Virtual Space Modification for Accessible VR Object Interaction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Virtual reality systems often present virtual spaces that are larger than the real-world play area, causing objects outside the play area to be inaccessible to users, limiting interaction and immersion.
Innovation Solution
An apparatus and method for identifying objects likely to be interacted with by the user, determining the virtual space's size relative to the play area, and modifying the virtual space to ensure these objects are presented within the play area through techniques such as cropping, scaling, or repositioning.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If the virtual space is made larger to provide more content and objects, then the quantity and variety of interactable objects increases, but the real-world play area cannot accommodate all objects, causing them to be inaccessible to users
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and repositions only the most important objects (those likely to be interacted with) from the larger virtual space into the real-world play area boundary. This is achieved by identifying objects based on user interaction history or preferences, then selectively modifying the virtual space to ensure these extracted objects are presented within the play area, while other objects may remain outside or be omitted from the current view.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies different quality treatment to different regions of the virtual space. Objects within the real-world play area boundary are rendered with full detail and interactivity, while objects outside the boundary may be rendered at lower detail levels or omitted entirely. This creates a local quality differentiation that prioritizes accessible objects while maintaining the overall structure of the larger virtual space.
2Ease of operation
If the virtual space is modified to fit within the real-world play area, then object accessibility improves, but the overall size and scale of the virtual space is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the virtual space into multiple regions: a core region within the real-world play area boundary where important objects are fully presented, and an outer region where objects may be partially presented or omitted. This segmentation allows the system to maintain a large virtual space volume while ensuring that the most important objects are accessible within the play area boundary.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes spatial dimensionality by repositioning objects from their original locations in the larger virtual space to new locations within the real-world play area boundary. This dimensional transformation allows objects to be accessible to users without reducing the overall virtual space volume, as the virtual space can extend beyond the play area in directions not blocked by physical boundaries.
3Ease of operation
If objects are repositioned to be within the play area, then user interaction capability improves, but the original spatial relationships and layout of the virtual space may be distorted
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic repositioning of objects based on user interaction history and preferences. The spatial layout of the virtual space is not fixed but can be dynamically adjusted to prioritize objects that users are likely to interact with. This dynamic adaptation allows the system to maintain useful spatial relationships while ensuring interactivity within the play area boundary.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs preliminary identification of objects likely to be interacted with before finalizing the spatial layout. By analyzing user interaction history or preferences in advance, the system can pre-position important objects within the play area boundary, ensuring that when users access the virtual space, the most relevant objects are already in optimal positions for interaction without requiring real-time distortion of the entire spatial layout.
Data Source
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AI summary
An apparatus, method and computer program for virtual space modification are disclosed. The method may comprise identifying one or more objects of a virtual space which a user is likely to interact with, wherein the one or more objects have respective positions in the virtual space, determining that the virtual space is larger than a real-world play area in which the user consumes or will consume the virtual space, wherein a respective position of at least one object of the identified one or more objects is such that at least part of said at least one object will be presented outside of the real-world play area, and modifying at least part of the virtual space such that the identified one or more objects, including said at least one object, will be presented substantially inside of the real-world play area.