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AppleGranted patentAR, VR & displaysInterest 6/10

Apple patents AR drawing guide that sticks to real-world surfaces

Apple describes a system where a user asks for help with a drawing, and the device projects a guide onto a physical surface like a table or paper. The guide stays fixed in place relative to the surface, allowing the user to trace or draw over it with a physical marker.

Why it mattersThis could make learning to draw or write in augmented reality more practical by keeping digital guides aligned with the real world.

In the filing’s own words

An example process includes: receiving, from a user, an input corresponding to a request for assistance with a drawing; in accordance with receiving the input, selecting a physical surface in a physical environment; displaying, over the selected physical surface, a graphical overlay representing the drawing, where displaying the graphical overlay over the selected physical surface includes anchoring the graphical overlay to the selected physical surface; and while displaying the graphical overlay over the selected physical surface: detecting a marking produced by the user on the physical surface, the marking corresponding to the drawing.

What exactly they claim (claim 1)

1. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing one or more programs, the one or more programs comprising instructions, which when executed by one or more processors of an electronic device, cause the electronic device to: receive, from a user, a first input corresponding to a request for assistance with a drawing; in accordance with receiving the first input, select a physical surface in a physical environment; display, over the selected physical surface, a first instance of a graphical overlay representing the drawing, wherein displaying the first instance of the graphical overlay over the selected physical surface includes anchoring the first instance of the graphical overlay to the selected physical surface; while displaying the first instance of the graphical overlay over the selected physical surface, receive, from the user, a second input corresponding to a request to save a layout corresponding to the drawing; in accordance with receiving the second input, generate the layout corresponding to the drawing, wherein the layout indicates an anchoring of the first instance of the graphical overlay to the selected physical surface; and transmit the layout to an external electronic device, wherein after the external electronic device receives the layout, the external electronic device: detects the selected physical surface based on the layout; and displays, over the selected physical surface, a second instance of the graphical overlay, wherein the external electronic device anchors the second instance of the graphical overlay to the selected physical surface based on the layout.

Facts

Company
Apple (Apple Inc.)
Official title
Assisted drawing and writing in extended reality
Patent number
US12749272B2
Application number
18907301
Filed
Oct 4, 2024
Granted
Sep 29, 2026
Inventors
2
Claims
34

Classified under

G06T 19/006 Physics & computingG06F 3/013 Physics & computingG06F 3/167 Physics & computingG06T 3/40 Physics & computingG06T 3/60 Physics & computingG06T 13/20 Physics & computing

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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.