Virtual and Augmented Reality Displays for Depth-Cue Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing virtual and augmented reality technologies struggle to provide a comfortable and natural-feeling presentation of virtual image elements amidst real-world imagery due to the complexity of the human visual perception system.
Innovation Solution
A display system that utilizes a display controller to shift and scale virtual or augmented reality objects across multiple depth planes based on control information embedded in the rendered imagery, without re-rendering, and incorporates sensors to estimate head pose and ambient lighting for enhanced immersion.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If virtual reality systems present only computer-generated imagery through a display, then a simulated environment is created for user immersion, but the complexity of the human visual perception system makes it challenging to produce a comfortable and natural-feeling presentation
Solution Approach 1:
The display is divided into multiple depth planes, with each plane presenting imagery at a specific depth. This segmentation allows the system to address different depth cues separately, making the complex visual perception system more manageable and enabling more natural depth presentation that accommodates human visual processing.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent adds a depth dimension to the display by creating multiple depth planes rather than presenting all imagery on a single flat plane. This dimensional expansion allows virtual objects to be positioned at different depths, aligning better with how human vision naturally perceives three-dimensional space and improving comfort.
2Measurement precision
If the display controller shifts and scales virtual objects across multiple depth planes based on embedded control information, then depth perception and accommodation-vergence alignment are improved, but the processing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Control information indicating the required shift is embedded in the rendered imagery data before it reaches the display controller. This preliminary action allows the controller to simply apply pre-calculated shift values rather than performing complex depth calculations in real-time, reducing processing complexity while maintaining depth perception accuracy.
3Reliability
If sensors are incorporated to estimate head pose and ambient lighting for enhanced immersion, then the realism and comfort of the VR/AR experience is improved, but power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system estimates ambient lighting conditions to adjust the presentation of virtual objects locally, matching their appearance to the real-world lighting environment. This localized adaptation enhances immersion without requiring all sensors to operate at full capacity continuously, as lighting estimation can be performed selectively based on scene requirements.
Data Source
AI summary
A virtual reality (VR) and/or augmented reality (AR) display system is configured to control a display using control information that is embedded in or otherwise included with imagery data to be presented through the display. The control information can indicate depth plane(s) and/or color plane(s) to be used to present the imagery data, depth plane(s) and/or color plane(s) to be activated or inactivated, shift(s) of at least a portion of the imagery data (e.g., one or more pixels) laterally within a depth plane and/or longitudinally between depth planes, and/or other suitable controls.