Apple plans on enhancing the entrance, exit effects in the Vision Pro’s CGR environments

Apple plans on enhancing the entrance and exit effects within computer generated (CGR) environments on the Vision Pro.  And it hints at users of the spatial computer being able to interact in such environments.

The tech giant has been granted a patent (number US 11900520 B1) for “Specifying Effects for Entering or Exiting a Computer-Generated Reality Environment.” 

About the patent

The patent relates generally to computer-generated reality (CGR) (including virtual reality (VR) and mixed reality (MR)) techniques, and more specifically to techniques for entering or exiting a CGR environment. In the patent Apple notes that conventional virtual reality environments include virtual objects called avatars that are associated with user(s) of virtual environments. A user’s avatar represents a user’s presence in a virtual environment.

The patent involves techniques for enhancing the experience of a user entering or exiting a CGR environment. Apple says that, as CGR environments become more ubiquitous, there’s increased opportunity for people to interact in such environments. For example, multiple users of a VR system may gather in a virtual environment for a meeting, to play a game, or for various other reasons. 

To enhance such an experience, the techniques described ion Apple’s patent allows a user to preview a CGR environment prior to entering the environment. The techniques also allow a user to customize effects that occur in the environment when the user or another user enters or exits the environment. 

Summary of the patent

Here’s Apple’s summary of the patent: “In an exemplary process for specifying an entrance or exit effect in a computer-generated reality environment, in response to a user entering or exiting the computer-generated reality environment, a transition effect is provided.”