Apple patent involves finger devices that could be used to manipulate virtual objects

Apple has been granted a patent that involves finger devices that could be used to manipulate virtual objects and perform other tasks on various Apple devices.

About the patent

The patent (number US 11940293 B2) is dubbed” Finger Devices With Self-mixing Interferometric Proximity Sensors.” It relates generally to electronic devices, and, more particularly, to sensors for finger-mounted electronic devices.

In the patent Apple notes that electronic devices such as computers can be controlled using computer mice and other input accessories. In virtual reality systems, force-feedback gloves can be used to control virtual objects. And smartphones may have touch screen displays and vibrators that are used to create haptic feedback in response to touch input.

However, Apple says that devices such as these may not be convenient for a user, may be cumbersome or uncomfortable, or may provide inadequate feedback. The tech giant’s solution: finger devices can be worn on any or all of a user’s fingers (e.g., the index finger, the index finger and thumb, three of a user’s fingers on one of the user’s hands, some or all fingers on both hands, etc.). 

The finger devices could be used to interact with Macs, iPhones, and iPads. However, they could also be used with Vision Pros.

During operation, the finger devices may gather user input such as information on interactions between the finger device(s) and the surrounding environment (e.g., interactions between a user’s fingers and the environment, including finger motions and other interactions associated with virtual content displayed for a user). The user input may be used in controlling visual output on the display. 

Corresponding haptic output may be provided to the user’s fingers using the finger devices. Haptic output may be used, for example, to provide the fingers of a user with a desired texture sensation as a user is touching a real object or as a user is touching a virtual object. Haptic output can also be used to create detents and other haptic effects when using the Vision Pro.

Summary of the patent

Here’s Apple’s abstract of the patent: “A system may include one or more finger devices that gather input from a user’s fingers. A finger device may include one or more self-mixing interferometric proximity sensors that measure a distance to the user’s finger. The proximity sensor may measure changes in distance between the proximity sensor and a flexible membrane that rests against a side portion of the user’s finger. 

“The self-mixing interferometric proximity sensor may include a laser and a photodiode. In some arrangements, a single laser driver may drive the lasers of multiple self-mixing proximity sensors using time-multiplexing. The self-mixing proximity sensor may operate according to a duty cycle. Interpolation and stitching may be used to determine the total displacement of the user’s finger including both the on periods and off periods of the self-mixing proximity sensor.”