XR Virtual Controllers for Remote Real-World Device Collaboration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing virtual meeting technologies lack effective methods for participants to collaborate on tasks that require control of real-world devices, leading to inefficiencies and limitations in remote collaboration.
Innovation Solution
A computer program product, system, and method that generates an extended-reality representation of a virtual meeting, allowing participants to control virtual controllers that correspond to real-world controllers located in a real-world environment, enabling remote control and collaboration.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If participants in a virtual meeting want to control real-world devices, then collaboration effectiveness is improved, but device complexity and system requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a virtual controller as an intermediary object that mediates between the virtual meeting environment and the real-world controller. This virtual controller serves as a bridge, allowing participants to interact with real-world devices through the virtual meeting interface without directly connecting to the complex hardware systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a virtual copy or representation of the real-world controller within the extended reality environment. This virtual controller replicates the essential control functions and interface of the physical device, enabling participants to manipulate it as if directly controlling the real-world device, thereby simplifying the interaction model.
2Ease of operation
If virtual controllers are integrated into the extended reality environment, then ease of operation is improved, but rendering complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the virtual controller rendering with the existing extended reality meeting environment. Instead of treating the virtual controller as a separate complex rendering task, it integrates the controller representation into the overall scene rendering pipeline, allowing shared use of rendering resources and context.
3Adaptability or versatility
If real-world controllers are controlled remotely through virtual meetings, then flexibility in remote work is improved, but communication overhead increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements feedback mechanisms where the state and actions of the real-world controller are transmitted back to the virtual meeting environment. This allows participants to see the results of their control actions in real-time within the virtual meeting, reducing communication overhead by providing visual feedback rather than requiring verbal confirmation or additional communication channels.
Data Source
AI summary
Provided are a computer program product, system, and method for rendering an extended-reality representation of a virtual meeting. An extended reality representation is generated of a virtual meeting including avatars associated with participants in the virtual meeting to render in extended-reality displays of the participants. An extended-reality representation of a virtual controller corresponding to a real-world controller in a real-world location is generated to render in at least one extended-reality display of at least one participant in the virtual meeting. Participant input is received from one of the at least one participant to control the virtual controller. The participant input is translated to control the virtual controller to commands to control the real-world controller. The commands are transmitted to the real-world controller at the real-world location to control the real-world controller to perform actions in the real-world location to carry out the transmitted commands.