VR Color Grading HMD Hand Tracking Interface

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Colorists face difficulties in color grading 360° VR content as they cannot easily access and manipulate grading controls while wearing a VR HMD, requiring repeated removal and adaptation between traditional grading stations and HMDs, leading to a tedious iterative process.

Innovation Solution

A method and system that integrates visual control information of the colorist's hands and grading control elements into the VR view on a HMD, allowing the colorist to interact with the grading station without removing the HMD, using position information from cameras or markers to display hands and controls alongside the VR content, and employing rotation mapping to facilitate navigation within the 360° content.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If colorists use traditional grading stations with monitors, then they can easily access and manipulate grading controls, but they cannot visualize the final VR content in real viewing conditions

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveaccess to grading controlsVSAvoidvisualization accuracy in final conditions
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges the traditional grading station interface with the VR viewing experience by projecting control elements and content into the VR environment. This allows colorists to access grading controls and visualize VR content simultaneously within the HMD, eliminating the need to switch between traditional monitors and VR headsets while maintaining both control accessibility and visualization accuracy.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The system uses an intermediary processing unit that captures images of physical control elements, identifies their positions, and projects virtual representations into the VR environment. This intermediary translates the physical grading station interface into a format that can be displayed within the HMD, bridging the gap between traditional control mechanisms and immersive VR visualization.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Reliability

If colorists wear VR HMD to grade content, then they can visualize in real viewing conditions, but they cannot easily access or see the grading controls

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvevisualization accuracy in final conditionsVSAvoidaccess to grading controls
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent transitions the grading interface from a 2D monitor surface to a 3D virtual space within the HMD. Control elements are projected at various positions and orientations in the virtual environment, allowing colorists to access controls while immersed in the VR content. This dimensional transformation enables both immersive visualization and control accessibility within the same viewing environment.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

Solution Approach 2:

The system creates virtual copies of physical control elements by capturing their appearance and position, then rendering these copies in the VR environment. These virtual representations allow colorists to locate and interact with controls within the HMD, maintaining familiarity with the physical interface while enabling access within the immersive VR context.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #26Copying

3Measurement precision

If colorists repeatedly put on and take off HMD to verify grading, then they can check in both traditional and VR conditions, but the process becomes tedious and time-consuming

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvegrading verification accuracyVSAvoiditeration time
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent enables continuous verification by maintaining both the traditional grading interface view and the VR content visualization simultaneously within the HMD. Colorists can switch between viewing modes or see both concurrently without removing the headset, allowing uninterrupted iteration and verification across different viewing conditions, thus eliminating time loss from repeated donning and doffing.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #20Continuity of useful action

4Ease of operation

If visual control information is displayed in the VR view, then colorists can access controls while wearing HMD, but the display area for VR content is reduced

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveaccess to grading controlsVSAvoiddisplay area for VR content
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSArea of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the HMD display area by positioning control elements at specific locations within the VR field of view, separate from the main content area. Control elements are distributed throughout the virtual space at positions that do not obstruct the central VR content, allowing both controls and content to be visible simultaneously without significant reduction in content display area.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The system dynamically adjusts the positioning and visibility of control elements based on the colorist's needs and the current VR content being viewed. Controls can be moved to optimal positions that minimize obstruction of content, and their visibility can be adjusted based on interaction context, maintaining a balance between control accessibility and content display area.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Data Source

PatentEP3714351B1Method and head-mounted device for assisting a colorist in color grading a virtual reality video content , and system for color grading a virtual reality video content
Publication Date: 2022.04.06 THOMSON LICENSING SA
  • EP3714351B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP3714351B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4
  • EP3714351B1 patent drawingFigure 5~6

AI summary

The present disclosure relates to a method for providing assistance to a colorist in color grading of a virtual reality video content, called VR content, said method comprising the steps of: - receiving (100) the VR content being graded by a color grading station, - receiving (110) position information representative of the position of at least one hand of a colorist versus said color grading station, - generating (120), based on said position information, visual control information showing the position of said at least one hand of the colorist versus at least one grading control element of the color grading station, - displaying (130) said visual control information together with the graded VR content on a head mounted display carried by said colorist in order to help the colorist manipulating said at least one grading control element.