When (if?) Apple releases its rumored “Apple Glasses” — a head-mounted, augmented reality/virtual reality head-mounted display (HMD) — it wants you to think it’s cool. Lterally.
The tech giant has filed for a patent (number 10,492,346) for “thermal regulation for a head-mounted display). In the patent filing, Apple notes that head-mounted displays incorporate electronic components such as processors, and these components generate heat. However, Apple doesn’t want any HMD device it makes to be unpleasantly warm when worn.
Here’s the summary of the invention: “A head-mounted display to be worn by a user includes a housing, a component chamber defined in the housing, and electronic components that generate heat. The electronic components are located in the component chamber of the housing. The head-mounted display also includes a first fan for causing air to flow through the component chamber.”
Of course, Apple files for — and is granted — lots of patents by the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office. Many are for inventions that never see the light of day. However, you never can tell which ones will materialize in a real product.
