Apple has been granted a patent (number US 11763560 B1) for a “Head-Mounted Device with Feedback.” It involves feedback on the upcoming Vision Pro. Whether that feedback will be welcome is yet to be determined.
About the patent
The US$3,499 “Spatial Computer” will, according to Apple, be available in “early” 2024. However, it will, apparently, only be available in limited quantities at first.
The patent relates generally to head-mounted devices, and, more particularly, to head-mounted devices that can detect and respond to a user’s behavior. Obviously, the upcoming Vision Pro will be worn by a user to display visual information within the field of view of the user.
Said user may observe outputs provided by the head-mounted device, such as visual information provided on a display. The display can optionally allow a user to observe an environment outside of the head-mounted device.
Apple thinks the Vision Pro may be regularly and frequently worn while the user performs regular daily tasks. For this reason it needs hardware (e.g., display, camera, microphone, eye-tracking device, etc.) that allow meaningful feedback to a user.
Per Apple’s patent, the Vision Pro can determine whether a user is speaking the wrong words to refer to subjects identified by the head-mounted device. It could also determine whether the user is failing to interact with objects for which the user is reaching. The head-mounted device can determine whether the user is putting items where they do not belong.
Summary of the patent
Here’s Apple’s abstract of the patent: “A head-mounted device can be operated to detect and respond to a user’s behavior. The head-mounted device can be regularly and frequently worn while the user performs regular daily tasks, allowing the head-mounted device to collect a large volume of data across a long duration of time. The head-mounted device can provide feedback that can guide and direct a user to correct actions”
