One aspect of many augmented (AR) and virtual (VR) reality systems is a head unit, which must view a target object or location from a set of strategic viewpoints in order to process and communicate information to the user. Current head units, however, are overly specific and require the user to be in a tightly constrained six-degrees-of-freedom (6DoF) pose, which does not account for multiple viewpoints towards the target. This technology, called ParaFrustum, is a geometric construct that can represent these target objects and locations from multiple viewpoints. Instead of defining the acceptable viewing ranges and angles from specific points in space, ParaFrustum defines the acceptable parameters using volumes which allows the user’s head to be in multiple positions while still being able to communicate with the head unit. This tolerance of viewpoints provided by ParaFrustum allows for a quicker and more natural orientation within the system.
This technology greatly increases the ranges and angles from which a user can view an object using augmented or virtual reality systems. Previous visualization techniques define specific points in space from which the user must be oriented in order for the head unit to interpret and communicate information. ParaFrustum defines the allowed orientations not by points in space, but by a designated volume, which gives the user more flexibility in their position when looking at the desired object or location. This technique also does not require the entire targeted object to be within the display frustum (the region which is visible to the head unit), different than other methods in which this is necessary. In addition, ParaFrustum provides a wider range of constraints for the target volume, which allows this technology to be more specific than current methods.
This technology has been implemented into both AR and VR systems, showing that ParaFrustum can satisfy the constraints of a visualization technique with increased speed and tolerance of viewpoint compared to a conventional frustum.
Patent Pending
Tech Ventures Reference: IR CU14344