XR Hand Clipping Masks for Natural Virtual Object Occlusion

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

The issue in XR systems is the disconcerting visual effect when a user's hand appears to be behind a virtual object due to the misalignment of perceived distances, causing discomfort during interaction.

Innovation Solution

The XR system generates a clipping mask based on hand tracking data to create a clipped virtual object, ensuring the hand appears in front of the virtual object by applying a 3D or 2D clipping mask to the virtual object's model data, aligning the hand's distance with the user's perspective.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If the XR system displays virtual objects at their actual display position, then the virtual objects can be rendered accurately, but the user's hand appears to be behind the virtual object causing visual discomfort

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvevirtual object positioning accuracyVSAvoiduser interaction comfort

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies depth adjustment by modifying the Z-position (depth dimension) of the virtual object to create a clipped virtual object. This dimensional adjustment allows the virtual object to appear at a different depth plane, resolving the visual conflict between the hand and virtual object positions while maintaining accurate 2D positioning on the display surface.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

2Adaptability or versatility

If the XR system uses hand tracking to capture hand position, then natural interaction is enabled, but the perceived distance mismatch causes visual disconcertment

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveinteraction naturalnessVSAvoiddepth perception accuracy

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces a clipping mask as an intermediary element between the hand tracking data and the virtual object rendering. This clipping mask, generated from hand position data, serves as a mediator that adjusts the virtual object's display position to align with the perceived hand position, resolving the depth perception mismatch while preserving natural hand interaction.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Device complexity

If the XR system renders virtual objects without depth adjustment, then rendering complexity is minimized, but visual comfort during hand interaction deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improverendering process simplicityVSAvoidvisual discomfort

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary depth adjustment by pre-calculating and applying the clipping mask to the virtual object model data before rendering. This preliminary action modifies the virtual object's Z-position in advance, ensuring visual comfort during hand interaction without adding complexity to the real-time rendering process.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentUS20260073626A1Natural hand rendering in XR systems

Publication Date: 2026.03.12 SNAP INC

AI summary

An extended Reality (XR) system provides methodologies for clipping a virtual object displayed to a user. The XR system provides an XR user interface that includes a virtual object. The XR system captures tracking video frame data of a hand of the user and generates a clipping mask based on the tracking video frame data. The XR system generates a clipped virtual object by applying the clipping mask to the virtual object and displays the clipped virtual object in the XR user interface.