Apple has filed for a patent (number 20220044018) for “visualization of non-visible phenomena.” It involves keeping the rumored augmented reality/virtual reality “Apple Glasses” cool and comfortable while in use.
About the patent filing
Apple’s patent filing involves extended reality environments. Extended reality technology aims to bridge a gap between virtual environments and a physical environment by providing an enhanced physical environment that is augmented with computer-generated content that is not part of the physical environment.
As a result, the computer-generated content that is not part of the physical environment appears to be part of the physical environment as perceived by a user. Apple wants to make this a seamless experience with its Apple Glasses.
Summary of the patent filing
Here’s Apple’s abstract of the patent filing with the tech details: “Implementations of the subject technology provide visualizations of non-visible features of a physical environment, at the location of the non-visible features in the physical environment. The non-visible features may include wireless communications signals, sounds, airflow, gases, subsonic and/or ultrasonic waves, hidden objects, or the like.
“A device may store visual contexts for visualizations of particular non-visible features. The device may obtain a depth map that allows the device to determine the location of the non-visible feature in the physical environment and to overlay the visualization on a user’s view of that location. In this way, the non-visible feature can be visualized its correct location, orientation, direction and/or strength in the physical environment.”
About Apple Glasses
When it comes to Apple Glasses, such a device will arrive in late 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.”
