Supplemental Emitters for Dynamic Hand Tracking Illumination
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Solution Overview
Problem
Designing sensors for head-mounted devices to detect users' hands is challenging, especially in low light conditions, as existing technologies struggle to maintain accurate tracking and illumination.
Innovation Solution
A head-mounted device equipped with scene cameras, hands cameras, and supplemental emitters, controlled by circuitry that adjusts illumination based on detected hand brightness and environmental lighting, to ensure proper exposure and tracking of hands.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If supplemental emitters are activated to illuminate the scene and external objects in low light conditions, then the illumination intensity and detection accuracy are improved, but the power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts the output strength of supplemental emitters based on real-time scene brightness assessment. The control circuitry continuously monitors scene average brightness and hand region brightness, adjusting emitter output strength accordingly - using higher strength only when and where low light conditions are detected, rather than maintaining constant high illumination
Solution Approach 2:
The system applies illumination selectively to specific regions rather than uniformly across the entire scene. By identifying hand regions and low light areas, the control circuitry activates supplemental emitters only in those specific zones, leaving already-well-illuminated areas unchanged. This localized approach improves hand detection accuracy while minimizing unnecessary power consumption in bright regions
2Illumination intensity
If the output strength of supplemental emitters is increased to improve hand tracking in low light, then the illumination of external objects is improved, but the brightness of already illuminated regions may become overexposed
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies different illumination strategies to different spatial regions. By segmenting the scene into hand regions, low light regions, and already-illuminated regions, the control circuitry activates supplemental emitters with appropriate output strength only in regions that need illumination, preventing overexposure in regions that already have sufficient light
Solution Approach 2:
The system continuously monitors scene brightness and hand region brightness, using this feedback to adjust emitter output strength in real-time. The control circuitry compares current brightness levels against target thresholds and dynamically modifies illumination output to maintain optimal exposure, preventing both underexposure in dark regions and overexposure in bright regions
3Reliability
If supplemental emitters are continuously activated to ensure consistent hand detection, then the reliability of hand tracking is improved, but the power consumption and heat generation increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system transitions from static continuous illumination to dynamic adaptive illumination. The control circuitry continuously assesses scene and hand region brightness, adjusting emitter activation and output strength in real-time based on actual lighting conditions, thereby maintaining reliable hand tracking only when and where needed
Solution Approach 2:
The system employs periodic assessment of lighting conditions rather than continuous high-power emission. The control circuitry periodically evaluates scene average brightness and hand region brightness, activating or adjusting supplemental emitters based on these periodic assessments, thereby reducing overall power consumption while maintaining tracking reliability
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution enables effective hand detection and tracking in various lighting conditions, improving the accuracy and reliability of hand motion recognition and reducing power consumption by dynamically adjusting illumination.
Implementation Method 1
activating one or more supplemental emitters to illuminate the external object
Data Source
AI summary
A head-mounted device may include one or more scene cameras configured to capture images of a scene, one or more hands sensors configured to detect a user's hands, one or more supplemental emitters configured to provide supplemental illumination for the user's hands, and control circuitry configured to determine whether the user's hands are sufficiently illuminated, to determine whether the captured images are properly exposed, and to adjust the one or more supplemental emitters based on whether the user's hands are sufficiently illuminated and based on whether the captured images are properly exposed. The control circuitry can activate the supplemental emitters when the captured images are too dark or when one of the detected hands is too dark. The control circuitry can deactivate the supplemental emitters when one of the detected hands is too bright or when the captured images are overly exposed.