3D Environment Interface for Low-Input Immersion Control

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing methods for interacting with augmented and virtual reality environments are cumbersome, inefficient, and place a significant cognitive burden on users, requiring multiple inputs and lacking sufficient feedback, leading to energy waste, particularly in battery-operated devices.

Innovation Solution

Implementing computer systems with improved interfaces that utilize touch-sensitive displays, eye-tracking, hand-tracking, and tactile output generators to reduce the number and nature of user inputs, enhance feedback, and adjust immersion and volume levels, enabling efficient interaction and power conservation.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If conventional input devices (cameras, controllers, joysticks, touch-sensitive surfaces) are used to interact with virtual reality environments, then user interaction capability is provided, but cognitive burden on users increases and interaction efficiency decreases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveuser interaction efficiencyVSAvoidinput device complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces mechanical input devices (controllers, joysticks, touch surfaces) with a voice-based interface system. The voice user interface allows users to interact with virtual reality environments through spoken commands rather than physical manipulation of complex devices, thereby reducing cognitive burden while maintaining interaction capability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces a voice processing system as an intermediary between the user and the virtual reality environment. This mediator translates spoken commands into actionable inputs, simplifying the interaction process and reducing the need for users to directly manipulate complex input devices.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Productivity

If multiple input operations are required to achieve desired outcomes in augmented reality environments, then interaction precision may improve, but time consumption and energy usage increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveinteraction speedVSAvoidtime for input operations

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The voice user interface enables users to prepare and execute commands through speech rather than requiring sequential physical actions. Users can articulate complex instructions in a single continuous speech act, eliminating the need for multiple discrete input operations and reducing overall interaction time.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent combines multiple input operations into a single voice command. Instead of requiring users to perform separate actions for each task step, the voice interface allows consolidation of multiple operations into one spoken instruction, thereby increasing productivity and reducing time loss.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

3Ease of operation

If conventional user interfaces are used in battery-operated devices, then user interaction is enabled, but power consumption increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveinterface usabilityVSAvoiddevice power consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces power-intensive mechanical input devices with a voice-based interface that requires minimal processing. Voice commands can be recognized and executed with lower computational overhead compared to processing inputs from cameras, controllers, or touch surfaces, thereby reducing overall device power consumption while maintaining usability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

4Loss of information

If insufficient feedback is provided for performing actions associated with virtual objects, then system simplicity is maintained, but user understanding and interaction accuracy deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefeedback information completenessVSAvoidfeedback system complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of informationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The voice user interface incorporates feedback mechanisms that provide users with confirmation and status information about their commands. The system processes voice inputs and communicates back to users whether commands were successfully recognized and executed, ensuring complete information transfer without requiring complex visual or haptic feedback systems.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Data Source

PatentUS12535931B2Methods for controlling and interacting with a three-dimensional environment

Publication Date: 2026.01.27 APPLE INC

AI summary

A computer system displays an immersion control, a volume control, an element configured to permit or restrict breakthrough in different modes of operation of the computer system, and/or an option selectable to cause initiation of display of a representation of content from a second computer system via a display generation component of the computer system. While a second computer system is displaying content, a first computer system detects an input corresponding to a request to display a representation of the content from the second computer system via a display generation component of the first computer system, and in response, initiates a process to display the representation of content and to de-emphasize the content displayed by the second computer system. A first computer system facilitates disambiguation of a second computer system from a plurality of computer systems for display of a representation of content from the second computer system.