VR Headset Concurrent Camera Overlay for Safety

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Solution Overview

Problem

Virtual reality systems fail to keep users aware of their real-world surroundings, as they cannot see real-world objects while immersed in virtual environments, leading to potential hazards such as collisions with physical obstacles.

Innovation Solution

A headset system that includes a processor, display, camera, and storage, which presents virtual reality content alongside a portion of the camera's image on the display, allowing users to concurrently view their real-world surroundings while immersed in virtual environments, using formats like picture-in-picture, transparent overlays, or sliding curtains to integrate real-world views.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If virtual reality content is presented exclusively on the display, then immersion in virtual worlds is improved, but user awareness of real-world surroundings deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveuser safetyVSAvoidawareness of real-world surroundings

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The display is segmented to show both virtual reality content and camera images simultaneously. The processor divides the display area to present VR content in certain regions while displaying real-world camera feeds in other regions, allowing users to see both virtual and real environments without switching between them.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The system merges virtual reality content and real-world camera images into a single unified display output. The processor combines these two separate visual streams and presents them together on the display, enabling users to maintain awareness of both virtual and physical surroundings simultaneously.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

2Loss of information

If camera images are presented concurrently with virtual reality content, then user awareness of real-world surroundings is improved, but immersion in virtual worlds deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveawareness of real-world surroundingsVSAvoiduser immersion

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of informationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

Different regions of the display provide different visual qualities and content types. The processor assigns specific display areas to VR content and other areas to camera images, allowing users to focus on virtual experiences in certain zones while maintaining peripheral awareness of real-world surroundings in other zones.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

3Device complexity

If only virtual reality content is displayed, then device complexity is reduced, but user safety deteriorates due to inability to see real-world objects

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedisplay content processingVSAvoidcollisions with physical obstacles

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The camera continuously captures real-world images before the user potentially encounters hazards. The processor prepares and displays these images concurrently with VR content, providing advance visual information about the physical environment so users can anticipate and avoid obstacles before collisions occur.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentUS10620437B2Systems and methods for presentation of images from camera concurrently with presentation of virtual reality content

Publication Date: 2020.04.14 LENOVO SWITZERLAND INTERNATIONAL GMBH

AI summary

In one aspect, a headset includes a housing, a processor coupled to the housing, a display coupled to the housing and accessible to the processor, a camera 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 present virtual reality content on the display and present at least a portion of least one image from the camera on the display concurrently with presentation of the virtual reality content.