IP Library Granted Patent US 12,393,316
Granted Patent B2
US 12,393,316 · App. 18/410,697 · Granted Aug 19, 2025

Throwable interface for augmented reality and virtual reality environments

Inventor: Nicholas James Benson (Stanford, CA)
Assignee: ULTRAHAPTICS IP TWO LIMITED
G06F3/04815G06F3/011G06F3/017G06F3/0486G06T19/006G06T19/20G06V10/764G06V10/82G06V20/20G06V40/28
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,393,316
App. No.
18/410,697
Granted
Aug 19, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

The technology disclosed relates to positioning and revealing a control interface in a virtual or augmented reality that includes causing display of a plurality of interface projectiles at a first region of a virtual or augmented reality. Input is received that is interpreted as user interaction with an interface projectile. User interaction includes selecting and throwing the interface projectile in a first direction. An animation of the interface projectile is displayed along a trajectory in the first directions to a place where it lands. A blooming of the control interface blooming from the interface projectile at the place where it lands is displayed.

Claims (41)

1. A method of positioning and revealing a control interface in a virtual or augmented reality, including:

causing display of at least one interface projectile of a plurality of interface projectiles at a first region of a virtual or augmented reality;

tracking movement for at least one hand;

interpreting movement of the at least one hand as user interaction with an interface projectile, including selecting and throwing the interface projectile in a first direction,

causing display of an animation of the interface projectile along a trajectory in the first direction to a place where it lands and an animation representing the movement of the at least one hand tossing the interface projectile; and

causing display of the control interface blooming from the interface projectile at the place where it lands.

2. The method of claim 1 , further including:

receiving input indicating motion of an attached sensor responsive to repositioning of a head mounted device worn by a user and the attached sensor due to body movement; and

determining, from movement for the at least one hand and the input, a throw direction and a throw speed for a user interaction with the interface projectile.

3. The method of claim 2 , further implementing determining from the throw direction and the throw speed, a user's intended interface angle and an interface distance.

4. The method of claim 1 , further implementing heuristics based on a set of user comfort factors including at least an arm length of a user and a location of pre-existing interfaces in a user's workspace.

5. The method of claim 4 , further implementing using the set of user comfort factors to refine a target interface position and rotation to place the control interface in location that is immediately accessible without discomfort or significant movement required of a user.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein input is received from an optical sensor device comprising at least one camera having a field of view disposed to sense motions of hands of a user.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein a user's hand is sensed without aid of markers, gloves, or hand held controllers.

8. The method of claim 6 , further including capturing a set of captured images of one or more hands in a three-dimensional (3D) sensory space and sensing a location of at least one hand using a video capturing sensor including at least one camera.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one interface projectile of the plurality of interface projectiles bears a representation of a control interface that will be launched by throwing.

10. The method of claim 9 , further including detecting a grab gesture made by a user that indicates the user has grasped the interface projectile.

11. A system for graphic user interface generation, including:

a processor coupled with a computer readable medium storing instructions thereon, which instructions, when executed by the processor, implement:

causing display of at least one interface projectile of a plurality of interface projectiles in a first region of a virtual or augmented reality;

tracking movement for at least one hand;

interpreting movement of the at least one hand as representative of a user selecting an interface projectile and throwing it towards a place where it lands;

responding to a gesture data by animating a trajectory of the interface projectile as selected from a first region to the place where it lands and an animation representing the movement of the at least one hand tossing the interface projectile; and

generating a control interface bloom that reveals a control interface at the place where it lands.

12. The system of claim 11 , further implementing:

receiving a sensor input that indicates motion of an attached sensor responsive to repositioning of a head mounted device worn by a user and the attached sensor due to body movement; and

determining from the movement for the at least one hand and the sensor input, a throw direction and a throw speed for a user interaction with the interface projectile.

13. The system of claim 12 , further implementing determining from the throw direction and the throw speed, a user's intended interface angle and an interface distance.

14. The system of claim 11 , further implementing heuristics based on a set of user comfort factors including at least an arm length for the user and a location of pre-existing interfaces in a user's workspace.

15. The system of claim 14 , further implementing using the set of user comfort factors to refine a target interface position and rotation to place the control interface in location that is immediately accessible without discomfort or significant movement required of a user.

16. The system of claim 11 , wherein tracking movement for at least one hand includes receiving input from an optical sensor device comprising at least one camera having a field of view disposed to sense motions of one or more hands of a user.

17. The system of claim 16 , wherein a user's hand is sensed without aid of markers, gloves, or hand held controllers.

18. The system of claim 16 , further including capturing a set of captured images of one or more hands in a three-dimensional (3D) sensory space and sensing a location of at least one hand using a video capturing sensor including at least one camera.

19. The system of claim 11 , wherein at least one interface projectile of the plurality of interface projectiles bears a representation of the control interface that will be launched by throwing.

20. The system of claim 11 , further including detecting a grab gesture made by the user that indicates the user has grasped the interface projectile.

21. A non-transitory computer readable medium having machine executable instructions for implementing a graphic user interface capable wearable device stored thereon, which instructions when executed by one or more processors implement actions including:

presenting at least one interface projectile of a plurality of interface projectiles displayed in a virtual or augmented reality at a first time,

wherein each interface projectile is throwable and, upon landing, blooms into a control interface where it lands,

tracking movement for at least one hand and motion of an attached sensor responsive to repositioning of a head mounted device worn by a user and the attached sensor due to body movement;

interpreting movement of the at least one hand as user manipulation of an interface projectile, which displays travel of the interface projectile from its location at the first time to a place where it lands in the virtual or augmented reality at a second time and an animation representing the movement of the at least one hand tossing the interface projectile, and

presenting a control interface that becomes visible, blooming from interface projectile at the place where it lands at a third time.

Assignments (6)
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Apr 6, 2026
From: SIM IP HXR LLC
To: UNITY MASTER LLC SERIES XIX
Reel/Frame 075365/0907 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 19, 2026
From: ULTRAHAPTICS IP TWO LIMITED
To: SIM IP HXR LLC
Reel/Frame 075127/0793 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 16, 2026
From: ULTRAHAPTICS LIMITED; ULTRAHAPTICS IP LIMITED; ULTRAHAPTICS IP TWO LIMITED; ULTRALEAP LIMITED
To: SIM IP HXR LLC
Reel/Frame 074403/0943 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 11, 2024
From: BENSON, NICHOLAS JAMES
To: LEAP MOTION, INC.
Reel/Frame 066104/0592 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 11, 2024
From: LEAP MOTION, INC.
To: LMI LIQUIDATING CO. LLC
Reel/Frame 066104/0751 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 11, 2024
From: LMI LIQUIDATING CO. LLC
To: ULTRAHAPTICS IP TWO LIMITED
Reel/Frame 066104/0786 →