Apple continues to prepare for the release of its mixed reality headset (Apple Vision Pro). patent tree apple I just noticed that the company has applied for a patent to make it easier to remove unwanted graffiti within the metaverse.

again: Apple Releases VisionOS SDK; Developers Can Apply for Vision Pro Hardware Kit

In its patent application, Apple proposes a scenario in which avatars enter someone else’s digital home and effectively destroy it with spray paint. To mitigate this crime, victims of vandalism can virtually erase their graffiti.

Apple has a history of patenting virtual reality users to feel protected from vicious avatars in the Metaverse. In 2021 Apple filed a patent Protect users from intruders and digital bullying.

The new patent will allow users to erase intruders from their virtual homes. The patent states that “when one or more of the avatar’s social interaction standards are violated, the avatar and/or the content associated with the avatar’s behavior becomes partially invisible or completely invisible along the attenuation spectrum. or something in between.”

If a user has carefully decorated their digital home, it can be very offensive for a stranger to enter and destroy that space. And Apple agrees.

again: Apple limits Vision Pro’s safety margin for VR, which is smaller than Meta Quests’ safety margin

Patents like those filed by Apple may seem boring, but these provisions are important to keep more mature users engaged in the digital world. Cheating can happen to anyone of any age, but harassment and bullying in the metaverse are especially common among children. Horizon Worlds, Meta’s flagship VR app, full of underage users.

Adults are also likely to subject their fellow avatars in the metaverse to uncomfortable situations, and the VR experience should feel incredibly real. Tech companies may find it difficult to engage and keep users engaged if users have a hard time distinguishing between virtual and real harassment.