Apple patents method to align 3D maps for shared video calls
Apple describes a way to match a digital 3D map of a room with the real-world space using visual features. This alignment allows a device to calculate its exact position within that map during a call. The system then shares this position data so another user can see a representation of the first user placed correctly in the shared 3D view.
In the filing’s own words
Various implementations provide a method for determining position data of a first device relative to a three-dimensional (3D) representation during a communication session. For example, a 3D representation is determined by a first device to correspond to a current physical environment of the first device. Then a spatial relationship is determined between the 3D representation and the current physical environment. Then position data is determined to correspond to a position of the first device relative to the 3D representation and based on a location of the first device in the current physical environment and the spatial relationship between the 3D representation and the current physical environment. The position data is then provided during a communication session between the first device and a second device with a view of the 3D representation including a representation of a user of the first device presented to a user of the second device.
What exactly they claim (claim 1)
1. A method comprising: at a first device comprising one or more processors: obtaining a selection of a three-dimensional (3D) representation of an environment, wherein the 3D representation comprises a feature map that includes features associated with a physical environment; determining whether the selected 3D representation of the environment corresponds to a current physical environment of the first device; and in accordance with a determination that the 3D representation of an environment corresponds to the current physical environment: determining a spatial relationship between the 3D representation and the current physical environment by aligning features based on visual matching, wherein the visual matching comprises matching the feature map associated with the 3D representation with features identified in the current physical environment; presenting a view of the current physical environment while forgoing presentation of a view of the 3D representation of the environment; determining position data corresponding to a position of the first device relative to the 3D representation based on a location of the first device in the current physical environment and the spatial relationship between the 3D representation and the current physical environment; and providing the position data during a communication session between the first device and a second device, wherein a view of the 3D representation including a representation of a user of the first device positioned based on the position data is presented to a user of the second device during the communication session.
Facts
- Company
- Apple (APPLE INC.)
- Official title
- Aligning scanned environments for multi-user communication sessions
- Patent number
- US12743799B2
- Application number
- 18592586
- Filed
- Mar 1, 2024
- Granted
- Sep 22, 2026
- Inventors
- 4
- Claims
- 19
Classified under
G06T 7/337 Physics & computingG06T 7/74 Physics & computingG06T 19/20 Physics & computingG06T 2207/10028 Physics & computingG06T 2219/024 Physics & computingG06T 2219/2004 Physics & computingMore from Apple in AR, VR & displays
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Summaries are simplified from the filing’s own abstract and first claim. A patent filing is not a product announcement.
Patent data and drawings: U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). Nebula is not affiliated with or endorsed by the USPTO.