VR HMD Lighting Scheme for Real Object Collision Avoidance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Users of head-mounted displays (HMDs) in virtual reality environments are at risk of colliding with real objects in their surroundings due to the inability to see actual room conditions while immersed in a virtual environment, leading to potentially hazardous situations.
Innovation Solution
A lighting scheme is generated within the virtual environment to reveal real objects by producing a brightness map in response to decreasing distance between the user and the object, using a light source manager and brightness map manager to indicate the location and proximity of real objects, thereby preventing collisions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a head-mounted display is used to immerse the user in a virtual environment, then the user experience and immersion are improved, but the user's ability to see real objects in the room deteriorates, leading to collision risks
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary system consisting of depth sensors, processors, and visual feedback mechanisms that mediate between the virtual environment and the real physical space. The depth sensor detects real objects, the processor calculates depth information, and the HMD displays visual indicators (such as colored outlines or depth markers) that represent real objects within the virtual environment. This intermediary system allows the user to maintain immersion while simultaneously perceiving real object locations, thereby resolving the contradiction between immersion and collision avoidance.
2Illumination intensity
If the HMD completely covers the user's eyes to provide full immersion, then the virtual environment display quality is improved, but the user's awareness of the real environment deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the virtual environment display with real-world depth information by overlaying visual indicators of real objects directly onto the virtual scene. The HMD combines the rendered virtual environment with depth map data from sensors, creating a composite view where virtual elements and real object representations coexist. This merging allows the user to perceive both virtual content and real environmental hazards simultaneously, resolving the contradiction between virtual visibility and real environment awareness.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent adds a new dimension of depth information to the visual display by representing real objects with depth indicators (such as colored outlines where color intensity or brightness corresponds to distance). Instead of blocking out the real environment, the system projects depth-aware visual cues into the virtual space, creating a multi-layered perception where users can intuitively understand spatial relationships between virtual objects and real hazards. This dimensional enhancement resolves the information loss by encoding real environment data in a visually integrated manner.
Data Source
AI summary
Techniques of displaying a virtual environment in a HMD involve generating a lighting scheme within a virtual environment configured to reveal a real object in a room in the virtual environment in response to a distance between a user in the room and the real object decreasing while the user is immersed in the virtual environment. Such a lighting scheme protects a user from injury resulting from collision with real objects in a room while immersed in a virtual environment.