IP Library Granted Patent US 12,469,227
Granted Patent B2
US 12,469,227 · App. 18/000,237 · Granted Nov 11, 2025

Depth-based relighting in augmented reality

Inventors: Ruofei Du (San Francisco, CA); David Kim (Zug, CH)
Assignee: GOOGLE LLC
G06T19/006G06T7/50G06T7/70G06T7/90G06T15/506G06T19/20G06T2207/10028G06T2219/2012
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,469,227
App. No.
18/000,237
Granted
Nov 11, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

A system and method for relighting of an augmented reality scene are provided. Image data and depth data corresponding to a physical environment may be captured by an image sensor of a computing device, for display in an AR scene generated by the computing device. The system may use the image data and depth data to generate a live depth map of the physical environment. A virtual light source may be placed in the AR scene of the physical environment in response to a user input. The system may relight the AR scene in response to the placement of the virtual light source based on the image data and the depth map.

Claims (69)

1 . A computer-implemented method, comprising:

capturing, by an image sensor of a computing device, image data corresponding to an image of a physical environment;

detecting, by a depth sensor, depth data corresponding to the physical environment;

generating, by a processor, an augmented reality (AR) scene from the image data corresponding to the image of the physical environment;

receiving, at an input device of the computing device, an input for a position of a virtual light source in the AR scene;

determining a two-dimensional position of the input received at the input device;

determining a three-dimensional position, corresponding to a placement position of the virtual light source in the AR scene, the three-dimensional position corresponding to the two-dimensional position of the input received at the input device;

placing a virtual light source in the AR scene at the three-dimensional position; and

relighting an object in the AR scene, and at least a portion of the physical environment adjacent the object, based on the three-dimensional position of the virtual light source in the AR scene and the depth data corresponding to the physical environment.

2 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein detecting the depth data includes generating a depth map corresponding to the physical environment.

3 . The computer-implemented method of claim 2 , wherein relighting the AR scene includes:

for each pixel, of a plurality of pixels of the AR scene:

setting an intensity level of the pixel based on an intensity of the virtual light source and a distance of the pixel from the virtual light source in the AR scene;

setting a color of the pixel based on a color of the virtual light source, the distance of the pixel from the virtual light source, and a color of the pixel in the AR scene; and

setting a reflectivity of the pixel based on the color of the virtual light source and the color of the pixel in the AR scene.

4 . The computer-implemented method of claim 3 , wherein relighting the AR scene includes, for each pixel of the plurality of pixels of the AR scene:

detecting obstacles between the placement position of the virtual light source and the pixel based on the depth map; and

adjusting the intensity level, the color, and the reflectivity of the pixel based on the obstacles detected between the placement position of the virtual light source and the pixel.

5 . The computer-implemented method of claim 4 , wherein relighting the AR scene includes:

applying the adjusted intensity level, the adjusted color, and the adjusted reflectivity, to the AR scene;

generating a composite rendering of the physical environment in the AR scene including the adjusted intensity level, the adjusted color, and the adjusted reflectivity; and

displaying the composite rendering of the AR scene on a display device of the computing device.

6 . The computer-implemented method of claim 3 , wherein relighting the AR scene includes, for each pixel of the plurality of pixels:

detecting a distance of the pixel from the placement position of the virtual light source in the AR scene; and

in response to detection of the pixel at a position corresponding to the placement position of the virtual light source in the AR scene, setting the intensity, the color and the reflectivity of the pixel to the intensity, the color and the reflectivity of the virtual light source.

7 . The computer-implemented method of claim 6 , wherein the intensity of the pixel is inversely proportional to a square of the distance between the virtual light source and the pixel.

8 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising:

detecting, by the image sensor, color data corresponding to the image of the physical environment; and

generating a color map corresponding to the image of the physical environment, the color map providing at least one of color characteristics or reflectivity characteristics of each pixel of a plurality of pixels of the AR scene of the physical environment.

9 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein generating the AR scene includes displaying the image of the physical environment in a darkened state, including darkening the image of the object and at least a portion of the physical environment adjacent the object to simulate a darkened physical environment without ambient lighting.

