IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,724,480
Granted Patent B2
US 12,724,480 · App. 18/965,263 · Granted Sep 1, 2026

Systems, methods, and devices for transitioning notifications between head-leashed and world-locked modes

Inventor: Hayden Schoen (Evanston, IL)
Assignee: Meta Platforms Technologies, LLC
G06F3/013G06F3/04815
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,724,480
App. No.
18/965,263
Granted
Sep 1, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

When a notification is to be shown, an artificial reality notification system can add the notification to a pre-defined location in the user's field of view (e.g., top, side, or bottom) where it stays as a head leashed virtual object until the user's gaze is direct to the notification. When the user's gaze is directed at the notification, the artificial reality notification system can make the notification world locked, allowing the user to move her head to bring the notification to the center of her field of view, move closer to the notification to make it larger, move around the notification to see aspects from different angles, etc. The notification can be dismissed if the user never directs her gaze at it for a first threshold amount of time or when the user looks away from the world-locked version for a second threshold amount of time.

Claims (65)

1 . A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that, when executed by a computing system, cause the computing system to perform operations comprising:

displaying a first version of a notification as head leashed at a pre-defined location in a field of view of a head-wearable device;

tracking a gaze of a user of the head-wearable device;

in accordance with a determination that the gaze of the user is directed to the first version of the notification, transitioning the notification to a second version that is larger than the first version and world locked, wherein the second version of the notification appears to the user as not changing position while the user rotates the user's head; and

in accordance with a determination that the gaze of the user is directed away from the second version of the notification for at least a threshold amount of time, dismissing the notification or transitioning the notification to the first version.

2 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1 , wherein the first version of the notification includes one or more of:

an indication of a source of the notification;

a preview of content of the notification;

a time associated with receipt of the notification; and

one or more controls for responding to or dismissing the notification.

3 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1 , wherein the operations further comprise determining that the gaze is directed at the first version of the notification based on a determination that a timer for the first version of the notification has not expired.

4 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1 , wherein the operations further comprise:

in accordance with transitioning the notification to the second version, determining that the second version and one or more virtual objects take up more than a threshold amount of the field of view of the head-wearable device; and

in response to the determination that the second version and the one or more virtual objects take up more than the threshold amount of the field of view:

converting the one or more virtual objects into minimized smaller versions; or

ceasing display of the one or more virtual objects and causing display of an indication of the one or more virtual objects.

5 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1 , wherein the second version of the notification includes one or more of:

a message from the notification;

one or more graphics included in the notification; and

one or more controls for responding to the notification.

6 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1 , wherein transitioning the notification to the second version includes transitioning the notification to be maximized and 3DoF world locked such that an apparent distance and angle from the user to the notification stays the same as the user moves.

7 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1 , wherein transitioning the notification to the second version includes transitioning the notification to be maximized and 6DoF world locked such that an apparent distance and angle from the user to the notification is adjusted as the user moves.

8 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 1 , wherein the second version of the notification is centered in the field of view of the user.

9 . A 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:

displaying a first version of a notification as head leashed in a field of view of a head-wearable device;

tracking a gaze of a user of the head-wearable device;

in accordance with a determination that the gaze of the user is directed at the first version of the notification, transitioning the notification to be in a second version that is world locked,

wherein the second version of the notification appears to the user as not changing position while the user rotates the user's head, and

wherein the transitioning the notification to the second version includes transitioning the notification to be 3 degrees of freedom (DoF) world locked such that an apparent distance and angle from the user to the notification stays the same as the user moves; and

in response to a detected trigger, dismissing the notification or returning the notification to being the first version.

10 . The computing system of claim 9 , wherein the first version of the notification includes one or more of:

an indication of a source of the notification;

a preview of content of the notification;

a time associated with receipt of the notification; and

one or more controls for responding to or dismissing the notification.

11 . The computing system of claim 9 , wherein the computing system is further caused to perform determining that the gaze of the user is directed at the first version of the notification based on a determination that a display timer for showing the first version of the notification has not expired.

12 . The computing system of claim 9 , wherein the gaze of the user is tracked based on modeling of a position of an eye of the user in relation to a determined position of a cornea of the user.

13 . The computing system of claim 9 , wherein the second version of the notification includes one or more of:

a message from the notification;

one or more graphics included in the notification; and

one or more controls for responding to the notification.

14 . The computing system of claim 9 , wherein the computing system is further caused to perform:

in accordance with transitioning the notification to be the second version, determining that the second version and one or more virtual objects take up more than a threshold amount of the field of view of the head-wearable device; and

in response to the determination that the second version and the one or more virtual objects take up more than the threshold amount of the field of view of the head-wearable device, converting the one or more virtual objects into smaller versions or ceasing display of the one or more virtual objects.

15 . A method comprising:

displaying a first version of a notification as head leashed in a field of view of a head-wearable device;

tracking a gaze of a user of the head-wearable device;

in accordance with a determination that the gaze of the user is directed at the first version of the notification for a threshold amount of time, transitioning the notification to be in a second version that is larger than the first version and world locked,

wherein the second version of the notification appears to the user as not changing position while the user rotates the user's head, and

wherein the transitioning the notification to the second version includes transitioning the notification to be 6 degrees of freedom (DoF) world locked such that an apparent distance and angle from the user to the notification is adjusted as the user moves; and

in response to a detected trigger, dismissing the notification or returning the notification to being the first version.

16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the second version of the notification includes one or more of:

a message from the notification;

one or more graphics included in the notification; and

one or more controls for responding to the notification.

17 . The method of claim 15 , further comprising:

in accordance with transitioning the notification to be the second version, determining that the second version and one or more virtual objects take up more than a threshold amount of the field of view of the head-wearable device; and

in response to the determination that the second version and the one or more virtual objects take up more than the threshold amount of the field of view of the head-wearable device, causing display of an indication of the one or more virtual objects at a separate interface.

18 . The method of claim 15 , further comprising:

in accordance with transitioning the notification to be the second version, determining that the second version and one or more virtual objects take up more than a threshold amount of the field of view of the head-wearable device; and

in response to the determination that the second version and the one or more virtual objects take up more than the threshold amount of the field of view of the head-wearable device, converting the one or more virtual objects into smaller versions or ceasing to display the one or more virtual objects.

19 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the gaze of the user is tracked based on modeling of a position of an eye of the user in relation to a determined position of a cornea of the user.

20 . The method of claim 15 , further comprising determining that the gaze of the user is directed at the first version of the notification based on a determination that a display timer for showing the first version of the notification has not expired.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 17, 2026
From: SCHOEN, HAYDEN
To: META PLATFORMS TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
Reel/Frame 075310/0180 →
Continuity (4)
Continuation 18488436 · Oct 17, 2023
Continuation 17826964 · May 27, 2022
Provisional Application 63221114 · Jul 13, 2021
Related Publication 20250199611A1 · Jun 19, 2025
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