VR Warning Control Using Predictive User Behavior Analysis

Solution Overview

Problem

Traditional VR systems often fail to provide timely warnings to users when they approach the edge of their defined safe boundary, especially during sudden movements or high-velocity actions, leading to potential collisions with physical surroundings.

Innovation Solution

A method and system that identify virtual environment elements with associated descriptors predicting user behavior, allowing for early warnings based on expected actions, such as movement velocity and distance, to prevent collisions by providing visual, audible, or haptic feedback.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If traditional VR systems use position-based tracking to display safe boundary warnings, then the system structure remains simple, but the warning timing is delayed and insufficient for sudden user movements

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvewarning timing reliabilityVSAvoidsystem complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary analysis of user behavior patterns and predicts future movements before the user actually reaches the boundary. By analyzing descriptors associated with virtual environment elements and predicting expected user behaviors, the system provides warnings in advance of potential boundary violations, rather than waiting for position-based triggers.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system implements a feedback mechanism that continuously monitors user interactions with virtual environment elements, analyzes behavioral patterns, and adjusts warning timing based on predicted user actions. This creates a closed-loop system where warning provision is dynamically adjusted based on real-time behavioral analysis.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

2Ease of operation

If the system provides warnings based on predefined safe boundaries, then the implementation is straightforward, but sudden high-velocity actions bypass the warning system

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveease of implementationVSAvoidcollision prevention reliability

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary analysis of user behavior patterns and predicts future movements before the user actually reaches the boundary. By analyzing descriptors associated with virtual environment elements and predicting expected user behaviors, the system provides warnings in advance of potential boundary violations, rather than waiting for position-based triggers.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system transitions from static, position-based warning triggers to dynamic, behavior-based prediction. The warning system adapts to user behavior patterns in real-time, adjusting warning timing based on analyzed descriptors and predicted actions, making the system responsive to varying user movement patterns and velocities.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Data Source

PatentUS10976805B2Controlling the provision of a warning in a virtual environment using a virtual reality system

Publication Date: 2021.04.13 INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINE CORPORATION

AI summary

Controlling the provision of a warning to a user in a virtual environment of a virtual reality (VR) system are presented as embodiments of a method, system, and computer program product. One example comprises identifying one or more elements within a user's virtual environment. Each element is associated with a descriptor that describes an expected user behavior associated with the element. Based on the descriptor of each of the one or more identified elements, the method then comprises controlling the provision of a warning to the user.