Virtual Reticle Control Using Gaze and Head Pose
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing VR, AR, and MR technologies face challenges in providing comfortable and natural-feeling presentations of virtual image elements due to user discomfort from neck and eye strain when interacting with virtual reticles, and unstable depth perception leading to imaging issues.
Innovation Solution
A wearable system that adjusts the position and speed of a virtual reticle based on user head and eye pose to reduce strain, and uses a waveguide stack to provide realistic depth perception by simulating multiple depth planes with aligned accommodation and vergence cues.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the virtual reticle position is fixed relative to the display device, then the system structure is simple, but the user experiences neck and eye strain due to uncomfortable head positioning
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic reticle positioning by adjusting the reticle's position and speed based on real-time detection of head pose and eye gaze direction. The system transitions from a static reticle position to a dynamic one that adapts to user movements, reducing neck and eye strain while maintaining system feasibility through sensor-based control
2Productivity
If the reticle moves at constant speed, then the control system is simple, but the user cannot efficiently locate targets requiring extensive head movement
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts reticle movement speed based on the angular position of the user's gaze relative to the current reticle position. When the user looks far from the reticle center, the reticle moves faster; when closer, it moves slower. This dynamic speed adjustment enables efficient target acquisition while keeping the control system relatively simple through predefined speed profiles
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses eye tracking sensors to continuously monitor the user's gaze direction and provides feedback by adjusting reticle position and speed accordingly. This closed-loop feedback mechanism allows the reticle to automatically follow the user's visual attention, significantly improving target acquisition efficiency without requiring complex manual control
3Adaptability or versatility
If the head-mounted display is heavy, then it can accommodate more functional components, but the user experiences increased neck strain and discomfort
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses onboard sensors (accelerometers, gyroscopes, eye trackers) to automatically detect and compensate for device weight effects on the user. By monitoring head pose and making real-time adjustments to reticle positioning, the system offsets the physical burden of the device weight, reducing neck strain while maintaining full functional capabilities
Data Source
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AI summary
Systems and methods for displaying a virtual reticle in an augmented or virtual reality environment by a wearable device are described. The environment can include real or virtual objects that may be interacted with by the user through a variety of poses, such as, e.g., head pose, eye pose or gaze, or body pose. The user may select objects by pointing the virtual reticle toward a target object by changing pose or gaze. The wearable device can recognize that an orientation of a user's head or eyes is outside of a range of acceptable or comfortable head or eye poses and accelerate the movement of the reticle away from a default position and toward a position in the direction of the user's head or eye movement, which can reduce the amount of movement by the user to align the reticle and target.