Virtual-Space Agent Placement for Visibility Without View Obstruction
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing systems struggle to place agents in a virtual or real space in a position that is easily recognizable by the user without obstructing their view of desired content.
Innovation Solution
An information processing apparatus calculates an evaluation value based on user position information to determine the optimal placement of an agent in a virtual or real space, ensuring it is visible and avoids obstructing the user's view.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Difficulty of detecting and measuring
If the agent is placed at a position easily recognized by the user, then the user can quickly locate the agent, but the agent may block the user's view of the content they want to watch
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by evaluating different regions of the display screen with different weights. Regions that are more likely to contain content of interest to the user are assigned higher weights, causing the agent placement algorithm to avoid these high-weight regions. This creates a local quality distribution where the agent is directed toward areas with lower content density, thereby reducing view obstruction while remaining visible to the user.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent resolves the contradiction by introducing a new dimension for agent placement - not just horizontal and vertical screen coordinates, but also a 'content density dimension'. By calculating content density weights across the screen and using this as an additional placement criterion, the system finds optimal positions that balance visibility with minimal obstruction of content areas.
2Device complexity
If the agent is placed in a fixed position, then the placement is simple, but the agent may not be optimally positioned for different user viewing scenarios
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-calculating and storing content density weight information for different regions of the screen before agent placement. This pre-computed weight data is then used by the placement algorithm to quickly determine optimal positions. The system performs this content analysis in advance, so when the agent needs to be placed, the decision-making process is simplified and efficient.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements dynamics by making the agent placement position adaptive rather than fixed. The placement algorithm dynamically adjusts the agent's position based on real-time content density calculations and user interaction context. This allows the system to adapt to different viewing scenarios, content types, and user behaviors while maintaining a relatively simple overall architecture.
3Ease of operation
If the agent is placed close to the user's current position, then the user can easily see the agent, but the agent may overlap with or block the content in the user's immediate field of view
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by creating a spatial weight map where regions close to the user's current position have higher base weights (indicating higher content importance). The agent placement algorithm then seeks positions with lower cumulative weights, naturally pushing the agent away from the user's immediate field of view while still maintaining reasonable accessibility. This local quality differentiation resolves the conflict between proximity and obstruction.
Data Source
AI summary
In accordance with an aspect of the present invention, an information processing apparatus includes an interface that transmits or receives data to or from an input apparatus that inputs user position information indicating a position of a user, and a processor that calculates an evaluation value for an evaluation target position based on the user position information, determines a position in a virtual space or a real space where an agent supporting the user is placed based on the evaluation value, and places the agent at the determined position in the virtual space or real space.


