The Apple Vision Pro may offer supplemental lighting for dim environments

Apple has filed for a patent (number US 20230324690 A1) for “supplemental illumination” on the upcoming Vision.

The US$3,499 (and up) Spatial Computer is due in early 2024. Apparently, it will only be available in limited quantities at first.

About the patent filing

In the patent filing, Apple notes that one or more cameras may be used to track the movement of a user’s hands or other external objects with the Vision Pro. In bright ambient lighting conditions, the cameras may capture visible light images. In dim ambient lighting conditions, a supplemental infrared illumination system may be activated to provide supplemental illumination for the tracking cameras.

The supplemental illumination system may have fixed and/or dynamically adjustable light sources. Apple says that a “relatively large” beam of supplemental illumination may be emitted over a desired coverage area or a smaller beam of supplemental illumination may be steered across the desired coverage area.

Summary of the patent filing

Here’s Apple’s abstract of the patent filing: “A head-mounted device may have a head-mounted support structure. Displays may present images to eye boxes at the rear of the head-mounted support structure. Cameras and other sensors may be supported by the head-mounted support structure. Tracking cameras may be used to track the movement of a user’s hands or other external objects. 

“In dim ambient lighting conditions, a supplemental illumination system may be activated to provide supplemental illumination for the tracking cameras. A single beam of supplemental illumination may be emitted over a given coverage area or a smaller beam of supplemental illumination may be steered across the given coverage area. Light-emitting devices such as infrared light-emitting diodes and infrared lasers may be used to form infrared light sources for the supplemental illumination system.”