Apple patent involves ‘gaze-driven’ recording of video in ‘Apple Glasses’

Apple has been granted a patent (number 20220295084) for “gaze-driven recording of video.” It involves recording video on the rumored “Apple Glasses,” an augmented reality/mixed reality headset.

About the patent

In the patent Apple notes that head-mounted displays (HMDs) are used to provide virtual reality, augmented reality, and/or mixed reality experiences for users. Video from a virtual reality or mixed reality experience may be recorded for later playback or analysis. 

Gaze-tracking sensors may be used to provide an indication of where a subject person is currently looking. And Apple Glasses could be enabled to record video in that direction.

Summary of the patent

Here’s Apple’s abstract of the patent: “Systems and methods for gaze-driven recording of video are described. Some implementations may include accessing gaze data captured using one or more gaze-tracking sensors; applying a temporal filter to the gaze data to obtain a smoothed gaze estimate; determining a region of interest based on the smoothed gaze estimate, wherein the region of interest identifies a subset of a field of view; accessing a frame of video; recording a portion of the frame associated with the region of interest as an enhanced frame of video, wherein the portion of the frame corresponds to a smaller field of view than the frame; and storing, transmitting, or displaying the enhanced frame of video.”

About Apple Glasses

When it comes to Apple Glasses, the rumors are abundant. Such a device will arrive in mid-to-late 2023. Or maybe 2024. 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.”