Apple patent involves ‘visual augmentation of sporting events’ on a Vision Pro

Apple has filed for a patent (number US 20230298349 A1) for a “method and device for visual augmentation of sporting events” on a Vision Pro.

The US$3,499 (and higher) “Spatial Computer” will be available in early 2024. However, it apparently will only be available in limited quantities at first.

About the patent filing

The patent filing relates to systems, methods, and devices for visual augmentation of sporting events. In the patent filing, Apple notes that folks have become accustomed to supplemental information being displayed while watching a sporting event on television. 

For example, a yellow first-down line may be displayed over the field during broadcast of a football game. As another example, the score may be displayed in the lower right corner during broadcast of a basketball game. However, when physically present at a sporting event, a person watching the sporting event live does not receive the same experience.

Apple wants to change this with the Vision Pro. For example, the headset could, when detecting an object during a sporting event, display info about the object onscreen. 

Summary of the patent filing

Here’s Apple’s abstract of the patent filing: “In one implementation, a method of displaying sports data is performed by a device including an image sensor, a display, one or more processors, and non-transitory memory. The method includes obtaining, using the image sensor, an image of a physical environment including a sporting event. The method includes detecting, in the image of the physical environment, an object. The method includes obtaining data regarding a current state of the sporting event with respect to the object. The method includes displaying, on the display in association with the physical environment, a representation of the data.”