In 2019 Patently Apple posted a patent application report titled "New Apple Patent reveals Finger Devices to be used with a Future Mixed Reality Headset instead of Sensor Gloves." The patent revealed that Apple was working towards a future headset that could use slip-on finger sensor devices that would provide accurate hand feedback allowing users to work with content seen on the display of a headset using three-dimensional air gestures and more.

Apple's patent FIG. 26 below illustrates a side view of an illustrative finger-mounted device being worn on a finger at a location other than the tip of the finger; FIG. 27 is a side view of an illustrative finger-mounted device with optical sensors for gathering touch input from the upper surface of a user's finger; and FIG. 28 is a diagram showing how markers may be used in calibrating a system in which a finger-mounted device is used.

Further to FIG. 28, Apple notes that the user may interact with the displayed visual content in the head mounted display by supplying force input, motion input (e.g., air gestures, three-dimensional air gestures), taps, shearing force input, and other input.

You could review more of our original 2019 report with many more patent figures here. Apple was granted that patent in November 2020. Today the US Patent & Trademark Office published a continuation patent from Apple that updates this patent by way of adding new patent claims to protect new aspects of the invention. Apple's original patent presented 33 patent claims. Today's continuation patent adds 20 new patent claims protecting key features as follows:

1. A finger device configured to be worn on a finger of a user, the finger having a finger pad, the finger device comprising: a body configured to be coupled to the finger, wherein the body has first and second side body portions that are movable relative to one another and that respectively extend down first and second opposing sides of the finger while leaving the finger pad exposed; a sensor in the first side body portion; and a haptic output device configured to provide haptic output to the finger based on sensor data from the sensor.

2. The finger device defined in claim 1 wherein the sensor comprises a force sensor.

3. The finger device defined in claim 2 wherein the force sensor is configured to measure shear force as the finger pad moves across an external surface.

4. The finger device defined in claim 2 wherein the force sensor is configured to detect finger presses on an external surface.

5. The finger device defined in claim 2 wherein the force sensor is one of multiple force sensors in the first side body portion that respectively produce separate force measurements along the first side of the finger.

6. The finger device defined in claim 1 wherein the haptic output is configured to mimic a button click sensation on the finger.

7. The finger device defined in claim 1 wherein the sensor comprises an accelerometer.

8. The finger device defined in claim 1 further comprising a motion sensor that gathers finger gesture input.

9. The finger device defined in claim 8 wherein the finger gesture input comprises three-dimensional air gestures.

10. The finger device defined in claim 1 wherein the first and second side body portions are biased towards one another.

11. A system, comprising: a head-mounted device having a display and configured to be coupled to the head of a user; and a finger device configured to be coupled to a finger of the user, the finger device comprising: first and second portions that are movable relative to one another and that respectively extend down first and second opposing sides of the finger while leaving a finger pad of the finger exposed; a force sensor; and a haptic output device that provides haptic output to the finger based on force measurements gathered with the force sensor and based on display content on the display.

12. The system defined in claim 11 wherein the head-mounted device comprises a camera that tracks movements of the finger device.

13. The system defined in claim 12 wherein the head-mounted device is configured to adjust the display content based at least partly on the movements of the finger device tracked by the camera.

14. The system defined in claim 11 wherein the finger device comprises an accelerometer that tracks movements of the finger device.

15. The system defined in claim 14 wherein the head-mounted device is configured to adjust the display content based at least partly on the movements of the finger device tracked by the accelerometer.

16. A finger device configured to be coupled to a finger of a user, the finger device comprising: a U-shaped housing with first and second side housing portions that are movable relative to one another and that respectively extend down first and second opposing sides of the finger while leaving a finger pad of the finger exposed; a sensor in the first side housing portion that detects finger gestures on an external surface; and a haptic output device that provides haptic output to the finger in response to the finger gestures.

17. The finger device defined in claim 16 wherein the finger gestures comprises finger taps.

18. The finger device defined in claim 16 wherein the finger gestures comprise drag-and-drop gestures.

19. The finger device defined in claim 16 wherein the haptic output comprises a button click sensation.

20. The finger device defined in claim 16 wherein the sensor comprises an array of force sensors along the first side of the finger.

Apple's continuation patent 20210055799 was published by the U.S. Patent Office Today.

Considering that this is a continuation patent, the timing of such a product to market is unknown at this time.