Virtual Cylinder Interface for Head-Mounted Display Content Management
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current augmented reality systems face challenges in seamlessly integrating virtual objects into real-world environments, particularly in providing an interactive and efficient user interface for managing content using head-mounted display devices, as they often require multiple physical screens and lack intuitive gesture-based control mechanisms.
Innovation Solution
The system provides an interactive augmented reality environment where content is displayed on one or more curved slates positioned on a virtual cylinder that appears body-locked to the user, allowing for gesture-controlled selection, repositioning, and resizing of these slates using a virtual pointer, eliminating the need for additional physical screens and enhancing user interaction.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If multiple physical screens are used to display content, then content accessibility is improved, but device complexity and space requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from 2D physical screens to a 3D virtual cylindrical interface surrounding the user. Multiple curved slates are positioned at different angular positions around the user's field of view, creating a spatial arrangement that provides content accessibility without requiring multiple physical screens stacked or placed separately. The cylindrical coordinate system (angular position, radial distance, vertical position) enables content to be accessed from multiple directions simultaneously.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates virtual copies of display surfaces (curved slates) in the augmented reality environment. These virtual slates replicate the functionality of physical screens but exist as digital objects within the AR space, allowing multiple instances to be displayed without the physical constraints and complexity of actual multiple screens.
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple physical screens are used to display content, then content accessibility is improved, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
Virtual curved slates are rendered as digital objects in the AR environment rather than activating multiple physical display panels. The system renders only the portions of the cylindrical interface that are currently within the user's field of view or relevant to the task, significantly reducing the energy required compared to powering multiple physical screens simultaneously.
Solution Approach 2:
The system renders and displays content on the virtual cylindrical interface selectively rather than continuously across all possible surfaces. Curved slates are positioned and activated based on user needs and field of view, avoiding the energy waste of continuously displaying content on multiple physical screens that would all need to remain powered and active.
3Ease of operation
If traditional AR interfaces are used without gesture control, then system simplicity is maintained, but ease of operation deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces traditional mechanical or button-based interaction mechanisms with gesture-based control. Users manipulate virtual curved slates and content on the cylindrical interface through natural hand gestures captured by motion sensors, eliminating the need for physical buttons, knobs, or other mechanical controls that would add device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The AR system automatically tracks and interprets user gestures through onboard sensors and computer vision algorithms. The system self-adjusts to user intentions by detecting hand movements, gaze direction, and interaction patterns, providing intuitive control without requiring users to learn complex control schemes or interact with complicated interface elements.
Data Source
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AI summary
Methods for managing content within an interactive augmented reality environment are described. An augmented reality environment may be provided to an end user of a head-mounted display device (HMD) in which content (e.g., webpages) may be displayed to the end user using one or more curved slates that are positioned on a virtual cylinder that appears body-locked to the end user. The virtual cylinder may be located around the end user with the end user positioned in the middle of the virtual cylinder such that the one or more curved slates appear to be displayed at the same distance from the end user. The position and size of each of the one or more curved slates may be controlled by the end user using head gestures and a virtual pointer projected onto the virtual cylinder.