Patent Application
20230194881
The present invention relates to system for representation of augmented reality scenes, in particular a system for representation that is able to display a real scene by a display on which can be, furthermore, displayed supplementary images, for example instructions, annotations, etc.
As is known, a system for augmented reality is a set of hardware and software components that is able to acquire images of a real scene and to display the same on a display adding supplementary images, which are overlapped on the images of the real scene for providing a series of information to a user.
This particular type of technology is more and more widespread in different technical fields that go from mechanics, to electronics, to medicine, with different scopes, in particular in order to train new workers through simulations, or to allow an expert worker positioned in a remote location to guide the actions of a worker in a real scene during some kinds of interventions, for example ordinary, or extraordinary, maintenance interventions.
In the case of use for remote assistance, a system for augmented reality can comprise, at the side of the user, a device for acquiring images of the real scene, normally a digital video camera, and a display, or a display device, on which the images of the real scene are displayed overlapping supplementary images, i.e. a series of virtual images, or annotations, generated by an electronic processor, or by an expert worker placed in a remote location, in particular by an electronic device, in order to provide the aforementioned information to the user. The system for augmented reality, in the case of remote assistance use, comprises, furthermore, at the side of the expert worker positioned in a remote location, a monitor through which the expert worker can follow instant by instant the different actions of the user and guide him/her, for example through a series of annotations.
The system can also comprise an audio unit, i.e. headphones and a microphone, to allow the expert worker and the user to communicate one another also verbally.
This type of technology, therefore, allows also to not professional workers to carry out also complex works both in mechanical and electronic and medical fields, in particular surgical field, as well as in other fields.
The known systems can be classified as “video see through” and “optical see through”. The “see through” video systems use video camera to shoot the scene from the worker point of view, overlapping, for example, images, texts, or 3D-graphic, and then show to the worker the same point of view “augmented” by a display. The “optical see through” systems are, instead, constituted by mirrors, or semi-transparent lenses, through which the user sees the real point of view on which are projected in transparency for example images, texts, or 3D-graphycs. The “video see through” systems have in particular the advantage to be easily usable in different environmental light conditions, also with the sun, while the “optical see through” systems have the advantage not to obstruct the natural user field of view.
Another kind of classification of the known systems is made distinguishing between monocular and binocular visors. The monocular visors show the augmented reality only to one eye of the user, while the binocular visors show the same to both the eyes. The monocular visors have for example the advantage to be smaller, lighter and to have a lower battery consumption, the binocular visors have for example the advantage to provide a more comfortable vision.
A further classification of the known systems distinguishes between displays held by hands, “Hand Held Display”, or HHD, and displays mounted on the head, “Head Mounted Display”, or HMD. The former have in particular the advantage not to strain the neck, the latter to leave the user's hands free and, furthermore, to be able to continuously frame the user field of view, for example for transmitting the same to a worker placed in a remote location.
In some circumstances, especially in the augmented reality field for remote assistance in industrial contexts, some of the aforementioned prior art systems can have many drawbacks.
An “optical see through” system can be low reliable if it is used outdoors, or with high light conditions.
A monocular system is not comfortable in case of a long time work. Then a of HHD type system can hamper the works which require the use of both hands.
Furthermore, the aforementioned known systems cannot be easily adjustable as regards the engagement systems to the head, or the helmet, creating difficulties and unfavourable conditions to the user during the work.
Examples of systems for augmented reality with the aforementioned drawbacks are described in US2018/180894, US2015/338659, US2018/011390 and WO2013/049248.
It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a system for augmented reality that is able to overcome the aforementioned drawbacks of the prior art systems for augmented reality.
It is, in particular, an object of the present invention to provide a system for augmented reality that is able to allow the user to have a binocular view with the hands free and with different light conditions in such a way to be able to comfortably, accurately and reliability work and allowing transmission to an expert worker positioned in a remote location.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a system for augmented reality that is able to assure to firmly engage several components to a helmet worn by a user in working conditions.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a system for augmented reality that is able to allow a quick assembly and removal of the components of the system on a helmet for augmented reality.
