Patents by Inventor Michael E. Buerli

Michael E. Buerli has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20260161342
    Abstract: Implementations of the subject technology provide continuous transfer of content editing and/or control between various devices in an extended reality system. The extended reality system includes at least one device that is capable of determining the locations of other devices in the system. This device can manage continuous transfer of control between other devices in the system responsive to three-dimensional location-based user inputs, and/or can manage continuous transfer of control between one or more of the other devices and the device itself.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 15, 2025
    Publication date: June 11, 2026
    Inventors: Michael E. BUERLI, Andrew P. RICHARDSON, Samuel L. IGLESIAS, Tyler R. CALDERONE, Mark A. EBBOLE
  • Patent number: 12638950
    Abstract: Aspects of the subject technology provide a real-time system for positioning and/or arranging application content anchored to locations in a physical environment. The subject technology may include a placement system that facilitates placement of application content relative to the anchors, according to application and/or system preferences and/or requirements for display of the content.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2026
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Michael E. Buerli, Pavel V. Dudrenov
  • Publication number: 20260104781
    Abstract: In some embodiments, a computer system facilitates interaction with virtual objects associated with virtual workspaces in a three-dimensional environment. In some embodiments, a computer system facilitates multi-user collaboration with content associated with a virtual workspace in a three-dimensional environment. In some embodiments, a computer system facilitates display of content associated with a virtual workspace in different physical environments.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 26, 2025
    Publication date: April 16, 2026
    Inventors: Aaron M. BURNS, Charilaos PAPADOPOULOS, Jia WANG, Scott A. GREENLAY, Jamie J. MARCONI, Yik Chun Jonathan CHAN, Jonathan R. DASCOLA, Christopher D. MCKENZIE, Stephen O. LEMAY, Michael E. BUERLI, Edwin ISKANDAR, Olivier GUTKNECHT, Enrica CASUCCI, Jeffrey S. NORRIS, Shih-Sang CHIU
  • Publication number: 20260079576
    Abstract: Aspects of the subject technology relate to gaze-based control of an electronic device. The gaze-based control can include enabling an option to provide user authorization when it is determined that the user has viewed and/or read text associated with a request for the user authorization. The gaze-based control can also include modifying a user interface or a user interface element based on user views and/or reads. The gaze-based control can be based on determining whether a user has viewed and/or read an electronic document and/or a physical document.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 25, 2025
    Publication date: March 19, 2026
    Inventors: Samuel L. IGLESIAS, Mark A. EBBOLE, Andrew P. RICHARDSON, Tyler R. CALDERONE, Michael E. BUERLI, Devin W. CHALMERS
  • Patent number: 12578836
    Abstract: Various implementations disclosed herein include devices, systems, and methods for indicating a distance to a selectable portion of a virtual surface. In various implementations, a device includes a display, a non-transitory memory and one or more processors coupled with the display and the non-transitory memory. In some implementations, a method includes displaying a graphical environment that includes a virtual surface, wherein at least a portion of the virtual surface is selectable. In some implementations, the method includes determining a distance between a collider object and the selectable portion of the virtual surface. In some implementations, the method includes displaying a depth indicator in association with the collider object. In some implementations, a visual property of the depth indicator is selected based on the distance between the collider object and the selectable portion of the virtual surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2023
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2026
    Assignee: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Adam Michael O'Hern, Mark Alan Ebbole, Justin Timothy Voss, Charles Magahern, Peter Louis Hajas, Michael E. Buerli
  • Patent number: 12555319
    Abstract: Aspects of the subject technology provide for system state management in a centralized rendering environment. A system may initialize a tree structure for a three-dimensional environment. The system renders the three-dimensional environment based at least in part on a traversal of the tree structure. The system identifies a request to change first or second visual states. The system can determine a first state update to the first visual state and a second state update to the second visual state and updates the tree structure by passing, by a first node, the first state update to a first child node and separately passing the second state update to a second child node. The system re-renders the three-dimensional environment based at least in part on a traversal of the updated tree structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2023
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2026
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Mark L. Ma, Michael E. Buerli, Zhengzheng Li, Scott M. Andrus, William E. Blumhardt, Aviv Miron
  • Publication number: 20260045049
    Abstract: A system process of a device can receive a visibility preference corresponding to a physical object type. A physical object can be identified as being visible in a physical environment of the device and, in response to identifying that the physical object corresponds to the physical object type, the system process can control visibility of a representation of the physical object in a display output based at least in part on the visibility preference. The system process can override the visibility preference based on the interaction with physical objects in the physical environment and other factors.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 20, 2025
    Publication date: February 12, 2026
    Inventors: Peter L. HAJAS, Sebastien METROT, Michael E. BUERLI, Michael A. REITER, Diego TRAZZI, Conner J. BROOKS, Jacob WILSON
