XR UI App Management with Object-Anchored Visual Elements
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Solution Overview
Problem
XR devices often display numerous virtual icons and elements that obscure physical objects and make it difficult to find relevant information, leading to user confusion and potential safety hazards due to the cluttered interface.
Innovation Solution
The XR device predicts the user's focus on a physical object and positions relevant virtual elements anchored to that object, displaying only those elements that are currently needed, based on proximity, field of view, gaze, and user interaction, using machine learning to enhance the user interface.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If numerous virtual icons and elements are displayed on the XR device screen, then information availability is improved, but visual clutter increases making it difficult to find relevant information
Solution Approach 1:
The display interface is segmented into multiple regions: a first region showing virtual elements related to the first physical object, and a second region showing virtual elements related to a second physical object. This segmentation allows relevant information to be organized by spatial context, reducing visual clutter while maintaining information availability.
Solution Approach 2:
Virtual elements are positioned in the display according to their spatial relationship with physical objects. Elements associated with objects in different physical locations are displayed in different regions of the screen, creating a localized organization that helps users quickly find relevant information based on their current focus.
2Adaptability or versatility
If many virtual visual elements are displayed simultaneously, then application accessibility is improved, but safety is worsened due to obstruction of physical objects
Solution Approach 1:
The display dynamically adjusts which virtual elements are shown based on the user's current focus on physical objects. As the user moves their attention between different physical objects, the virtual elements displayed change accordingly, ensuring that only relevant applications are accessible at any given moment while maintaining safety by not obscuring physical objects.
3Ease of operation
If virtual elements are displayed at fixed locations anchored to physical objects, then user interaction is improved, but display complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system creates a virtual copy of the physical environment's spatial relationships in the display. Virtual elements are positioned in the display to correspond to the spatial arrangement of physical objects, creating a familiar mental model that simplifies user interaction despite the underlying complexity of tracking and mapping spatial relationships.
Data Source
AI summary
An extended reality (XR) device, for example, a head mounted device (HMD), may provide a visual element when the medium determines that a wearer of the XR device is likely engaging with a physical device. This physical device is then set as the physical object of user focus. An application that is associated with the object of focus is identified and the XR device renders the visual element based on the associated application. The XR device may be caused to prevent displaying a graphical element generated by an application other than the associated application. The visual element may be rendered by the XR device at a fixed location anchored relative to the object of user focus.