The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office officially published a series of 68 newly granted patents for Apple Inc. today. In this particular report we cover Apple's invention about a future headset that may use slip-on finger sensor devices that provides accurate hand feedback allowing users to work with content seen on the display of a headset using three-dimensional air gestures and more.

Apple invention covers a finger-mounted device that may include finger-mounted units coupled to control circuitry. The control circuitry may wirelessly transmit information gathered with the finger mounted units to an external device to control the external device.

The control circuitry may also use the finger-mounted units to provide a user's fingers with feedback such as haptic feedback.

Apple's patent FIG. 1 below is a schematic diagram of an illustrative device such as a finger-mounted device; FIG. 2 is top view of a user's hand and illustrative finger-mounted device components on finger tips of the user's hand; FIG. 4 is a perspective view of an illustrative finger-mounted device; FIGS. 14 and 15 are views showing illustrative mounting arrangements for finger-mounted devices.

Apple's patent FIG. 26 below is a side view of an illustrative finger-mounted device being worn on a finger at a location other than the tip of the finger; FIG. 27 is a side view of an illustrative finger-mounted device with optical sensors for gathering touch input from the upper surface of a user's finger; and FIG. 28 is a diagram showing how markers may be used in calibrating a system in which a finger-mounted device is used.

Apple's granted patent 10,838,499 was originally filed in Q2 2018 and published today by the US Patent and Trademark Office. You could review our original January 2019 patent application here for more information on the invention.