The rumored “Apple Glasses” (as opposed to the Apple Vision Pro) may have automatically adjustable lenses. Apple has been granted a patent for a “System for Calibrating Adjustable Lenses.”
About Apple Glasses
Apple is supposedly working on smartglasses that would have a design more akin to regular eyeglasses than the Vision Pro. However, don’t look for them to arrive for at least a couple of years.
As for “Apple Glasses” and follow-ups to the Apple Vision Pro, the rumors are all over the place. Apple plans to release an updated Vision Pro headset with a M5 chip in 2025, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said in an “X” post. The current Vision Pro is equipped with the M2 chip, which debuted in 2022. Kuo thinks a less expensive spatial computer has been delayed to 2027 or beyond.
However, in an October 13, 2024 “Power On” newsletter, Gurman said Apple may release a new Vision Pro in 2025 for about US$2,000, compared to the current model’s starting price of US$3,499.
He said that Apple will lower the price by using a less powerful processor and more plastic, less aluminum and glass. Gurman adds that the next version of the spatial computer will also drop the EyeSight feature. EyeSight reveals your eyes on the front of your Apple Vision Pro, and lets those nearby know when you’re using apps or fully immersed in an experience.
About the patent
In the newly granted patent, Apple notes that eyeglasses may be worn by a user and may include one or more adjustable lenses each aligned with a respective one of a user’s eyes. For example, a first adjustable lens may align with the user’s left eye and a second adjustable lens may align with the user’s right eye.
Each of the first and second adjustable lenses may include one or more liquid crystal cells (or other voltage-modulated optical material), one or more Alvarez lenses, one or more fluid-filled lenses, or other suitable adjustable lens. In a liquid crystal adjustable lens, each liquid crystal cell may include a layer of liquid crystal material interposed between transparent substrates. Control circuitry may adjust the optical power of the lens by applying control signals to an array of electrodes in the liquid crystal cell to adjust a phase profile of the liquid crystal material.
What’s more, eyeglasses may be calibrated using an external electronic device with a depth sensor. During fixation distance calibration operations, a user wearing the eyeglasses may view the electronic device while the electronic device provides instructions for the user to hold the electronic device at different distances from the user.
At each distance, a depth sensor in the electronic device may determine the distance to the eyeglasses and a camera in the eyeglasses may be used to determine a distance between the user’s pupils. The display may display a visual guide with a characteristic that changes as the distance between the eyeglasses and the electronic device changes to help guide the user to different distances as calibration data is gathered.
Per Apple’s patent, the calibration measurements may be used to generate calibration data that maps different pupil locations to different fixation distances. Control circuitry may process the calibration measurements to generate calibration data that maps different pupil locations to different fixation distances. The calibration data may be stored in the eyeglasses so that control circuitry in the eyeglasses can determine a user’s fixation distance without requiring an outward facing depth sensor in the eyeglasses.
Summary of the patent
Here’s Apple’s abstract of the patent: “A system for gathering fixation distance calibration data may include eyeglasses with adjustable lenses and an electronic device with a depth sensor. During fixation distance calibration operations, a user wearing the eyeglasses may view the electronic device while the electronic device provides instructions for the user to hold the electronic device at different distances from the user.
“At each distance, a depth sensor in the electronic device may determine the distance to the eyeglasses and a camera in the eyeglasses may be used to determine a distance between the user’s pupils. The calibration measurements may be used to generate calibration data that maps different pupil locations to different fixation distances. The calibration data may be stored in the eyeglasses so that control circuitry in the eyeglasses can determine a user’s fixation distance and adjust lens power accordingly without requiring an outward facing depth sensor in the eyeglasses.”
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