Tag: apple patents

Apple Granted Patent That Envisions Creative Use of External Display on Apple Vision Pro

Apple was recently granted a patent that envisions the use of the external display of a wearable headset — like the Apple Vision Pro — that gives people who are nearby an idea of what is being viewed by the wearer. While announcing the headset last year, Apple revealed that the upcoming device would show the wearer’s eyes, while also showing an indicator while watching immersive (virtual reality, or VR) content. The company’s first wearable spatial computer is expected to go on sale in the US in early 2024.

Spotted by Patently Apple, US 11,861,255 BL patent was granted to Apple on Wednesday, nearly five and a half years after it was filed with the US Patent Office. Titled “Wearable Device for Facilitating Enhanced Interaction” the patent names Jonahan ‘Jony’ Ive as one of the inventors. The document also contains several examples of the company’s ideas regarding the use of the external display to show people in the vicinity what you’re watching on the Apple Vision Pro.

 

For example, figure 9B in the document shows a graph on the outer display that could be used to indicate the wearer is accessing the Stocks app in immersive mode, while another figure, 9D, shows the weather on the external screen. Figures 9F and 10B also show indicators that the wearer might not want to be disturbed.

It’s worth noting that while Apple has detailed the use of several designs for the external display of the Apple Vision Pro, it remains to be seen how many of these the firm will include with the wearable headset, It is possible that some of the designs shown off in the document will arrive with the first-generation headset, while others could make their way to the second generation Apple Vision Pro, which is reportedly in development.

Last year, Apple said it would launch the Vision Pro in the US in early 2024. While the company is yet to share a timeline for the debut of the Vision Pro, Bloomberg reports that the company has ramped up production in China and the headset could arrive in the US by February 2024.

Meanwhile, TF Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo predicts that the Vision Pro will hit shelves in the US by the end of January or early February. A report in Chinese investor news platform Wall Street Insights claims that the that the Vision Pro headset will be launched in the US on February 27 (February 26, in the US). We can expect to see more details about the Apple Vision Pro in the coming weeks, before it is launched in the US.

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Apple Granted Second Face ID Patent Hinting at Potential Arrival on Future MacBook and Mac Computers

Apple has been granted a patent that will enable the firm to offer an alternate form biometric authentication on its MacBook and Mac computers. The Cupertino company currently supports unlocking Mac computers via Touch ID, on select models. It introduced Face ID on the iPhone X in 2017 that uses an array of sensors to securely authenticate a user with facial recognition. While Apple is yet to indicate that it plans to add Face ID to future MacBook models, the company’s recent laptops are equipped with a display notch that looks similar to the one that is present on the company’s smartphones since 2017.

Spotted by Patently Apple, the company’s latest patent related to facial recognition on computers was granted on August 15, nearly four years after it was filed in September 2019. The 34-page US patent 11727718-B2 credits Paul Wang, Keith Hendren, Adam Garelli, Antonio Clarke, Joshua Daigle, and Dinesh Mathew as the inventors of the technology. 

Photo Credit: Apple/ US Patent Office

 

The patent document contains various diagrams of a hardware module that is capable of light pattern recognition. This hardware module — shown with a range of sensors in figure 4D — is shown to be located at the top of the display on a computer that looks like a MacBook in figure 1A and a desktop Mac computer in figure 10.

The module shown in figure 4D appears to be similar to the Face ID sensor array on recent iPhone models that offer advanced depth mapping for secure facial recognition. According to the patent module, the bracket assembly that houses the module comprises a camera, a flood illuminator, a second camera, an ambient sensor indicator, a camera indicator, and a light dot projector. 

It is worth noting that while Apple recently introduced a notch on its MacBook models, the firm is yet to announce any plans to bring Face ID support to future MacBook and Mac models. The hardware required to support a feature like Face ID could require more space than the thin lid of the MacBook — the thickness of an iPhone is an indicator of how much space such a system could take up on a laptop — especially on models like the MacBook Air.

The patent document suggests that Apple has also considered the possibility of including the facial recognition array at another location. instead of the display notch shown in the previous diagrams.

Photo Credit: Apple/ US Patent Office

 

An alternative diagram shows a MacBook equipped with a different system that might not require a display notch. Figure 8A shows a module that can emit infrared light (IR) to identify the user. This section could be concealed on the device under a panel, and figure 7 shows where the module might be located on a MacBook.

Apple is also known for keeping features secret until they are officially unveiled at launch events, which means that we’re unlikely to get confirmation — aside for leaks and rumours — about this feature and whether it will eventually make its way to Apple’s computers in the future.

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Apple Patent Application Hints at AirPods Sensors That Allow Measurement of Brain Electrical Activity

AirPods — Apple’s truly wireless stereo (TWS) earphones — could double as a health monitoring tool in the future, according to a patent application recently published by the US Patent Office (USPTO). The Cupertino company appears to have invented an AirPods sensor mechanism that would allow the earphones to monitor electrical impulses from the wearer’s brain. The patent describes a system that can monitor brain activity that is typically monitored with the use of electrodes on a patient’s head but the use of AirPods could provide a more discreet way to monitor brain activity.

A patent recently published on the USPTO website describes a wearable electronic device like Apple’s AirPods that is equipped with electrodes, similar to traditional devices used to monitor biosignals such as brain activity, including electroencephalography, electrooculography, galvanic skin response, blood volume pulse, and electromyography. This could allow an AirPods wearer to monitor their brain activity even when they are travelling, without the need for a machine.

