Virtual Reality Scene Renderer Eye Tracking Modification

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Solution Overview

Problem

In virtual reality environments, existing technologies face challenges in smoothly modifying images or scenes without the user noticing, particularly due to limitations in world warping, body warping, and haptic retargeting, which can disrupt the user experience by requiring head rotation and potentially causing the user to notice changes.

Innovation Solution

The system utilizes eye and gaze information to determine moments when the user is not actively seeing, allowing for subtle modifications to the virtual world or body positioning without the user's awareness, such as during blinking, saccades, or focus shifts, using a combination of cameras and tracking devices to communicate with a scene renderer for real-time image adjustments.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If world warping and body warping are used to modify the virtual environment, then the user experience is enhanced by enabling smooth movement and interactions, but the user may notice the modifications leading to a disrupted experience

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveuser experience smoothnessVSAvoiduser awareness of modifications
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary actions by pre-rendering alternative versions of virtual objects and environments before they are needed. When a modification is desired, the system has already prepared the alternative version, enabling seamless transitions without the user noticing the change. This is achieved by continuously rendering potential alternative states of the virtual environment in advance.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system introduces an intermediary mechanism that gradually blends the original virtual object with its modified version over time. This intermediary transition process occurs subtly in the background, allowing the virtual environment to evolve from one state to another without the user perceiving abrupt changes. The intermediary rendering process masks the modification by distributing the change across multiple frames.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Adaptability or versatility

If the display is adapted to user's physical movements to enhance experience, then immersion is improved, but noticeable modifications occur leading to discontinuous experience

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedisplay adaptation to user movementsVSAvoiduser experience continuity
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

The system applies periodic adjustments to the virtual environment that synchronize with the user's natural movement patterns. By making modifications at regular intervals that coincide with the user's head movements or gaze shifts, the system enhances adaptability while maintaining stability. The periodic re-rendering of virtual objects at optimized intervals ensures smooth adaptation without noticeable disruptions.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #19Periodic action

Solution Approach 2:

The system dynamically adjusts the rendering parameters and modification timing based on real-time detection of user movement patterns. When the user is stationary, modifications are minimized to maintain stability. When the user is moving, the system increases adaptability by applying modifications that align with the dynamic motion, creating a balanced experience that is both adaptive and stable.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

3Length of moving object

If virtual reality systems allow users to move large distances in the virtual environment, then exploration capability is improved, but the confined physical space limits actual user movement

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvevirtual movement distanceVSAvoidphysical movement space
Core Design Contradiction:
Length of moving objectVSArea of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The system implements a nested mapping relationship where multiple virtual environments are contained within the limited physical space. Each virtual object or environment can be independently scaled and positioned, allowing the user to traverse through nested virtual layers. This enables the user to experience vast virtual distances by navigating through nested virtual worlds while remaining in a confined physical area.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

Solution Approach 2:

The system transitions the movement problem from two-dimensional physical space to three-dimensional virtual space by introducing depth and perspective transformations. Through virtual camera movements, scaling, and perspective projection, the system maps limited physical displacements to extensive virtual trajectories. This dimensional transformation allows users to travel long virtual distances by making small physical movements that are amplified through virtual rendering techniques.

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

Data Source

PatentEP3646140B1Systems and methods for displaying images in a virtual world environment
Publication Date: 2023.07.19 TOBII TECH AB
  • EP3646140B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2a
  • EP3646140B1 patent drawingFigure 2b
  • EP3646140B1 patent drawingFigure 3a~3b

AI summary

Disclosed herein is a system comprising a display, at least one imaging device for capturing at least one user image of at least part of the user, a determination unit connected to the at least one imaging device, said determination unit being used for determining information relating to the user's eye based on the at least one user image. The system further comprises a scene renderer connected to the display and the determination unit, the scene renderer being used to generate a first image on the display, whereby the scene renderer is configured to generate at least a partially modified image relative to the first image in real time, without the user noticing, based on the information relating to the user's eye.