These and other objects are achieved by a system for augmented reality comprising:
Other features of the invention are described in the dependent claims which define particular embodiments of the present invention.
In particular, the aforementioned container body and the aforementioned support body can comprise respective first and second engagement surfaces provided, respectively, with the aforementioned respective first and second engagement members. More in particular, the aforementioned first and second engagement surfaces can be arranged to selectively and alternatively reversibly engage, by the aforementioned first and second engagement members, to position the aforementioned container body and the aforementioned support body in the first and second predetermined engagement positions.
In particular, the aforementioned first engagement surface and the aforementioned second engagement surface of the container body form an angle α having a predetermined amplitude. More in particular, the aforementioned angle α can be comprised between −10° and 10°, i.e. −10°≤α≤10°, advantageously comprised between −5° and 5°, i.e. −5°≤α≤5°, preferably comprised between 0° and 5°, i.e. 0°≤α≤5°.
Advantageously, the aforementioned first engagement surface and the aforementioned second engagement surface of support body can form an angle β having a determined amplitude.
In particular, the aforementioned angle β can be comprised between −20° and 20°, i.e.: −20°≤β≤20°, advantageously angle β can be comprised between −10° and 10°, i.e.: −10°≤β≤10°, preferably comprised between −5° and 5°, i.e.: −5°≤β≤5°.
Advantageously, the aforementioned support body comprises:
In an advantageous embodiment, at least the aforementioned container body, at least one between the first and the second engagement surface can be provided with a respective guide portion configured to guide the displacement of the container body between the first and the second predetermined engagement position, or vice versa, up to causing the same to engage the aforementioned support body by the first, or second, engagement members.
In particular, the, or each, guide portion can comprise a recessed portion provided, respectively, at the first and second engagement surfaces of the container body and the support body. More in particular, the, or each, recessed portion is configured to house la prima, or the second, engagement surface of the support body.
Advantageously, the aforementioned first and second engagement members are configured to magnetically engage the container body and the support body with each other. In particular, the aforementioned first and second engagement members of magnetic type can be configured to carry out a self-centering of the container body and the support body at the first and the second predetermined engagement positions.
In particular, at least the aforementioned second engagement members of the container body and the support body are of magnetic type. More in particular, the aforementioned second engagement members of magnetic type can provide a respective neodymium magnet. In this way, the high magnetic force of this material is able to assure to provide the aforementioned self-centering and, therefore, a correct positioning of the container body with respect to the support body.
Advantageously, the aforementioned first engagement members of the container body and the support body respectively comprise a magnet and at least a portion made of paramagnetic material, in such a way to allow an axial movement between the aforementioned container body and the support body before providing said engagement between said first engagement members at said first predetermined engagement position.
In particular, the first and the second engagement surfaces can be configured in such a way that the first predetermined field of view (FoV1) is equal to, or substantially equal to the second predetermined field of view (FoV2), i.e. FoV1=FoV2, or FoV1≈FoV2.
According to another aspect of the invention a system for augmented reality comprises:
Advantageously, the aforementioned stretching device can comprise, furthermore, an engagement portion configured to engage the stretching device to the aforementioned edge of the helmet.
In particular, the aforementioned stretching device can comprise a fixed portion, and a movable portion rotatably connected to the fixed portion. More in particular, the aforementioned movable portion can be configured to rotate about a rotation axis with respect to the fixed portion in a first direction of rotation to cause the tightening cable to be wound about a winding shaft, in such a way to apply the aforementioned traction force to the tightening cable, and in a second direction of rotation, opposite to the first one, to unwind the tightening cable from the winding shaft and therefore to reduce the traction force.
In particular, a first engagement body can be furthermore, provided having a first engagement portion configured to engage the aforementioned edge of the helmet. More in particular, first supplementary engagement members can be provided configured to removably engage the fixed portion of the stretching device and the first engagement body and to allow, at the same time, the aforementioned movable portion to rotate with respect to the fixed portion.
