IP Library Granted Patent US 12,620,179
Granted Patent B2
US 12,620,179 · App. 18/434,605 · Granted May 5, 2026

Digital assistant object placement

Inventors: Brad K. Herman (Culver City, CA); Garrett L. Weinberg (Santa Cruz, CA); Isar Arason (Lilburn, GA); Pedro Mari (Santa Cruz, CA); Shiraz Akmal (Playa Vista, CA); Stephen O. Lemay (Palo Alto, CA); James J. Owen (San Francisco, CA); Miquel Estany Rodriguez (San Francisco, CA); Jay Moon (San Francisco, CA); William A. Sorrentino, III (Mill Valley, CA); Jose Antonio Checa Oloriz (San Francisco, CA); Lynn I. Streja (San Francisco, CA)
Assignee: Apple Inc.
G06T19/00G06F3/013G06F3/016G06F3/017G10L15/22
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,620,179
App. No.
18/434,605
Granted
May 5, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

Systems and processes for operating an intelligent automated assistant within a computer-generated reality (CGR) environment are provided. For example, a user input invoking a digital assistant session is received, and in response, a digital assistant session is initiated. Initiating the digital assistant session includes positioning a digital assistant object at a first location within the CGR environment but outside of the currently-displayed portion of the CGR environment at a first time, and providing a first output indicating the location of the digital assistant object.

Claims (81)

1 . An electronic device, comprising:

a display;

one or more sensors;

one or more processors;

a memory; and

one or more programs, wherein the one or more programs are stored in the memory and configured to be executed by the one or more processors, the one or more programs including instructions for:

while displaying a portion of a computer-generated reality (CGR) environment representing a current field of view of a user of the electronic device:

detecting, with the one or more sensors, a first user input;

in accordance with a determination that the first user input satisfies at least one criterion for initiating a digital assistant session, initiating a first digital assistant session, wherein initiating the first digital assistant session includes positioning a digital assistant object at a first location within the CGR environment and outside of the displayed portion of the CGR environment at a first time; and

providing a first output indicating the first location of the digital assistant object within the CGR environment.

2 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the first user input includes an audio input.

3 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the first user input includes a gaze input.

4 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the first user input includes a gesture input.

5 . The electronic device of claim 1 , the one or more programs further including instructions for:

determining the first location within the CGR environment based on one or more environmental factors.

6 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein providing the first output indicating the first location includes causing a first audio output to be produced.

7 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein providing the first output indicating the first location includes causing a first haptic output to be produced.

8 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein providing the first output indicating the first location includes displaying, on the display, a visual indication of the first location.

9 . The electronic device of claim 1 , the one or more programs further including instructions for:

at a second time:

in accordance with a determination that the first location is within the displayed portion of the CGR environment at the second time, displaying the digital assistant object at the first location.

10 . The electronic device of claim 1 , the one or more programs further including instructions for:

detecting, with the one or more sensors, a second user input at a third time;

determining an intent of the second user input; and

providing a second output based on the determined intent.

11 . The electronic device of claim 1 , the one or more programs further including instructions for:

dismissing the digital assistant object; and

providing a fourth output indicating a dismissal of the digital assistant object.

12 . The electronic device of claim 1 , the one or more programs further including instructions for:

providing a fifth output selected from two or more different outputs indicating a state selected from two or more different states of the first digital assistant session.

13 . A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing one or more programs, the one or more programs comprising instructions, which when executed by one or more processors of an electronic device with a display and one or more sensors, cause the electronic device to:

while displaying a portion of a computer-generated reality (CGR) environment representing a current field of view of a user of the electronic device:

detecting, with the one or more sensors, a first user input;

in accordance with a determination that the first user input satisfies at least one criterion for initiating a digital assistant session, initiating a first digital assistant session, wherein initiating the first digital assistant session includes positioning a digital assistant object at a first location within the CGR environment and outside of the displayed portion of the CGR environment at a first time; and

providing a first output indicating the first location of the digital assistant object within the CGR environment.

