Some Apple Vision Pro users have experienced discomfort when wearing the device for extended periods, including eye strain, headaches, and neck pain. These issues can arise from the device's weight and fit, as well as the intensity of the visual display. Once the discomfort issues were aired out, Apple’s engineers went into high gear to find ways to remedy them so as to improve Vision Pro 2 (or whatever they call their next HMD). While there have been many patents on this subject matter to date, here are just a few of them: 01, 02, 03 and 04.

Yesterday the U.S. Patent Office published a patent application of Apple's that relates to another aspect of making future HMD’s more comfortable and more importantly, aligning properly on a user’s head to ensure that the eye tracking system can be accurate at all times.

Overall, Apple’s patent discusses the importance of optimal placement for a head-mountable device, such as AR or VR headsets. Proper positioning ensures the device’s components—like displays—are aligned correctly with the user's eyes, maximizing visual experience and comfort.

Since placement affects weight distribution and pressure on the face, incorrect positioning can lead to discomfort or suboptimal performance. To assist users, these devices may incorporate guidance systems, including sensors that detect facial features and alignment. These sensors can provide feedback or instructions to help the user—or someone assisting them—adjust the headset for better fit and usability

In a specific example, patent FIG. 2 below illustrates the shape of a user's face that can be measured to later determine how a given head-mountable device should be positioned to optimize user comfort and alignment with features of the user's face.

A device having a face sensor can be operated to detect and/or measure one or more regions of a face of a user. Such detections and measurements can be used to determine how a head-mountable device should be positioned so that the light seal thereof comfortably engages the appropriate regions of the user's face.

Further, an electronic device (#300) can provide a sensor (#310) that is operable to measure distances to multiple regions of the face of a user. Such regions can include the regions that would be engaged by a light seal when a head-mountable device is worn by the user. For example, the regions can include a forehead, a nose, and/or one or both cheeks.

The face sensor #370 can include one or more types of sensors. For example, the face sensor can include one or more image sensors, depth sensors, thermal (e.g., infrared) sensors, and the like. By further example, a depth sensor can be configured to measure a distance (e.g., range) to an object (e.g., region of the user's face) via stereo triangulation, structured light, time-of-flight, interferometry,

A Few of Apple’s Inventors

• John Cagle, PhD: Sr. Scientist/Engineer
• Sally Annis: Engineering Project Manager
• Paul Wang: Senior Manager, Product Design
• Liam Martinez; Product Design Engineer
• ivan marić: Product Design Engineer

Other HMD Patents published this week that may interest some:

20250148623: Human Motion Understanding using State Space Models

20250147578: Gaze Activation Of Display Interface