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Apple won a Wild patent for an Augmented Reality Light System that projects AR content onto tables, walls+ without a Headset

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A few Apple engineering teams have been working on possible future projection systems over the years. In November 2020 we posted a report titled "Apple Invents an Interactive Laser Projection System to work with a Desktop, a mixed reality Headset & in Presentations." Then in April 2023 we posted a report titled "Apple wins a patent for an Advanced iMac with multiple Projectors that could project content onto walls & desktop areas."

Today the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office officially granted Apple one of their most sophisticated projection related patents to date. They've designed a AR Light System that could include a custom light bulb that contains a projector that could project AR content onto a table, a wall, a full room and so forth and allow those with a headset view the AR content.

An Augmented Reality System

 Various embodiments of methods and apparatus for emitting light including light representing augmented reality (AR) content into environments such as rooms are described.

Embodiments of an AR light system are described that may be used to project AR content onto one or more surfaces of a room. In some embodiments, an AR light system may include one or more low-resolution light-emitting diode (LED) projectors for emitting light including light representing low-resolution AR content, and one or more high-resolution LED projectors for emitting light including light representing high-resolution AR content.

Conventional augmented and virtual reality systems deliver the augmented or virtual display content via specially designed eyewear (referred to herein as head-mounted displays, or HMDs) that the user must wear in order to view the content. Typically, these HMDs tend to be large, heavy, hot, and require large batteries. Some people may not be comfortable wearing an HMD. In addition, persons in a room with another person wearing an HMD may want to view at least some of the virtual or augmented content that is being viewed. Embodiments of the AR light system may circumnavigate the need for an HMD when viewing AR or VR content within the confines of a room.

Embodiments of the AR light system may provide both room illumination, as per conventional room lighting (e.g., light fixtures or light bulbs), as well as projecting both high and low resolution AR and VR imagery onto surfaces in the room. The imagery may, for example, be projected onto the floor, walls, and ceiling of a room. However, the AR light system may also intelligently augment particular objects found within the room.

In some embodiments, the high resolution part of the imagery may be projected primarily to the floor (or surfaces such as tables) and walls of the room, while the low resolution part of the imagery may be projected primarily to the walls and ceiling of the room. The high-resolution part of the imagery may, for example, contain a user interface of an operating system, high resolution video, games, video conferencing images, or in general any type of high-resolution content. The low-resolution part of the imagery may, for example, contain simple mood enhancing content such as swaying shadows of trees and leaves or clouds, or content such as images of cats, birds, fish, and so on. The low- and high-resolution imagery may also provide general room lighting, as per ordinary existing light fixtures.

A goal is to provide the low resolution part of the AR light system with simple, low cost hardware. Embodiments of a low-resolution LED projector for AR light systems are described that include a relatively simple, active matrix low-resolution LED array and a focusing lens. The focusing lens may be a relatively simple, low-cost lens, and is not required to be an optically “perfect” lens.

In some embodiments, the high-resolution LED projector of an AR light system may be used to project a 2D image of AR or virtual reality (VR) content being viewed by a person in a room using an AR/VR system (e.g., an AR/VR headset or glasses) onto a surface (e.g., a table, or the floor) of the room so that other persons in the room can view what the person using the AR/VR system is seeing.

In some embodiments, the low-resolution LED projector(s) may project low-resolution images onto other surfaces in the room, for example at least portions of the walls, ceiling, and floors. 

In some embodiments, the low-resolution content projected by the low-resolution LED projectors are grayscale images. The low-resolution content may, for example, display swaying shadows of trees on the walls and ceiling, images of animals, birds flying, clouds, or of rain falling. In some embodiments, an AR light system may also be configured to emit diffuse light to illuminate a room when not emitting light representing AR content.

Apple's patent FIGS. 1A -1B illustrate a low-resolution light-emitting diode (LED) projector for emitting light including light representing augmented reality (AR) content); FIGS. 2A and 2B illustrate an AR light system that emits light including light representing AR content that includes multiple low-resolution LED projectors and a high-resolution LED projector;  FIG. 2D graphically illustrates an AR light system as illustrated in FIGS. 2A and 2B being used to illuminate a room.

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Apple's patent FIG. 4 below illustrates a passive cooling mechanism of an AR light system; FIG. 7 illustrates an alternative AR light system that includes a single low-resolution LED projector with a wide-angle lens to disperse low-resolution AR content or diffuse light and a single high-resolution LED projector with a narrow-angle focusing lens for projecting high-resolution AR content, according to some embodiments.

Further below, Apple's patent FIGS. 8A and 8B illustrate another alternative AR light system that includes a single “foveated” LED projector that includes a foveated LED array and a wide-angle lens that projects both high-resolution and low-resolution AR content, according to some embodiments.

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Apple's patent FIG. 9 above graphically illustrates an AR light system in a room projecting 2D content onto a surface so that a person in the room can view a 2D representation of AR content being viewed by another person in the room via an AR/VR system, according to some embodiments.

To review the full details of this invention, check out granted patent 12118675.  

With Apple having more pressing priorities with devices like foldables (iPhone/iPad), camera glasses and/or smartglasses, a lighter and smaller Vision Pro headset and all-things AI, today's granted invention, while being a fun and  futuristic concept for discussion between friends, it's likely a long-term project should it survive.

10.52FX - Granted Patent Bar