# US 12,118,646 B1 · Transitional effects in real-time rendering applications > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,118,646 B1 - Document ID: US12118646B1 - Status: Granted - Kind: B1 - Application number: 17/562,061 - Filed: 2021-12-27 - Granted: 2024-10-15 - Earliest claimed: 2018-08-28 - Assignees: Apple Inc. - Applicants: Apple Inc. - Inventors: Xiaobo An; Peter Dollar; Eric J. Mueller; Brendan K. Duncan - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12118646B1 ## CPC - G06T 11/00: Two-dimensional [2D] image generation - G06F 9/451: Execution arrangements for user interfaces - G06F 9/542: {Event management; Broadcasting; Multicasting; Notifications} - G06F 9/546: {Message passing systems or structures, e.g. queues} - G06T 2210/52: Parallel processing - G06T: IMAGE DATA PROCESSING OR GENERATION, IN GENERAL - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) ## Abstract Systems and methods for transitional effects in real-time rendering applications are described. Some implementations may include rendering a computer-generated reality environment in a first state using an application that includes multiple processes associated with respective objects of the computer-generated reality environment; generating a message that indicates a change in the computer-generated reality environment; sending the message to two or more of the multiple processes associated with respective objects of the computer-generated reality environment; responsive to the message, updating configurations of objects of the computer-generated reality environment to change the computer-generated reality environment from the first state to a second state; and rendering the computer-generated reality environment in the second state using the application. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A system comprising: a display; and a processing apparatus configured to: render, for presentation on the display, a computer-generated reality environment in a first state using an application that includes multiple processes associated with respective objects of the computer-generated reality environment, wherein each of the multiple processes includes one or more threads and is associated with a respective object separately from other parts of the computer-generated reality environment; generate a message that indicates a change in the computer-generated reality environment; send the message to two or more of the multiple processes associated with respective objects of the computer-generated reality environment; responsive to the message, update configurations of objects of the computer-generated reality environment to change the computer-generated reality environment from the first state to a second state; and render, for presentation on the display, the computer-generated reality environment in the second state using the application. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the application includes a broadcast process that sends the message, wherein the two or more of the multiple processes associated with respective objects of the computer-generated reality environment include listening threads that receive the message, and the processing apparatus is configured to: register the listening threads with the broadcast process. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the application includes a broadcast process that sends the message, and the processing apparatus is configured to: use the broadcast process to send the message to all processes of the application that are associated with respective objects of the computer-generated reality environment. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the application includes a simulation process that coordinates objects of the computer-generated reality environment and renders views of the computer-generated reality environment, and the message is sent by the simulation process. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the message includes an indication of a transition period and the processing apparatus is configured to: responsive to the message, update the configurations of objects of the computer-generated reality environment in a sequence of intermediate steps to gradually transition the computer-generated reality environment from the first state to the second state via a sequence of intermediate states over the transition period; and render, for presentation on the display, the computer-generated reality environment in the sequence of intermediate states using the application. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the message includes a configuration category and corresponding configuration value. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the message includes an indication of weather for the computer-generated reality environment. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the message includes an indication of time of day for the computer-generated reality environment. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the message includes an indication of a room type for the computer-generated reality environment. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the message is sent using event-based signaling. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the message is sent via an inter-process message queue. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the message is generated based on user input received via a user interface. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the application is a computer-generated reality application. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein multiple developers respectively control code implementing the multiple processes associated with the respective objects of the computer-generated reality environment, but the message enables a single user to implement a high-level configuration change across the respective objects of the computer-generated reality environment. ### Claim 15 A method comprising: rendering a computer-generated reality environment in a first state using an application that includes multiple processes associated with respective objects of the computer-generated reality environment, wherein each of the multiple processes includes one or more threads and is associated with a respective object separately from other parts of the computer-generated reality environment; generating a message that indicates a change in the computer-generated reality environment; sending the message to two or more of the multiple processes associated with respective objects of the computer-generated reality environment; responsive to the message, updating configurations of objects of the computer-generated reality environment to change the computer-generated reality environment from the first state to a second state; and rendering the computer-generated reality environment in the second state using the application. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein the application includes a broadcast process that sends the message, the two or more of the multiple processes associated with respective objects of the computer-generated reality environment include listening threads that receive the message, and comprising: registering the listening threads with the broadcast process. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein the application includes a broadcast process that sends the message, and comprising: using the broadcast process, sending the message to all processes of the application that are associated with respective objects of the computer-generated reality environment. ### Claim 18 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein the application includes a simulation process that coordinates objects of the computer-generated reality environment and renders views of the computer-generated reality environment, and the message is sent by the simulation process. ### Claim 19 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein the message includes an indication of a transition period, and comprising: responsive to the message, updating the configurations of objects of the computer-generated reality environment in a sequence of intermediate steps to gradually transition the computer-generated reality environment from the first state to the second state via a sequence of intermediate states over the transition period; and rendering the computer-generated reality environment in the sequence of intermediate states using the application. ### Claim 20 A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising executable instructions that, when executed by a processor, facilitate performance of operations comprising: rendering a computer-generated reality environment in a first state using an application that includes multiple processes associated with respective objects of the computer-generated reality environment, wherein each of the multiple processes includes one or more threads and is associated with a respective object separately from other parts of the computer-generated reality environment; generating a message that indicates a change in the computer-generated reality environment; sending the message to two or more of the multiple processes associated with respective objects of the computer-generated reality environment; responsive to the message, updating configurations of objects of the computer-generated reality environment to change the computer-generated reality environment from the first state to a second state; and rendering the computer-generated reality environment in the second state using the application.