US 11004271

Here is a concise summary of US patent 11004271:

US Patent 11004271 Summary

• Title: Augmenting real-time views of a patient with three-dimensional data
• Assignee: Novarad Corp
• Inventors: Steven Cvetko, Wendell Arlen Gibby
• Filing Date: 2019-09-18
• Issue Date: 2021-05-11
• Abstract: "Augmenting real-time views of a patient with three-dimensional (3D) data. In one embodiment, a method may include identifying 3D data for a patient with the 3D data including an outer layer and multiple inner layers, determining virtual morphometric measurements of the outer layer from the 3D data, registering a real-time position of the outer layer of the patient in a 3D space, determining real-time morphometric measurements of the outer layer of the patient, automatically registering the position of the outer layer from the 3D data to align with the registered real-time position of the outer layer of the patient in the 3D space using the virtual morphometric measurements and using the real-time morphometric measurements, and displaying, in an augmented reality (AR) headset, one of the inner layers from the 3D data projected onto real-time views of the outer layer of the patient."

Plain-Language Overview of Independent Claims (derived from the patent's "SUMMARY" section):

1. Method for Automatic 3D Data Alignment and Display: This claim describes a method where an augmented reality (AR) headset processes 3D medical data of a patient, which includes both the patient's outer surface and internal structures. The headset first calculates the size and shape (morphometric measurements) of the patient's outer layer from this stored 3D data. Concurrently, it tracks the actual patient's real-time position and real-time morphometric measurements of their outer layer in the physical environment. The system then automatically aligns the stored 3D data's outer layer with the real-time outer layer of the actual patient using these virtual and real-time measurements. Finally, the AR headset projects one of the patient's internal layers from the 3D data directly onto the live view of the patient's outer layer, allowing a user to see inside the patient.
2. Method for Context-Aware Virtual User Interface Display: This claim focuses on the management of a virtual user interface within an AR system. It involves identifying 3D patient data (with outer and inner layers) and displaying an inner layer of this data projected onto a real-time view of the patient through an AR headset. The AR headset generates a virtual user interface that provides options to change how the projected inner layer is displayed. A key feature is that this virtual user interface is shown when the user's focal orientation (where the headset is looking) is not directed at the patient. Conversely, the virtual user interface is automatically hidden when the headset's focal orientation is directed at the patient, ensuring the patient's view remains unobstructed.

Litigation Information:

• US Patent 11004271 is involved in litigation. A PTAB case, IPR2023-00042, has been filed and has reached a Final Written Decision.
• A US case, 24-1794, has been filed in the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit.
• The patent family also has its first worldwide family litigation filed.

Known litigation involving US patent 11004271 is as follows:

1. Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) Case

• Case Number: IPR2023-00042
• Jurisdiction: Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB)
• Plaintiff(s): Unified Patents
• Defendant(s): Novarad Corp (Patent Owner)
• Filing Date: The case number indicates a filing in 2023. A more precise filing date is not immediately available from the provided snippets, but "IPR2023-00042" confirms the year.
• Outcome/Current Status: Final Written Decision reached.

2. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (CAFC) Case

• Case Number: 24-1794
• Jurisdiction: Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (CAFC)
• Plaintiff(s): Not explicitly stated in the provided snippets, but typically involves the parties from the underlying PTAB case (Unified Patents and Novarad Corp) appealing the PTAB decision.
• Defendant(s): Not explicitly stated in the provided snippets.
• Filing Date: The case number "24-1794" indicates a filing in 2024.
• Outcome/Current Status: This case is active litigation.

3. First Worldwide Family Litigation

• Case Details: The Google Patents page indicates "First worldwide family litigation filed" with a link to Darts-ip. This suggests there is litigation within the patent family globally, but specific case details (plaintiff, defendant, jurisdiction, case number, filing date, status/outcome) are not directly provided in the accessible snippets.

Proceedings overview

One AIA trial proceeding is on file, currently active. The defendant should be aware that the validity of claims 1-20 of US11004271B2 is currently being challenged.

