Future Macs and Apple TV set-top boxes may respond to gestures by folks wearing Apple Watches

Apple has filed for a patent (number US 20230252737 A1) for Macs and Apple TV set-top boxes that respond to hand gestures from Apple Watch users. The patent is dubbed “devices, methods, and graphical user interfaces for interacting with virtual objects using hand gestures.”

About the patent filing

In the patent filing Apple notes that the development of computer systems for augmented reality (AR) has increased significantly in recent years. Example augmented reality environments include at least some virtual elements that replace or augment the physical world. Input devices, such as cameras, controllers, joysticks, touch-sensitive surfaces, and touch-screen displays for computer systems and other electronic computing devices are used to interact with virtual/augmented reality environments. Example virtual elements include virtual objects, such as digital images, video, text, icons, and control elements such as buttons and other graphics.

Apple says that some methods and interfaces for displaying and interacting with virtual objects using hand gestures are “cumbersome, inefficient, and limited.” The company says there’s a need for computer systems with improved methods and interfaces for displaying and interacting with virtual objects using hand gestures more efficient and intuitive for a user. 

Apple’s idea is for the Apple Watch to interact with a Mac or Apple TV set-top box to allow the user/wearer to manipulate virtual objects on the devices.

Summary of the patent filing

Here’s Apple’s abstract of the patent filing: “The present disclosure generally relates to interacting with virtual objects using hand gestures. In some embodiments, methods and user interfaces for navigating content using hand gestures are described. In some embodiments, methods and user interfaces for using hand gestures to perform various operations are described. In some embodiments, methods and user interfaces for activating virtual objects are described. In some embodiments, methods and user interfaces for displaying information is described. In some embodiments, methods and user interfaces for manipulating the display of virtual objects is described.”

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