Mixed Reality Virtual Object Anchoring and Dynamic Positioning
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Solution Overview
Problem
In mixed reality environments, users face difficulties in viewing and interacting with virtual objects from off-angles due to their dynamic positioning relative to the user's movement, making it challenging to maintain optimal viewing and interaction.
Innovation Solution
A system that uses a see-through, head-mounted display device coupled with processing units to determine user movement and position, anchoring virtual objects when the user is moving and repositioning them to face the user when stationary, ensuring optimal viewing and interaction.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If virtual objects are anchored at fixed positions in the environment, then users can move around and view objects from different perspectives, but users cannot maintain optimal viewing angle when stationary
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic positioning of virtual objects that switches between two modes: anchored positioning when the user is moving (providing spatial consistency and perspective appreciation) and user-facing positioning when the user is stationary (providing optimal viewing angle). This dynamic adaptation resolves the contradiction by making the system behavior flexible based on user state.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the positioning parameter of virtual objects based on detected user motion state. When the user is moving, objects maintain fixed environmental coordinates; when stationary, objects rotate to face the user. This parameter change allows the system to optimize viewing comfort without sacrificing viewing flexibility.
2Ease of operation
If virtual objects rotate to face the user when stationary, then viewing comfort is improved, but spatial consistency is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts object positioning based on user motion detection. During movement, objects maintain stable anchored positions for spatial consistency. During stationary periods, objects dynamically rotate to face the user for viewing comfort. This conditional dynamic behavior resolves the contradiction between stability and adaptability.
Solution Approach 2:
The system periodically evaluates user motion state and switches between anchored and user-facing positioning modes. This periodic assessment ensures that spatial consistency is maintained during exploration phases while viewing comfort is optimized during interaction phases, resolving the contradiction through temporal separation of objectives.
3Ease of operation
If the system continuously tracks user position and orientation, then optimal positioning is achieved, but computational complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies different positioning strategies to different virtual objects based on their functional requirements. Some objects maintain anchored positions while others rotate to face the user, depending on their role in the mixed reality environment. This localized differentiation reduces overall system complexity while maintaining positioning accuracy where needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes positioning parameters selectively based on user state and object type rather than continuously adjusting all parameters for all objects. This selective parameter change reduces computational load while maintaining the necessary positioning accuracy for optimal user experience.
Data Source
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AI summary
A system and method are disclosed for displaying virtual objects in a mixed reality environment in a way that is optimal and most comfortable for a user to interact with the virtual objects. When a user is moving through the mixed reality environment, the virtual objects may remain world-locked, so that the user can move around and explore the virtual objects from different perspectives. When the user is motionless in the mixed reality environment, the virtual objects may rotate to face the user so that the user can easily view and interact with the virtual objects.