IPR2023-00042 — Unified Patents, LLC v. Novarad Corp

• Type: Inter Partes Review
• Filed: 2022-10-18 (according to the PTAB E2E docket, although Google Patents lists filing date as 2022-10-20)
• Status: Final Written Decision issued. Unified Patents stated that all challenged claims (1-20) were found unpatentable.
• Judge panel: Judge Georgianna J. Braden, Judge Brian P. motion, Judge Bryan F. T. Moore
• Petition grounds: Claims 1-20 were challenged under 35 U.S.C. § 103 as obvious over various combinations of prior art, including U.S. Patent No. 9,076,332 (Gibby), U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2014/0347347 (Maschke), U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2012/0200501 (Wildermuth), and U.S. Patent No. 8,638,321 (Pinhanez).
• Institution decision: Instituted on April 20, 2023, on all challenged claims (1-20). The Board found that the petition demonstrated a reasonable likelihood that the petitioner would prevail with respect to at least one claim.
• Final Written Decision (if issued): A Final Written Decision was issued on October 19, 2024. Unified Patents announced on October 21, 2024, that the PTAB found all challenged claims (1-20) unpatentable.
• Settlement / termination: Not applicable; Final Written Decision issued.
• Appeal: The patent owner, Novarad Corp, appealed the Final Written Decision to the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (CAFC Case No. 24-1794).
• Defensive value: If the PTAB's decision to invalidate claims 1-20 is upheld on appeal, then any infringement theory based on these claims would be significantly weakened, potentially rendering the patent largely unenforceable.

Strategic summary

All twenty claims (claims 1-20) of US11004271B2 were challenged in IPR2023-00042 and were subsequently found unpatentable by the PTAB in its Final Written Decision. This means that, currently, all claims that were explicitly tested are considered canceled, leaving no claims sustained or untested within the scope of this IPR proceeding. The patent's asserted scope, if limited to these claims, has been entirely nullified by the PTAB's decision.

Regarding estoppel, under 35 U.S.C. § 315(e)(2), Unified Patents, LLC, and its privies are estopped from asserting in other proceedings that claims 1-20 are invalid on any ground that Unified Patents raised or reasonably could have raised in IPR2023-00042. For other potential defendants, this IPR's grounds, which focused on obviousness under § 103 over specific prior art, would still be available to assert in their own challenges, provided they are not in privy with Unified Patents.

The fact that Unified Patents, a defensive aggregator, filed this IPR signals a concerted effort to invalidate patents that may be asserted broadly. The Patent Owner, Novarad Corp, has actively pursued an appeal to the Federal Circuit, indicating their commitment to defending the patent's validity.

Recommended next steps

The Final Written Decision in IPR2023-00042 found all challenged claims (1-20) of US11004271B2 unpatentable. This decision significantly impacts the patent's enforceability. The full text of the Final Written Decision can be found on the PTAB E2E system by searching for IPR2023-00042.

As of the current date, the PTAB's decision is under appeal at the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (CAFC Case No. 24-1794). A defendant facing assertion of this patent should closely monitor the appeal proceedings, as the outcome will definitively determine the validity of claims 1-20. If the PTAB's decision is affirmed, claims 1-20 will be legally canceled.

• PTAB Docket for IPR2023-00042: https://ptab.uspto.gov/#/search/docket/inter-partes-review/IPR2023-00042
• Federal Circuit Docket for 24-1794: https://portal.unifiedpatents.com/litigation/Court%20of%20Appeals%20for%20the%20Federal%20Circuit/case/24-1794

Inventors

• Steven Cvetko (Novarad Corp)
• Wendell Arlen Gibby (Novarad Corp)

Original assignee

Novarad Corp. Novarad Corp is a company that develops and sells medical imaging software and hardware solutions, including PACS (Picture Archiving and Communication System) and RIS (Radiology Information System) solutions. It is an operating company.

Assignment timeline

• 2019-09-18 (executed) / recorded 2019-09-18 — Reel 005291/0950
  • Conveyance: Assignment
  • Assignor: Steven Cvetko, Wendell Arlen Gibby
  • Assignee: Novarad Corporation
  • Correspondent: Jeffrey B. Sneddon, Novarad Corporation, 10025 S. Jordan Gateway, Ste 500, Salt Lake City, Utah, 84095. This correspondent appears multiple times in this chain.
  • Context: Internal transfer from inventors to their employer.

