Establishing spatial truth for spatial groups in multi-user communication sessions

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2025322612-A1
Application number	US-202519079152-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Mar 13, 2025
Priority date	Apr 15, 2024
Publication date	Oct 16, 2025
Grant date	—

Abstract

Some examples of the disclosure are directed to systems and methods for establishing spatial truth for collocated participants in a multi-user communication session. In some examples, a first electronic device detects an indication of a request to engage in a shared activity with a second, collocated, electronic device. In some examples, the first electronic device determines a first origin according to which content is presented in a three-dimensional environment, wherein the first origin corresponds to a first physical location. In some examples, the first electronic device presents an object corresponding to the shared activity relative to the first origin. In some examples, the first electronic device generates a spatial map of the three-dimensional environment that includes a second origin corresponding to a second, different physical location. In some examples, the first electronic device updates presentation of the object corresponding to the shared activity to be relative to the second origin.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method comprising:
at a first electronic device in communication with one or more displays and one or more input devices, wherein the first electronic device is collocated with a second electronic device in a physical environment: detecting an indication of a request to engage in a shared activity with the second electronic device; in response to detecting the indication:
determining a first origin according to which content is presented in a three-dimensional environment, wherein the first origin corresponds to a first location in the physical environment; and
entering a communication session with the second electronic device, including presenting, via the one or more displays, an object corresponding to the shared activity in the three-dimensional environment relative to the first origin;
while in the communication session with the second electronic device and while presenting the object relative to the first origin, generating, based on the physical environment, a spatial map of the three-dimensional environment that includes a second origin corresponding to a second location in the physical environment, the second location different from the first location; and after generating the spatial map of the three-dimensional environment, updating presentation of the object corresponding to the shared activity in the three-dimensional environment to be relative to the second origin.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first electronic device being collocated with the second electronic device in the physical environment comprises:
the second electronic device being within a threshold distance of the first electronic device in the physical environment; the second electronic device being located in a field of view of the first electronic device; and/or the second electronic device being located in a same physical room as the first electronic device.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the first origin is determined using a first environment analysis technique; and the second origin is determined using a second environment analysis technique, different from the first environment analysis technique.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first origin is determined based on at least one of:
performing object recognition of the second electronic device; visually detecting, via the one or more input devices, an image associated with the second electronic device that is visible in the physical environment from a viewpoint of the first electronic device; analyzing one or more physical characteristics of the physical environment; and identifying a physical reference in the physical environment that is identifiable by the second electronic device.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the second origin is determined by synchronizing the spatial map of the three-dimensional environment to a respective spatial map of a plurality of spatial maps corresponding to a plurality of physical environments, including the physical environment, that is accessible from a repository of spatial maps.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the second origin is determined based on first data provided by the second electronic device, the first data including information corresponding to a position of the second electronic device relative to the first origin and an orientation of the second electronic device relative to the first origin; the first origin is determined based on identifying a position of the second electronic device relative to a viewpoint of the first electronic device and an orientation of the second electronic device relative to the viewpoint of the first electronic device over a first time period; and the first data provided by the second electronic device is captured by the second electronic device over the first time period.

7 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
while in the communication session with the second electronic device and while presenting the object relative to the second origin, detecting that a respective event has occurred; and in response to detecting that the respective event has occurred, in accordance with a determination that the respective event satisfies one or more criteria:
updating the spatial map to include a third origin corresponding to a third location in the physical environment, the third location different from the second location; and
updating presentation of the object corresponding to the shared activity in the three-dimensional environment to be relative to the third origin.

8 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
while in the communication session with the second electronic device and while presenting the object relative to the second origin, detecting an indication of a request to add a third electronic device to the communication session, wherein the third electronic device is collocated with the first electronic device and the second electronic device in the physical environment; and in response to detecting the indication:
adding the third electronic device to the communication session; and
maintaining presentation of the object relative to the second origin in the three-dimensional environment.

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: detecting an indication of a request to engage in a shared activity with a second electronic device, wherein the first electronic device is collocated with the second electronic device in a physical environment; in response to detecting the indication:
determining a first origin according to which content is presented in a three-dimensional environment, wherein the first origin corresponds to a first location in the physical environment; and
entering a communication session with the second electronic device, including presenting, via one or more displays, an object corresponding to the shared activity in the three-dimensional environment relative to the first origin;
while in the communication session with the second electronic device and while presenting the object relative to the first origin, generating, based on the physical environment, a spatial map of the three-dimensional environment that includes a second origin corresponding to a second location in the physical environment, the second location different from the first location; and after generating the spatial map of the three-dimensional environment, updating presentation of the object corresponding to the shared activity in the three-dimensional environment to be relative to the second origin.

10 . The first electronic device of claim 9 , wherein the first electronic device being collocated with the second electronic device in the physical environment comprises:
the second electronic device being within a threshold distance of the first electronic device in the physical environment; the second electronic device being located in a field of view of the first electronic device; and/or the second electronic device being located in a same physical room as the first electronic device.

11 . The first electronic device of claim 9 , wherein:
the first origin is determined using a first environment analysis technique; and the second origin is determined using a second environment analysis technique, different from the first environment analysis technique.

12 . The first electronic device of claim 9 , wherein the first origin is determined based on at least one of:
performing object recognition of the second electroni

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Cerra Joseph P
• Handel Peter F
• Sharma Praveen
• Piemonte Patrick

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

• G06T19/20

  Editing of three-dimensional [3D] images, e.g. changing shapes or colours, aligning objects or positioning parts · CPC title

• G06T19/006 Primary

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

• H04L65/1093

  by adding participants; by removing participants · CPC title

• G06F3/1454 Primary

  involving copying of the display data of a local workstation or window to a remote workstation or window so that an actual copy of the data is displayed simultaneously on two or more displays, e.g. teledisplay · CPC title