Today the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office officially published a series of 64 newly granted utility patents for Apple Inc. In this particular report we briefly cover four granted patents. The first covers a possible future MacBook integrating a customized Apple Pencil; a second covers an alternative method of changing prescription lenses in a Vision Pro-like headset; a third covers an Apple Watch System for determining swimming metrics, and more. we wrap up this week's granted patent report with our traditional listing of the remaining granted patents that were issued to Apple this week.

A MacBook that integrates an Apple Pencil that provides mouse and F-Key Functionality

Apple’s granted patent 12299215  relates to a new input device system for a MacBook. More particularly, the granted patent relates to incorporating an Apple Pencil that is removably mounted to a MacBook keyboard. While the Pencil is in its built-in retainer it could act as a mouse to move a cursor. Uniquely, a high-end lighting system is built-into the retainer and the Apple Pencil wherein the Pencil can replace the top F-Key row with the functional key symbols illuminated on Apple Pencil with full functionality.

Immersive Media Content Encoding And Rendering

Apple’s granted patent 12299805 covers a decoding computing device that determines a focus area of a view of volumetric visual content, such as a three-dimensional (3D) object or scene, and indicates the focus area in a request for compressed volumetric visual content. A server provides a depth map and an attribute atlas that includes attribute and/or texture information for the focus area that is signaled at a higher resolution than other portions of the volumetric visual content. The decoding device also applies one or more mesh simplification techniques, wherein a higher resolution mesh is used for the focus area. The textures/attributes are projected onto the mesh representations, wherein the mesh representations and projected textures are used to reconstruct the volumetric visual content. Hole filling techniques are then applied, wherein a more sophisticated hole filling technique is used in the focus area.

Apple Watch: Systems & Methods For Determining Swimming Metrics

Apple’s granted patent 12295726 relates to a method for improving an accuracy of a wearable device (Apple Watch) while determining swimming metrics of a user during a swimming session. In some embodiments, the method can include: receiving, by a processor circuit of the wearable device, motion data from one or more motion sensors of the wearable device; determining, by the processor circuit using the motion data, a first set of rotational data of the wearable device, wherein the first set of rotational data is expressed in a first frame of reference; converting, by the processor circuit, the first set of rotational data into a second set of rotational data, wherein the second set of rotational data is expressed in a second frame of reference; determining, by the processor circuit, one or more swimming metrics of the user based on the second set of rotational data, wherein the one or more swimming metrics comprise at least one of turns, breaths, laps, swimming styles, and swimming strokes; and outputting, by the processor circuit, the one or more swimming metrics of the user.

Display System With Interchangeable Lens

Apple’s granted patent 12298519 covers a display system that includes a display, a removable lens assembly, and a lens detection sensor. The removable lens is removably coupleable to the display. The lens detection sensor detects the removable lens assembly coupled to the display. The display system may further include a head-mounted display unit that includes the display and the lens detection sensor. The display system may lens information from the removable lens with the lens detection sensor, and may provide an indicator of the removable lens according to the lens information. It’s a new way of including prescription lenses into a Vision Pro-like device.

Apple's patent FIG. 1 above presents  a side view of a display system with hidden components illustrated in dashed lines; FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the display system of FIG. 1 taken along line 2-2 in FIG. 1; FIG. 13E is a cross-sectional view of the display module in a partially coupled state.

This Week's Remaining Granted Patents