Advantageously, the system for augmented reality, according to the invention, can, furthermore, provide:
In a further embodiment, the system for augmented reality, according to the invention can, furthermore, comprise:
Advantageously, said, or each, constraining portion is provided with at least a passageway arranged to cross said, or each, constraining portion between a first and a second side. More in detail, the tightening cable is arranged to be constrained to the, or each, constraining portion at the, or each, passageway.
In particular, at least one among the first, the second and the third engagement portion comprises at least an end portion configured to resiliently move from a closing configuration, to an opening configuration in which is arranged to form an introduction mouth through which the edge of helmet can be introduced at a shaped engagement portion, and then go back to the aforementioned closing configuration, in which is arranged to close, at least partially, said introduction mouth, trapping the edge of helmet into the shaped engagement portion. Advantageously, the shaped engagement portion can be an undercut.
Preferably, the stretching device is provided with an actuation portion configured to actuate the aforementioned movement of said stretching device from said positioning configuration to said stretching configuration.
In a preferred embodiment, the aforementioned container body is, furthermore, arranged to house a transmission unit operatively connected to said video unit. More in particular, the transmission unit is configured to transmit said images of said real scene acquired by said device for acquiring images to a remote location and to receive supplementary images generated by said remote location.
In particular, the aforementioned supplementary images are arranged to be displayed on the display device together with, or alternatively to, the aforementioned images acquired by the device for acquiring images.
The invention will now be shown with the following description of its exemplary embodiments, exemplifying but not limitative, with reference to the attached drawings in which:
the
As diagrammatically shown in
In particular, the first and the second engagement members 31a, 32a, 31b, 32b can be configured to move from the first predetermined engagement position to the second predetermined engagement position, or vice versa, passing through an intermediate engagement position in which the container body 15 is mechanically disengaged from the support body 40.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention, diagrammatically shown in
In particular, the transmission unit 80, for example comprising a WIFI card, can be, furthermore, configured to receive a series of supplementary images 302, for example virtual images, or annotations, which can be displayed on the display device 12 together with, or alternatively to, the aforementioned images 301 of the real scene 300. In particular, the aforementioned supplementary images 302 can be generated by the expert worker, for example by a PC, a tablet, or another electronic device, and sent, for example via internet to the transmission unit 80. The supplementary images 302 can be, therefore, processed, for example, to be decoded, by a local processing unit that is not shown for reasons of simplicity, provided on board of the helmet 50, in order to be, then, displayed on display device 12.
In particular, if on the display device 12 are displayed at the same time both the images 301 and the supplementary images 302, for example superimposed on one another, complex images 303 are obtained. In a possible alternative embodiment of the invention, the remote location 250 can be configured to generate the aforementioned supplementary images 302, or directly the complex images 303 comprising the aforementioned images 302 and the aforementioned images 301, for example superimposed on one another, and to send them to the transmission unit 80.
In particular, the aforementioned supplementary images 302, can comprise contents as for example written instructions, or annotations, can be displayed on the aforementioned display device 12 to guide the user 200 who is wearing the helmet 50, during some works, both in mechanical field, for example to assembly together the parts of a machine, and in electric field, for example during an ordinary, or extraordinary maintenance intervention, on an electronic control unit, but also in surgical field to carry out an operation, etc.
According to an alternative embodiment, the aforementioned supplementary images 302 can be generate from a local processing unit, not shown for reasons of simplicity, for example, housed within the container body 15.
In an embodiment of the invention, diagrammatically shown in
In particular, the second container body 25 can be engaged to helmet 50 by a supplementary support body 40′ provided with an engagement portion configured to engage the helmet 50 and with the engagement members for engaging the supplementary support body 50′, not shown in the figure for reasons of simplicity.
The system 1, according to the invention, can advantageously comprise, furthermore, an audio unit 60, preferably engaged to the aforementioned helmet 50, for example in a lateral position 51 and comprising, in particular an audio transmission device 61, as for example a microphone, and an audio receiving device 62.
