World-controlled and application-controlled augments in an artificial-reality environment

Inventors: John Jacob Blakeley (Bothell, WA); Michal Hlavac (Seattle, WA); Pol Pla I Conesa (Portland, OR); Michael Ishigaki (Mountain View, CA); Jonathan Michael Proto (San Francisco, CA); Paul Mealy (Bellevue, WA); Kevin Harper (Redmond, WA); Jenny Kam (Seattle, WA); Jossie E. Tirado Arroyo (Kenmore, WA)

Assignee: Meta Platforms Technologies, LLC

G06F9/451 G06F3/0484 G06T11/00

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Quick Facts

Patent No.: US 12670001
App. No.: 18/636,891
Granted: Jun 30, 2026
Kind: B2

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Abstract

The present disclosure provides world-controlled augments and application-controlled augments. World-controlled augments can be controlled directly by a shell in the artificial reality environment. To allow even inexperienced users to develop world-controlled augments, a world-controlled builder system is provided. Application-controlled augments may be resource intensive (e.g., using eye-tracking, social-media tie-ins, etc.), may support complicated interactions among themselves, may require or have extensive use of inputs and permissioned resources, and are controlled by their hosting application. When a running application is halted, the application closes its application-controlled augments but can choose to have the XR system run a “place-holder” world-controlled augment for as long as the application is not running. The place-holder world-controlled augment preserves the appearance of the application in the artificial reality environment but uses few system resources. Upon a user selecting a place-holder world-controlled augment, the XR system can run the associated application and close the place-holder world-controlled augment.

Claims (41)

1 . A computer-implemented method for displaying augments in an artificial reality system, the method comprising:

running an application on an artificial reality system, wherein the application controls an application-specific augment;

generating a placeholder augment that is associated with the application-specific augment but uses less of the artificial reality system's resources than the application-specific augment, wherein the placeholder augment is controlled by a shell other than the application;

stopping execution of the application and ceasing to provide the application-specific augment;

responsive to stopping execution of the application, providing, by the shell, the placeholder augment in an artificial reality environment of the artificial reality system;

receiving a selection of the placeholder augment; and

responsive to receiving the selection of the placeholder augment, (i) executing the application and (ii) providing, by the application, the application-specific augment in the artificial reality environment of the artificial reality system.

2 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the shell controls which of the artificial reality system's resources are available to the application.

3 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising, responsive to the executing the application, removing the placeholder augment from the artificial reality environment.

4 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the stopping execution of the application and the ceasing to provide the application-specific augment is responsive to one or more of:

a selection of another application; or

a shortage of resources in the shell.

5 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the providing the application-specific augment comprises applying a state to the application-specific augment, wherein the state is saved from a previous execution of the application.

6 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the generating the placeholder augment is based on an augment template customized by the application.

7 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the shell controls interactions between the application and one or more other applications installed on the artificial reality system.

8 . A computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that, when executed by a computing system, cause the computing system to perform a process for displaying augments in an artificial reality system, the process comprising:

running an application on an artificial reality system, wherein the application controls an application-specific augment;

stopping execution of the application and ceasing to provide the application-specific augment;

responsive to stopping execution of the application, providing, by the shell, the placeholder augment in an artificial reality environment of the artificial reality system;

receiving a selection of the placeholder augment; and

9 . The computer-readable storage medium of claim 8 , wherein the shell controls which of the artificial reality system's resources are available to the application.

10 . The computer-readable storage medium of claim 8 , wherein the process further comprises, responsive to the executing the application, removing the placeholder augment from the artificial reality environment.

11 . The computer-readable storage medium of claim 8 , wherein the stopping execution of the application and the ceasing to provide the application-specific augment is responsive to one or more of:

a selection of another application; or

a shortage of resources in the shell.

12 . The computer-readable storage medium of claim 8 , wherein the providing the application-specific augment comprises applying a state to the application-specific augment, wherein the state is saved from a previous execution of the application.

13 . The computer-readable storage medium of claim 8 , wherein the generating the placeholder augment is based on an augment template customized by the application.

14 . The computer-readable storage medium of claim 8 , wherein the selection of the placeholder augment comprises a user interaction with the placeholder augment.

15 . A computing system for displaying augments by an artificial reality system, computing system comprising:

one or more processors; and

one or more memories storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the computing system to perform a process comprising:

running an application on an artificial reality system, wherein the application controls a first an application-specific augment;

stopping execution of the application and ceasing to provide the application-specific augment;

responsive to stopping execution of the application, providing, by the shell, the placeholder augment in an artificial reality environment of the artificial reality system;

receiving a selection of the placeholder augment; and

16 . The computing system of claim 15 , wherein the shell controls which of the artificial reality system's resources are available to the application.

17 . The computing system of claim 15 , wherein the process further comprises, responsive to the executing the application, removing the placeholder augment from the artificial reality environment.