Today the US Patent & Trademark Office surprisingly published a patent application from Apple that extends their original patent relating to their vision of a future 3D version of macOS titled "Visual Object Receptacle."

Apple notes in their filing that the use of metaphors that represent concrete, familiar ideas facilitate such an intuitive user experience. For example, the metaphor of file folders can be used for storing documents; the metaphor of a file cabinet can be used for storing information on a hard disk; and the metaphor of the desktop can be used for an operating system interface. As the capabilities of processing devices progress, however, so do the demands on the graphical user interface to convey information to the users in an intuitive manner

Apple's patent covers methods, apparatus and systems including a visualization object receptacle. In one implementation, a computer readable medium stores instructions that are executable by a processing device, and upon such execution cause the processing device to generate a graphical user interface on a display device. The graphical user interface defines a depth aspect and a visualization object receptacle disposed along the depth aspect. A visualization object comprises a collective representative of graphical user interface elements that can be displayed in the visualization object receptacle.

In another implementation, a visualization object receptacle disposed along a depth aspect is generated, and one or more visualization objects are generated within the visualization object receptacle. At least one of the visualization objects is a stack item.

In another implementation, a three-dimensional desktop defining a depth aspect includes a visualization object receptacle disposed along the depth aspect. One or more visualization objects are disposed within the visualization object receptacle, and at least one of the visualization objects comprises a stack item.

Apple's patent FIG. 2 below is a block diagram of an example user interface architecture; FIG. 5 is a block diagram of an example user interface engine architecture; and FIG. 6 is a block diagram of an example system layer structure that can be utilized to implement the systems and methods described in the patent.

Apple's patent FIGS. 13-15 below are block diagrams and examples of a multidimensional desktop.  

Patently Apple covered Apple's original patent filing that was made 16 years ago that you could review here for more details.

While the patent figures look very outdated at this point in time, remember that this is a utility patent and not a design patent. So Apple's patent figures simply convey the basic concepts of a 3D interface and not one that will be the end product. With Apple Vision Pro having been introduced, we're now able to see Apple's vision of a true 3D interface for a headset. Bringing some form of it to a future version of macOS could very well materialize in the future, hence Apple's update.

Below are a few of the extended patent claims that Apple filed for and were made public today by the U.S. Patent Office.

Apple begins with adding a method comprising: at an electronic device that is in communication with a display generation component and one or more input devices: displaying, via the display generation component, a window at a first location in a three-dimensional environment over a virtual background; detecting, via the one or more input devices, a first input directed to the window; and in response to detecting the first input directed to the window, moving the window in the three-dimensional environment to a second location in the three-dimensional environment that does not overlap with the virtual background.

In addition, the virtual background is a two-dimensional desktop environment.

The method cover the virtual background that includes visual content. The method further comprises displaying a configuration menu including user-manipulable affordances (icons) for configurating presentation characteristics of the virtual background.

The method includes the first input directed to the window includes an input dragging the window from the first location to the second location.

The method includes the virtual background displayed at a first depth, the first location is at the first depth, and the second location is at a second depth different than the first depth.

The method further comprises the window at the second location, displaying a shadow of the window on the virtual background.

The method further comprises receiving a second input directed to the window; and in response to detecting the second input directed to the window, moving the window in the three-dimensional environment to the first location over the virtual background.

In a second phase of the new patent claims, Apple covers a device comprising: a display device; a processing device coupled to the display device to: display, via the display device, a window at a first location in a three-dimensional environment over a virtual background; detect, via the one or more input devices, a first input directed to the window; and in response to detecting the first input directed to the window, move the window in the three-dimensional environment to a second location in the three-dimensional environment that does not overlap with the virtual background.

The device will utilize a virtual background in relation to a two-dimensional desktop environment that provides a virtual background that includes visual content.

The device further comprises the display of a configuration menu that includes user-manipulable affordances (icons) for configurating presentation characteristics of the virtual background.

The device enables the first input directed to the window includes an input dragging the window from the first location to the second location and more.

To review the full details of this invention and more of its new patent claims, review Apple's patent application number 20230205406.