Recently, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office officially granted Apple a patent covering a future dedicated Apple watch band that includes markings to help the HMD correctly position the user's arm or hand in an XR environment. The market could also allow HMDs like the Vision Pro to overlay custom virtual user interfaces on the watch that are relevant to specific user applications. The patent focuses on the technical aspects of the invention and less on the specific user applications they wish to keep secret for the time being.
Electronic systems can utilize identifiable markers to track the location and/or orientation of reference points in the physical environment. For example,Electronic systems may track the position and/or orientation of a user's hands to incorporate information about the positioning of the user's hands into virtual reality (VR) systems, augmented reality (AR) systems, and/or mixed reality (MR) systems.
In some applications, electronic systems can visually track different markers to provide a reference to the user's physical environment or surroundings. Markers are often visually distinctive and bulky. As a result, electronic system markings may not be user-friendly or visually appealing.
Ideal for providing visually appealing and user-friendly markings while providing a reliable reference point for electronic systems. For example, the system of the present disclosure may provide a watch band that provides a pattern of markings to a computer-generated reality device.
The watch strap may include structures or features that provide a recognizable pattern of markings to the computer-generated reality device. The structures or features that provide the marking pattern may be invisible or imperceptible to the user. The structure or features of the strap may include infrared reflective rays, visually obscured markings, or lenticular lens components.
Apple patent belowfigure 1, we can see the user wearing a Vision Pro-like headset that works in conjunction with the Apple Watch, which integrates a dedicated strap as part of a VR/XR system. Markings can be integrated into the strap.
For example, marker #152 may provide a reference point in the physical environment to virtually overlay interface #6 using the display of headset #100 or other suitable device. User #2 can use the interface to launch applications or interact with applications within the HMD (Vision Pro).
InFIG. 2, strap #150 used with watch #20 can provide tag #152 for HMD #10. The strap may include features such as marking patterns to provide reference points in the physical environment for virtual reality (VR) systems, augmented reality (AR) systems, and/or mixed reality (MR) systems.
Optionally, the marking thread #153 is indistinguishable from, imperceptible to, or otherwise hidden within the braided fabric threads of the strap #151 under visible light in the human visible spectrum. In some embodiments, the marking lines are formed from infrared reflective rays that reflect infrared light to provide a mark or marking pattern while visually similar to the webbing fabric under visible light in the human visible spectrum.
In the depicted FIG. 3 below, a machine-identifiable pattern or marker is displayed on the band body. The marker can be printed, dyed, embossed, engraved, or attached to the surface of the band body. The arrangement or pattern of the marker can be selected to be visually appealing. In some embodiments, the marker is visible under visible light in the human visible spectrum. Optionally, the marker may only be visible under ultraviolet and/or infrared light, or otherwise visible to an electronic system.
In Apple's patent FIGS. 4 and 5 above,the watch band can include a lenticular lens assembly #155 that allows the marker to be visible from certain angles while obscuring the marker from other angles.The marker can be printed, dyed, embossed, engraved, or attached to the surface of the band body. Optionally, the marker #152 may only be visible under ultraviolet and/or infrared light, or otherwise only visible to an electronic system.
As illustrated above, one or more lenses #156 of the lenticular lens assembly #155 can be disposed over the patterns of the marker. The lenses #156 can refract light from the marker such that the marker is only visible from certain angles.
For example, the marker may only be visible through lens #156 at an angle A and obscured when viewed at an angle B. In some embodiments, the characteristics of the lenses can be selected such that the angle A permits the electronic device to view the marker while angle B obscures the marker from the user's view.
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