Apple invents U-Shaped finger accessory devices for Head Mounted Devices with Ultrasonic Sensors that sense motion, in-air gestures+ - Patently Apple

1 year ago 59

Today the US Patent & Trademark Office published a patent exertion from Apple that relates to a strategy that whitethorn see 1 oregon much digit devices with U-shaped housings that gathers sensor input and supplying haptic output.

According to Apple, a digit instrumentality may, arsenic an example, see an inertial measurement portion with an accelerometer for gathering accusation connected fig motions specified arsenic digit taps oregon free-space digit gestures. The digit devices whitethorn see unit sensors for gathering accusation connected mean and shear forces successful the digit instrumentality and the user's finger. The digit instrumentality whitethorn see a haptic output instrumentality to supply the user's digit with haptic output and whitethorn see different output components.

In immoderate arrangements a digit instrumentality whitethorn see ultrasonic sensors. An ultrasonic sensor whitethorn person an ultrasonic awesome emitter and a corresponding ultrasonic awesome detector configured to observe the ultrasonic signals aft passing done a user's finger. A two-dimensional ultrasonic sensor whitethorn seizure ultrasonic images of a user's digit pad. Ultrasonic proximity sensors whitethorn beryllium utilized to measurement distances betwixt digit devices and outer surfaces. Optical sensors and different sensors whitethorn besides beryllium utilized successful the digit devices.

One oregon much digit devices whitethorn stitchery idiosyncratic input from a user. The idiosyncratic whitethorn usage digit devices successful operating a virtual world oregon mixed world instrumentality (e.g., head-mounted instrumentality specified arsenic glasses, goggles, a helmet, oregon different instrumentality with a display).

Haptic output whitethorn beryllium used, for example, to supply the fingers of a idiosyncratic with a desired texture sensation arsenic a idiosyncratic is touching a existent entity oregon arsenic a idiosyncratic is touching a virtual object.

Finger devices tin beryllium worn connected immoderate oregon each of a user's fingers (e.g., the scale finger, the scale digit and thumb, 3 of a user's fingers connected 1 of the user's hands, immoderate oregon each fingers connected some hands, etc.). To heighten the sensitivity of a user's interaction arsenic the idiosyncratic interacts with surrounding objects, digit devices whitethorn person inverted U shapes oregon different configurations that let the digit devices to beryllium worn implicit the apical and sides of a user's digit tips portion leaving the user's digit pads exposed. This allows a idiosyncratic to interaction objects with the digit pad portions of the user's fingers during use.

Users tin usage the digit devices to interact with immoderate suitable physics equipment. For example, a idiosyncratic whitethorn usage 1 oregon much digit devices to interact with a virtual world oregon mixed world strategy (e.g., a head-mounted instrumentality with a display), to proviso input to a desktop computer, tablet computer, cellular telephone, watch, receptor buds, oregon different accessory, oregon to interact with different physics equipment.

Apple's patent FIG. 4 beneath is simply a position presumption of an illustrative digit device; FIG. 6 is simply a position presumption of an illustrative digit instrumentality with vertical slits that signifier vertically extending arms.

Apple’s patent FIG. 7 supra is simply a cross-sectional broadside presumption of an illustrative digit instrumentality with recesses and sensors successful the recesses; FIG. 18 is simply a position presumption of an illustrative two-dimensional ultrasonic sensor array for a two-dimensional ultrasonic imaging sensor.

Apple’s patent FIG. 14 beneath is simply a beforehand presumption of an illustrative digit instrumentality with a downwardly directed ultrasonic sensor that is angled perpendicularly to a longitudinal axis of the digit device; FIG. 15 is simply a broadside presumption of an illustrative digit instrumentality with a forwardly directed ultrasonic sensor mounted successful a lodging hold and configured to emit ultrasonic signals successful a absorption parallel to a longitudinal axis of the digit device.

Apple’s patent FIG. 16 supra is simply a broadside presumption of an illustrative digit instrumentality with a forwardly directed ultrasonic sensor mounted connected an precocious lodging partition information of the digit device.

Apple’s patent FIG. 17 beneath is simply a beforehand presumption of a brace of digit devices with interacting components specified arsenic ultrasonic awesome emitters and detectors; FIG. 20 is simply a beforehand presumption of an illustrative digit instrumentality with optical sensors.

Apple’s patent FIG. 21 supra is simply a position presumption of an illustrative digit instrumentality having a curved trailing borderline and tapered curved arms; and lastly, FIG. 22 is simply a broadside presumption of an illustrative digit instrumentality with a curved trailing borderline during usage connected a bent finger.

Apple has been moving connected this invention since 2019 and has present updated this invention with 20 caller patent claims that are designed to amended support this invention. Below are 10 of the 20 caller patent claims.

A digit instrumentality configured to beryllium worn connected a digit of a user, comprising: a lodging configured to beryllium coupled to the finger, wherein the lodging has a U signifier with archetypal and 2nd opposing sides configured to remainder respectively connected archetypal and 2nd opposing sides of the finger; and sensors coupled to the housing, wherein the sensors are configured to nutrient sensor information indicating whether a digit pad aboveground of the digit is successful interaction with an outer aboveground and whether the idiosyncratic is making digit gestures, and wherein the sensors are configured to observe a absorption and magnitude of unit with which the digit pad aboveground drags crossed the outer surface.
Wherein the sensors of the digit instrumentality comprise a two-dimensional ultrasonic imaging sensor, wherein the digit instrumentality further comprises a haptic output instrumentality configured to proviso haptic output to the finger.
The digit instrumentality includes a two-dimensional ultrasonic sensor mounted connected the archetypal broadside of the housing.
The digit instrumentality further includes power circuitry configured to: stitchery the sensor information arsenic the digit moves; observe digit gestures based connected the sensor data; and nonstop idiosyncratic input signals to an outer physics instrumentality based connected the digit gestures.
The digit instrumentality see sensors that comprise of an ultrasonic awesome emitter and an ultrasonic awesome detector.
The digit device's ultrasonic awesome emitter is mounted to the archetypal broadside and wherein the ultrasonic awesome detector is mounted to the 2nd side.
The digit device's lodging extends on a longitudinal axis of the digit and wherein the sensors comprise an ultrasonic awesome emitter coupled to the archetypal broadside and configured to emit ultrasonic signals on the longitudinal axis.
The digit device's lodging extends on a longitudinal axis of the digit and wherein the sensors comprise an ultrasonic awesome emitter coupled to the archetypal broadside and configured to emit ultrasonic signals on a absorption perpendicular to the longitudinal axis.
A digit instrumentality configured to beryllium worn connected a digit of a idiosyncratic volition comprise: a U-shaped lodging having archetypal and 2nd portions configured to remainder respectively connected archetypal and 2nd opposing sides of the digit without covering a little digit pad aboveground of the finger; strain gauge circuitry configured to person strain measurements arsenic U-shaped lodging bends; and power circuitry configured to observe digit gestures based connected the strain measurements and nonstop power signals to a head-mounted instrumentality based connected the digit gestures, wherein the power circuitry compares the strain measurements from the archetypal and 2nd strain gauges to find a unit and absorption with which the digit drags laterally crossed an outer surface.
The digit instrumentality further comprises a haptic output instrumentality coupled to the U-shaped housing, wherein the power circuitry is configured to stitchery the strain measurements from the strain gauge circuitry arsenic the digit moves and configured to supply haptic output to the digit utilizing the haptic output device.

To reappraisal the patent successful afloat oregon to reappraisal the remaining caller patent claims, reappraisal Apple's patent exertion US 20230004231 A1.

A Few of Apple's Inventors