Apple granted two more patents for ‘Apple Glasses’

Apple has been granted two patents for its rumored “Apple Glasses,” an augmented reality/virtual reality/mixed reality head-mounted display (HMD). 

Patent number 10,782,779 is for “feedback coordination for a virtual interaction” with the goal of making music playback on such a device the best possible. In the patent filing, Apple says that music processing systems —such as music processing systems in computer-generated reality (CGR) environments — should ideally strive to improve temporal precision in musical performances in order to enhance music quality and user experience.

This task, known as quantization, may involve presenting playback of sound at a time different from a time of performance of the sound by determining that such a modified presentation is more aligned with intentions of the performer and/or the structure of a piece of music. Apple says that existing music processing systems continue to face challenges when it comes to effective and timely quantization of live musical performances.  The tech giant says that existing CGR delivery systems continue to face challenges when it comes to effective and timely coordination (or synchronization) between the feedback and the virtual interaction itself. Apple wants to overcome such issues.

Patent number 10,783,706 is for “stereoscopic rendering of virtual 3D objects” and involves 360 degree rotation of VR images in Apple Glasses. In the patent data, Apple says that rendering a full 360 degree. stereoscopic CGI scene is much more difficult because the virtual “camera” at the center of the scene can’t simply be duplicated and separated on a single axis.

Additionally, unlike live VR rendering that links two virtual cameras to the headset wearer’s eye positions and renders a viewport of the current position/orientation, a 360 degree. stereoscopic video file needs to contain a complete rendering of the whole CGI scene on all video frames. Apple’s idea is for a method involves tessellating a surface of a 3D object by identifying vertices having 3D positions.

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.”