Today the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office officially granted Apple a patent that relates to a possible future iPad that facilitates cursor interactions in different regions in a three-dimensional environment. In some embodiments, an iPad facilitates cursor interactions in content with just hand gestures and eye gaze.

In some embodiments, an iPad facilitates cursor movement. In some embodiments, an iPad facilitates interaction with multiple input devices. In some embodiments, a computer system facilitates cursor movement based on movement of a hand of a user of the computer system and a location of a gaze of the user in the three-dimensional environment. In some embodiments, a computer system facilitates cursor selection and scrolling of content in the three-dimensional environment.

In some embodiments, a computer system displays content (e.g., text content) and a cursor. In some embodiments, depending on the type of input detected by the computer system, and depending on whether the gaze of the user is directed to the cursor when the input is detected, the computer system performs different operations (e.g., text selection operations, cursor movement operations, etc.).

In some embodiments, a computer system displays content in a three-dimensional environment. In some embodiments, the content is selectable and/or scrollable in the three-dimensional environment based on input provided by a hand of the user of the computer system.

In some embodiments, in response to detecting a long air pinch and drag gesture provided by the hand of the user, if a cursor is displayed with the content in the three-dimensional environment, the computer system selects a portion of the content in accordance with a direction and/or magnitude of movement of the hand of the user.

In some embodiments, in response to detecting a long air pinch and drag gesture provided by the hand of the user, if a cursor is not displayed with the content in the three-dimensional environment, the computer system scrolls through the content in accordance with a direction and/or magnitude of movement of the hand of the user.

In Apple’s patent FIG. 7C below, an iPad (device #101) detects a cursor input directed to the region including object #704a; for example, an iPad detects gaze #708 of the user directed to object #704a and/or a finger of hand #703a in contact with an Apple Magic Trackpad #710. Apple introduced this feature with iOS 13.4.

In Apple’s patent FIG. 9B below we see something new. It illustrates a user moving text without a trackpad using gaze and gestures alone. Apple notes that “the word “ornare” is optionally a text-editable word, which causes an iPad to move the cursor to the end of the word “ornare”. If the word “ornare” were alternatively a read-only word (e.g., a word that currently cannot be edited), an iPad would optionally have moved the cursor to the beginning of the word “ornare.”

Our Cover Graphic illustrates patent FIG. 15C. Here, Apple notes in-part that in response to detecting the movement of the gaze points #1508a and/or #1508b in three-dimensional environment #1502, an iPad changes the regions #1510a and/or #1510b, respectively.

Although an iPad is seen as the focused device, the patent acknowledges that invention could apply to other devices such as an Apple Watch, MacBook and HMD.

To review the full details of this invention, check out granted patent 12147597.