The Apple Vision Pro presently utilizes in-air gestures to navigate the visionOS user interface. Apple has a wealth of patents on an accompanying ring accessory that could one day advance Vision Pro’s navigation in a 3D space (01, 02, 03, 04 and more)to better interact with 3D objects in games and so forth.

Earlier this month, a Samsung patent application was published in Europe regarding a future iteration of the Galaxy Ring that will work with the Android XR headset developed by Samsung, Google and Qualcomm. The Galaxy Watch will also work with the XR Headset, though the emphasis of the patent is the Galaxy Ring.

Samsung’s patent FIG. 19 below illustrates an example of an operation for identifying a wearing direction of a smart ring device. The user’s hand with the ring is shown to be moving in various directions that could navigate the XR headset’s user interface.   

Samsung’s patent FIG. 20 below illustrates the external electronic device (Android XR #300) that may provide an AR experience service and/or a VR experience service. For example, the rotation input of the smart ring device #200 may be used for the input of the XR headset.

Referring to patent FIG. 25 above, the smart ring may include a plurality of magnetic substances #2501. For example, the smart ring may include four magnetic bodies. The smart ring may include magnetic substances #2501-1 to 2501-4.

It would seem that the ring on the right hand and watch on the left wrist could either  be used independently or in unison. Another patent figure showed a ring on both hands plus a ring. Lastly, Samsung also illustrated the ring working with future smartglasses.