Two years ago Patently Apple posted a report titled "Apple Suppliers LG InnoTek and Corning Share Patents on a next-gen "Liquid Lens" that could replace the need for a Periscope Zoom Lens." The report noted that LG InnoTek and Corning were collaborating in the research of liquid lens. The pair decided in April 2021 to share 50/50 stakes in nine key US patents related to liquid lens. China's Xiaomi was the first to demonstrate their liquid lens for their Mi Mix Fold smartphone as presented below.

Patently Apple covered Apple's first liquid lens patent back in August 2023. This week the U.S. Patent Office published a second liquid lens related patent. The application in this patent filing is once again focused on its use in Vision Pro or a future version of their Spatial Computer.

During operation, a user may view visual content such as virtual reality content or augmented reality content through the lenses of the head-mounted device. To accommodate users with different types of vision (nearsightedness, farsightedness, etc.) and/or to display images at different image distances (e.g., to create virtual images in different image planes), the lenses may be tunable liquid lenses. Whether this could be a part of a future version of Apple Vision Pro that Mark Gurman referenced to in a report published this morning is unknown at this time. A liquid lens system would dramatically lower costs over actual physical lenses customized for each user.

In Apple's patent background they note that The head-mounted devices may include optical systems with lenses. The lenses allow displays in the devices to present visual content to users. Head-mounted devices typically include lenses with fixed shapes and properties. If care is not taken, it may be difficult to adjust these types of lenses to optimally present content to each user of the head-mounted device.

Electronic Device With A Tunable Lens

Apple's invention covers a lens module in the head-mounted device that may include a transparent lens element, a lens shaping structure that is coupled to the transparent lens element, and a plurality of actuators that are configured to adjust a position of the lens shaping structure to adjust the transparent lens element.

The lens module may also include an additional transparent lens element and a fluid-filled chamber between the two transparent lens elements.

The lens shaping structure may include a plurality of extensions that are each coupled to a respective actuator. To ensure the lens shaping structure has desired curvature between the extensions, the lens shaping structure may have a portion in one or more segments between adjacent extensions that has a property with a different magnitude than an additional portion of the lens shaping structure. The portion between the adjacent extensions may have an increased or decreased rigidity relative to the additional portions of the lens shaping structure.

The portion between the adjacent extensions of the lens shaping structure may have a different width, thickness, or Young's modulus compared to additional portions of the lens shaping structure. The portion between the adjacent extensions of the lens shaping structure may have a bend. The portion between the adjacent extensions of the lens shaping structure may have a plurality of protrusions or a plurality of recesses. Different segments of the lens shaping structure may have different modified portions (or no modified portion).

Apple's patent FIGS. 3 and 4 are cross-sectional side views of an illustrative lens module including actuators and a lens shaping element; FIG. 5 is a top view of an illustrative lens shaping element that includes extensions for coupling to respective actuators; FIG. 11 is a top view of an illustrative lens shaping element with a locally modified portion having a varied elasticity.

Apple's patent FIGS. 14A and 14B above are cross-sectional side views of an illustrative lens shaping element that has multiple actuation points for each actuator to distribute force more evenly around the circumference of the lens shaping element.

To take a deeper dive into Apple's invention, review the details of patent application 20230324676.