Granted Patent B1

US 12,730,508 · App. 18/885,029 · Granted Sep 8, 2026

Inventors: Ioana Negoita (Mountain View, CA); Allison W. Dryer (Tiburon, CA); Trent A. Greene (Santa Clara, CA); David Loewenthal (Seattle, WA); Thomas G. Salter (San Francisco, CA); Thomas J. Moore (Northglenn, CO); Ian Perry (San Jose, CA); Brian W. Temple (Santa Clara, CA)

Assignee: Apple Inc.

G06F3/013

Abstract

Claims (82)

1 . A method, comprising:

at an electronic device in communication with one or more displays and one or more input devices:

displaying, via the one or more displays, content at a first apparent depth in a three-dimensional environment relative to a viewpoint of a user, wherein the first apparent depth is selected in accordance with a measure of a depth of a fixation point of the user during a first time period; and

while displaying the content and in response to detecting motion of the electronic device in a physical environment of the electronic device, updating the display of the content, including:

in accordance with a determination that the motion satisfies one or more criteria, the one or more criteria including a criterion that is satisfied when one or more measures of motion of the electronic device exceed a predetermined displacement threshold, a predetermined speed threshold, or a predetermined acceleration threshold, displaying, via the one or more displays, the content at a second apparent depth different from the first apparent depth in the three-dimensional environment relative to the viewpoint of the user;

wherein the one or more measures of the motion of the electronic device over a predetermined interval correspond at least partially to a respective motion profile, the respective motion profile including at least one of:

a characteristic corresponding to motion of the electronic device along a predetermined path; or

a characteristic corresponding to an activity associated with the user.

2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

tracking, via the one or more input devices, eye-movement of a user of the electronic device;

generating, based on the eye-movement of the user, eye-tracking data including an indication of the measure of vergence; and

determining, based on the measure of vergence, the depth of the fixation point of the user.

3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the content is displayed during a second time period subsequent to the first time period, the measure of vergence includes a first measure of vergence, and the eye-tracking data includes an indication of a second measure of vergence of the user, the method further comprising:

determining, based on the second measure of vergence, a second depth of a second fixation point different from the depth of the fixation point of the user; and

while displaying the content and in response to detecting a change in location of gaze of the user from the fixation point to the second fixation point, updating the display of the content, including:

in accordance with a determination that the change in the location of the gaze satisfies one or more second criteria, displaying, via the one or more displays, the content at a third apparent depth different from the second apparent depth in the three-dimensional environment relative to the viewpoint of the user; and

in accordance with a determination that the change in the location of the gaze does not satisfy the one or more second criteria, displaying, via the one or more displays, the content at the second apparent depth.

4 . The method of claim 3 , wherein displaying, via the one or more displays, the content at the second apparent depth comprises:

determining, based on the second measure of vergence, the second depth of the second fixation point of the user; and

displaying, via the one or more displays, the content at the second apparent depth in the three-dimensional environment relative to the viewpoint of the user, wherein the second apparent depth is selected in accordance with a measure of the second depth of the second fixation point of the user during a time period subsequent to the first time period.

5 . The method of claim 3 , further comprising:

while displaying the content and in response to detecting motion of the electronic device in a physical environment of the electronic device, updating the display of the content, including:

in accordance with a determination that the motion does not satisfy the one or more criteria, continuing to display, via the one or more displays, the content at the first apparent depth in the three-dimensional environment relative to the viewpoint of the user.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein:

when the criterion is satisfied, a magnitude of the second apparent depth is greater than a magnitude of the first apparent depth, wherein the magnitude of the first apparent depth is below a predetermined threshold distance relative to the viewpoint of the user.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the content comprises head-locked or body-locked content.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more displays include a head-mounted display.

9 . An electronic device comprising:

one or more processors;

memory; and

one or more programs stored in the memory and configured to be executed by the one or more processors, the one or more programs including instructions for performing a method comprising:

displaying, via one or more displays, content at a first apparent depth in a three-dimensional environment relative to a viewpoint of a user, wherein the first apparent depth is selected in accordance with a measure of a depth of a fixation point of the user during a first time period; and

while displaying the content and in response to detecting motion of the electronic device in a physical environment of the electronic device, updating the display of the content, including:

in accordance with a determination that the motion satisfies one or more criteria, the one or more criteria including a criterion that is satisfied when one or more measures of motion of the electronic device exceed a predetermined displacement threshold, a predetermined speed threshold, or a predetermined acceleration threshold, displaying, via the one or more displays, the content at a second apparent depth different from the first apparent depth in the three-dimensional environment relative to the viewpoint of the user;

wherein the one or more measures of the motion of the electronic device over a predetermined interval correspond at least partially to a respective motion profile, the respective motion profile including at least one of:

a characteristic corresponding to motion of the electronic device along a predetermined path; or

a characteristic corresponding to an activity associated with the user.

10 . The electronic device of claim 9 , wherein the method further comprises:

tracking, via one or more input devices, eye-movement of a user of the electronic device;

generating, based on the eye-movement of the user, eye-tracking data including an indication of the measure of vergence; and

determining, based on the measure of vergence, the depth of the fixation point of the user.

