Automatic Virtual Object Placement in XR Environments

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current technologies for presenting objects in computerized environments, such as online marketplaces, struggle to automatically select aesthetically pleasing spatial arrangements for virtual objects in extended reality (XR) environments, leading to inefficient user interaction and arrangement of virtual objects in relation to real-world settings.

Innovation Solution

An electronic device displays XR environments by automatically selecting locations and orientations for virtual objects based on characteristics of the XR environment and the virtual objects, such as proximity to user-defined interfaces and physical environment features, allowing for dynamic placement and interaction within the environment.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Manufacturing precision

If virtual objects are manually arranged in XR environments, then placement precision and aesthetic quality can be achieved, but user time consumption and operational complexity increase significantly

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveplacement precisionVSAvoidarrangement time

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system enables automatic arrangement of virtual objects through AI algorithms that independently analyze the XR environment characteristics, virtual object attributes, and spatial relationships to generate optimal placements without requiring manual user intervention for positioning each object

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces manual mechanical arrangement operations with automated computational systems including machine learning models and spatial analysis algorithms that calculate and determine optimal object placements based on environmental data and design criteria

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

2Productivity

If virtual objects are automatically placed without considering environmental characteristics, then placement speed increases, but spatial realism and user interaction quality deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveplacement speedVSAvoidspatial realism

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary analysis of the XR environment characteristics, including wall positions, floor surfaces, lighting conditions, and existing object distributions, before automatically placing virtual objects to ensure spatial realism and environmental compatibility

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent dynamically adjusts placement parameters such as position, orientation, scale, and rotation of virtual objects based on real-time analysis of environmental characteristics and spatial relationships, ensuring that automatically placed objects maintain visual consistency and realism

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

3Adaptability or versatility

If multiple virtual objects from different sources are integrated into XR environment, then system versatility and functionality improve, but arrangement complexity and computational requirements increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesystem versatilityVSAvoidarrangement complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system implements a universal automatic arrangement framework that can handle virtual objects from multiple different sources, applications, and formats by analyzing their common spatial and visual characteristics, enabling integrated placement without requiring source-specific manual configuration

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent segments the complex arrangement task into independent analysis components including environmental scanning, object attribute extraction, spatial relationship calculation, and placement optimization, allowing each component to process different object sources separately before integrating final placements

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentUS20240242457A1Systems and methods for smart placement of virtual objects

Publication Date: 2024.07.18 APPLE INC

AI summary

In some aspects, an electronic device displays virtual objects in a three-dimensional extended reality (“XR”) environment with automatically determined location(s) and/or orientation(s). In some aspects, the electronic device receives an input corresponding to a request to display the virtual objects in the XR environment. In some aspects, in response to the input, the electronic device displays the virtual objects in the XR environment. In some aspects, the electronic device compares characteristics of a physical environment of the electronic device with characteristics of the at least the subset of the collection of the virtual objects, including determining first locations of walls of the physical environment relative to at least one of a second location of the user interface of the first application or a third location of a user of the electronic device, to determine the location(s) and orientation(s) at which to display the virtual object(s).