  • Patent number: 12504809
    Abstract: Aspects of the subject technology relate to gaze-based control of an electronic device. The gaze-based control can include enabling an option to provide user authorization when it is determined that the user has viewed and/or read text associated with a request for the user authorization. The gaze-based control can also include modifying a user interface or a user interface element based on user views and/or reads. The gaze-based control can be based on determining whether a user has viewed and/or read an electronic document and/or a physical document.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 23, 2025
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Samuel L. Iglesias, Mark A. Ebbole, Andrew P. Richardson, Tyler R. Calderone, Michael E. Buerli, Devin W. Chalmers
  • Publication number: 20250378667
    Abstract: Techniques are disclosed for rendering an ornament for a 3D object in a 3D environment displayed on a headset device and providing a user interface to manipulate the 3D object. In some embodiments, a user's input may be tracked. An ornament (e.g., base plate or a portion of the base plate) may be displayed adjacent to a volume associated with a 3D object in response to determining whether the user's input is within a threshold distance from the 3D object or a surface of its associated volume. In some embodiments, a visual display of a portion of the base plate may be altered, or a manipulation object or both may be displayed for manipulating the 3D object in response to the user's input within the threshold distance.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 17, 2024
    Publication date: December 11, 2025
    Applicant: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Aviv Miron, Laurence R. Wong, Peter J. Livingstone, Yidi Zhu, Hannah Wai Yip, Michael E. Buerli, Shu C. Cheah
  • Publication number: 20250378526
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for performing operations in response to a portal size change. One of the methods includes obtaining, from an application, first information defining a request to create an application portal for the application and that includes data identifying one or more portal size parameters; and in response to obtaining the first information defining the request to create the application portal and that includes the data identifying the one or more portal size parameters, providing, to an operating system, the first information that includes the data identifying the one or more portal size parameters for use controlling the size of the application portal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 27, 2025
    Publication date: December 11, 2025
    Inventors: Peter L. Hajas, Mark L. Ma, Michael A. Reiter, Michael E. Buerli, Peter A. Rossi, Raffael Hannemann
  • Patent number: 12450843
    Abstract: A device may include a processor configured to receive, by a system process and from an application process, a visibility preference for an object type and segment one or more physical objects associated with the object type from an image of a physical environment. The processor is also configured to determine, by the system process, whether to display the one or more segmented physical objects based at least in part on the visibility preference. In response to a determination display the one or more segmented physical objects, the processor is configured to display at least a portion of the image corresponding to the one or more segmented physical objects. In response to a determination not to display the one or more segmented physical objects, the processor is configured to forgo displaying that at least a portion of the image corresponding to the one or more segmented physical objects.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2023
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2025
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Peter L. Hajas, Sebastien Metrot, Michael E. Buerli, Michael A. Reiter, Diego Trazzi, Conner J. Brooks, Jacob Wilson
  • Patent number: 12406452
    Abstract: Implementations of the subject technology provide virtual anchoring for extended reality (XR) display devices. A device may generate an XR environment that includes computer-generated (CG) content for display relative to various physical objects in a physical environment. In order to position the CG content, an XR application may request a physical anchor object to which the CG content can be anchored. In circumstances in which the physical anchor object is not available in the physical environment, a virtual anchor and/or a virtual anchor object corresponding to the physical anchor object can be provided to which the CG content can be anchored.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2024
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2025
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Michael E. Buerli, Samuel L. Iglesias, Tyler R. Calderone, Mark A. Ebbole, Andrew P. Richardson
  • Publication number: 20250258639
    Abstract: Application casting is provided, in which an application running on an electronic device is casted to another electronic device that does not have access to the application. The application is casted by providing sufficient information for rendering of a user interface of the application, at the device that does not have access to the application, with applied modifications such as user preferences for the device that does not have access to the application.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 2, 2025
    Publication date: August 14, 2025
    Inventors: Joshua J. TAYLOR, Pablo P. CHENG, Michael E. BUERLI, Naveen K. VEMURI
  • Patent number: 12321656
    Abstract: Application casting is provided, in which an application running on an electronic device is casted to another electronic device that does not have access to the application. The application is casted by providing sufficient information for rendering of a user interface of the application, at the device that does not have access to the application, with applied modifications such as user preferences for the device that does not have access to the application.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2025
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Joshua J. Taylor, Pablo P. Cheng, Michael E. Buerli, Naveen K. Vemuri
