Method of displaying user interfaces in an environment and corresponding electronic device and computer readable storage medium

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12299267-B2
Application number	US-202418668032-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 17, 2024
Priority date	Sep 11, 2020
Publication date	May 13, 2025
Grant date	May 13, 2025

Abstract

Methods for displaying user interfaces in a computer-generated environment provide for an efficient and intuitive user experience. In some embodiments, user interfaces can have different immersion levels. In some embodiments, a user interface can have a respective immersion level based on its location in the three-dimensional environment or distance from the user. In some embodiments, a user interface can have a respective immersion level based on the state of the user interface. In some embodiments, a user interface can switch from one immersion level to another in response to the user's interaction with the user interface.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
at an electronic device in communication with a display and one or more input devices:
presenting, via the display, a three-dimensional environment;
while presenting the three-dimensional environment, receiving, via the one or more input devices, a user input corresponding to a request to display a first application; and
in response to receiving the user input:
displaying, in the three-dimensional environment, a first user interface of the first application;
in accordance with a determination that a current immersion state of the first application is a first immersion state, wherein an immersion state is indicative of an amount of visual emphasis of an object relative to other objects within the three-dimensional environment, altering a visual characteristic of the three-dimensional environment other than the first application; and
in accordance with a determination that the current immersion state of the first application is a second immersion state, different from the first immersion state, forgoing altering the visual characteristic of the three-dimensional environment.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
while the current immersion state of the first application is a first respective immersion state, receiving a second user input corresponding to a request to display content; and
in response to receiving the second user input, configuring the first application to have a second respective immersion state, different from the first respective immersion state.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the second user input corresponds to a request to move the first user interface to a location in the three-dimensional environment associated with the second respective immersion state.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein altering the visual characteristic of the three-dimensional environment other than the first application includes displaying one or more immersion fields in the three-dimensional environment, and forgoing altering the visual characteristic of the three-dimensional environment includes forgoing displaying the one or more immersion fields in the three-dimensional environment.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the first user interface of the first application is located within an effective boundary of the one or more immersion fields.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the effective boundary of the one or more immersion fields encompasses an area greater than an area of the first user interface of the first application.

7. The method of claim 5 , wherein altering the visual characteristic of the three-dimensional environment other than the first application includes visually de-emphasizing one or more objects in the three-dimensional environment, other than the first user interface of the first application, that are located within the effective boundary of the one or more immersion fields.

8. The method of claim 5 , wherein in accordance with the determination that the current immersion state of the first application is a first immersion state, the effective boundary of the one or more immersion fields encompasses a first area, the method further comprising:
in accordance with the determination that the current immersion state of the first application is a third immersion state, different from the first and second immersion states, displaying the one or more immersion fields in the three-dimensional environment, wherein the effective boundary of the one or more immersion fields encompasses a second area, different than the first area.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein:
while the effective boundary of the one or more immersion fields encompasses the first area:
a first object located within the effective boundary of the one or more immersion fields encompassing the first area is visually de-emphasized; and
a second object located outside of the effective boundary of the one or more immersion fields encompassing the first area is not visually de-emphasized; and

while the effective boundary of the one or more immersion fields encompasses the second area:
the first object located within the effective boundary of the one or more immersion fields encompassing the second area is visually de-emphasized; and
the second object located within the effective boundary of the one or more immersion fields encompassing the second area is visually de-emphasized.

10. An electronic device, comprising:
one or more processors;
memory; and
one or more programs, wherein the one or more programs are stored in the memory and configured to be executed by the one or more processors, the one or more programs including instructions for:
presenting, via a display, a three-dimensional environment;
while presenting the three-dimensional environment, receiving, via one or more input devices, a user input corresponding to a request to display a first application; and
in response to receiving the user input:
displaying, in the three-dimensional environment, a first user interface of the first application;
in accordance with a determination that a current immersion state of the first application is a first immersion state, wherein an immersion state is indicative of an amount of visual emphasis of an object relative to other objects within the three-dimensional environment, altering a visual characteristic of the three-dimensional environment other than the first application; and
in accordance with a determination that the current immersion state of the first application is a second immersion state, different from the first immersion state, forgoing altering the visual characteristic of the three-dimensional environment.

11. The electronic device of claim 10 , the one or more programs including instructions for:
while the current immersion state of the first application is a first respective immersion state, receiving a second user input corresponding to a request to display content; and
in response to receiving the second user input, configuring the first application to have a second respective immersion state, different from the first respective immersion state.

12. The electronic device of claim 11 , wherein the second user input corresponds to a request to move the first user interface to a location in the three-dimensional environment associated with the second respective immersion state.

13. The electronic device of claim 10 , wherein altering the visual characteristic of the three-dimensional environment other than the first application includes displaying one or more immersion fields in the three-dimensional environment, and forgoing altering the visual characteristic of the three-dimensional environment includes forgoing displaying the one or more immersion fields in the three-dimensional environment.

14. The electronic device of claim 13 , wherein the first user interface of the first application is located within an effective boundary of the one or more immersion fields.

15. The electronic device of claim 14 , wherein the effective boundary of the one or more immersion fields encompasses an area greater than an area of the first user interface of the first application.

16. The electronic device of claim 14 , wherein altering the visual characteristic of the three-dimensional environment other than the first application includes visually de-emphasizing one or more objects in the three-dimensional environment, other than the first user interface of the first application, that are located within the effective boundary of the one or more immersion fields.

17. The electronic device of claim 14 , wherein in

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Hylak Benjamin
• Palangie Alexis H
• Cazamias Jordan A
• Gitter Nathan
• Burns Aaron M

Classifications

• G06F3/0482

  Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus · CPC title

• G06F3/013 Primary

  Eye tracking input arrangements (G06F3/015 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G06F2203/04804

  Transparency, e.g. transparent or translucent windows · CPC title

• G06F3/04815

  Interaction with a metaphor-based environment or interaction object displayed as three-dimensional [3D], e.g. changing the user viewpoint with respect to the environment or object · CPC title

• G06F3/04842

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