AR/VR Companion Interface for Secure Text Input

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional augmented or virtual reality (AR/VR) devices face inefficiencies in user interaction, particularly when engaging with service provider systems requiring text entry, leading to frustration and computational inefficiencies due to limitations in natural user interfaces.

Innovation Solution

A companion device is paired with the AR/VR device to provide alternative input mechanisms, leveraging a companion user interface synchronized with the AR/VR environment through a markup file and secure communication channels, ensuring compatibility and protecting sensitive data.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If natural user interfaces are used in AR/VR devices for text entry, then user immersion is maintained, but text input efficiency deteriorates significantly

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveuser immersionVSAvoidtext input efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces a service provider system as an intermediary that bridges the AR/VR device and external services. This mediator handles text input processing, allowing users to interact with services like search and purchases without directly typing text within the immersive AR/VR environment, thus maintaining immersion while improving input efficiency through alternative interfaces

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Ease of operation

If modal interaction is used to interface with text entry fields, then text input capability is achieved, but user experience continuity deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetext input capabilityVSAvoidexperience continuity
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The service provider system performs preliminary actions by pre-processing and understanding user intent before full text input is required. The system prepares interaction states and anticipates user needs, allowing seamless transitions between AR/VR environment and text input modes without requiring users to fully exit the immersive experience, thus maintaining continuity

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

3Ease of operation

If conventional text entry methods are used in AR/VR, then text input function is achieved, but computational efficiency deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetext input functionVSAvoidcomputational efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts the computationally intensive text processing functions from the AR/VR device itself and relocates them to the service provider system. By taking out these heavy computational tasks from the resource-constrained AR/VR device, the system achieves text input functionality while significantly improving computational efficiency and reducing energy consumption on the AR/VR device

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Data Source

PatentEP4474955B1Augmented or virtual reality (ar/VR) companion device techniques
Publication Date: 2025.12.31 EBAY INC
  • EP4474955B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4474955B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4474955B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A method as implemented by at least one computing device of a service provider system is provided. The method comprises: executing, locally by the at least one computing device, an augmented or virtual reality (AR/VR) environment; communicating, by the at least one computing device, augmented or virtual reality (AR/VR) data via a network to an AR/VR device to cause rendering of the AR/VR environment by the AR/VR device for viewing by a user; communicating, by the at least one computing device, companion data via the network to a companion device, the companion data configured to cause the companion device to generate a companion user interface that is displayable by a display device of the companion device and user selectable to initiate an action within the AR/VR environment; receiving, by the at least one computing device, protected data from the companion device generated via user interaction with the companion user interface via the user interface; and executing, by the at least one computing device, the action as part of the AR/VR environment without exposing the protected data to the AR/VR device.