More in particular, as diagrammatically shown in
In a preferred embodiment, the container body 15 and the support body 40 comprise respective first and second engagement surfaces 16, 17, and 46, 47, respectively, provided with the aforementioned respective first and second engagement members 31a, 32a, and 31b, 32b. More in detail, the first and the second engagement surfaces 16, 17, 46, and 47 are arranged to selectively and alternatively removably engage, by the aforementioned first and second engagement members 31a, 32a, and 31b, 32b, to move the container body 15 in the first, or the second predetermined engagement position, with respect to the aforementioned support body 40.
In an embodiment of the invention, diagrammatically shown for example in
More in detail, the support body 40 comprises an engagement portion 43 configured to engage the base portion 41 of the support body 40 to the helmet 50, in particular at the front edge 58. For example, the engagement portion 43 can provide one or more shaped portions, for example curved, such as one, or more clip portions, able to deform in a controlled way in order to engage the edge of the aforementioned front edge 58.
Preferably, the first and the second engagement members 31a, 32a, 31b, 32b are configured to provide a magnetic engagement between the container body 15 and the support body 40.
In particular, at least the second engagement members 31b and 32b of magnetic type of the container body 15 and the support body 40 provide a respective neodymium magnet. This particular solution allows to provide a self-centering of the two magnets 32a, and 32b with respect to each other and, therefore, a correct positioning of the container body 15 with respect to the support body 40 in the second position, owing to the high magnetic force that this kind of material is able to exert.
In a possible embodiment of the invention, diagrammatically shown in
In a preferred embodiment, the aforementioned first and second engagement surfaces 16, 17, 46 and 47 and/or the first and the second engagement members 31a, 32a, 31b, 32b, can be configured in such a way that the field of view FoV1 of the device for acquiring images 11 in the first predetermined engagement position, is, advantageously, substantially equal to the field of view Fov2 of the device for acquiring images 11 in the second predetermined engagement position (see
In this way, expert worker point of view at the remote location does not change according to the changing of the predetermined engagement position between the container body 15 and the support body 40.
As diagrammatically shown for example in the
More in detail, the aforementioned first engagement surface 16 and the aforementioned second engagement surface 17 of the container body 15 can be slightly inclined one with respect to the other, in such a way to form an angle α comprised between −10° and 10°, i.e. −10°≤α≤10°, advantageously comprised between −5° and 5°, i.e. −5°≤α≤5°, preferably comprised between 0° and 5°, i.e. 0°≤α≤5°. Analogously, the aforementioned first engagement surface 46 and the aforementioned second engagement surface 47 of the support body 40 can form an angle β, of predetermined amplitude. In particular, the aforementioned angle β, can be comprised between −20° and 20°, i.e.: −20°≤β≤20°, advantageously the angle β, can be comprised between −10° and 10°, i.e.: −10°≤β≤10°, preferably comprised between −5° and 5° i.e.: −5°≤β≤5°.
Generally, the geometry of the container body 15 and the support body 40 are such to keep the field of view FoV of the device for acquiring images 11 substantially unchanged between the first and the second predetermined engagement position. In this way, in the second predetermined engagement position the user 200 can directly look at the real scene 300 to work more precisely on the mechanical, or electrical, parts or of any other type, while the expert worker positioned at the remote location can have the same field of view of the real scene 300 avoiding to lose the reference points.
In particular, as shown in detail in the embodiment diagrammatically shown in the
The system 1 can, furthermore, provide a detection group, not shown in figure, comprising one, or more sensors, in particular at least a position sensor and/or an accelerometer, in case, in addition to a GPS unit, for determining the position and the spatial orientation of the user 200 with respect to the real scene 300 acquired by the device for acquiring images 11.
