One-Hand AR Sliding Menu for Precise Gesture Intent Detection

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional artificial reality systems face challenges in user interaction due to the lack of input devices that require both hands, leading to occlusion issues and difficulty in accurately determining user intent, and are inaccessible to individuals with disabilities.

Innovation Solution

An artificial reality system that enables interaction using one hand, utilizing a menu activation gesture with a hand in an upturned orientation and a pinching configuration to generate a slidably engageable user interface element, allowing horizontal and orthogonal motion for menu navigation.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If both hands are used for user interaction with menus, then input capability is improved, but occlusion occurs making it difficult to determine user intent

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveinput capabilityVSAvoiduser intent detection
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSDifficulty of detecting and measuring

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts the requirement for two-handed interaction and reduces it to single-handed operation. The virtual hand representation and gesture recognition system processes only one hand's movements, eliminating the occlusion problem while maintaining full menu interaction capability through the slidably engageable UI element that follows the virtual hand's position.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

2Adaptability or versatility

If both hands are required for interaction, then input versatility is improved, but accessibility for users with disabilities deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveinput versatilityVSAvoidaccessibility
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent makes the interaction system universal by designing it to work with a single hand, which benefits all users including those with disabilities. The virtual hand representation and gesture recognition system can process various hand configurations and movements, providing accessible interaction for users with limited mobility in one or both hands while maintaining versatile menu control options.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

3Device complexity

If no input device is used, then device complexity is reduced, but interaction precision deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveinput device requirementVSAvoidinteraction precision
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent creates a virtual copy of the user's hand in the artificial reality environment. This virtual hand representation mirrors the real hand's position and movements, allowing the system to detect gestures and determine user intent with high precision. The slidably engageable UI element is controlled by the virtual hand's position, providing precise interaction control without requiring physical input devices.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #26Copying

Data Source

PatentEP4718219A1Artificial reality system having a sliding menu
Publication Date: 2026.04.01 META PLATFORMS TECHNOLOGIES LLC
  • EP4718219A1 patent drawingFigure 1A
  • EP4718219A1 patent drawingFigure 1B
  • EP4718219A1 patent drawingFigure 2

AI summary

An artificial reality system is described that renders, presents, and controls user interface elements within an artificial reality environment, and performs actions in response to one or more detected gestures of the user. The artificial reality system can include a menu that can be activated and interacted with using one hand. In response to detecting a menu activation gesture performed using one hand, the artificial reality system can cause a menu to be rendered. A menu sliding gesture (e.g., horizontal motion) of the hand can be used to cause a slidably engageable user interface (UI) element to move along a horizontal dimension of the menu while horizontal positioning of the UI menu is held constant. Motion of the hand orthogonal to the menu sliding gesture (e.g., non-horizontal motion) can cause the menu to be repositioned. The implementation of the artificial reality system does require use of both hands or use of other input devices in order to interact with the artificial reality system