14 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 13 , wherein the first user input includes an audio input.

15 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 13 , wherein the first user input includes a gaze input.

16 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 13 , wherein the first user input includes a gesture input.

17 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 13 , the one or more programs further including instructions for:

determining the first location within the CGR environment based on one or more environmental factors.

18 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 13 , wherein providing the first output indicating the first location includes causing a first audio output to be produced.

19 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 13 , wherein providing the first output indicating the first location includes causing a first haptic output to be produced.

20 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 13 , wherein providing the first output indicating the first location includes displaying, on the display, a visual indication of the first location.

21 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 13 , the one or more programs further including instructions for:

at a second time:

in accordance with a determination that the first location is within the displayed portion of the CGR environment at the second time, displaying the digital assistant object at the first location.

22 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 13 , the one or more programs further including instructions for:

detecting, with the one or more sensors, a second user input at a third time;

determining an intent of the second user input; and

providing a second output based on the determined intent.

23 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 13 , the one or more programs further including instructions for:

dismissing the digital assistant object; and

providing a fourth output indicating a dismissal of the digital assistant object.

24 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 13 , the one or more programs further including instructions for:

providing a fifth output selected from two or more different outputs indicating a state selected from two or more different states of the first digital assistant session.

25 . A method, comprising:

at an electronic device with one or more processors, memory, a display, and one or more sensors:

while displaying a portion of a computer-generated reality (CGR) environment representing a current field of view of a user of the electronic device:

detecting, with the one or more sensors, a first user input;

in accordance with a determination that the first user input satisfies at least one criterion for initiating a digital assistant session, initiating a first digital assistant session, wherein initiating the first digital assistant session includes positioning a digital assistant object at a first location within the CGR environment and outside of the displayed portion of the CGR environment at a first time; and

providing a first output indicating the first location of the digital assistant object within the CGR environment.

26 . The method of claim 25 , wherein the first user input includes an audio input.

27 . The method of claim 25 , wherein the first user input includes a gaze input.

28 . The method of claim 25 , wherein the first user input includes a gesture input.

29 . The method of claim 25 , further comprising:

determining the first location within the CGR environment based on one or more environmental factors.

30 . The method of claim 25 , wherein providing the first output indicating the first location includes causing a first audio output to be produced.

31 . The method of claim 25 , wherein providing the first output indicating the first location includes causing a first haptic output to be produced.

32 . The method of claim 25 , wherein providing the first output indicating the first location includes displaying, on the display, a visual indication of the first location.

33 . The method of claim 25 , further comprising:

at a second time:

in accordance with a determination that the first location is within the displayed portion of the CGR environment at the second time, displaying the digital assistant object at the first location.

34 . The method of claim 25 , further comprising:

detecting, with the one or more sensors, a second user input at a third time;

determining an intent of the second user input; and

providing a second output based on the determined intent.

35 . The method of claim 25 , further comprising:

dismissing the digital assistant object; and

providing a fourth output indicating a dismissal of the digital assistant object.

36 . The method of claim 25 , further comprising:

providing a fifth output selected from two or more different outputs indicating a state selected from two or more different states of the first digital assistant session.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 23, 2024
From: HERMAN, BRAD K.; WEINBERG, GARRETT L.; ARASON, ISAR; MARI, PEDRO; AKMAL, SHIRAZ; LEMAY, STEPHEN O.; OWEN, JAMES J.; ESTANY RODRIGUEZ, MIQUEL; MOON, JAY; SORRENTINO, WILLIAM A., III; CHECA OLORIZ, JOSE ANTONIO; STREJA, LYNN I.
To: APPLE INC.
Reel/Frame 067193/0260 →
Continuity (4)
Continuation PCTUS2022040346 · Aug 15, 2022
Provisional Application 63247557 · Sep 23, 2021
Provisional Application 63235424 · Aug 20, 2021
Related Publication 20240177424A1 · May 30, 2024
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