Apple patent filing involves ‘avatar spatial modes’ on a Vision Pro

Apple has filed for a patent (number US 20230299989 A1) for “avatar spatial modes” when using a Vision Pro.

The US$3,499 (and higher) “Spatial Computer” will be available in early 2024. However, it apparently will only be available in limited quantities at first.

The patent filing involves techniques and systems for providing enhanced representations of a multiuser communication session. Some devices such as the Vision Pro are capable of generating and presenting extended reality (XR) environments. 

Some XR environments allow multiple users to interact with each other within the XR environment. However, when an XR environment is initiated, Apple says what’s  needed is an improved technique for providing usable representations in the XR environment.

The company’s idea is for avatars may be displayed in a multiuser communication session using various spatial modes. One technique for presenting avatars includes presenting avatars such that an attention direction of the avatar is retargeted to match the intent of the remote user corresponding to the avatar. 

Another technique for presenting avatars includes a pinned mode in which a spatial relationship between one or more avatars remains displayed in a consistent spatial relationship to a local user regardless of movements of the local user. 

And still another technique for presenting avatars includes providing user-selectable presentation modes between a room scale mode and a stationary mode for presenting a representation of a multiuser communication session.