System and method of application-based three-dimensional refinement in multi-user communication sessions

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2025013344-A1
Application number	US-202418896227-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Sep 25, 2024
Priority date	Sep 16, 2022
Publication date	Jan 9, 2025
Grant date	—

Abstract

Some examples of the disclosure are directed to methods for application-based spatial refinement in a multi-user communication session including a first electronic device and a second electronic device. While the first electronic device is presenting a three-dimensional environment, the first electronic device receives an input corresponding to a request to move a shared object in the three-dimensional environment. In accordance with a determination that the shared object is an object of a first type, the first electronic device moves the shared object and an avatar of a user in the three-dimensional environment in accordance with the input. In accordance with a determination that the shared object is an object of a second type, different from the first type, and the input is a first type of input, the first electronic device moves the shared object in the three-dimensional environment in accordance with the input, without moving the avatar.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method comprising:
at a first electronic device in communication with a display, one or more input devices, and a second electronic device:
while in a communication session with the second electronic device, presenting, via the display, a three-dimensional environment including a visual representation corresponding to a user of the second electronic device and a first shared object;
while displaying the three-dimensional environment including the visual representation corresponding to the user of the second electronic device and the first shared object, receiving, from the second electronic device, a first indication corresponding to movement of the first shared object in accordance with first movement input received at the second electronic device; and
in response to receiving the first indication:
in accordance with a determination that the first shared object is an object of a first type, moving the visual representation in the three-dimensional environment in accordance with the first movement input without moving the first shared object; and
in accordance with a determination that the first shared object is an object of a second type that is different from the first type and the first movement input is a first type of input, moving the first shared object in the three-dimensional environment in accordance with the first movement input without moving the visual representation.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first type of input corresponds to one or more of:
a change in distance between a viewpoint of a user of the first electronic device and the first shared object; and vertical movement of the first shared object in the three-dimensional environment relative to the viewpoint of the user.

3 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
in response to receiving the first indication:
in accordance with a determination that the first shared object is an object of the second type and the first movement input is a second type of input, different from the first type of input, moving the visual representation in the three-dimensional environment in accordance with the first movement input without moving the first shared object.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein, before receiving the first indication, the three-dimensional environment further includes a first unshared object of the first electronic device, the method further comprising:
in response to receiving the first indication:
in accordance with a determination that the first shared object is an object of the first type, moving the visual representation in the three-dimensional environment in accordance with the first movement input without moving the first shared object and the first unshared object of the first electronic device; and
in accordance with a determination that the first shared object is an object of the second type and the first movement input is the first type of input, moving the first shared object in the three-dimensional environment in accordance with the first movement input without moving the visual representation and the first unshared object of the first electronic device.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the object of the first type corresponds to an object that has a horizontal orientation relative to a viewpoint of a user of the first electronic device; and the object of the second type corresponds to an object that has a vertical orientation relative to a viewpoint of a user of the first electronic device.

6 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
in response to receiving the first indication:
in accordance with a determination that the first shared object is an object of the second type and that the first movement input corresponds to movement of the first shared object toward or away from a viewpoint of a user of the first electronic device:
scaling the first shared object in the three-dimensional environment based on the movement of the first shared object.

7 . The method of claim 6 , wherein:
before receiving the first indication, the first shared object has a first size in the three-dimensional environment; and scaling the first shared object in the three-dimensional environment based on the movement of the first shared object includes:
in accordance with a determination that the first movement input corresponds to the movement of the first shared object toward the viewpoint of the user of the first electronic device, displaying, via the display, the first shared object with a second size, smaller than the first size, in the three-dimensional environment; and
in accordance with a determination that the first movement input corresponds to the movement of the first shared object away from the viewpoint of the user of the first electronic device, displaying, via the display, the first shared object with a second size, larger than the first size, in the three-dimensional environment.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein, before receiving the first indication, the first shared object has a first orientation in the three-dimensional environment, the method further comprising:
while displaying the three-dimensional environment including the visual representation corresponding to the user of the second electronic device and the first shared object, receiving, from the second electronic device, a second indication corresponding to lateral movement of the first shared object relative to a viewpoint of a user of the first electronic device in accordance with second movement input received at the second electronic device; and in response to receiving the second indication:
in accordance with a determination that the first shared object is an object of the first type or that the first shared object is an object of the second type, moving the visual representation laterally in the three-dimensional environment relative to the viewpoint of the user in accordance with the second movement input without moving the first shared object.

9 . A first electronic device comprising:
one or more processors; memory; and one or more programs stored in the memory and configured to be executed by the one or more processors, the one or more programs including instructions for performing a method comprising: while in a communication session with a second electronic device, presenting, via a display, a three-dimensional environment including a visual representation corresponding to a user of the second electronic device and a first shared object; while displaying the three-dimensional environment including the visual representation corresponding to the user of the second electronic device and the first shared object, receiving, from the second electronic device, a first indication corresponding to movement of the first shared object in accordance with first movement input received at the second electronic device; and in response to receiving the first indication:
in accordance with a determination that the first shared object is an object of a first type, moving the visual representation in the three-dimensional environment in accordance with the first movement input without moving the first shared object; and
in accordance with a determination that the first shared object is an object of a second type that is different from the first type and the first movement input is a first type of input, moving the first shared object in the three-dimensional environment in accordance with the first movement input without moving the visual representation.

10 . The first electronic device of claim 9 , wherein the first type of input corresponds to one or more of:
a change in distance between a viewpoint of a user of the first electronic device and the first shar

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Smith Connor A
• Mckenzie Christopher D
• Gitter Nathan

Classifications

• H04L65/403

  Arrangements for multi-party communication, e.g. for conferences (data switching systems for conference H04L12/18; arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities H04M3/56; television conferencing systems H04N7/15) · CPC title

• G06F3/04845

  for image manipulation, e.g. dragging, rotation, expansion or change of colour · 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

• G06F3/013

  Eye tracking input arrangements (G06F3/015 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