Timeline diagram

timeline
    title Ownership of US 11004271
    2017 : Priority date
    2019 : Filed by Novarad Corp
    2019 : Inventors assign to Novarad Corp
    2021 : Issued

NPE / troll-pattern signals

1. Shell-entity transfer — not present. The sole assignment is from the inventors to Novarad Corporation, an operating company.
2. Known asserter in the chain — not present. Novarad Corporation is not listed as a known NPE.
3. Repeat correspondent across the chain — present. Jeffrey B. Sneddon of Novarad Corporation is listed as the correspondent for the assignment from the inventors to Novarad Corporation (Reel 005291/0950). While this is an internal transfer, it indicates consistent legal representation for Novarad's patent activities.
4. Cascading transfers — not present. Only one assignment is recorded.
5. Pre-litigation transfer — unclear. There is a PTAB case (IPR2023-00042) and a US case filed in the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (24-1794) involving this patent. However, the assignment (2019-09-18) predates the earliest publicly visible litigation event (2023-01-09, IPR filing).
6. Bankruptcy fire-sale — not present. There is no indication that Novarad Corporation has filed for bankruptcy.
7. Privateering — not present. The patent remains with the original operating company, Novarad Corporation.
8. Defensive aggregator (anti-NPE) — not present. The patent is owned by Novarad Corporation, not a defensive aggregator.

Verdict

Operating-company assertion
The only recorded assignment for US11004271 is from the inventors to Novarad Corporation on 2019-09-18 (Reel 005291/0950). Novarad Corporation is an operating company in the medical imaging field and has been identified as the current assignee. The existence of PTAB and Federal Circuit litigation indicates active assertion by the operating company, presumably against competitors.

USPTO Assignment Center search: https://assignmentcenter.uspto.gov/ (Search for patent number 11004271)

Here is an analysis of the most relevant patent prior art for US Patent 11004271, "Augmenting real-time views of a patient with three-dimensional data," based on its cited references. The patent US11004271B2 has a priority date of March 30, 2017. Prior art must generally be publicly available before this date to anticipate claims under 35 U.S.C. § 102.

1. US9892564B2

• Full Citation: US9,892,564 B2, "Augmenting real-time views of a patient with three-dimensional data", Inventors: Steven Cvetko, Wendell Arlen Gibby, Assignee: Novarad Corp.
• Publication/Filing Date: Granted: February 13, 2018; Filed: March 30, 2017.
• Brief Description: This patent describes a method for augmenting real-time views of a patient with 3D data. The method includes identifying 3D data (with outer and inner layers), determining virtual morphometric measurements of the outer layer, registering a real-time position of the patient's outer layer in a 3D space, determining real-time morphometric measurements, and automatically registering the 3D data to align with the real-time position using these measurements. The inner layers from the 3D data are then displayed projected onto real-time views via an AR headset. A key aspect is achieving automatic alignment without manual fiducials.
• Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): US9892564B2 is explicitly identified in US11004271B2 as a direct parent application (via a continuation chain), sharing the same priority date of March 30, 2017. Therefore, if there is a proper and continuous chain of priority, and the claims in US11004271B2 are fully supported by the disclosure of US9892564B2, then US9892564B2 would not serve as anticipatory prior art under 35 U.S.C. § 102 for claims relying on that priority date. However, if any claims in US11004271B2 introduce new subject matter not fully disclosed or enabled in US9892564B2, and thus effectively rely on a later filing date, then US9892564B2 could potentially anticipate such claims. Specifically, the core method of automatically registering 3D data to real-time views for AR display (Claims 1, and potentially dependent claims 2-6 related to morphometric measurements and registration) is fully disclosed in US9892564B2.

2. US9420950B2

• Full Citation: US9,420,950 B2, "Augmenting real-time views of a patient with three-dimensional data", Inventors: Steven Cvetko, Wendell Arlen Gibby, Assignee: Novarad Corp.
• Publication/Filing Date: Granted: August 23, 2016; Filed: September 28, 2015.
• Brief Description: This patent shares the identical title, inventors, and assignee as US11004271B2. It describes a method for augmenting real-time views of a patient with 3D data by identifying the 3D data (outer and inner layers), registering a real-time position of the patient's outer layer, and then displaying inner layers from the 3D data projected onto real-time views. It highlights the use of virtual and real-time morphometric measurements for automatic registration, often without the need for fiducials.
• Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): US9420950B2 was granted and filed before the priority date of US11004271B2 (March 30, 2017). Given its identical title, inventors, and assignee, this patent is highly relevant prior art. It explicitly discloses the core elements of Claim 1 of US11004271B2, including: identifying 3D data for a patient with outer and inner layers, determining virtual and real-time morphometric measurements of the outer layer, registering real-time position, and automatically registering the 3D data to align with the real-time position, and displaying inner layers in an AR headset. Therefore, US9420950B2 potentially anticipates Claims 1-6 (the fundamental method of automatic registration and AR display) and likely many other dependent claims if those features were also disclosed (e.g., aspects related to the confidence score, virtual spatial difference box, general user interface functionality, and color gradients).

