Today the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office officially granted Apple a patent that relates to finger sensor and ring devices that could provide accurate hand feedback allowing users to work with AR/MR content seen on the display of a headset using three-dimensional air gestures and more. While the first iteration of Vision Pro uses simple in-air hand or finger gestures, Apple may introduce finger sensor or ring devices in the future for more complex applications and game play.

Apple granted patent 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.

For example, the control circuitry may supply haptic output to a user's fingers based on wirelessly received information from the external device. The haptic output may correspond to virtual reality or augmented reality haptic output.

The body of each finger-mounted unit may have a U-shaped cross-sectional profile that leaves the finger pad of each finger exposed when the body is coupled to a fingertip of a user's finger. The control circuitry may gather finger press input, lateral finger movement input, and finger tap input using the sensors and may provide haptic output using the haptic output device.

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. Some or all of control circuitry #14 may be contained in units #22 or may be mounted in separate housing structures (e.g., part of a wrist band, a glove, a partial glove such as a fingerless glove or glove in which portions have been removed under the pads of a user's finger tips, etc.).

Apple's patent FIG. 4 above 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.

Further to FIG. 28, Apple notes that the user may interact with the displayed visual content in the head mounted display by supplying force input, motion input (e.g., air gestures, three-dimensional air gestures), taps, shearing force input, and other input.

Smart Ring

Apple's patent FIG. 3 is an alternative ring style device design. Apple notes that FIG. 3 may, as an example, be formed from a soft elastomeric material, fabric, or other flexible material that allows the user to feel surfaces through the ring (unit #22). If desired, sensors, haptic devices, and or other components may be mounted under the pad of finger #32 in locations such as location #36.

For more details, review Apple's granted patent 11914780. Apple has been continually working on / updating this invention since 2017.

Design Patent for a 'Display Stand'

Today, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office granted Apple a design patent for a retail store iPhone Display Stand under number D1016006. Apple listed 21 designers who worked on this design (which seems a little over kill).