AR Window Overlap Visual Feedback for Lower Input Burden

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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, often requiring multiple inputs and leading to errors, which wastes energy and detracts from the user experience.

Innovation Solution

The system enhances user interaction by changing the visual prominence of virtual objects based on overlap, spatial location, and environmental states, applying visual effects to real-world and background objects, and adjusting opacity, thereby reducing the need for user inputs and providing intuitive feedback.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If conventional methods are used for interacting with augmented and virtual reality environments, then users can access virtual objects, but the interaction becomes cumbersome and requires multiple inputs increasing cognitive burden

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveuser interaction efficiencyVSAvoidinput sequence complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary actions by automatically managing window states before user interaction is needed. When a user activates a virtual object, the system proactively adjusts the visibility and prominence of overlapping windows based on predicted user intent, eliminating the need for users to manually navigate through multiple windows or inputs to achieve the desired outcome.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system implements feedback mechanisms by providing real-time visual cues about window states and overlap conditions. Users receive feedback through visual prominence changes, opacity adjustments, and highlighting effects that indicate which windows are active, overlapping, or can be collapsed, enabling more intuitive interaction without requiring multiple inputs.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

2Productivity

If multiple inputs are required to achieve desired outcomes in augmented reality environments, then system control is maintained, but user cognitive burden increases and interaction time extends

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveinteraction speedVSAvoidtime for multiple inputs

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system merges multiple window management operations into a single interaction. By detecting when windows overlap and combining their states into a unified representation, the system allows users to interact with the merged state rather than individually managing each window, thereby reducing interaction steps and time.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

3Reliability

If manual manipulation of virtual objects is performed, then precise control is achieved, but the process becomes complex and error-prone

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveoperation accuracyVSAvoidmanipulation simplicity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The system performs self-service by automatically detecting and managing window overlaps without requiring user intervention. The system monitors window states, detects overlapping conditions, and autonomously adjusts visibility and prominence to maintain operational clarity, eliminating errors associated with manual manipulation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

4Power

If extensive user inputs are processed, then system responsiveness is maintained, but energy consumption increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveprocessing capabilityVSAvoidbattery power consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

PowerVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The system employs periodic action by monitoring window states at intervals rather than continuously processing all possible inputs. The system checks for overlap conditions and state changes periodically, processing information only when necessary (e.g., when windows are created, moved, or closed), thereby reducing overall energy consumption while maintaining responsiveness.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #19Periodic action

Solution Approach 2:

The system extracts and processes only the essential information needed for window management, filtering out unnecessary processing tasks. By identifying and handling only the critical state changes and overlap detections, the system reduces the total computational load and energy consumption compared to processing all possible user inputs and system states.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Data Source

PatentUS12511847B2Methods for managing overlapping windows and applying visual effects

Publication Date: 2025.12.30 APPLE INC

AI summary

In some embodiments, a computer system changes a visual prominence of a respective virtual object in response to detecting a threshold amount of overlap between a first virtual object and a second virtual object. In some embodiments, a computer system changes a visual prominence of a respective virtual object based on a change in spatial location of a first virtual object with respect to a second virtual object. In some embodiments, a computer system applies visual effects to representations of physical objects, virtual environments, and/or physical environments. In some embodiments, a computer system changes a visual prominence of a virtual object relative to a three-dimensional environment based on display of overlapping objects of different types in the three-dimensional environment. In some embodiments, a computer system changes a level of opacity of a first virtual object overlapping a second virtual object in response to movement of the first virtual object.