3. US9348911B2

• Full Citation: US9,348,911 B2, "Augmented reality system for medical imaging", Inventors: Steven Cvetko, Wendell Arlen Gibby, Assignee: Novarad Corp.
• Publication/Filing Date: Granted: May 24, 2016; Filed: February 18, 2014.
• Brief Description: This patent, also from the same inventors and assignee, describes an augmented reality system specifically for medical imaging. It focuses on registering 3D medical data (e.g., from CT or MRI) to a patient's anatomy to overlay internal structures onto a live view using a head-mounted display. The system employs automatic registration and provides a user interface for manipulating the displayed images, controlling slices, and visualizing surgical instruments relative to the internal anatomy.
• Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): US9348911B2 was granted and filed significantly before the priority date of US11004271B2 (March 30, 2017), making it highly relevant prior art. It generally discloses:
  • The core concept of augmenting real-time views of a patient with 3D data using an AR system (Claims 1, 22-24).
  • Automatic registration of 3D medical data to the patient's anatomy.
  • Features related to tracking and displaying surgical instruments within the augmented view (Claims 9-11).
  • User interface elements for interacting with and manipulating the displayed images, including displaying slices (Claims 14-20).
  • The concept of providing a frame of reference (similar to a virtual spatial difference box) for 3D data manipulation (Claims 12-13).
  • This patent potentially anticipates Claims 1, 9-20, and 22-24, encompassing the overall system, core method, instrument tracking, and user interface elements.

4. US20180232230A1

• Full Citation: US20180232230 A1, "Methods and systems for medical image visualization and interaction in augmented reality environments", Inventors: Peter H. Kontogiannis, Richard J. Mark, Assignee: Surgical Planning Associates, Inc.
• Publication/Filing Date: Published: August 16, 2018; Filed: February 13, 2018.
• Brief Description: This patent application describes an AR system for medical image visualization that superimposes 3D medical images (e.g., from CT/MRI scans) onto a real-world patient's body in real-time. It achieves registration using fiducial markers (both anatomical and non-anatomical) and various tracking devices. The system allows for interactive control of the virtual images, including slicing, transparency adjustments, and the display of virtual surgical tools in relation to the internal anatomy.
• Potential Anticipation (35 U.S.C. § 102): This application was published after the priority date of US11004271B2 (March 30, 2017) and also has a filing date after this priority date. Therefore, it is generally not considered anticipatory prior art to US11004271B2's claims based on its publication or filing date. Its relevance as prior art would depend on whether it claims an earlier priority date (that predates March 30, 2017) for the specific subject matter it discloses, which is not immediately apparent from its publication date. However, if an earlier priority date were established for its core disclosures, it could potentially anticipate claims related to:
  • The general concept of displaying inner layers from 3D data projected onto real-time views in an AR headset (Claims 1, 22-24).
  • Tracking surgical instruments and displaying their virtual representations within the patient's internal anatomy (Claims 9-11).
  • User interaction with virtual controls to manipulate the displayed images (Claims 14-20).

Obviousness Analysis of US Patent 11004271 Under 35 U.S.C. § 103

This analysis assesses the obviousness of US patent 11004271 based solely on the prior art explicitly described within the patent document itself. The patent's "BACKGROUND" section outlines two primary areas of prior art and their associated problems: Conventional Medical Imaging Systems (CMIS) and General Augmented Reality Systems (GARS).

I. Prior Art References (as described in US11004271)

1. Conventional Medical Imaging Systems (CMIS): These systems generate three-dimensional (3D) data of a patient (e.g., internal structures like bones, organs) and display this data as images on a computer monitor. While useful for various medical purposes, a significant problem is the "detached viewing" experience. This detachment from the actual patient can lead to difficulties and errors in identifying precise locations for procedures, such as a surgeon misidentifying a tumor's location or a doctor using imaging data from the wrong patient.

