Meta patents AR glasses that cast realistic shadows on real objects
Meta has been granted a patent for a method that makes virtual objects in augmented reality look more realistic by casting shadows on real-world items. The system uses a light sensor to detect the brightness of the room and creates a 'dimming map' that darkens the appropriate areas on the display. This allows the virtual shadow to appear correctly on physical objects, helping the digital item blend into the actual environment.
In the filing’s own words
A dimming map is generated that includes a virtual shadow of a virtual object. The dimming map is generated based on a location of a light source or measuring an ambient light condition of a head-mounted display (HMD). The dimming map is driven onto a dimming optical element of the HMD to present the virtual shadow of the virtual object onto the real-world object.
What exactly they claim (claim 1)
1. A computer-implemented method comprising: identifying a real-world object in an external environment by: building a scene mesh including a plurality of objects of the external environment; and selecting the real-world object from the plurality of objects based on a location of the real-world object with respect to a virtual object; detecting, with a light sensor, an ambient light condition of the external environment; generating a dimming map including a virtual shadow based on the ambient light condition, the virtual shadow of the virtual object to be cast on the real-world object; and driving the dimming map onto a dimming optical element of a head-mounted display to present the virtual shadow of the virtual object onto the real-world object.
Facts
- Company
- Meta (Meta Platforms Technologies, LLC)
- Official title
- Virtual shadowing with dimming map
- Patent number
- US12755482B2
- Application number
- 18760415
- Filed
- Jul 1, 2024
- Granted
- Oct 6, 2026
- Inventors
- 1
- Claims
- 18
Classified under
G06T 15/60 Physics & computingG02B 27/0172 Physics & computingG06T 5/70 Physics & computingG09G 3/001 Physics & computingG02B 2027/0178 Physics & computingG06T 2215/12 Physics & computingMore from Meta in AR, VR & displays
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Summaries are simplified from the filing’s own abstract and first claim. A patent filing is not a product announcement.
Patent data and drawings: U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). Nebula is not affiliated with or endorsed by the USPTO.