Methods for navigating user interfaces

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12265657-B2
Application number	US-202318336770-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 16, 2023
Priority date	Sep 25, 2020
Publication date	Apr 1, 2025
Grant date	Apr 1, 2025

Abstract

In some embodiments, an electronic device navigates between user interfaces based at least on detecting a gaze of the user. In some embodiments, an electronic device enhances interactions with control elements of user interfaces. In some embodiments, an electronic device scrolls representations of categories and subcategories in a coordinated manner. In some embodiments, an electronic device navigates back from user interfaces having different levels of immersion in different ways.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
at an electronic device in communication with a display generation component and an eye tracking device:
displaying, via the display generation component, a user interface that includes:
a first control element that is selectable to perform a first operation, wherein the first control element is displayed with a first appearance; and
a respective user interface element that includes a respective portion of the respective user interface element that is displayed with a respective visual characteristic having a first value;

while displaying the user interface, detecting, via the eye tracking device, that a gaze of a user is directed to the first control element; and
in response to detecting that the gaze of the user is directed to the first control element:
updating the first control element to have a second appearance, different from the first appearance, such that a respective portion of the first control element having the second appearance is displayed overlaid on a part of the respective portion of the respective user interface element; and
displaying the respective portion of the respective user interface element with the respective visual characteristic having a second value, different from the first value.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the respective user interface element includes a second respective portion,
before detecting that the gaze of the user is directed to the first control element, the second respective portion is displayed with the respective visual characteristic having the first value, and
in response to detecting that the gaze of the user is directed to the first control element, the second respective portion of the respective user interface element continues to be displayed with the respective visual characteristic having the first value.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein respective user interface element includes a third respective portion between the respective portion and the second respective portion,
before detecting that the gaze of the user is directed to the first control element, the third respective portion is displayed with the respective visual characteristic having the first value, and
in response to detecting that the gaze of the user is directed to the first control element, the third respective portion of the respective user interface element is displayed with the respective visual characteristic having a third value in between the first value and the second value.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein updating the first control element to have the second appearance includes displaying a textual description associated with the first control element, wherein the textual description associated with the first control element was not displayed before detecting that the gaze of the user was directed to the first control element.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein when the gaze of the user directed to the first control element is detected, the first control element and the respective user interface element are displayed over a third user interface that is displayed with the respective visual characteristic having the second value.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
displaying, via the display generation component, a second user interface that includes a first respective control element and a second respective control element, wherein a portion of the second user interface is displayed with the respective visual characteristic having the first value;
while displaying the second user interface, detecting, via the eye tracking device, that the gaze of the user is directed to the first respective control element;
in response to detecting that the gaze of the user is directed to the first respective control element, visually emphasizing the first respective control element relative to the second respective control element;
while the gaze of the user is directed to the first respective control element and while the first respective control element is visually emphasized relative to the second respective control element, detecting, via a hand tracking device in communication with the electronic device, a respective gesture performed by a hand of the user; and
in response to detecting the respective gesture performed by the hand of the user:
in accordance with a determination that the respective gesture corresponds to a request to display one or more selectable options associated with the first respective control element, displaying, via the display generation component, the one or more selectable options associated with the first respective control element overlaid on the portion of the second user interface, wherein the portion of the second user interface is displayed with the respective visual characteristic having the second value.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the first control element is one control element of a plurality of control elements that are selectable to display different user interfaces of an application, and
the respective user interface element is a user interface of the application.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
before detecting that the gaze of the user is directed to the first control element, the first control element is displayed at a first depth in a three-dimensional environment relative to the respective user interface element, and
in response to detecting that the gaze of the user is directed to the first control element, the first control element is displayed at a second depth, different from the first depth, in the three-dimensional environment relative to the respective user interface element.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
while the gaze of the user is directed to the first control element, detecting, via a hand tracking device in communication with the electronic device, a first portion of a selection input;
after detecting the first portion of the selection input, detecting, via the hand tracking device, a second portion of the selection input; and
in response to detecting the second portion of the selection input:
in accordance with a determination that the gaze of the user is no longer directed to the first control element when the second portion of the selection input was detected, initiating an operation associated with the first control element.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the respective user interface element includes a first selectable object and a second respective portion, wherein the second respective portion is displayed with the respective visual characteristic having the first value, the method further comprising:
while displaying the respective user interface element including the first selectable object, detecting selection of the first selectable object; and
in response to detecting the selection of the first selectable object:
displaying a representation of the first selectable object overlaid on the second respective portion of the respective user interface element, wherein the second respective portion of the respective user interface element is displayed with the respective visual characteristic having the second value, different from the first value.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein:
the respective user interface element includes a third respective portion surrounding the second respective portion, and
in response to detecting the selection of the first selectable object, the second respective portion of the respective user interface element is displayed with the respective visual characteristic having the second value, and the third respective portion of the respective user interface element is displayed with the respective visual characteristic having a third value, i

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Pastrana Vicente Israel
• Moon Jay
• Chand Jesse
• Dascola Jonathan R
• Sorrentino Iii William A
• Lemay Stephen O
• Dargan Dorian D

Classifications

• G06F3/04842

  Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements (G06F3/0482 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G06F3/0481

  based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance · CPC title

• G06F3/017

  Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures (interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883) · CPC title

• G06V40/18

  Eye characteristics, e.g. of the iris · CPC title

• G06F3/005

  Input arrangements through a video camera · CPC title