  • Patent number: 12299340
    Abstract: Implementations of the subject technology provide continuous transfer of content editing and/or control between various devices in an extended reality system. The extended reality system includes at least one device that is capable of determining the locations of other devices in the system. This device can manage continuous transfer of control between other devices in the system responsive to three-dimensional location-based user inputs, and/or can manage continuous transfer of control between one or more of the other devices and the device itself.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2025
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Michael E. Buerli, Andrew P. Richardson, Samuel L. Iglesias, Tyler R. Calderone, Mark A. Ebbole
  • Publication number: 20250138771
    Abstract: Implementations of the subject technology provide a small, portable physical object for use in an extended reality system. The system may include a device that allows a user/wearer to interact with virtual representations of content such as stored data and/or applications overlaid on the user's physical environment. The object has a unique identifier that is obtainable by the device or another device. The object may be an inactive device without any internal circuitry, a passive device with circuitry that is activated by another device, or an active device having its own processing circuitry and/or a display housed in the body of the object. The object can be associated with content displayed by the device to provide a user with a physical object that can be moved or manipulated to move, modify, transport, or store the content generated, stored, and/or displayed in an extended reality environment.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 2, 2025
    Publication date: May 1, 2025
    Inventors: Samuel L. IGLESIAS, Michael E. BUERLI, Tyler R. CALDERONE, Andrew P. RICHARDSON
  • Patent number: 12210795
    Abstract: Implementations of the subject technology provide a small, portable physical object for use in an extended reality system. The system may include a device that allows a user/wearer to interact with virtual representations of content such as stored data and/or applications overlaid on the user's physical environment. The object has a unique identifier that is obtainable by the device or another device. The object may be an inactive device without any internal circuitry, a passive device with circuitry that is activated by another device, or an active device having its own processing circuitry and/or a display housed in the body of the object. The object can be associated with content displayed by the device to provide a user with a physical object that can be moved or manipulated to move, modify, transport, or store the content generated, stored, and/or displayed in an extended reality environment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2023
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2025
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Samuel L. Iglesias, Michael E. Buerli, Tyler R. Calderone, Andrew P. Richardson
  • Publication number: 20240428527
    Abstract: A device may include a processor configured to receive, by a system process and from an application process, a visibility preference for an object type and segment one or more physical objects associated with the object type from an image of a physical environment. The processor is also configured to determine, by the system process, whether to display the one or more segmented physical objects based at least in part on the visibility preference. In response to a determination display the one or more segmented physical objects, the processor is configured to display at least a portion of the image corresponding to the one or more segmented physical objects. In response to a determination not to display the one or more segmented physical objects, the processor is configured to forgo displaying that at least a portion of the image corresponding to the one or more segmented physical objects.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 19, 2023
    Publication date: December 26, 2024
    Inventors: Peter L. HAJAS, Sebastien METROT, Michael E. BUERLI, Michael A. REITER, Diego TRAZZI, Conner J. BROOKS, Jacob WILSON
  • Publication number: 20240404165
    Abstract: In one implementation, a method of displaying image is performed by a device including one or more processors and non-transitory memory. The method includes obtaining gaze information. The method includes obtaining, based on the gaze information, a first resolution function and a second resolution function different than the first resolution function. The method includes rendering a first layer based on first virtual content and the first resolution function. The method includes rendering a second layer based on second virtual content and the second resolution function. The method includes compositing the first layer and the second layer into an image. The method includes displaying, on the display, the image.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 23, 2024
    Publication date: December 5, 2024
    Inventors: Yashas Rai Kurlethimar, Jonathan Moorman, Mark L. Ma, Michael E. Buerli, Seyedkoosha Mirhosseini, Sushant Ojal
  • Publication number: 20240404196
    Abstract: Aspects of the subject technology provide for system state management in a centralized rendering environment. A system may initialize a tree structure for a three-dimensional environment. The system renders the three-dimensional environment based at least in part on a traversal of the tree structure. The system identifies a request to change first or second visual states. The system can determine a first state update to the first visual state and a second state update to the second visual state and updates the tree structure by passing, by a first node, the first state update to a first child node and separately passing the second state update to a second child node. The system re-renders the three-dimensional environment based at least in part on a traversal of the updated tree structure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 17, 2023
    Publication date: December 5, 2024
    Inventors: Mark L. MA, Michael E. BUERLI, Zhengzheng Li, Scott M. ANDRUS, William E. BLUMHARDT, Aviv MIRON