Systems and methods for managing display of participants in real-time communication sessions

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2024404206-A1
Application number	US-202418733641-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 4, 2024
Priority date	Jun 4, 2023
Publication date	Dec 5, 2024
Grant date	—

Abstract

In some embodiments, a computer system changes visual appearance of visual representations of participants moving within a simulated threshold distance of a user of the computer system. In some embodiments, a computer system arranges representations of users according to templates. In some embodiments, a computer system arranges representations of users based on shared content. In some embodiments, a computer system changes a spatial arrangement of participants in accordance with a quantity of participants that are a first type of participant. In some embodiments, a computer system changes a spatial arrangement of elements of a real-time communication session to join a group of participants. In some embodiments, a computer system facilitates interaction with groups of spatial representations of participants of a communication session. In some embodiments, a computer system facilitates updates of a spatial arrangement of participants based on a spatial distribution of the participants.

First claim

1 . A method comprising:
at a first computer system in communication with a display generation component, the first computer system associated with a first user:
while a three-dimensional environment is visible via the display generation component, detecting that one or more first criteria are satisfied, including a criterion that is satisfied while the first computer system is in a real-time communication session that includes a second computer system associated with a second user; and
in response to detecting that the one or more first criteria are satisfied:
in accordance with a determination that a first quantity of users, including the first user and the second user, are participating in the real-time communication session displaying, in the three-dimensional environment via the display generation component, a representation of the second user at a first virtual location for the second user relative to a first virtual location associated with a viewpoint of the first user in the three-dimensional environment, wherein the first virtual location associated with the viewpoint of the first user and the first virtual location for the second user have a first spatial arrangement relative to each other in the three-dimensional environment; and
in accordance with a determination that a second quantity of users, different from the first quantity of users and including the first user and the second user, are participating in the real-time communication session, displaying, in the three-dimensional environment via the display generation component, the representation of the second user at a second virtual location for the second user relative to a second virtual location associated with the viewpoint of the first user in the three-dimensional environment, wherein the second virtual location for the second user and the second virtual location associated with the viewpoint of the first user have a second spatial arrangement relative to each other in the three-dimensional environment, different from the first spatial arrangement.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more first criteria include a criterion that is satisfied when the computer system detects the second user joining the real-time communication session.

3 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
before detecting that the one or more first criteria are satisfied, displaying a representation of a third user at a first virtual location for the third user relative to the viewpoint of the first user in the three-dimensional environment, and in response to detecting that the one or more first criteria are satisfied, moving the display of the representation of the third user from the first virtual location for the third user to a second virtual location for the third user, different from the first virtual location for the third user, relative to the viewpoint of the first user in the three-dimensional environment.

4 . The method of claim 3 , further comprising:
before detecting that the one or more first criteria are satisfied, displaying a representation of a fourth user at a first virtual location for the fourth user relative to the viewpoint of the first user in the three-dimensional environment, and in response to detecting that the one or more first criteria are satisfied, moving the display of the representation of the fourth user from the first virtual location for the fourth user to a second virtual location for the fourth user, different from the first virtual location for the fourth user, relative to the viewpoint of the first user in the three-dimensional environment.

5 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
in response to detecting that the one or more first criteria are satisfied, maintaining a virtual location associated with the viewpoint of the user at a same virtual location with which the viewpoint of the first user was associated at the time the computer system detects that the one or more criteria are satisfied.

6 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
detecting that at least one user participating in the real-time communication session has left the real-time communication session; and after detecting that the at least one user has left the real-time communication session, maintaining respective virtual locations of the display of representations of remaining users participating in the real-time communication session.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more first criteria include a criterion that is satisfied when the computer system detects a user input corresponding to a request to reset a spatial arrangement of representations of users participating in the real-time communication session.

8 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
after detecting that the one or more first criteria are satisfied and in accordance with the determination that the first quantity of users are participating in the real-time communication session, and while displaying the representation of the second user at the first virtual location, obtaining information corresponding to movement of the representation of the second user; and in response to obtaining the information corresponding to movement of the representation of the second user:
updating a virtual location of the display of the representation of the second user in accordance with the obtained information, and maintaining the display of the representations of the remaining users participating in the real-time communication session at the respective virtual locations according to the first spatial arrangement.

9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first spatial arrangement corresponds to slots in a first template, the method further comprising:
while the first quantity of users are participating in the real-time communication session and while the virtual location associated with the viewpoint of the first user corresponds to a first virtual location in the first template and representations of the remaining user of the first quantity of users are displayed at respective virtual locations of the first template, detecting that a third user has joined the real-time communication session, wherein a quantity of users participating in the real-time communication session after the third user joins the real-time communication session is a third quantity; in response to detecting that the third user has joined the real-time communication session:
in accordance with a determination that there is a virtual location that is empty in the first template:
displaying a representation of the third user at the virtual location that was empty, and
maintaining the virtual locations in the first template at which respective representations of one or more additional users are displayed; and

in accordance with a determination that there is not a virtual location that is empty in the first spatial arrangement:
displaying the representation of the third user at a second virtual location for the third user according to a third spatial arrangement associated with the third quantity of users, and
updating the respective virtual locations at which respective representations of one or more additional users of the third quantity of users according to the third spatial arrangement.

10 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
while a fifth quantity of user are participating in the real-time communication session and while displaying representations of the fifth quantity of users excluding the first user at respective virtual locations according to a first template associated with a larger quantity of users than the fifth quantity of users such that a plurality of virtual locations in the first template associated with the larger quantity of users are empty virtual lo

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Chiu Shih-Sang
• Bhardwaj Rajat
• Lemay Stephen O
• Smith Connor A
• Cerra Joseph P
• Lee Kevin

Classifications

• H04S7/302

  Electronic adaptation of stereophonic sound system to listener position or orientation (H04S7/301 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H04N7/157

  defining a virtual conference space and using avatars or agents (computer conference optimisation or adaptation H04L12/1827) · CPC title

• G06T19/006

  Mixed reality (object pose determination, tracking or camera calibration for mixed reality G06T7/00) · CPC title

• H04L65/40

  Support for services or applications · CPC title

• G06T2219/024

  Multi-user, collaborative environment · CPC title