Virtual Reality Control Objects for Smart Home Accessibility
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Solution Overview
Problem
Users often face frustration due to controls for devices and appliances not being conveniently located, leading to difficulties in accessing and controlling them, especially in residential settings.
Innovation Solution
A system that uses a virtual reality (VR) or augmented reality (AR) apparatus to present interactive virtual objects on a display based on specific conditions, allowing users to control devices remotely through gestures and interactions, ensuring that only relevant objects are presented in a convenient location, reducing clutter and enhancing usability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If controls are placed in fixed physical locations, then device structure is simple and reliable, but user accessibility and convenience deteriorate when users are not near the controls
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates virtual copies of physical controls in the form of virtual reality objects that can be interacted with remotely. These virtual controls replicate the functionality of physical controls but can be accessed from any location through a display device, solving the accessibility problem without requiring physical relocation of the actual control mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The system introduces a display device and virtual reality object as an intermediary between the user and the physical controls. This intermediary allows users to interact with device controls remotely by presenting virtual representations that can be manipulated through gestures or other input methods, bridging the gap between user location and physical control position.
2Ease of operation
If virtual reality objects are always presented, then user control accessibility is improved, but display clutter and information overload increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts the presentation of virtual reality objects based on detected user conditions, gestures, or contextual factors. Virtual controls are presented only when relevant conditions are met, such as when the user approaches a device or performs a specific gesture, rather than being constantly displayed. This dynamic behavior reduces display clutter while maintaining accessibility when needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The system applies different presentation qualities to different virtual controls based on their relevance to the current user context. High-priority or frequently-used controls may be presented more prominently or persistently, while less relevant controls are suppressed or presented with lower visibility, creating a differentiated display strategy that reduces overall clutter while maintaining access to essential functions.
3Loss of information
If virtual reality objects are presented based on multiple conditions, then irrelevant controls are reduced, but system complexity and processing requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system pre-establishes a set of conditions and rules that determine when virtual reality objects should be presented. These conditions are defined in advance based on user profiles, device types, and contextual factors, allowing the system to automatically evaluate and filter controls without requiring complex real-time analysis. This preliminary configuration reduces processing complexity during actual operation.
Data Source
AI summary
In one aspect, an apparatus includes a housing, a processor coupled to the housing, a display coupled to the housing and accessible to the processor, and storage coupled to the housing and accessible to the processor. The storage bears instructions executable by the processor to determine that at least one condition is satisfied for presentation of a virtual reality object to control a device different from the apparatus. The instructions are also executable by the processor to present the virtual reality object on the display responsive to the determination.