Apple has been granted a patent (number 11,328,497) for “Multi-input for Rotating and Translating Crown Modules” It involves a future Apple Vision Pro that sports a crown input system akin to the Apple Watch.
The US$3,499 (and up) Vision Pro was previewed at June’s Apple Worldwide Developer Conference. However, it won’t be available until early 2024 — and then, apparently, only in limited quantities.
About the patent
In the patent Apple notes that electronic devices are continually increasing in their functionality and capabilities, so there’s a need for input mechanisms that can operate with the increased performance of these devices. Apple is considering a Vision Pro with a tactile input disposed on the head-mounted display that includes an input including a movable touch-sensitive region.
Such an input could perform various functions. For example, a Vision Pro crown could be rotated to move among camera settings on the device.
Summary of the patent
Here’s Apple’s abstract of the patent: “A wearable device includes a housing and a display carried by the housing, a capacitive sensor carried by the housing and including a movable outer surface. The capacitive sensor can include a first set of conductors forming a first electrical path, a second set of conductors forming a second electrical path, and a set of non-conductive insulators isolating the first set of conductors from the second set of conductors. A processor can also be carried by the housing and can be in communication with the display and the capacitive sensor.”
