Today the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office officially published a patent application from Apple that relates to computer systems that are in communication with one or more display generation components and one or more input devices that provide computer-generated experiences, including, but not limited to, electronic devices that provide virtual reality and mixed reality experiences via a display.

Devices, Methods and GUIs for Device Position Adjustment using Gaze-based Inputs

Apple notes at the beginning of this patent application that some methods and interfaces for adjusting device positioning are cumbersome, inefficient, and limited. For example, systems that provide insufficient, unclear, or confusing feedback for accurate device positioning are complex, tedious, and error-prone, create a significant cognitive burden on a user, and detract from the experience with the virtual/augmented reality environment. In addition, these methods take longer than necessary, thereby wasting energy of the computer system. This latter consideration is particularly important in battery-operated devices.

Accordingly, there is a need for computer systems with improved methods and interfaces for providing feedback pertaining to device position adjustment that make interaction with the computer systems more efficient and intuitive for a user. Such methods and interfaces optionally complement or replace conventional methods for providing feedback pertaining to device position adjustment. Such methods and interfaces reduce the number, extent, and/or nature of the inputs from a user by helping the user to understand the connection between provided inputs and device responses to the inputs, thereby creating a more efficient human-machine interface.

More specifically, Apple's patent relates to user interfaces for providing an extended reality (XR) experience to a user. The systems, methods, and GUIs described in Apple's patent application improve user interface interactions with virtual/augmented reality environments in multiple ways.

In some embodiments, a computer system detects a position of at least a portion of the computer system relative to the face of a user (e.g., relative to a portion of a face of a user (e.g., relative to the user's eyes, nose, and/or forehead)).

In some embodiments, proper positioning of the computer system relative to the face of the user assists in providing the user with an improved experience, for example, by allowing the user to view displayed content properly and/or allowing the user to provide more accurate user inputs (e.g., eye-based and/or gaze-based inputs).

Accordingly, in some embodiments, when the computer system detects that the position of the portion of the computer system relative to the face of the user meets one or more error conditions (e.g., the portion of the computer system is too far to the left, too far to the right, too high, and/or too low relative to the face of the user), the computer system optionally outputs a first alert indicating that the position of the portion of the computer system relative to the face of the user meets the one or more error conditions.

In some embodiments, when the computer system detects that the position of the portion of the computer system relative to the face of the user meets one or more errors conditions and the computer system meets respective criteria (e.g., the computer system is not displaying immersive content or is not in a first state), the computer system outputs the first alert, whereas when the computer system detects that the position of the portion of the computer system relative to the face of the user meets one or more errors conditions and the computer system does not meet the respective criteria (e.g., the computer system is displaying immersive content and/or is in the first state), the computer system waits to output the first alert until the computer system does meet the respective criteria.

In some embodiments, a computer system detects a position of a portion of the computer system relative to a portion of a body of a user. In some embodiments, proper positioning of the computer system relative to the face of the user assists in providing the user with an improved experience, for example, by allowing the user to view displayed content properly and/or allowing the user to provide more accurate user inputs (e.g., eye-based and/or gaze-based inputs).

Accordingly, in some embodiments, when the computer system detects that the position of the portion of the computer system relative to the face of the user meets one or more error conditions (e.g., the portion of the computer system is too far to the left, too far to the right, too high, and/or too low relative to the face of the user; and/or the computer system is too close to or too far from the face of the user), the computer system displays a notification. In some embodiments, certain types of errors are considered more important or more serious than others. Accordingly, when the error condition is a first type of error condition that is considered a more serious error, the computer system displays a first alert; and when the error condition is a second type of error condition that is considered less serious, the computer system displays a second alert different from the first alert. Examples of alerts are presented in patent FIGS. 9B and 9C below in the form of adjustment alerts.

Apple's patent FIG. 5 below is a block diagram illustrating an eye tracking unit of a computer system that is configured to capture gaze inputs of the user; FIGS. 7A-7D2 illustrate example techniques for providing feedback pertaining to device position adjustment.

Apple's patent FIGS. 9B and 9C above illustrate example techniques for providing feedback pertaining to device position adjustment.

Like most Apple patents, Apple doesn't want to limit their inventions and thereby notes that this invention could also apply to other devices in the future such as an iMac, MacBook or iPad.

To review this deeply detailed invention, review Apple's patent application 20240265796 in Safari here or in Firefox and Chrome based browsers here that provides better access to the text of the patent.