Last week the European Patent Office published a patent application from Apple relating to a future XR Headset with Self-Mixing sensors and optical components. The focus of the invention revolves around a crucial front camera system that could reset itself should the cameras become misaligned due to the user dropping the headset. A side note to this patent filing is that two of the inventors .
On Thursday, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office published a patent application from Apple that relates to a wearable self-mixing interferometry (SMI) ring that could be used to sense physiological conditions of a user, such as a heart rate, blood oxygen saturation, blood pressure and more.
Today the US Patent & Trademark Office published a second patent application from Apple relating to their smart ring project, this time using an alternative methodology than the first patent that we posted today. Apple s different methodology introduces a self-mixing interferometry (SMI) sensor-based gesture input system. The majority of the invention relates to a smart ring being used alone or in pairs, with or without an Apple Pencil for AR, VR and MR applications.
Apple is investigating how an Apple Ring could interpret the wearer s gestures, or provide extra functionality to other devices such as the Apple Pencil.
Apple is really keen that your devices know exactly exactly where you are. The company is increasingly using Ultra Wideband (UWB) to help iPhones locate each other, and it s previously looked at how self-mixing interferometry (SMI) sensors can detect people.
Now there s Self-Mixing Interferometry-Based Gesture Input System Including a Wearable or Handheld Device, a newly-revealed patent application. It s still concerned with locating and tracking, but this time it is specifically about using SMI sensors in a wearable such as a ring.