11 . The electronic device of claim 10 , wherein the content is displayed during a second time period subsequent to the first time period, the measure of vergence includes a first measure of vergence, and the eye-tracking data includes an indication of a second measure of vergence of the user, the method further comprising:

determining, based on the second measure of vergence, a second depth of a second fixation point different from the depth of the fixation point of the user; and

while displaying the content and in response to detecting a change in location of gaze of the user from the fixation point to the second fixation point, updating the display of the content, including:

in accordance with a determination that the change in the location of the gaze satisfies one or more second criteria, displaying, via the one or more displays, the content at a third apparent depth different from the second apparent depth in the three-dimensional environment relative to the viewpoint of the user; and

in accordance with a determination that the change in the location of the gaze does not satisfy the one or more second criteria, displaying, via the one or more displays, the content at the second apparent depth.

12 . The electronic device of claim 11 , wherein displaying, via the one or more displays, the content at the second apparent depth comprises:

determining, based on the second measure of vergence, the second depth of the second fixation point of the user; and

displaying, via the one or more displays, the content at the second apparent depth in the three-dimensional environment relative to the viewpoint of the user, wherein the second apparent depth is selected in accordance with a measure of the second depth of the second fixation point of the user during a time period subsequent to the first time period.

13 . The electronic device of claim 11 , wherein the method further comprises:

while displaying the content and in response to detecting motion of the electronic device in a physical environment of the electronic device, updating the display of the content, including:

in accordance with a determination that the motion does not satisfy the one or more criteria, continuing to display, via the one or more displays, the content at the first apparent depth in the three-dimensional environment relative to the viewpoint of the user.

14 . The electronic device of claim 9 , wherein:

when the criterion is satisfied, a magnitude of the second apparent depth is greater than a magnitude of the first apparent depth, wherein the magnitude of the first apparent depth is below a predetermined threshold distance relative to the viewpoint of the user.

15 . The electronic device of claim 9 , wherein the content comprises head-locked or body-locked content.

16 . The electronic device of claim 9 , wherein the one or more displays include a head-mounted display.

17 . 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, cause the electronic device to perform a method comprising:

displaying, via one or more displays, content at a first apparent depth in a three-dimensional environment relative to a viewpoint of a user, wherein the first apparent depth is selected in accordance with a measure of a depth of a fixation point of the user during a first time period; and

while displaying the content and in response to detecting motion of the electronic device in a physical environment of the electronic device, updating the display of the content, including:

in accordance with a determination that the motion satisfies one or more criteria, the one or more criteria including a criterion that is satisfied when one or more measures of motion of the electronic device exceed a predetermined displacement threshold, a predetermined speed threshold, or a predetermined acceleration threshold, displaying, via the one or more displays, the content at a second apparent depth different from the first apparent depth in the three-dimensional environment relative to the viewpoint of the user;

wherein the one or more measures of the motion of the electronic device over a predetermined interval correspond at least partially to a respective motion profile, the respective motion profile including at least one of:

a characteristic corresponding to motion of the electronic device along a predetermined path; or

a characteristic corresponding to an activity associated with the user.

18 . The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 17 , wherein the method further comprises:

tracking, via one or more input devices, eye-movement of a user of the electronic device;

generating, based on the eye-movement of the user, eye-tracking data including an indication of the measure of vergence; and

determining, based on the measure of vergence, the depth of the fixation point of the user.

19 . The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 18 , wherein the content is displayed during a second time period subsequent to the first time period, the measure of vergence includes a first measure of vergence, and the eye-tracking data includes an indication of a second measure of vergence of the user, the method further comprising:

determining, based on the second measure of vergence, a second depth of a second fixation point different from the depth of the fixation point of the user; and

while displaying the content and in response to detecting a change in location of gaze of the user from the fixation point to the second fixation point, updating the display of the content, including:

in accordance with a determination that the change in the location of the gaze satisfies one or more second criteria, displaying, via the one or more displays, the content at a third apparent depth different from the second apparent depth in the three-dimensional environment relative to the viewpoint of the user; and

in accordance with a determination that the change in the location of the gaze does not satisfy the one or more second criteria, displaying, via the one or more displays, the content at the second apparent depth.

20 . The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 19 , wherein displaying, via the one or more displays, the content at the second apparent depth comprises:

determining, based on the second measure of vergence, the second depth of the second fixation point of the user; and

displaying, via the one or more displays, the content at the second apparent depth in the three-dimensional environment relative to the viewpoint of the user, wherein the second apparent depth is selected in accordance with a measure of the second depth of the second fixation point of the user during a time period subsequent to the first time period.

21 . The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 19 , wherein the method further comprises:

while displaying the content and in response to detecting motion of the electronic device in a physical environment of the electronic device, updating the display of the content, including:

in accordance with a determination that the motion does not satisfy the one or more criteria, continuing to display, via the one or more displays, the content at the first apparent depth in the three-dimensional environment relative to the viewpoint of the user.

22 . The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 17 , wherein:

when the criterion is satisfied, a magnitude of the second apparent depth is greater than a magnitude of the first apparent depth, wherein the magnitude of the first apparent depth is below a predetermined threshold distance relative to the viewpoint of the user.

23 . The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 17 , wherein the content comprises head-locked or body-locked content.

24 . The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 17 , wherein the one or more displays include a head-mounted display.

Assignments (1)

Continuity (1)

References Cited (78)