Unlike the traditional EEG monitors that are attached to a user’s scalp, the AirPods are likely to move once they are inserted in a user’s ear. In order to account for the fact that ear shape and size can vary, the patent describes a system that integrates active and reference electrodes on the external body of the AirPods’ body, along with several additional electrodes located at different positions on the eartip.

Apple’s patent abstract states the “wearable electronic device includes a sensor circuit and a switching circuit. The switching circuit is operable to electrically connect a number of different subsets of one or more electrodes in the set of electrodes to the sensor circuit.” While the description might sound a little convoluted, the company has included a diagram (figure 2) of the purported device that shows the position of the electrodes on the wireless earphones.

Diagrams from Apple’s patent application show how the technology would work
Photo Credit: Apple (via USPTO)

 

These AirPods’ eartips will be replaceable, according to Apple’s patent application, which also described a mechanism (figure 5) that allows a user to tap a section of the earphone’s body to start measurement of biosignals.

Meanwhile, another diagram (figure 10) shows the location of both the electrodes on the eartip and the touch sensitive area from a different angle, while suggesting that the functionality could also be supported on wired earphones such as EarPods or a pair of glasses — the reference and active electrodes would be placed on the first and second stem of the glasses, according to the document. 

It is currently unclear whether Apple plans to bring the ability to measure biosignals to its popular AirPods and other wearable devices, while a recent report suggests that the company is exploring ways to add new health features such as temperature monitoring to its earphones. Apple is also working on ways to enhance its existing health monitoring products and is reportedly working on adding non-invasive blood sugar monitoring to the Apple Watch, which is expected to make its way to a future version of the wearable device.

Samsung launched the Galaxy Z Fold 5 and Galaxy Z Flip 5 alongside the Galaxy Tab S9 series and Galaxy Watch 6 series at its first Galaxy Unpacked event in South Korea. We discuss the company’s new devices and more on the latest episode of Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast. Orbital is available on Spotify, Gaana, JioSaavn, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.
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Apple Files Patent for Full Side-to-Side Glass Haptic Trackpad for Future MacBooks

Apple has filed a patent application with the United States Patent and Trademark Office for a future MacBook prototype with an all-glass trackpad. The patent covers a side-to-side trackpad with a force input/haptic output interface in the trackpad area made from various opaque or transparent materials such as metal, glass, organic or synthetic materials, etc. The user interface area of the trackpad can be a protective cover made of transparent glass, sapphire, or plastic, that rests over the device’s active display area.

As spotted by Patently Apple, Apple has filed for a patent for a force input/haptic output interface for future MacBook devices. This patent suggests a design change for future devices that will reduce the thickness of the MacBooks. Currently, there is a designated cutout area for a traditional trackpad. The force input/haptic output interface for trackpads will do away with this slot.

As seen in the patent, the design will feature a side-to-side, full-coverage trackpad area with no borders. The patent adds that the opaque or transparent trackpad area will be covered by any protective transparent materials like glass, sapphire, plastic, etc.

A figure present in the patent shows localized flexible regions on the force input/haptic output trackpad interface, which will also include a haptic actuator that will assist in the thickness reduction of the device.

Apple recently also secured the patent for a multi-layered flip phone for future iPhone and iPad models. The patent covers a layer structure for curved, flexible, and foldable displays. A cover layer is supposed to protect the flexible display. This layer is composed of transparent support material and a hard coat layer.

Apple launched the iPad Pro (2022) and the iPad (2022) alongside the new Apple TV this week. We discuss the company’s latest products, along with our review of the iPhone 14 Pro on Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast. Orbital is available on Spotify, Gaana, JioSaavn, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.
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Apple Patent Reimagines MacBook With Apple Pencil Replacing Function Row

Apple has reportedly applied for a revamped patent that would support an Apple Pencil mounted above the MacBook keyboard. The claims include the ability to magnetically retain or secure the Pencil when it is placed the storage area and use the pencil as function keys while housed in the chassis. The patent, which the company first applied for last year, imagines the Pencil as a replacement for the function keys row. There’s no word from Apple on plans to incorporate the technology in upcoming MacBook models.

According to a report by Patently Apple, the Cupertino giant has added 20 new patent claims to the invention, as part of continuation patent number 20220171474. The patent explains that the input tool could be stored in a recess of the keyboard housing or the chassis, and that the application is a continuation of Apple’s 2020 patent application for a “Mountable tool computer input”.

Apple’s patent application suggests the compant could use the Pencil as an input tool when it is housed in the chassis
Photo Credit: Patently Apple

 

With the newly filed patent continuation application, Apple has illustrated a system where the Apple Pencil can be stowed away in a retainer, or along the chassis of the MacBook. While the company’s latest 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models got rid of the Touch Bar in favour of function keys, the application says that the retainer can support a high-end lighting system, to allow the Pencil to replace the function-key row on the MacBook.

In its patent application, the Cupertino company has envisioned an input tool whose rotation can be measured and tracked as user input. For example, rolling the input tool (like an Apple Pencil) could perform actions like scrolling, zooming or adjusting size. This is shown in the third figure in Apple’s application. Meanwhile, figure 11 suggests the Apple Pencil could be illuminated when placed in the recess to show function keys, system function controls, application settings, and more.

While Apple releases tablets with touchscreen and Apple Pencil support, there’s no word on whether the Cupertino company will actually add touchscreen or Apple Pencil support on the MacBook. As is the case with many patents filed by companies like Google and Apple, there is no guarantee that the stylus-centric design for input on will make its way to Apple’s MacBook models in the future.

This week on Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast, we discuss iPhone 13, new iPad and iPad mini, and Apple Watch Series 7 — and what they mean to the Indian market. Orbital is available on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.

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