In March of this year Patently Apple posted an IP report titled "Apple Invents a Multimodal Audio System for Future Mixed Reality HMD and Smartglasses." Today the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office officially granted Apple this patent that generally relates to wearable display devices and systems with multimodal audio components that are operable in a variety of selectable modes to allow for different user experiences.

In one aspect, Apple's granted patent covers a head-mounted display system that facilitates image and/or video display; a user-wearable support that is connectable to (e.g., fixedly or removably supported by) the housing; and an audio component that is pivotably connected to the support such that the audio component is movable between first and second positions.

Apple's patent FIG 1 below embodiment of an audio component in accordance with the principles of the present disclosure shown in a first position during operation in a first mode (i.e., an extra-aural mode).

Apple's patent FIG. 5 above is a side, plan view of the wearable display system illustrating operation of the audio component in a hybrid mode that allows for both the intra-aural and extra-aural projection of sound; FIG. 8 is a side, plan view of the audio component shown in a second (elongated) configuration.

Apple's patent FIG. 5 above is a side, plan view of the wearable display system illustrating operation of the audio component in a hybrid mode that allows for both the intra-aural and extra-aural projection of sound; FIG. 8 is a side, plan view of the audio component shown in a second (elongated) configuration.

For more you could review our original IP report here or review Apple's granted patent 10,816,812 issued today by USPTO.