# US 12,182,378 B2 · Methods and systems for object selection

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- Number: US 12,182,378 B2
- Document ID: US12182378B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/558,232
- Filed: 2021-12-21
- Published: 2022-04-14
- Granted: 2024-12-31
- Earliest claimed: 2017-04-05
- Assignees: Riot Games, Inc.
- Applicants: Riot Games, Inc.
- Inventors: Christina Norman; Kuo-Yen Lo
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12182378B2

## CPC

- G06F 3/0482: Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
- G06F 1/163: {Wearable computers, e.g. on a belt}
- G06F 3/011: {Arrangements for interaction with the human body, e.g. for user immersion in virtual reality (blind teaching G09B21/00)}
- G06F 3/0484: for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
- G06F 3/04842: Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements (G06F3/0482 takes precedence)
- G06F 3/04883: for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
- G06F 3/0488: using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
- H04W 4/02: Services making use of location information
- G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N)
- H04W: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORKS (broadcast communication H04H; communication systems using wireless links for non-selective communication, e.g. wireless extensions H04M1/72)

## Abstract

A method for identifying and selecting an object in a virtual or real environment is disclosed. The method comprises: determining a target finder area, at a computing device, within an area displayed by the user interface based on a user profile; determining a list of one or more objects within the target finder area; and presenting one or more of the determined list of one or more objects on the user interface.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method for prioritizing object selection within a three-dimensional (3D) environment comprising:
define a target finder area within a field of view of a three-dimensional (3D) environment based on a position of a user-defined focus point within the field of view, wherein the target finder area extends away from an origin point at an angle around the focus point;
detecting a first object and a second object within the field of view based on the defined target finder area, the first object being positioned closer to the origin point than the second object;
retrieving object data related to the first object and object data related to the second object;
defining a first prominence area having a first size within the 3D environment that extends outward from the first object based on the object data related to the first object and a second prominence area having a second size within the 3D environment that extends outward from the second object based on the object data related to the second object, wherein the first prominence area and the second prominence area overlap within the 3D environment;
after the first prominence area and the second prominence area are defined within the 3D environment, defining an adjusted first prominence area and an adjusted second prominence area by reducing each of the first size and the second size until the overlap is eliminated;
calculating a focus distance for each of the adjusted first prominence area and the adjusted second prominence area, a first focus distance corresponding to the first object calculated from the origin point to a nearest point within the 3D environment on the adjusted first prominence area and a second focus distance corresponding to the second object calculated from the origin point to the nearest point on the adjusted second prominence area; and
responsive to determining that the second focus distance is smaller than the first focus distance, automatically selecting the second object within the user interface.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising automatically highlighting the second object on the user interface in response to the automatic selection thereof.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The method of claim 2, further comprising providing for display the object data related to the highlighted second object on the user interface.

### Claim 4 (depends on 2)

The method of claim 2, wherein the target finder area is displayed in front of an avatar in the 3D environment, and wherein the origin point is defined apart from the avatar.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The method of claim 4, further comprising designating the automatically selected object as a target of an action performed by an avatar.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the automatic selecting of the second object is further based on cross-referencing the object data of the second object and one or more user characteristics associated with a user profile.

### Claim 7

A non-transitory processor-readable medium having one or more instructions operational on a computing device, which when executed by at least one processor cause the at least one processor to:
retrieve a user profile that includes user characteristics;
define a target finder area within the user's field of view of a three-dimensional (3D) environment based on a position of a user-defined focus point within the field of view, wherein the target finder area extends away from an origin point at an angle around the focus point, wherein the position of the user-defined focus point is based on the user characteristic;
detect objects within the field of view based on the defined target finder area including a first object positioned closer to the origin point than a second object;
retrieve object data corresponding to the first object and object data corresponding to the second object;
define a first prominence area having a first size within the 3D environment for the first object and a second prominence area having a second size within the 3D environment for the second object based on the object data corresponding to each object, wherein a region of the 3D environment is within both the first prominence area and the second prominence area;
after the first prominence area and the second prominence area are defined within the 3D environment, define an adjusted first prominence area and an adjusted second prominence area by reducing each of the first size and the second size until the region is eliminated;
calculate a focus distance for each of the adjusted first prominence area and the adjusted second prominence area, a first focus distance corresponding to the first object calculated from the origin point to a nearest point within the 3D environment on the adjusted first prominence area and a second focus distance corresponding to the second object calculated from the origin point to the nearest point on the adjusted second prominence area; and
automatically select the second object in response to a determination that the second focus distance is smaller than the first focus distance.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The non-transitory processor-readable medium of claim 7, wherein the instructions further cause the at least one processor to:
automatically highlight the second object in a user interface that overlays the user's field of view in response to the automatic selection thereof.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The non-transitory processor-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the instructions further cause the at least one processor to:
provide for display the object data related to the highlighted second object on the user interface.

### Claim 10 (depends on 8)

The non-transitory processor-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the instructions further cause the at least one processor to:
designate the automatically selected second object as a target of an action performed by an avatar within the 3D environment controlled by the user.

### Claim 11 (depends on 7)

The non-transitory processor-readable medium of claim 7, wherein automatic selection of the second object further based on a cross-reference of the object data related to the second object and the user characteristics.

### Claim 12 (depends on 7)

The non-transitory processor-readable medium of claim 7, wherein object data for each object includes at least one of a health status, a character class type, a character rank, a percentage discount, a price, or a match with the user profile.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The non-transitory processor-readable medium of claim 12, wherein each prominence area has a size determined based on a change in the health status.

### Claim 14 (depends on 12)

The non-transitory processor-readable medium of claim 12, wherein each prominence area has a size determined based on the percentage discount.

### Claim 15 (depends on 12)

The non-transitory processor-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the match with the user profile comprises an indication that the object was previously purchased, on a shopping list, previously examined, or appeared on a personal social network page.

### Claim 16 (depends on 7)

The non-transitory processor-readable medium of claim 7, wherein a size of the first prominence area or the second prominence area are adjusted based at least in part on another prominence area corresponding to another object within the defined target finder area.

### Claim 17 (depends on 7)

The non-transitory processor-readable medium of claim 7, wherein the instructions further cause the at least one processor to:
define a first prominence score for the first object and a second prominence score for the second object based on the object data corresponding to each object;
wherein automatic selection of the second object is further based on the first prominence score and the second prominence score.

### Claim 18 (depends on 7)

The non-transitory processor-readable medium of claim 7, wherein the target finder area is defined by a maximum target range and a user-defined field of view.

### Claim 19 (depends on 7)

The non-transitory processor-readable medium of claim 7, wherein the instructions further cause the at least one processor to:
reposition the target finder area within the user interface based on a received first instruction to simulate a move of the focus point to a different location within the user interface; and
provide for display a set of potential targets determined within the repositioned target finder area, wherein the second object remains selected during the simulated move.

### Claim 20 (depends on 19)

The non-transitory processor-readable medium of claim 19, wherein the instructions further cause the at least one processor to:
automatically select a target object from the set of potential targets in response to a second instruction to perform the simulated move of the focus point.