Transparent AR Display With UWB Line-of-Sight Tracking

Solution Overview

Problem

Current augmented reality systems rely on expensive and energy-intensive cameras to track a user's field-of-view, raising privacy concerns and inefficiencies.

Innovation Solution

Utilizing ultra-wideband (UWB) positioning technology to determine a user's line-of-sight relative to objects through a transparent LCD display, tracking the user's head position and orientation without cameras, and displaying relevant information on the display proximate the line-of-sight.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If cameras are used to track user's field-of-view in AR systems, then field-of-view tracking accuracy is improved, but device cost and energy consumption increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefield-of-view tracking accuracyVSAvoidenergy consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces optical/mechanical camera-based tracking systems with a magnetic field-based sensing system. The head-mounted device contains a magnet, and external sensors detect the magnet's position and orientation to determine field-of-view, eliminating the need for energy-intensive camera hardware and processing while maintaining tracking accuracy.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent uses inexpensive magnetic sensors and simple magnet-based tracking instead of expensive camera systems. The magnetic field detection approach requires minimal processing power and energy, providing a cost-effective alternative that consumes significantly less energy while achieving comparable or sufficient tracking precision for AR applications.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #27Cheap short-living objects (Disposable)

2Measurement precision

If cameras are used to track user's field-of-view in AR systems, then field-of-view tracking accuracy is improved, but device cost increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefield-of-view tracking accuracyVSAvoiddevice cost

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces optical/mechanical camera-based tracking systems with a magnetic field-based sensing system. The head-mounted device contains a magnet, and external sensors detect the magnet's position and orientation to determine field-of-view, eliminating the need for expensive camera hardware and processing while maintaining tracking accuracy.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent uses inexpensive magnetic sensors and simple magnet-based tracking instead of expensive camera systems. The magnetic field detection approach requires minimal processing power and energy, providing a cost-effective alternative that consumes significantly less energy while achieving comparable or sufficient tracking precision for AR applications.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #27Cheap short-living objects (Disposable)

3Extent of automation

If cameras are used to track user's field-of-view in AR systems, then field-of-view tracking is achieved, but privacy concerns for people in proximity increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefield-of-view tracking capabilityVSAvoidprivacy concerns

Core Design Contradiction:

Extent of automationVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts the tracking functionality from the head-mounted device and places sensors in the environment instead. External sensors detect the position of a magnet in the user's head-mounted device to determine field-of-view, eliminating the need for cameras that capture visual information about surrounding people and thereby resolving privacy concerns.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces optical/mechanical camera-based tracking systems with a magnetic field-based sensing system. The head-mounted device contains a magnet, and external sensors detect the magnet's position and orientation to determine field-of-view, eliminating the need for expensive camera systems.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Data Source

PatentUS20260039784A1Line of sight display for augmented reality

Publication Date: 2026.02.05 MICROCHIP TECHNOLOGY INC

AI summary

Systems and methods track a user's line-of-sight relative to objects through a transparent LCD display to provide information about the objects to be displayed on the display proximate the line-of-sight between the object being viewed and the user's head to create an augmented reality environment for the user. A method comprising: determining a position of an object; determining a position of a transparent display; determining a line-of-sight extending between a user's eye and the object through the transparent display; determining where the line-of-sight intersects the transparent display; and displaying object information corresponding to the object via the transparent display proximate where the line-of-sight intersects the transparent display.