IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,412,353
Granted Patent B1
US 12,412,353 · App. 18/213,044 · Granted Sep 9, 2025

Anchoring to multiple positions of an auxiliary device

Inventors: Benjamin R. Blachnitzky (San Francisco, CA); Aaron M. Burns (Sunnyvale, CA); Anette L Freiin von Kapri (Mountain View, CA); Arun Rakesh Yoganandan (San Francisco, CA); Jue Wang (Sunnyvale, CA); Michelle Chua (Seattle, WA); Zachary Z. Becker (Issaquah, WA)
Assignee: APPLE INC.
G06T19/20G06F3/013G06F3/03545G06F3/04883G06T2219/2004
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,412,353
App. No.
18/213,044
Granted
Sep 9, 2025
Kind
B1
Abstract

A method is performed at an electronic device with a non-transitory memory, one or more processors, and a display. The method includes obtaining positional information regarding an auxiliary device. The method includes determining an anchor point of the auxiliary device on a volumetric computer-generated object. Determining the anchor point includes setting the anchor point to a first position of the auxiliary device in accordance with a determination that dimensions of the volumetric computer-generated satisfy a first criterion. Determining the anchor point further includes setting the anchor point to a second position of the auxiliary device in accordance with a determination that the dimensions of the volumetric computer-generated object satisfy a second criterion different from the first criterion. The first position is different from the second position. The method includes anchoring, based on the positional information, the volumetric computer-generated object to the anchor point of the auxiliary device.

Claims (59)

1. A method comprising:

at an electronic device including a non-transitory memory, one or more processors, and a display:

obtaining positional information regarding an auxiliary device;

determining an anchor point of the auxiliary device based on a volumetric computer-generated object, wherein determining the anchor point comprises:

setting the anchor point to a first position of the auxiliary device in accordance with a determination that dimensions of the volumetric computer-generated object satisfy a first criterion; and

setting the anchor point to a second position of the auxiliary device in accordance with a determination that the dimensions of the volumetric computer-generated object satisfy a second criterion different from the first criterion, wherein the first position is different from the second position; and

anchoring, based on the positional information, the volumetric computer-generated object to the anchor point of the auxiliary device.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the auxiliary device includes a body and an end, wherein the first position corresponds to a position within the body, and wherein the second position corresponds to a position within the end.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the difference between the first position and the second position is based on the dimensions satisfying a size threshold.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the anchor point is further based on relative sizes of the volumetric computer-generated object and the auxiliary device.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising determining a grip arrangement characterizing a user gripping the auxiliary device, wherein determining the anchor point of the auxiliary device is further based on the grip arrangement.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the electronic device includes a communication interface provided to communicate with the auxiliary device, wherein the electronic device includes an image sensor, and wherein obtaining the positional information comprises:

obtaining positional sensor data from the auxiliary device via the communication interface;

capturing, via the image sensor, image data depicting the auxiliary device; and

determining the positional information based on the positional sensor data and the image data.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein anchoring the volumetric computer-generated object includes:

while the auxiliary device is at a first location of an environment, displaying the volumetric computer-generated object at the anchor point of the auxiliary device at the first location;

determining a movement of the auxiliary device from the first location to a second location of the environment, based on the positional information; and

repositioning the volumetric computer-generated object to the anchor point of the auxiliary device at the second location.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the electronic device includes a communication interface provided to communicate with the auxiliary device, the method further comprising:

obtaining sensor data from the auxiliary device via the communication interface; and

determining a first gesture performed on the auxiliary device based on the sensor data;

wherein the anchoring is in response to determining the first gesture.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the first gesture corresponds to a swipe gesture along the auxiliary device, and the anchoring is in further response to determining, based on respective positions of the volumetric computer-generated object and the auxiliary device, that the swipe gesture requests the volumetric computer-generated object to be pulled towards the auxiliary device.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein determining that the swipe gesture requests the volumetric computer-generated object to be pulled towards the auxiliary device includes, determining, based on the positional information, that a direction of the swipe gesture matches an offset direction between the volumetric computer-generated object and the auxiliary device within an error threshold.

11. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:

while anchoring the volumetric computer-generated object to the first position, determining a second gesture performed on the auxiliary device based on the sensor data;

changing the position of the anchor point based on the second gesture.

12. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:

while anchoring the volumetric computer-generated object to the anchor point, determining a second gesture performed on the auxiliary device based on the sensor data; and

in response to determining the second gesture, de-anchoring the volumetric computer-generated object from the anchor point.

13. The method of claim 8 , further comprising, while displaying the volumetric computer-generated object:

before determining the first gesture, determining that an eye gaze is directed to the volumetric computer-generated object;

wherein the anchoring is further in response to determining that the eye gaze is directed to the volumetric computer-generated object.

14. The method of claim 13 , further comprising, while concurrently displaying a plurality of volumetric computer-generated objects including the volumetric computer-generated object:

selecting, from the plurality of volumetric computer-generated objects, the volumetric computer-generated object based on determining that the eye gaze is directed to the volumetric computer-generated object;

wherein the anchoring is further in response to the selection.

15. The method of claim 1 , further comprising, while displaying the volumetric computer-generated object on the display:

determining, based on the positional information, whether the auxiliary device satisfies a proximity threshold with respect to the volumetric computer-generated object;

wherein the anchoring is in response to determining the auxiliary device satisfies the proximity threshold.

16. The method of claim 1 , further comprising determining an orientation of the auxiliary device based on the positional information, wherein anchoring the volumetric computer-generated object includes changing an orientation of the volumetric computer-generated object based on the orientation of the auxiliary device.

17. The method of claim 1 , further comprising, before anchoring the volumetric computer-generated object, displaying the volumetric computer-generated object at an initial position that is offset from the auxiliary device, wherein anchoring the volumetric computer-generated object to the auxiliary device includes displaying an animation of the volumetric computer-generated object moving from the initial position towards the auxiliary device.

18. An electronic device comprising:

one or more processors;

a non-transitory memory;

a display; and

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

obtaining positional information regarding an auxiliary device;

determining an anchor point of the auxiliary device based on a volumetric computer-generated object, wherein determining the anchor point includes:

setting the anchor point to a first position of the auxiliary device in accordance with a determination that dimensions of the volumetric computer-generated object satisfy a first criterion; and

setting the anchor point to a second position of the auxiliary device in accordance with a determination that the dimensions of the volumetric computer-generated object satisfy a second criterion different from the first criterion, wherein the first position is different from the second position; and

anchoring, based on the positional information, the volumetric computer-generated object to the anchor point of the auxiliary device.

19. The electronic device of claim 18 , wherein the auxiliary device includes a body and an end, wherein the first position corresponds to a position within the body, and wherein the second position corresponds to a position within the end.

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

obtain positional information regarding an auxiliary device;

determine an anchor point of the auxiliary device based on a volumetric computer-generated object, wherein determining the anchor point includes:

setting the anchor point to a first position of the auxiliary device in accordance with a determination that dimensions of the volumetric computer-generated object satisfy a first criterion; and

setting the anchor point to a second position of the auxiliary device in accordance with a determination that the dimensions of the volumetric computer-generated object satisfy a second criterion different from the first criterion, wherein the first position is different from the second position; and

anchoring, based on the positional information, the volumetric computer-generated object to the anchor point of the auxiliary device.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 22, 2023
From: BLACHNITZKY, BENJAMIN R.; BURNS, AARON M.; CHUA, MICHELLE; YOGANANDAN, ARUN RAKESH; BECKER, ZACHARY Z.; FREIIN VON KAPRI, ANETTE L.; WANG, JUE
To: APPLE INC.
Reel/Frame 064033/0027 →
Continuity (1)
Provisional Application 63356674 · Jun 29, 2022
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