The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office officially published a series of 54 newly granted patents for Apple Inc. today. In this particular granted patent report we cover Apple's invention that reveals a possible future version of FaceTime that includes 3D-like views. The application noted in Apple's patent seems to be a new combination of FaceTime and Photo Booth with 3D styling.

Apple's granted patent FIG. 1 noted below illustrates an example of a video conferencing application that uses the method of some embodiments to generate real-time reflections for video content. This application executes on a device (e.g., a desktop computer, a laptop computer, a tablet computer, a multi-function mobile device, a set-top box, etc.) to establish a video conference between the user of the device and one or more users of one or more other devices. The application generates real-time reflections from the content of the video presentation that it displays in order to simulate a 3D meeting room environment for the user of its device.

For work, the video conferencing application displays walls and a table that form a virtual conference room for the conference. On one or more of these objects, the application displays reflections from the content of each video frame or each of several video frames, in order to give the virtual conference room a 3D appearance to the viewer of the application. To project reflections from content of a video frame onto a nearby object, the video conferencing application of some embodiments generates a reflection from the content of a portion of the frame that is close to the nearby object.

Apple's patent FIG. 9 noted above illustrates an example of an image capturing session of the image capturing application of some embodiments. This darkened appearance of the sidewall along its top and bottom edges reinforces the 3D appearance of the photo booth.

Apple's granted patent 9,275,475 was originally filed in Q2 2012 and published today by the US Patent and Trademark Office.

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