November 24, 2023 – Apple Inc. has recently been granted a technological patent related to finger devices, as disclosed by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). This innovation aims to enable human-machine interaction in the virtual world when coupled with the Vision Pro headgear.
The patent outlines a method wherein limb tracking data is acquired through a limb tracker. Displayed on the Vision Pro screen is a physical surface along with a content manipulation area represented by a computer-generated touchpad.
A fingertip device worn on the user’s hand facilitates interaction within this content manipulation area. For instance, when a user manipulates data by drawing circles on the touchpad representation generated by the computer, the electronic device will display the corresponding representation of circles within the content manipulation area.
In certain implementations, the electronic device tracks fingers in six degrees of freedom (6DOF) based on finger operation data. This means that even if a physical object obstructs a portion of the finger-worn device, the electronic device continues to receive finger operation data from it.
As described by Apple, users of Apple Vision can utilize a virtual keyboard. Today’s patent confirmation underscores that with the use of finger devices, users will be able to manipulate content within the Vision Pro using a virtual touchpad.
