Apple has been granted a patent (number) for an “adjustment mechanism for head-mounted display (HMD). It involves the rumored Apple Glasses.
About the patent
HMDs are electronic devices that display graphics to a user wearing the device. For example, users may be participating in activities related to computer-generated, augmented, virtual, and/or mixed realities. The HMD may be worn by users having differing head sizes and facial features, so the ability to adjust a fit of the head-mounted display for a particular user having specific features is a high priority. Existing HMDs can be adjusted for circumferential fit using features such headbands made from elastic materials and temple-located adjustment mechanisms that change a length of a non-elastic headband between a variety of predetermined lengths. However, Apple says that these adjustment options don’t address differences in facial features, such as different inter-pupillary distances (IPD) among users. The tech giant wants its HMD to overcome such limitations.
Summary of the patent
Here’s Apple’s abstract of the patent: “A head-mounted display includes an optical assembly and an actuator. The actuator includes a movement mechanism configured to adjust a position of an optical component within the optical assembly, a locking-release mechanism configured to modify operation of the movement mechanism upon detection of a dynamic event, and a dampening mechanism configured to control positional changes of the optical component during the dynamic event.”
About Apple Glasses
When it comes to Apple Glasses, such a device will arrive in 2022 or 2023, 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 eventually 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.”
