Last week the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office published two of Samsung's latest patent applications relating to their future Augmented/Virtual glasses. The first patent is the one that's most interesting in that it describes snap-on prescription glasses that uses a magnetics system. Of course the inspiration came from one or more Apple's patents on this front. So it's a race to market.

Samsung will more than likely be first to market just to rob Apple of being seen as the innovator. You kind of get used that scenario playing out after awhile. Nevertheless, Patently Apple and many Apple fans like to stay on top of Samsung's key or trending patents to see what's on their future agenda. One of the top trends of late is definitely smartglasses.

The first Samsung patent application that was published by the U.S. Patent Office (USPTO) last week relates to Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) glasses that are in development. The edge to this invention is that Samsung has developed an easy way to  include vision correction lenses (or prescription lenses) that could be magnetically attached to the frame of the glasses.

Samsung notes that the invention provides augmented reality display glasses that provide a relatively high comfort of wearing compared to an augmented reality display device of the related art and include a vision correction lens coupled in a way of reducing a volume of the augmented reality display devices.

Samsung's patent FIG. 1 is a 3D view of an augmented reality display device 100 including a vision correction lens. Since the first and second vision correction lenses (#124 and #134) are provided, the supplied augmented reality image is precisely focused on the retina of the user, and thus, the user who normally wears corrective glasses may clearly see the supplied augmented reality image.

To review the invention in greater detail, review Samsung's patent application 20210055564 that was published by USPTO on February 25, 2021.

Apple's Advanced Magnetically Set Prescription Lens System

Apple filed for a series of patents relating to a prescription lens system designed for HMDs (01, 02 & 03). A fourth Apple patent that we covered back in July 2020 specifically presented smartglasses with pop-out prescription lenses.

Apple noted in this particular patent that "Additionally or alternatively, one display element can provide optical correction (prescription) and the other display element can provide different or no optical correction. The patent FIGS. below illustrate snap-in or clip-on prescription lenses for smartglasses."

Samsung's Second AR/VR Glasses Invention

The second Samsung patent application that was published by the U.S. Patent Office (USPTO) last week relates to Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) glasses that are in development. A wearable electronic device for augmented reality technology allows a user to see both virtual graphic images mixed with real objects.

According to Samsung, constructed AR and VR glasses have been designed to provide consumers with improved brightness and/or clearer images. For example, reflection patterns may be disposed on a plurality of layers or surfaces. In this way, it may be possible to increase the amount of light reflected by the reflection patterns and thereby to improve the brightness of an image.

In addition, since the reflection patterns are disposed on the plurality of layers or surfaces, it may be possible to increase the area of an image-displaying region. Furthermore, even when the size of the reflection patterns is reduced to realize a clear image, the brightness of the image may be compensated by increasing the number of the reflection patterns.

Samsung's patent FIG. 1 below illustrates a AR/VR glasses that may include a light transmissive unit in the form of a transmission part 100, a first reflector in the form of first reflection patterns (#200), a second reflector in the form of second reflection patterns (#300), a display unit in the form of a display part (#400), and a coupler in the form of a wearing part (#500).

The first and second reflection patterns (#200 and #300) may include at least one of a metal or a metallic material. For example, the first and second reflection patterns may include metals (e.g., gold, silver, aluminum) or alloys of the metals.

An alternative design for the glasses is seen in patent FIG. 2 where the display mechanisms are housed on the side to glasses area as opposed from the top as illustrated in patent FIG. 1.

To dive deeper into this technical invention, review Samsung's patent application 20210055558 that was published by USPTO on February 25, 2021.