Apple has applied for two more patents involving the rumored “Apple Glasses,” a head-mounted display for augmented reality/virtual reality/mixed reality applications.
The first (number 20200278539) is for a “method and device for eye tracking using event camera data.” It would determine the direction a user of the head-mounted device is looking.
The eye tracking system could includes a camera that transmits images of the eyes of the user to a processor that performs eye tracking. Transmission of the images at a sufficient frame rate to enable eye tracking would require a communication link with substantial bandwidth and using such a communication link increases heat generation and power consumption by the head-mounted device.
Patent filing number 20200279121 is for a “method and system for determining at least one property related to at least part of a real environment.” It involves capturing image information in the real world and successfully integrating it into augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), and/or mixed reality “MR) environments.
When it comes to Apple Glasses, such a device will arrive next year or 2022, depending on which rumor you believe. It will be a head-mounted display. Or may have a design like “normal” glasses. Or it may be available in both. The Apple Glasses may or may not have to be tethered to an iPhone to work. Other rumors say that Apple Glasses could have a custom-build Apple chip and a dedicated operating system dubbed “rOS” for “reality operating system.”
