Apple has filed for another patent (number 20200257362) for an “Apple Glove,” a “wearable interactive user interface.” It could be used with an augmented reality headset (such as the rumored “Apple Glasses,” a future Mac with a display that could detect and respond to hand gestures, or be used for typing on a “virtual keyboard.”
In the patent filing, the tech giant says that many traditional user input devices for computers, such as keyboards, have a fixed or static layout, which limits the adaptability of the device. Additionally, Apple says traditional input devices may be rigid and substantially detached from a user, thereby limiting the functionality of the input device.
The solution: an “Apple Glove” (my term, not Apple’s). It could sport an accelerometer, a gyrometer, or a capacitive array.
It could also pack a dynamically configurable light source configured to display an output. The output could include a keyboard shape — the aforementioned virtual keyboard. And when used with Apple Glasses — augmented reality/virtual reality/mixed reality head-mounted display — the glove could offer feedback in an immersive environment.
Here’s the summary of the patent filing: “Embodiments are directed to a user input device and methods related to the use thereto. In one aspect, an embodiment includes a flexible fabric attachable to a user having a first portion and a second portion. The first portion may be moveable in relation to the second portion. The embodiment may further include a controller configured to identify an input configuration based on a position of the first portion relative to a position of the second portion within a three-dimensional space. The embodiment may further include a haptic feedback structure disposed adjacent the flexible fabric and configured to provide haptic feedback based on the input configuration.”
