The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office officially published a series of 61newly granted patents for Apple Inc. today. In this particular report we cover some of the originating technology related to dot projection used in Apple's new iPhone X Face ID from Apple's Israeli company PrimeSense. Another granted patent covers a possible future Apple Watch band using advanced haptics. Other minor granted patents of interest published today include: The Digital Crown on the Apple Watch and the biometric sensor chip behind Touch ID. We wrap up this week's granted patent report with our traditional listing of the remaining granted patents that were issued to Apple today.

Granted Patent: Pattern Projection using Micro-Lenses Related to Face ID

Apple's newly granted patent 9,885,459 covers their invention relating to methods and systems for mapping of three-dimensional (3D) objects, and specifically to optical 3D mapping. This technology is behind Apple's Face ID feature.

Apple's patent FIG. 2 is a schematic top view of device #22 such as an iPhone. In illumination assembly #30 in the device comprises a light source #34 (which may be a point source, such as a laser, without additional optics, as explained below) and a transparency 36, which are used in combination to project a pattern of spots onto an object (#28).

See our report titled "Apple's Face ID has been in the work for many Years and its Debut fulfills many In-Depth Camera Patents," for a better understanding of PrimeSense's references to "a pattern of spots," or "focal spots" translating to the "Dot Projector" found in Apple's TrueDepth Camera.

Granted Patent: Apple Watch Band with Haptic Actuators

Apple's newly granted patent 9,886,093 covers their invention relating to a possible future Apple Watch band with haptic actuators built in. Patently Apple covered this as a patent application report back in August 2016 under the title "Apple Invents an Apple Watch Band with Embedded Haptics."

For more details and graphics regarding this granted patent, review our original report here.

The Remaining Patents granted to Apple Today

Patently Apple presents only a brief summary of granted patents with associated graphics for journalistic news purposes as each Granted Patent is revealed by the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office. Readers are cautioned that the full text of any Granted Patent should be read in its entirety for full details. About Making Comments on our Site: Patently Apple reserves the right to post, dismiss or edit any comments. Those using abusive language or behavior will result in being blacklisted on Disqus.