2. General Augmented Reality Systems (GARS): These systems augment a user's real-time view of a physical environment with computer-generated virtual elements. However, GARS face two common problems:

   • Alignment Problem: Accurately aligning virtual elements with the real-world view is often "done manually or is done automatically only after manual placement of non-anatomical fiducials." This process is described as "time consuming, cumbersome, and inaccurate."
   • Virtual Control Placement Problem: Virtual user interfaces and controls, though intended to be helpful, are "often placed in positions in the live view that render them more of a hindrance than a help to the user."

II. Person Having Ordinary Skill in the Art (POSITA)

A POSITA in this field would be an individual with practical experience and knowledge in medical imaging, computer vision, computer graphics, and augmented reality, particularly concerning their applications in healthcare, diagnostics, and surgical procedures. This person would understand the functionalities and limitations of both CMIS and GARS.

III. Motivation to Combine Prior Art References

The patent itself clearly articulates the deficiencies in the existing technologies, providing strong motivations for a POSITA to combine CMIS and GARS:

1. Overcoming "Detached Viewing" in CMIS: The patent highlights the "difficult and error-prone" nature of traditional CMIS, where medical professionals must mentally transfer information from a screen to the patient. A POSITA would be motivated to find a solution that integrates the internal 3D medical data directly onto the real patient. GARS, with its ability to overlay virtual elements onto a live view, offers a natural and obvious way to directly project internal anatomy onto the patient's body, thereby addressing the core problem of "detached viewing" and improving accuracy in medical procedures.

2. Improving Alignment Accuracy in AR for Medical Use: The patent explicitly states that accurate alignment in GARS is "time consuming, cumbersome, and inaccurate" due to reliance on manual methods or non-anatomical fiducials. In a medical context, such as surgery, imprecise alignment of internal anatomy could lead to severe errors. A POSITA would be highly motivated to develop an automatic and precise registration method for AR systems in medical applications, thereby enhancing safety and efficacy.

3. Enhancing User Interface Usability in Medical AR: The patent notes that poorly placed virtual controls in GARS can be a "hindrance" to the user. In a critical medical setting, an obstructed view caused by a virtual interface is unacceptable. A POSITA would therefore be motivated to design AR user interfaces that are intuitive, non-obtrusive, and context-aware, allowing medical professionals to focus on the patient without distraction.

IV. Obviousness Analysis of Representative Claims

We will analyze independent claims 1 and 15. Independent system claims 19 and 20, which essentially describe a computer system configured to perform the methods of claims 1 and 15 respectively, would be obvious for the same reasons as their corresponding method claims.

A. Analysis of Claim 1 (Augmenting patient views with aligned 3D data)

Claim 1: A method for augmenting real-time views of a patient with three-dimensional (3D) data, comprising:
(a) identifying 3D data for a patient, the 3D data including an outer layer of the patient and multiple inner layers of the patient;
(b) determining virtual morphometric measurements of the outer layer of the patient from the 3D data;
(c) registering a real-time position of the outer layer of the patient in a 3D space;
(d) determining real-time morphometric measurements of the outer layer of the patient;
(e) automatically registering the position of the outer layer of the patient from the 3D data to align with the registered real-time position of the outer layer of the patient in the 3D space using the virtual morphometric measurements and using the real-time morphometric measurements; and
(f) displaying, in an augmented reality headset, one of the inner layers of the patient from the 3D data projected onto real-time views of the outer layer of the patient.

• Elements (a) and (b) (Identifying 3D data and determining virtual morphometric measurements): These steps are explicitly part of, or obvious extensions of, CMIS. CMIS involves creating 3D data of a patient's internal and external anatomy. The extraction of "virtual morphometric measurements" (i.e., size and shape data) from pre-acquired 3D medical scans is a routine analytical task in medical image processing.

• Elements (c) and (d) (Registering real-time position and determining real-time morphometric measurements): These elements are inherent capabilities of GARS. To augment a real-time view, GARS must sense and track the real-world environment and objects within it in 3D. Modern AR headsets employ various sensors (e.g., cameras, depth sensors, IR sensors) to "register a real-time position" and derive "real-time morphometric measurements" (e.g., a point cloud) of a physical object like a patient's outer layer.

