This week the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office officially granted Apple a patent that relates to possible future accessory devices. The accessory device may include a case that covers the housing of the electronic device, or a folio that additionally includes a cover can conceal the display of the electronic device.

Accessory devices described further include wireless circuitry used to communicate with wireless circuitry in the electronic device. The wireless circuitry can be used for various functions and features. For instance, the wireless circuitry in the accessory device can respond to authentication requests from the electronic device, and/or to send authentication requests to the electronic device.

Further, the wireless circuitry in the accessory device can send information to the electronic device. Such information may include properties of the accessory device, or information stored on the accessory device that is presented on a display of the electronic device.

Apple's patent FIG. 1 below illustrates an isometric view of an embodiment of an accessory device #100 designed for use with mobile wireless communication devices, such as an iPhone or iPad.  The accessory device may further include a cover that may include a sleeve (#116) that can store various objects, such as portable internal power supplies, sensors, credit cards, user identification, etc.

Apple's patent FIG. 7 above, illustrates a plan view of an alternate accessory device #500 that provides a display #536 highlighted in yellow.  As shown, the accessory device includes a receptacle #502 for an electronic device and a cover #514 connected to the receptacle by a soft hinge #518.

The display is located on the cover which can accept touch input. The accessory device further includes wireless circuitry #522 that is in communication with the display  via processing circuitry (of the accessory device.

Accessory devices other than cases and folios may include wireless circuitry used to communicate with electronic devices. For example, Apple's patent FIG. 11 below illustrates an isometric view of an alternate embodiment of an accessory device #800 that is compatible with an iPhone (#850). As shown, the accessory device may include a head mounted device that can take the form of a virtual reality headset or an augmented reality headset.

As shown, the accessory device includes a receptacle #802 that is designed to receive an electronic device 850. The accessory device 800 further includes a band #803 that can wrap around a user's head to secure the receptacle and the electronic device to the user.

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In Apple's patent FIG. 12 below we see that Apple continued to work on AirPower. The device was shown at an Apple event in late 2018. It was due to arrive on the market in 2019 and in March 2019 Apple announced that AirPower was cancelled. This particular granted patent was filed after the device was cancelled demonstrating that Apple's engineering teams continued to work on the project, even after if was officially cancelled. 

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For more details, review Apple's granted patent 11677429.

Update: June 19, 2023 7:15 a.m. PST. It appears that some Android fans are confusing Apple's iPhone "accessory" in "the form" of a VR headset as a VR Device for which the patent clearly categorizes the granted invention as an "accessory." Secondly, Android fans point to prior art. Well, Apple first covered this in a patent in 2010 way before Samsung's failed device. In that patent, it took on the form of an accessory in the form of a glasses accessory/docking station to hold an iPhone or iPod. So Apple established way before Samsung and Android fans just have to get over it.

Apple Inventors

• Stephen Schooley: Senior Product Design Manager
• Ross Arriens: Manager, Product Design Engineering
• Vincent Chauvin: RF Systems Manager
• Jeremy Bataillou: Core member of Apple's Industrial Design Team
• Xinping Zeng: Senior RF System Engineer