Today the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office officially granted Apple a patent that relates to the addition of a new side band display on Vision Pro or on the side of a smartglasses frame that could present icons and/or messages, battery status and more.

In Apple's granted patent background they note that head-mounted displays (HMDs) like Vision Pro are increasingly used in a wide variety of applications and settings, including aviation, engineering, medicine, military applications, and video gaming. HMDs are intended to provide the user with an interactive and immersive experience, for example, through visual and audio stimulation.

However, obtaining status information about the HMD can be burdensome when not wearing the HMD, as it often requires a user to put on or don the HMD to view status information via the primary display. Additionally, it can be difficult for an outside observer to obtain information regarding the HMD or the user without disturbing the user to inquire of the status. Moreover, as HMDs become more common, it can be desirable to distinguish or personalize the HMD to the user's preference.

Notifications In Headbands

According Apple's granted patent, a wearable electronic device includes a head-mounted display (HMD) and a retention band connected to the HMD, the retention band including a display assembly positioned within the retention band.

In some examples, the HMD includes a housing and a primary display connected to the housing. The display assembly can displays visual information about a status of the HMD, and the retention band can include a flexible fabric, the flexible fabric having perforations. The retention band can include micro-perforations. A transparent cover can be coupled to the retention band and be positioned over the display assembly.

In some examples, the display assembly displays visual information that changes based on a mode of the HMD. The visual information can be dynamic. The display assembly can display visual information when the wearable electronic device is in an inactive mode. The retention band can include fabric.

The HMD can include a battery secured to the retention band. In some examples, the HMD includes a flexible printed circuit positioned in the retention band. The display assembly can include micro-light-emitting diodes. The display assembly can include an optical fiber.

According to some aspects, a headband includes a fabric defining perforations and an internal volume, and a display unit disposed within the internal volume and behind the perforations.

In some examples, the perforations have a density of about 2,500 to about 102,400 perforations per square inch. The perforations can have an average diameter of less than a millimeter. The fabric can include a weaved fabric, and the display unit can include a fiber optic cable weaved into the fabric.

According to some aspects, a head-mounted display (HMD) includes a housing, a primary display unit disposed in the housing, a retention member coupled to the housing, and a secondary display unit integrated with the retention member.

In some examples, the HMD includes smartglasses and the retention member includes a support arm that extends along a side of a user's head.

The retention member can include a head strap that secures to a user's head. The secondary display unit can be positioned within a thickness of the retention member. The secondary display unit can at least partially define an exterior of the retention member. The visual information displayed by the secondary display unit can change based on a detected presence of a user.

To review the full details of this invention, check out granted patent 12222514.  

Apple Inventors

• Paul X. Wang: Senior Manager, Product Design
• ivan marić: Technical Lead, Product Design Engineer, Vision Products Group