VR Object Stabilization via Distance-Based Motion Filtering

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing virtual reality (VR) systems experience jittery motion due to noise sources like hand vibrations and measurement noise, leading to unnatural object interactions, particularly with complex objects and larger objects that are sensitive to rotational noise.

Innovation Solution

A motion filtering technique is applied to VR objects, where filters vary based on the distance of vertices from an anchor vertex, restricting high-frequency motion associated with rotational noise, and dual quaternion skinning is used to preserve volume and achieve realistic object deformation.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If rigid transformation is applied to animate objects in VR, then object motion responds naturally to user gestures, but hand vibrations and measurement noise cause jittery motion

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvenatural object interactionVSAvoidobject motion stability
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies motion filtering that varies filtering parameters based on vertex distance from the anchor point. Vertices closer to the anchor point experience less filtering to maintain responsiveness to user gestures, while vertices farther away experience stronger filtering to reduce jitter. This dynamic parameter adjustment resolves the contradiction by adapting the filtering strength to the local requirements of different object regions.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements spatially varying motion filtering where each vertex or bone experiences different filtering based on its distance from the anchor point. This local quality approach ensures that regions critical for user interaction (near the anchor) maintain high fidelity response, while distant regions that amplify noise receive stronger stabilization, thus resolving the contradiction between natural interaction and motion stability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

2Reliability

If rotational noise is filtered uniformly across the object, then jitter is reduced, but the object appears to lag behind user gestures

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveobject motion stabilityVSAvoidobject response speed
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSSpeed

Solution Approach 1:

The patent dynamically adjusts filtering parameters based on the distance from the anchor point, creating a gradient where filtering strength increases with distance. This parameter variation allows the object to respond quickly to user gestures near the anchor point while progressively filtering noise in distant regions, resolving the contradiction between stability and response speed.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies different filtering characteristics to different regions of the object based on their spatial relationship to the anchor point. The local region near the anchor point experiences minimal filtering for fast response, while distant regions experience stronger filtering for stability, thus resolving the contradiction locally across the object structure.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

3Reliability

If strong motion filtering is applied to reduce jitter, then object stability improves, but high-frequency motion and natural vibrations are dampened

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveobject motion stabilityVSAvoidobject rigidity and natural motion
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

The patent uses distance-based parameter variation where filtering strength is modulated according to the vertex's distance from the anchor point. This creates a balanced approach where filtering parameters are strong enough to reduce jitter in distant regions but weak enough to preserve natural high-frequency motion near the anchor point, resolving the contradiction between stability and natural motion characteristics.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies spatially differentiated filtering where each region of the object receives filtering tailored to its local requirements. Regions near the anchor point maintain natural rigidity and vibration characteristics, while distant regions receive stronger filtering for stability, thus resolving the contradiction between overall stability and local natural motion.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

4Reliability

If a filter is applied to simulate object mass, then high-frequency motion is dampened, but unintended vibrations away from the anchor point are amplified

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvehigh-frequency motion controlVSAvoidunintended vibrations
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements spatially varying filtering where the filter characteristics change based on distance from the anchor point. This local quality approach ensures that filtering effectively controls high-frequency motion near the anchor point while progressively reducing unintended vibrations in distant regions through adjusted filtering parameters, resolving the contradiction between high-frequency control and vibration suppression.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The patent dynamically adjusts filtering parameters as a function of distance from the anchor point, creating a gradient that suppresses unintended vibrations in regions where they occur most frequently (distant regions) while maintaining appropriate high-frequency motion control near the anchor point, thus resolving the contradiction.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentEP3526771B1Held object stabilization in virtual reality
Publication Date: 2021.02.24 GOOGLE LLC
  • EP3526771B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3526771B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3526771B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

Techniques of animating objects in VR involve applying a motion filter to the object that varies with vertices on an object. Along these lines, a VR computer generates an object for an interactive, three-dimensional game by generating a triangular mesh approximating the object surface and bones including vertices defining motion of the vertices based on motion of an anchor vertex. When a user selects a vertex of the object as an anchor vertex about which to move the object, the VR computer generates variable filters for each bone that restrict the motion of that bone based on the distance of that bone from the anchor vertex. Accordingly, when the user produces a gesture with a controller that defines a path of motion for the anchor vertex, the bone including the anchor vertex goes through an unfiltered motion while bones remote from the anchor vertex go through a more restricted motion.