Method for representing virtual information in a real environment

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for ergonomically representing virtual information in a real environment, including the following steps: providing at least one view of a real environment and of a system setup for blending in virtual information for superimposing with the real environment in at least part of the view, the system setup comprising at least one display device, ascertaining a position and orientation of at least one part of the system setup relative to at least one component of the real environment, subdividing at least part of the view of the real environment into a plurality of regions comprising a first region and a second region, with objects of the real environment within the first region being placed closer to the system setup than objects of the real environment within the second region, and blending in at least one item of virtual information on the display device in at least part of the view of the real environment, considering the position and orientation of said at least one part of the system setup, wherein the virtual information is shown differently in the first region than in the second region with respect to the type of blending in the view of the real environment.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for representing virtual virtual information in a real environment, comprising:
 providing at least one view of a real environment and a system setup for blending in virtual information for superimposing with the real environment in at least part of the view, the system setup comprising at least one display device;   determining a position and orientation of at least one part of the system setup relative to at least one component of the real environment;   blending in at least one item of virtual information on the display device in at least part of the view of the real environment, considering the position and orientation of said at least one part of the system setup; and   wherein the at least one item of virtual information is configured to be interacted with a user according to at least one of eye tracking and voice control.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one item of virtual information is activated if it is determined to be viewed by the user according to said eye tracking. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 displaying at least one sign for the at least one item of virtual information,   wherein the at least one item of virtual information is activated according to said voice control based on a voice indicative of the at least one sign.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one item of virtual information is configured to be viewed or activated by the user and is configured to be displayed with additional information. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 subdividing at least part of the view of the real environment into a plurality of regions comprising a first region and a second region, with objects of the real environment within the first region being placed closer to the system setup than objects of the real environment within the second region; and   wherein the virtual information is configured to be shown differently in the first region than in the second region with respect to the type of blending in the view of the real environment.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the at least one item of virtual information is blended in the view of the real environment in the first region with the correct perspective corresponding to the position and orientation of the display device relative to the real environment. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the at least one virtual information is blended in the view of the real environment in the second region in a uniform size. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the plurality of regions into which said at least part of the view of the real environment is subdivided, in addition to said first region and said second region, comprise a third region within which objects of the real environment are placed closer to the system setup than objects of the real environment within said first region, and wherein the at least one item of virtual information is shown differently in the third region than in the first region with respect to the type of blending in the view of the real environment. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the at least one item of virtual information is blended in the view of the real environment in a location region in a non-movable manner. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein several items of different virtual information are combined to form a virtual object and the virtual object is displayed in the view instead of the several items of virtual information. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the display device used is a video display device in which the view of the real environment is augmented or replaced by an edge image for enhanced contrast. 
     
     
         12 . A method for representing virtual information in a real environment, comprising:
 providing at least one view of a real environment and a system setup for blending in virtual information for superimposing with the real environment in at least part of the view, the system setup comprising at least one display device;   determining a position and orientation of at least one part of the system setup relative to at least one component of the real environment;   subdividing at least part of the view of the real environment into a plurality of regions comprising a first region and a second region, with objects of the real environment within the first region being placed closer to the system setup than objects of the real environment within the second region;   blending in at least one item of virtual information on the display device in at least part of the view of the real environment, considering the position and orientation of said at least one part of the system setup;   wherein the virtual information is shown differently in the first region than in the second region with respect to the type of blending in the view of the real environment;   wherein the first region is separated from the second region by a boundary, said boundary being calculated dynamically; and   wherein at least one of:
 the boundary is altered when virtual information is transferred by a user from one of said regions to another one of said regions, or 
 the boundary is calculated in accordance with at least one of the number of items of virtual information within a particular sector of the view, the two-dimensional density of several items of virtual information within a particular sector of the view, or several items of virtual information which together constitute a cluster. 
   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the at least one item of virtual information is blended in the view of the real environment in the first region with the correct perspective corresponding to the position and orientation of the display device relative to the real environment. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the at least one virtual information is blended in the view of the real environment in the second region in a uniform size. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the plurality of regions into which said at least part of the view of the real environment is subdivided, in addition to said first region and said second region, comprise a third region within which objects of the real environment are placed closer to the system setup than objects of the real environment within said first region, and wherein the at least one item of virtual information is shown differently in the third region than in the first region with respect to the type of blending in the view of the real environment. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the at least one item of virtual information is blended in the view of the real environment in a location region in a non-movable manner 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein several items of different virtual information are combined to form a virtual object and the virtual object is displayed in the view instead of the several items of virtual information. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein said at least one item of virtual information is adapted to be displayed in at least three stages, a first stage comprising a body as a local hint to the virtual information, a second stage comprising a hint to the virtual information in the form of a label with inscription, and a third stage comprising an extract-like preview of the virtual information. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein in a first part of the second region virtual information is displayed in the first stage only, in a second part of the second region having real objects placed closer to the display device than in the first part of the second region and in a first part of the first region, virtual information is displayed in the second stage, and in a second part of the first region having real objects placed closer to the display device than in the first part of the first region, the virtual information is displayed in the third stage. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the at least one item of virtual information is blended in the view of the real environment in the first region with the correct perspective corresponding to the position and orientation of the display device relative to the real environment in various sizes in accordance with the perspective positioning of the virtual information in the view. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the at least one item of virtual information is blended in the view of the real environment in the first region with the correct perspective corresponding to the position and orientation of the display device relative to the real environment in various sizes in accordance with the perspective positioning of the virtual information in the view.