• Element (e) (Automatically registering using morphometric measurements): The patent highlights the "time consuming, cumbersome, and inaccurate" nature of alignment in GARS, particularly manual or fiducial-based methods. A POSITA, motivated to overcome this known problem, would find it obvious to use the readily available "virtual morphometric measurements" (from CMIS) and "real-time morphometric measurements" (from GARS) to perform automatic 3D registration. Techniques like point set registration (e.g., Iterative Closest Point algorithm), known in the field of computer vision and graphics for aligning 3D models, would be a straightforward application to align the 3D patient data with the real patient's surface. This directly addresses the identified problem of cumbersome alignment.

• Element (f) (Displaying inner layers in AR headset): This step is the natural and expected outcome of combining CMIS and GARS with accurate alignment. Once the 3D internal anatomy data (from CMIS) is automatically registered to the actual patient's real-time position, displaying this data projected onto the real-time view through an augmented reality headset (the defining output of GARS) directly solves the "detached viewing" problem of CMIS.

Conclusion for Claim 1: Claim 1 is rendered obvious by a combination of Conventional Medical Imaging Systems and General Augmented Reality Systems. A POSITA, motivated to solve the "detached viewing" problem in medical imaging and the "inaccurate alignment" problem in AR, would have been motivated to combine these systems. The combination would yield the predictable result of overlaying 3D internal medical data onto a real-time view of a patient, with the automatic registration using morphometric measurements being an obvious application of known 3D registration techniques to solve a known AR problem using available data.

B. Analysis of Claim 15 (Augmenting patient views with a context-aware virtual user interface)

Claim 15: A method for augmenting real-time views of a patient with 3D data, comprising:
(a) identifying 3D data for a patient, the 3D data including an outer layer of the patient and multiple inner layers of the patient;
(b) displaying, in an augmented reality headset, one of the inner layers of the patient from the 3D data projected onto real-time views of the outer layer of the patient;
(c) generating, in the augmented reality headset, a virtual user interface that includes options for altering the display of the projected inner layer of the patient from the 3D data;
(d) displaying, in the augmented reality headset, the virtual user interface projected onto real-time views due to a focal orientation of the augmented reality headset not being focused on the patient; and
(e) hiding, in the augmented reality headset, the virtual user interface due to the focal orientation of the augmented reality headset being focused on the patient.

• Elements (a) and (b) (Identifying 3D data and displaying inner layers in AR headset): As established in the analysis of Claim 1, these steps are obvious in light of combining CMIS (for 3D data) and GARS (for AR headset display) to address the "detached viewing" problem.

• Element (c) (Generating a virtual user interface for altering display): In any interactive system, including GARS which displays virtual elements, providing controls to manipulate those elements is fundamental. Given that the projected inner layer is a virtual element with alterable properties (e.g., transparency, slice type, position), it would be obvious for a POSITA to generate a virtual user interface within the AR headset to provide these control options, following standard UI/UX design principles for interactive displays.

• Elements (d) and (e) (Dynamically displaying/hiding UI based on focal orientation): The patent directly identifies the "Virtual Control Placement Problem" in GARS, where controls can be a "hindrance." A POSITA, recognizing the critical need for an unobstructed view in a medical application, would be motivated to make the virtual user interface less intrusive. Dynamically displaying the UI when the user's "focal orientation" (i.e., head or gaze direction, a standard input in AR headsets) is not focused on the patient, and hiding it when the user is focused on the patient, is an obvious application of known AR/VR user experience design patterns. This approach ensures that the medical professional has an unimpeded view of the patient when performing critical tasks, directly mitigating the identified "hindrance" problem.

Conclusion for Claim 15: Claim 15 is rendered obvious by a combination of Conventional Medical Imaging Systems and General Augmented Reality Systems. A POSITA, motivated to solve the "detached viewing" problem in medical imaging and the "virtual control placement" problem in AR, would have been motivated to combine these systems. Implementing a virtual user interface with dynamic display and hiding based on the user's focal orientation is an obvious application of known AR UI/UX principles to enhance usability and reduce visual obstruction, directly addressing a stated problem in the prior art.