Surface-Aware Lens With Redundant 6DoF/3DoF Tracking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Virtual object rendering systems face challenges in maintaining consistent presentation of virtual objects in real-world environments due to environmental conditions, user actions, and unanticipated visual interruptions, leading to erratic behavior and disruption of the illusion.
Innovation Solution
A redundant tracking system that combines multiple tracking approaches, including 6DoF and 3DoF, seamlessly transitions between them based on available tracking indicia, using a surface aware lens to anchor virtual objects to a reference surface in the real world, ensuring consistent rendering.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a single tracking system is used to render virtual objects, then the system complexity is low, but the reliability of virtual object presentation deteriorates due to environmental conditions and visual interruptions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple tracking subsystems (inertial tracking using accelerometers/gyroscopes and visual tracking using camera-based feature recognition) into a unified tracking system. The inertial tracker provides continuous 6DoF data while the visual tracker provides 3DoF data, and their outputs are merged through sensor fusion algorithms to maintain reliable virtual object presentation even when one subsystem fails or provides insufficient data due to environmental conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically switches between different tracking modes (6DoF inertial tracking and 3DoF visual tracking) based on the availability and quality of tracking indicia. When visual features are unavailable or insufficient, the system transitions to inertial tracking alone, and when visual features are abundant, it combines both sources. This dynamic adaptation ensures reliable tracking across varying environmental conditions without requiring a permanently complex system configuration.
2Reliability
If multiple tracking subsystems are combined to improve reliability, then the virtual object presentation consistency is maintained, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The tracking system is segmented into independent functional modules: an inertial tracking module using motion sensors, a visual tracking module using camera and feature detection, and a sensor fusion module that combines their outputs. Each module operates independently and can be developed, tested, and maintained separately. This segmentation allows the system to achieve high reliability through redundancy while managing complexity through modular architecture, where each subsystem remains relatively simple.
3Measurement precision
If 6DoF tracking is used to maintain virtual object position, then the positioning accuracy is high, but the system fails when tracking indicia are interrupted
Solution Approach 1:
The system changes the tracking parameters dynamically based on environmental conditions. When visual tracking indicia are available and reliable, the system uses 6DoF tracking with high position accuracy. When visual indicia are interrupted or unavailable, the system transitions to 3DoF tracking using only inertial sensors, accepting reduced accuracy in exchange for continued operation. This parameter adaptation allows the system to maintain functionality across diverse environmental conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The tracking system dynamically adjusts its operational mode based on the availability of tracking indicia. It transitions between 6DoF mode (using both inertial and visual data when available), 3DoF mode (using only inertial data when visual data is unavailable), and different sensor fusion strategies. This dynamic behavior enables the system to adapt to environmental changes while maintaining the best possible positioning accuracy under each condition.
Data Source
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AI summary
Aspects of the present disclosure involve a system comprising a computer-readable storage medium storing at least one program, and a method for rendering three-dimensional virtual objects within real world environments. Virtual rendering of a three-dimensional virtual object can be altered appropriately as a user moves around the object in the real world, and the three-dimensional virtual object can exist similarly for multiple users. Virtual object rendering can be with respect to a reference surface, like e.g. a floor or ground or table, in a real world environment, which reference surface can be selected by a user as part of the virtual object rendering process or by image processing methods.