US 2,013,278,631 · Filed 2012-08-21

The Patent That Makes AR Labels Float at the Right Depth

Imagine wearing smart glasses that show you labels for things you're looking at—but they appear at the actual distance of those objects, not floating flat in front of your eyes. This patent describes how a head-mounted display figures out how far away something is, then places its label at that same depth so your brain sees it naturally.

Curated and verified by the IsItPatented Editorial team

The plain-English version

What it protects

The claim covers a method for calculating depth information (called a disparity value) based on how far a user is from objects in their field of view, then using that disparity to position informational labels at the correct perceived depth for each eye separately. What's protected here is the specific process of measuring distance to objects of interest and then rendering labels at matching depths rather than at a fixed distance from the user.

Why it matters

This patent tackles a real problem in augmented reality: if you slap a label on a virtual object but render it at the wrong depth, your eyes get confused and the experience feels broken or uncomfortable. By anchoring label depth to actual object distance, this approach makes AR feel more realistic and less nauseating. The technique is foundational for any AR system that needs to label real-world objects convincingly.

Real-world use

When you wear AR glasses and point at a distant building, the label 'City Hall' appears to float at that building's distance, not stuck to your face. The same label on a nearby coffee cup sits much closer to your eyes, matching its real position.

Original USPTO abstract

A system and method for providing informational labels with perceived depth in the field of view of a user of a head mounted display device. In one embodiment, the method includes determining a physical location of the user and the head mounted display device, and identifying and determining a distance from the user to one or more objects of interest in the user's field of view. Using the distance from the user for each object, one can calculate a disparity value for viewing each object. The processor of the head mounted device may gather information concerning each of the objects in which the user is interested. The head mounted display device then provides a label for each of the objects and for each eye of the user, and, using the disparity values, places the labels within the field of view of the user.

Patent details

Publication number: US 2,013,278,631
Filing date: 2012-08-21
Grant date: Application — not yet granted
Assignee: Osterhout Group, Inc.
Inventor(s): BORDER JOHN N., HADDICK JOHN D.
CPC class: G02B27/017

View original record on Google Patents →

Want to file your own patent?

If you're developing an AR app or wearable gadget, search our free patent scanner to see what depth-rendering techniques are already claimed in your space.

Free patentability scan