Apple granted patent effects in a computer-generated reality environment

Apple has been granted a patent (number 11,222,454) for “specifying effects for entering or existing a computer-generated reality environment.” It involves the rumored “Apple Glasses,” an augmented reality/virtual reality head-mounted display (HMD).

About the patent

The patent related to computer-generated reality (CGR) (including virtual reality (VR) and mixed reality (MR)) techniques. More specifically, it’s for techniques for entering or exiting a CGR environment. 

Conventional virtual reality environments include virtual objects called avatars that are associated with user(s) of virtual environments. A user’s avatar represents a user’s presence in a virtual environment. Apple wants to make the interaction of such avatars in CGR environments seamless.

Summary of the patent

Here’s Apple’s abstract of the patent: “In an exemplary process for specifying an entrance or exit effect in a computer-generated reality environment, in response to a user entering or exiting the computer-generated reality environment, a transition effect is provided.”

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.”