As diagrammatically shown in the figures from 10 to 20, the system 1, according to the invention, can comprise, furthermore, a tightening group 70 configured to engage the, or each, container body 15, and/or 25, to helmet 50, in particular at an edge 55. More in particular, the edge 55 can have a thickness greater than the other parts of helmet 50, and have, for example, a curvilinear section. In particular, the tightening group 70 can provide a tightening cable 5 arranged to engage the, or each, container body 15 at a respective constraining portion 35. The tightening group 70 can, furthermore, comprise a stretching device 100 configured to apply a determined traction force to the tightening cable 5. More precisely, the stretching device 100 can be arranged to move, preferably gradually, from a rest configuration, in which is not arranged to apply a traction force to the tightening cable 5, or to apply a low traction force, to a stretching configuration, in which the stretching device 100 is arranged to apply a determined traction force to the tightening cable 5. In this way, the stretching device 100 is arranged to cause the tightening cable 5 to move, preferably gradually, between a positioning configuration, in which the tightening cable 5 is slack and is, therefore, possible to position the same around the helmet 50 (see
Advantageously, the stretching device 100, according to the present invention, can comprise a blocking member arranged to avoid that, when the tightening device 100 is positioned in the aforementioned stretching configuration, can accidentally go back to the rest configuration, reducing, even to zero, the aforementioned traction force on the tightening cable 5. Therefore, the stretching device 100 is configured in such a way to be blocked by itself in the stretching configuration.
In particular, the stretching device 100 which can be used by the system 1, according to the present invention, can be structurally similar to the stretching devices described in US2008/0066346, US2015/0230560, or US2015/0076272 used in the field of shoes with different purposes with respect to the present invention.
In the case that is diagrammatically shown as an example in the figures from 10 to 14, the system 1 provides a first and a second container body 15 and 25. More in detail, the first container body 15 can be arranged to house both the device for acquiring images 11 arranged to acquire the images 301 of the real scene 300, and the display device 12 arranged to display the aforementioned images 301. The second container body 25 can be arranged to house the supply unit 150 configured to supply electric power to the device for acquiring images 11 and to the display device 12. In particular, the first container body 15 is provided with a first engagement portion 35, and the second container body 25 is provided with a second engagement portion 45. More precisely, the first container body 15 is tightened to the helmet 50 at a first engagement position 51, preferably the front portion of the helmet 50, while the second container body 25 is tightened to the helmet 50 at a second engagement position 52, preferably the rear position of the helmet 50.
As diagrammatically shown in
In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the stretching device 100 can comprise a fixed portion 101 engaged to the helmet 50, and a movable portion 102 rotatably connected to the fixed portion. More in detail, as diagrammatically shown in the
As diagrammatically shown in
In the example that is diagrammatically shown in
As shown in
In the embodiment shown as an example in the
As diagrammatically shown in the
In this way, it is possible to avoid that portions of the tightening cable and/or the connection cable 6 can be free to dangle along the respective trajectory around the helmet 50. More precisely, the hook member 90 can be provided with a respective engagement portion 93 arranged to engage the edge 55 of helmet 50, for example having the characteristics described above with reference to
According to an embodiment of the invention, the second container body 25 in addition to the supply unit 150, can be arranged to house a sound card, and/or a video card, not shown for simplicity reasons, respectively connected to the audio unit 60 and to the, or each, video device 11, or 12.
The system 1 can, furthermore, provide a detection group, not shown in figure, comprising one, or more sensors, in particular at least a position sensor and/or a accelerometer, in addition to a possible GPS unit, for determining the position and the spatial orientation of the user 200 with respect to the real scene 300 acquired by the device for acquiring images 11.
The foregoing description exemplary embodiments of the invention will so fully reveal the invention according to the conceptual point of view, so that others, by applying current knowledge, will be able to modify and/or adapt for various applications such embodiment without further research and without parting from the invention, and, accordingly, it is therefore to be understood that such adaptations and modifications will have to be considered as equivalent to the specific embodiments. The means and the materials to realize the different functions described herein could have a different nature without, for this reason, departing from the field of the invention. It is to be understood that the phraseology or terminology that is employed herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 102020000012901 | May 2020 | IT | national |
| 102020000012904 | May 2020 | IT | national |
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/IB2021/054708 | 5/28/2021 | WO |
