VR Tracking System Merging Inside-Out and Outside-In Cameras
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current tracking systems for virtual reality and interactive experiences face accuracy and latency issues due to occlusions and misalignment of inside-out and outside-in tracking methods, leading to inaccuracies in user location determination.
Innovation Solution
A combined tracking method that utilizes both inside-out and outside-in tracking systems, where the inside-out tracking data verifies the accuracy of outside-in tracking data, and adjusts location information based on threshold values to optimize tracking precision and reduce latency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If outside-in tracking is used to capture wide view of tracking environment, then field of view is improved, but tracking accuracy deteriorates due to occlusions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines outside-in tracking (external camera) and inside-out tracking (head-mounted camera) into a unified tracking system. The processing unit integrates data from both tracking methods, using outside-in tracking for wide-area coverage and inside-out tracking for accurate peripheral positioning, thereby resolving the contradiction between field of view and tracking accuracy
Solution Approach 2:
The processing unit acts as an intermediary that reconciles data from both tracking systems. It compares locations determined by outside-in and inside-out tracking, and uses threshold-based verification to select or combine results, enabling the system to achieve both wide coverage and high accuracy simultaneously
2Reliability
If inside-out tracking is used to avoid occlusions, then robustness to occlusions is improved, but tracking accuracy and latency deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The system merges inside-out tracking (which provides robustness to occlusions) with outside-in tracking (which provides higher accuracy). The processing unit integrates both data sources, allowing the system to maintain reliability when occlusions occur while achieving high accuracy when both tracking methods are available
Solution Approach 2:
The processing unit uses feedback from both tracking systems to continuously verify and adjust peripheral locations. By comparing results from inside-out and outside-in tracking and using threshold-based verification, the system can detect and correct accuracy deviations while maintaining robustness against occlusions
3Reliability
If combined tracking methods are used to incorporate both inside-out and outside-in tracking, then tracking robustness is improved, but alignment accuracy deteriorates due to difficulty in aligning environment representations
Solution Approach 1:
The processing unit serves as an intermediary that aligns environment representations from both tracking systems. It compares locations determined by outside-in and inside-out tracking and uses threshold-based verification to ensure proper alignment, thereby maintaining both robustness and alignment accuracy
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts the contribution of each tracking method based on verification results. When threshold-based verification indicates good alignment, outside-in tracking data is weighted more heavily for accuracy; when misalignment is detected, the system adjusts to maintain robustness, effectively managing the trade-off through parameter changes
Data Source
AI summary
A system for tracking motion of a user includes one or more peripherals associated with the user, a first camera operable to be mounted upon the user's head, a second camera operable to capture images of the user and the first camera, a first tracking unit operable to determine the position of the one or more peripherals in images captured by the first camera, a second tracking unit operable to determine the position of the first camera and the one or more peripherals in images captured by the second camera, a location generating unit operable to identify the location of the one or more peripherals and the first camera in dependence upon the respective determinations by the first and second tracking units, a tracking validation unit operable to compare the locations of at least one peripheral as determined using the first and second tracking units and determine whether a difference in the locations exceeds a threshold value, and a location output unit operable to output location information for at least the one or more peripherals as identified by the location generating unit, where the location output unit is operable to output location information based upon information from the first tracking unit and information from the second tracking unit in varying contributions in dependence upon the difference in compared locations.