XR Virtual Object Visibility Control for Private Collaboration

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Solution Overview

Problem

XR devices often fail to ensure that virtual objects are only visible to their intended owners, leading to potential exposure of sensitive information during collaborative meetings.

Innovation Solution

A system that identifies virtual object owners based on associated settings and captured user actions, displays warning notifications, and allows owners to control sharing permissions dynamically.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If virtual objects are made visible to all participants during XR collaborative meetings, then ease of operation and collaboration is improved, but privacy and security are compromised due to exposure of sensitive information

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecollaboration easeVSAvoidinformation exposure
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by differentiating visibility permissions for different virtual objects based on their sensitivity and owner preferences. Each virtual object can have its own visibility settings, allowing some objects to be visible to all participants while others remain private to specific users or groups, thus resolving the contradiction between collaboration ease and information security

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements dynamic visibility control where owners can modify who can see their virtual objects during the meeting. The system allows real-time adjustment of visibility permissions, enabling owners to share objects with specific participants or groups as needed, balancing collaborative needs with privacy protection

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

2Reliability

If visibility settings are strictly enforced for each virtual object, then privacy and security are improved, but device complexity and operational difficulty increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveprivacy protectionVSAvoidsystem complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements self-service by automatically managing visibility permissions through owner-defined settings. Once an owner configures the visibility settings for their virtual objects, the system autonomously enforces these permissions without requiring continuous manual intervention or complex administrative overhead, thus maintaining privacy protection while reducing operational complexity

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The system provides feedback mechanisms to inform participants about visibility permissions and to allow owners to adjust settings based on collaboration needs. This feedback loop helps simplify the user experience by making the system's behavior predictable and controllable, reducing the perceived complexity while maintaining strong privacy protection

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Data Source

PatentEP4523118B1Resolving visibility discrepencies of virtual objects in extended reality devices
Publication Date: 2025.10.08 INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINE CORPORATION
  • EP4523118B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4523118B1 patent drawingFigure 2A
  • EP4523118B1 patent drawingFigure 2B

AI summary

An embodiment for resolving visibility discrepancies of virtual objects in extended reality devices is provided. The embodiment may include receiving one or more virtual objects and a setting for each virtual object from one or more users during an extended reality meeting. The embodiment may also include identifying an owner of each virtual object. The embodiment may further include identifying a referenced virtual object. The embodiment may also include in response to determining the referenced virtual object is only visible to the owner, displaying a warning notification to the owner prior to sharing. The embodiment may further include querying the owner as to whether to share the referenced virtual object with the one or more users other than the owner. The embodiment may also include in response to determining the owner wants to share the referenced virtual object, sharing the referenced virtual object.