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.
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 & computingMore from Apple in AR, VR & displays
- Apple patents AR glasses that zoom in on what you look at Sep 8, 2026
- Apple patents finger ring that controls VR with taps and waves Sep 15, 2026
- Apple patents head-mounted device that types via eye swipes and hand pinches Oct 6, 2026
- Apple patents eye-tracking and hand gestures to select screen items Oct 20, 2026
- Apple patents AR glasses that adjust lenses to fit your eyes Sep 17, 2026
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.