are rendered, then scene complexity and immersion are improved, but hardware performance requirements increase beyond current VR capabilities
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a dynamic rendering approach where the rendering strategy adapts based on the user's position and movement in the virtual environment. As users move through space, different spherical projection planes enter and exit the real-time rendering composition. Objects transition between pre-rendered and real-time rendered states based on their relative distance from the user, allowing complex scenes to be rendered efficiently without exceeding hardware capabilities.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a spatial dimension to the rendering strategy by organizing objects across multiple spherical projection planes at different radial distances from the user. This dimensional organization allows the system to differentiate between background (distant planes) and foreground (closer planes) objects, applying different rendering strategies to each dimension of space. This resolves the contradiction by enabling complex scenes through multi-planar organization while managing hardware demands through selective pre-rendering.
Data Source
AI summary
A system and method for rendering a stereoscopic virtual reality environment is presented. The method includes: receiving a digital three dimensional environment, the digital three dimensional environment including a plurality of graphic objects; selecting a first location in the digital three dimensional environment, the first location represented by a set of unique coordinates; determining a first spherical projection plane from the first location; pre-rendering a first object of the plurality of graphic objects on the first spherical projection plane; rendering in real-time a second object of the plurality of graphic; and updating a framebuffer with the second object and the first object, based on a shader output.