10 . The computer-implemented method of claim 9 , wherein relighting the AR scene includes relighting the AR scene generated from the darkened image of the physical environment, including, for each pixel of a plurality of pixels located between the virtual light source and the object, relighting the pixel to at least one of an adjusted intensity level, an adjusted color, and an adjusted reflectivity.

11 . The computer-implemented method of claim 9 , wherein relighting the AR scene includes relighting the AR scene generated from the darkened image of the physical environment to simulate illumination of the physical environment by the virtual light source without the influence of the ambient lighting.

12 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising receiving, at the input device of the computing device, an input placing a second virtual light source in the AR scene;

wherein the relighting the AR scene includes relighting the AR scene based on the placement position of the virtual light source in the AR scene and the placement position of the second virtual light source in the AR scene.

13 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein relighting the AR scene includes relighting a portion of the AR scene located between the virtual light source and the object.

14 . A system, comprising:

a camera assembly;

a display device;

at least one processor; and

a memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the system to:

capture image data corresponding to an image of a physical environment;

detect depth data corresponding to the physical environment;

generate an augmented reality (AR) scene from the image data corresponding to the image of the physical environment;

receive an input at a position on an input portion of the display device displaying the AR scene corresponding to a selected placement position of a virtual light source in the AR scene; and

relight an object in the AR scene, and at least a portion of the physical environment adjacent the object, based on the placement position of the virtual light source in the AR scene and the depth data corresponding to the physical environment.

15 . The system of claim 14 , wherein the camera assembly includes a depth sensor and an image sensor, and wherein the instructions cause the system to at least one of:

generate a depth map of the physical environment based on the depth data collected by the depth sensor; or

generate a color map of the physical environment based on the image data collected by the image sensor, the color map providing at least one of color characteristics or reflectivity characteristics of each pixel of a plurality of pixels of the AR scene of the physical environment.

16 . The system of claim 15 , wherein the instructions cause the system to:

detect a three-dimensional position of the virtual light source in the physical environment corresponding to the placement position of the virtual light source in the AR scene; and

for each pixel, of a plurality of pixels of the AR scene:

set an intensity level of the pixel based on an intensity of the virtual light source and a distance of the pixel from the virtual light source in the AR scene;

set a color of the pixel based on a color of the virtual light source, the distance of the pixel from the virtual light source, and a color of the pixel in the AR scene; and

set a reflectivity of the pixel based on the color of the virtual light source and the color of the pixel in the AR scene.

17 . The system of claim 16 , wherein the instructions cause the system to:

detect obstacles between the placement position of the virtual light source in the AR scene and the pixel based on the depth map; and

adjust the intensity level, the color, and the reflectivity of the pixel based on the obstacles detected between the placement position of the virtual light source in the AR scene and the pixel.

18 . The system of claim 17 , wherein the instructions cause the system to:

generate a darkened image of the physical environment in the AR scene to simulate a darkened physical environment; and

relight the AR scene generated from the darkened image of the physical environment, including, for each pixel of the plurality of pixels:

relight the pixel to the adjusted intensity level, the adjusted color, and the adjusted reflectivity.

19 . The system of claim 17 , wherein the instructions cause the system to:

apply the adjusted intensity level, the adjusted color, and the adjusted reflectivity, to the AR scene;

generate a composite rendering of the physical environment in the AR scene including the adjusted intensity level, the adjusted color, and the adjusted reflectivity; and

display the composite rendering of the AR scene on the display device.

20 . The system of claim 16 , wherein the instructions cause the system to, for each pixel of the plurality of pixels:

detect a distance of the pixel from the placement position of the virtual light source in the AR scene; and

in response to detection of the pixel at a position corresponding to the placement position of the virtual light source in the AR scene, set the intensity, the color and the reflectivity of the pixel to the intensity, the color and the reflectivity of the virtual light source.

21 . The system of claim 20 , wherein the intensity of the pixel is inversely proportional to a square of the distance between the virtual light source and the pixel.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 7, 2022
From: DU, RUOFEI; KIM, DAVID
To: GOOGLE LLC
Reel/Frame 062018/0548 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20230206568A1 · Jun 29, 2023
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